Beading Ceremony at a Pack Meeting - Yes or No?

[Mike_Fossler 10]

I'd be interested in hearing from all of you about whether it's appropriate to have a beading ceremony at a Pack Meeting. On one hand, I think it might take away from the kids, on the other, it may inspire other leaders and show the scouts that the leaders work hard to provide a good program for them.

 

I'm faced with this now, since my ticket was approved and I need to pick a time to have my ceremony. Thanks for your responses.

 

"I used to be a Bobwhite..."

 

Mike

[scoutldr 732]

Congratulations, Mike!

 

I did not used to be anything, so maybe I am speaking out of turn...I think your Beading should be anywhere that is most meaningful to you. Having said that, my only concern would be the time required, the attention span of Cubs, and would they really understand or care about the significance of the ceremony? Having been a CM for 5 years, I know that time at a Pack Meeting can be tight, especially if your Pack is large. If you can make it all work without shortchanging the boys, then by all means, go for it. We had a Beading Tues night at the Cub Roundtable. We have also had Beadings at Univ of Scouting. Beatings, on the other hand, are administered whenever needed!

[Vicki 11]

Scoutldr is right - your beading can be held anywhere you and your Gilwell Scoutmaster agree. I had mine at a troop meeting, another member of my patrol had hers at a Court of Honor, a third is planning his at a Roundtable.

 

It can be as short as ten minutes or as long as thirty, so don't worry about attention span.

 

Congratulations on finishing your ticket!

 

I used to be a Bear...

 

Vicki

[frank10 12]

Have mercy on the cubs and skip the song!

Than again, that goes for all beadings, nothing kills time (and a meeting)like the song.

[EagleInKY 14]

Our ticket counselor told us that it was recommended that you do the beading in front of the group that was most impacted by your ticket. In other words, if your tickets were around improving operations in your pack, then you should do it in front of them. If it was for the district, a Roundtable would be appropriate.

 

I don't know about the song, maybe Cub Scouts would think it's cute.

[eagle-pete 11]

What's with the double topic??

 

Anyway...

 

I was considering the same thing when I was planning my ceremony. At the time I was a Cubmaster.

 

A lot depends on your particular pack. How much adult recognition have you been presenting up to this time? How many boys/adults regularly attend your pack meetings? Are your boys accustomed to a ceremony which is less flashy than the typical pack meeting ceremonies? Are the parents/leaders of your pack relatively enthusiastic about the Scouting program in general?

 

In my case I chose not to present a Wood Badge ceremony to my pack. I felt that neither the boys nor most of the adults would fully appreciate it. I did announce when and where the ceremony would be held and made a general invitation to the pack to attend so that anyone who truly was interested would make the effort to go to the ceremony. None showed... I was not surprised. Some of the Boy Scouts did attend and that was great.

 

IMHO, there is alot of meaning in a Wood Badge ceremony that is not really well understood by boys ages 7-10. I am in favor of presenting adult recognition to the Cubs, but this is typically for recognizing volunteers who go the extra mile or parents who helped out.

 

[Double Eagle 128]

Do it at the meeting, make it quick (skip the song). The kids get recognized at meetings in front of everyone, so should you. Just remember, it is important to you, but the kids will tire of talking quickly.

[Trevorum 24]

I'd suggest doing the regular beading ceremony at a Roundtable or district banquet event. It's too much for Cubs. However, it is appropriate and fitting for your award to be formally recognized at a pack meeting, perhaps by the CC. The recognition should be no longer than that for a regular rank advancement (20-30 seconds).

 

(I used to be a Bob White!)

[Eamonn 61]

It's your Wood Badge, you can pick the where and the when along with the who.

However maybe a regular pack meeting is not the best time. How about the pack picnic or at a pack camp out?

Eamonn.

[Bob White 20]

If you keep the length and the explanation age appropriate for the audience, then sure. Why not?

[Aardvark 10]

I'll be getting my beads This Monday at my Troop Meeting.

 

My Gilwell Scoutmaster (the gent I'm replacing as Roundtable Commish) wanted the beading at the RT, but as my Ticket was for the Scouts in my Troop, wanted them to see "Mr Art" get his beads.

 

The last meeting of the month is when we have cake and sodas for the Birthdays on the month, so 10-15 minutes at the end of the meeeting will not be missed.

 

Used to be a Beaver!

[theysawyoucomin' 10]

Birch Log (free from Eagle Scout friend that owns a tree service)

 

 

 

Ax from harbor freight $8

 

 

 

 

Sheet Cake with ax and log symbol(from Sam's Club) $18

 

 

 

Flowers for mother and wife $20

 

 

 

Getting Beaded last night in front of the Pack--priceless

 

 

The Course director reviewed the ticket Items (3 directly impacted the boys and they were fun activities)

 

The boys had a stake in the ceremony.

 

My old Cubmaster from 34 years ago was there. He is now the COR for Kwanis Club, and was there to receive the Charter from Council.

 

Boys thought the Ax in the log was cool. They really liked the cake.

 

Mike have your beading where you want, because for one time, especially at your beading IT can be about you.

 

Best of luck!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[athiker 10]

I don't know if your pack leaders would understand what it takes to earn your Woodbadge beads. For me, a more appropriate place would be a district picnic, district recognition dinner, or a roundtable. When I earned mine back in 1981 (NE-IV-27) I had them presented to me by the District Training Chairman who was my Woodbadge coach/counselor at a monthly Scout Leader Roundtable. My fellow Scouters gave me a hearty round of applause. Also, the Scout Roundtable Commissioner's wife who served on the roundtable staff was a fellow Beaver patrol member. It's kind of neat getting recognized in front of your patrol buddies.

[fgoodwin 23]

I saw a beading (not my own) at a Pack Meeting, and I can tell you the kids were bored out of their minds -- the WB Course director talked waaay too long about the WB traditions, etc. to an audience that had no idea and virtually no interest in it.

 

I will say however, that the person getting beaded did a project for his ticket that was a direct benefit to the pack, so there really wasn't a more appropriate place.

 

Still, I chose to have my own beading at RT, thinking its OK to bore adults out of their minds!

 

I used to be an Owl . . .

SR-552