Den Showcase

Your den will be asked to prepare a skit or song to present during "Den Showcase Time."

• An opportunity for the boys to perform in front of a large audience.
• Each den will do a skit or song at some point during the week (see schedule).
• Each den will have practice time in the campfire bowl ("Den Showcase Practice" on your schedule).
• Have the boys work on their presentation, including making their voices loud and clear.
• Theme skits are great, old favorites are good too.
• Props and costumes really add to the performance.

Be careful to keep skits positive.

BSA recently stated in the newest Cub Scout Leader Book:

These are some of the things that can make activities inappropriate and unacceptable:

• Name-calling, put-downs, or hazing
• References to undergarments, nudity, or bodily functions
• Cross-gender impersonation
• Derogatory references to or stereotyping of ethnic or cultural backgrounds, economic situations, or disabilities.
• Sensitive social issues such as alcohol, drugs, gangs, guns, suicide, etc.
• Wasteful, ill-mannered, or improper use of food or water.
• Inside jokes that exclude some of those present
• Cultural exclusion emphasis on the culture or faith of part of the group while ignoring that of the rest of the group
• Changing lyrics to patriotic songs (America, America the Beautiful, God Bless America, The Star-Spangled Banner) or to hymns and other spiritual songs

Many skits that have been done in the past are no longer appropriate. The program director will put a stop to inappropriate skits, so if you have an idea that you're not sure of, run it by Sharon or Margo before you allow the boys to get attached to it.

Below is some info on Skits and Stunts from a Pow-Wow class.

SKITS & STUNTS

Why do we do Skits & Run-ons in Cub Scouting?

• To teach a concept

• To role-play appropriate actions

• To practice for speaking in front of others

• To have fun

• Memorizing develops mind

• Elective requirements

• Theme related

• THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON: To teach character building VALUES to Cub Scouts.

What is a skit?

What parts of a pack meeting could be considered to be like a skit? In short, ANY TIME someone is in front talking to the audience. Such as: Flag ceremony, Awards Presentations, Opening Thoughts, Announcements, One-act plays, Songs, Stunts, Run-ons, Cubmaster Minute.

How do we find skits/stunts* to use with Cub Scouts?

• Boys/Leaders Creativity (WRITE IT YOURSELF)

• Scouting Literature, Internet (i.e., MacScouter) (see links below)

• Other Organization Literature (Girl Scouts, etc.)

• Library (song books, joke & riddle books)

*Caution: Make SURE every skit/stunt is appropriate to age and is not offensive or embarrassing to anyone. You are the leader! CENSOR! This means you have to screen everything first!

Standards to use: The Cub Scout Promise, The Law of the Pack, The Scout Oath & Law. Think about: Is it something you would want your son to repeat or do? Is it something you want to him to say he learned in Scouts?

Please avoid embarrassing an audience member, racial or cultural put-downs, bathroom humor, water in skits, or violence.

How to create a skit:

Use these 4 or 5 steps: (repeating until the story is complete)

• WHO: Who are the characters?

• WANTS: What is it they want?

• BUT: What prevents them from getting what they want?

• SO: How do they solve the problem?

• And then: Then what happens?

EXAMPLE: Movie: ET

• Who: Elliot

• Wants: Parent Attention, SOMEONE to care about him

• But: Father left, Mom too busy

• So: Finds friend in ET

• And then: Friend goes home, but will always be right here

• AND Mom & brother pay attention to him now.

Try this formula out on YOUR favorite movie or story. It works! To write a skit, you just create your own answers to the 5 Steps.

EXAMPLE:

• Who: The boys in our den

• Want: To go to the zoo

• But: They dont have any money

• So: They all ask their parents

• And Then: the parents all give them reasons why they dont have ANY MONEY (hole in pocket, gave at the office, spent it on bubble gum, wife/husband wont give them any)

• Repeat the steps until the story is complete.

• Who: Boys in the den

• Want: Money from parents so they can go to the zoo

• But: Parents have excuses

• So: Boys decide to have garage sale

• And then: at the Garage Sale the Parents discover that boys have all brought stuff to sale that is GOOD stuff the parents want and end up buying their own stuff back. Boys get to go to zoo with money from the sale!

• Finale: Cubmaster announces at Pack Meeting how this fine group of boys EARNED the money for their trip to the zoo themselves! (Parents of same are groaning!)

HELPFUL HINTS:

Boys cannot pull together the complete script on their own. Have them go through the 5 questions with you until you have the gist of what they want, but then send them home while YOU put it all together. At the next meeting you can present them with the finished script to practice, and they should be able to recognize their story and feel a sense of ownership.

Boys will not / cannot perform at pack meetings loudly like they do in den meetings. This is normal, be prepared to assist with lines, microphones, etc. This is why so many of the reading types of skits are done with CS age boys.

Puppet shows also provide a way to be heard but not seen if they are shy. Even without a stage to hide behind, the focus is on the puppet, not the speaker.

Adults modeling how to do a skit could be a real learning tool for the boys. Have the adults get up and perform skits and stunts as well as the boys. Do them in costume if you expect the boys to.

As we learn at Cub Scout Leader Basic Training, boys have WONDERFUL imaginations and a need to express themselves. They also need appropriate heroes and practice in making good choices and they LOVE to play act. Lets use their natural, normal desire to pretend to their benefit. By giving them the opportunity to practice and perform skits/stunts they will have a richer scouting experience. And we will have GREAT pack meetings!

Resources:

Here are some great places to find skits. Please screen the skit ideas before presenting them to the boys, though; not all of them are appropriate.

http://www.scoutorama.com/skit/

http://burtleburtle.net/bob/scout/index.html

http://www.scouts.asn.au/resources/skits.html

http://www.macscouter.com/Skits/

http://www.scoutinglinks.com/gsrc/skits.htm