Blue and Gold Banquet

Cheers:

Cheers are a simple way to add fun and enthusiasm, get the groups attention, and tie in your monthly theme. Here is an example that could be used at a Blue and Gold Banquet.

Cubmaster: Scout colors.

Scouts: Blue and Gold!

Graces:

Dining Options:

Many units traditionally do a Pot Luck style dinner with everyone bringing a dish to share. It can be helpful to assign Dens what to bring; Plates/Napkins/Utensils, Main Dishes, Sides, Desserts. These things do not need to be assigned but you always run the risk of having 90% desserts and 10% side dishes. 

Another option is to have each family bring their own food and a blanket for the floor and have a group picnic. This can be a fun twist on things and is easier for the Pack leadership to plan, but may add more elements to the parents plate than just bringing one item.

 

Remember when doing any form of group food to be thoughtful of possible food allergies. Be sure to ask families if there are any food allergies and the severity of those allergies. Some folks have mild allergies and a dish may just need to be labeled such as, “Contains Strawberries”. Other allergies are very severe and those ingredients should just not be allowed at all.

IMG_8271
A Pack enjoying a Pot Luck Banquet.
Picnic style Blue and Gold.

Decorations:

Decorations make the Blue and Gold Banquet stand out as a special event. Table clothes and center pieces can dress up any space with limited effort. You can find center pieces and other decorations on scoutstuff.org  If you are crafty you can make a lot of center pieces on your own that look amazing.

Program Options:

Campfire Program: A campfire program of skits and songs can be done anywhere whether you have an actual campfire or not. Have each Den prepare a song or skit prior to the banquet and take turns performing for the rest of the Pack. 

You can find some skits like this classic in the link below.
Skits
Blue and Gold Banquets are traditionally held in February so you will probably be inside, but a projector screen playing a video clip of a campfire can set the mood.

Consider giving your Cubmaster the night off by bringing in an Emcee that isn’t the Cubmaster. Talk to a local Scouts BSA Troop and see if there is an older Scout that is willing to emcee the event. Emceeing a campfire program is a requirement for Communications Merit Badge which is a merit badge required if a Scout wants to be an Eagle Scout. That makes it a great opportunity for an older Scout to earn something they need, allow the the adult leader to sit back and enjoy the show, the Cubs to get a preview of what being in Scouts BSA is like, and show off to parents how impressive a Scouts BSA Scout can be.

Host a Bear Carnival: The Bear carnival used to be a required adventure but now is an elective. It is still a great time and a lot of fun. Maybe your Bear Den can arrange and staff carnival games for the other Scouts in the Pack and their siblings too!

A roll of painters tape and some game pieces and you can play an easy game of Tic-Tac-Toe. If you want to add to the fun use air hockey pucks as your markers and slide them to the spaces from a distance. This will turn this into a Tic-Tac-Toe Shuffleboard.
A small parachute and a few playground balls can be a great time. Toss a ball up and try to catch it in the parachute. Keep adding balls and see how many you can catch without losing one.
Blow soccer can be played with a ping pong ball and a table. Each team can only move the ball by blowing on it.
Hole in one is a simple game. Have a few buckets spaced out a foot or two apart and Scouts can toss a tennis ball or bean bag into the buckets. The further the bucket the more points are awarded.

Cake Bake Off: Have each Scout make and decorate a cake. Have predetermined categories and a few adults vote on some award worthy masterpieces. After the voting, allow the Scouts and their families to do a tour of the cakes to see them all. Then cut them into tiny pieces so that each Scout can try a few different ones.

Invite a special guest: Bring in a ventriloquist, a magician,  a dinosaur expert, or someone else your Scouts will enjoy. They can perform their skills or teach the Cubs new things. Remember that if there is a way to make things hands on and interactive the Cubs will enjoy it even more.

Crossover: It is very possible that your Arrows of Light are ready to crossover into a Scouts BSA Troop. The Blue and Gold is already a special event so this can be a perfect time to hold such a nice ceremony for your AoLs.