University Of Scouting

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Campfires In Cub Scouts

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Campfires In Cub Scouts

• Importance of Scouting’s Campfire Tradition
• Parts of a Campfire Program
• Campfire Planning and Logistics

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Importance of Scouting’s Campfire Tradition

• Why do we have campfires?
• Fun!
• Participation
• Tool to Meet Scouting Goals
• Contribute to Cub Scout’s Growth

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Why Do We Have Campfires?

• Fun!
• If fun is not delivered the Cub will derive little from the experience.
• Fun for a Cub is: spirit, security, laughter, enjoying friends, sharing experiences and the like.

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Why Do We Have Campfires?

• Participation
• Shared experience where everyone gets to take part.
• Build bonds of loyalty
• Togetherness, part of a group
• Promote social skills
• Public speaking skills

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Why Do We Have Campfires?

• Tools to Meet Scouting Goals
• Character
• Citizenship
• Personal Fitness
• Outdoor Skills/Awareness
• Leadership Development

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Why Do We Have Campfires?

• Contribute to Cub Scout’s Growth
• Rank Advancement
• Family Participation
• Loyalty to Pack/Den
• Citizen of Community/Nation

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Campfire Planning and Logistics

• Parts of a campfire
• Planning the campfire
• Prepping the campfire site
• The campfire
• Clean up

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Parts Include in the Campfire

• Lighting the Campfire / Gathering
• Welcome
• Recap of Day’s Events (if applicable)
• Den’s Skits and Songs
• Instructions for Evening (if applicable)
• Cubmaster Minute
• Flag Retirement Ceremony (if applicable)
• Song: Cub Scout Vespers
• Extinguishing the Fire

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Welcome

• Emcee Welcomes Families and Visitors
• Welcome alerts all: Campfire is starting
• Set Ground Rule about that Fire
• How to be good audience
• How to get on stage
• How to listen for who is up and who is on deck
• Start it out with fun

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Recap of Day’s Events

• Recognize Cub Scout achievements leading up to campfire
• Thank event leaders
• Not applicable if event is solely the campfire

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Instructions for Evening

• If camping, the “lights out” rules
• “Cracker Barrel” instructions
• If not camping, departure logistics

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Cubmaster Minutes

• Moment of reflection
• Reinforce Scouting values
• Campfire energy “following the flames“
• Communicate our thoughts
• Addresses the entire Pack
• Opportunity to convey a special message of inspiration
• Illustrate a moral attitude and positive thinking

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Scout Vespers

• Tune: “O Christmas Tree”

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Softly falls the light of day,

As our campfire fades away.

Silently each Cub should ask,

Have I done my daily task?

Have I kept the Cub Law too,

Taught to me by old Baloo?

Always tried to do my best?

God grant me a quiet rest.

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Flag Retirement Ceremony

• Optional
• U.S. Flag code
• Solemn, dignified ceremony
• Ceremony script found online
• Silence, or close with Taps

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Planning the Camp Fire

• Emcee
• Cubmaster Minute
• Flag Retirement
• Cub Scouter Vespers
• Event Announcement, Invitation and Signup
• Rain Plan
• Firewood Logistics
• Fire Tending
• Den time

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Emcee

• Emcee: You, one volunteer, or a group of people
• In charge of the Campfire Plan
• How long is the show. N number of Dens X 1-3 min. X how many songs or skits per Den + Scouter Master Min. + …
• Follow the flow of the fire: Small and Slow, Big - Fast and Grand, Small and Slow, End

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Emcee

• Pre-screening Den Skit and Jokes
• In good taste
• No graphic, vulgar, obscene material
• BSA guideline: no one is “fall guy” (if violated, “fall guy” must be pre-informed adult) Avoid Ad-libbing Joke — avoid, as content out of control, quickly lost control over time
• No inside Jokes.
• Resource for the Dens
• Skit books
• Song Books

See Resource hand out.

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EFFECTIVE SCOUTMASTER’S MINUTES 

• Well-rehearsed
• Personalized and delivered with good eye contact and expression
• To the point, presenting a single, clear lesson
• Well-paced, not overly-long and drawn out
• Drawn upon events or circumstances that Scout-age boys can relate to
• Applicable for all of us (using”we” instead of “you” while addressing the Scouts)

https://troopresources.scouting.org/scoutmaster-minutes/

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Contain these four key elements

• Relevance – is the topic important to the Scouts
• Sincerity – does the speaker truly believe what they are saying
• Credibility – does the speaker exemplify what they are saying
• Passion – how important is the topic to the speaker

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https://troopresources.scouting.org/scoutmaster-minutes/

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Flag Retirement (Optional)

• Why
• Teach respect
• teach patriotism
• Can be long, or can be separate campfire?
• Need separate Planning
• Supply
• Flag
• Script
• Volunteers
• See Handout

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Vesper

• Song: Scout Vespers
• Tune: “O Christmas Tree”

Softly falls the light of day,

As our campfire fades away.

Silently each Cub should ask,

Have I done my daily task?

Have I kept the Cub Law too,

Taught to me by old Baloo?

Always tried to do my best?

God grant me a quiet rest.

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Rain

• What if it rains?
• Need to be safe to continue outside
• Can we Move inside
• Rain Tarps or Push up Flies
• Is their wood that is dry

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Firewood Logistics

• Assign to experienced volunteer
• Brought in or bought there
• Browsing rules - ask Ranger, Camp Web site
• Check for fire ban
• Use existing rings
• Bring matches, shovels, pokers, buckets
• No liquid fuels

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Fire Tending

• Two or three adults
• Responsible for:
• Fire Lighting
• Safety Monitoring
• Perimeter Maintenance
• Fire Extinguishing - Out, Dead Cold Out
• Low impact Camping - Remove the Ash

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Den Time

• Give Dens time to Practice:
• Song
• Repeat after Me.
• With hand out to the audience.
• Audience participation.
• Skits - Big Book of Skits, Hand outs
• Jokes - Boys Life
• Vet song, Skits and Jokes with Den Leader and Emcee
• Stage Presents - Talk Loud, Face the audience

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Prepping the Campfire Site

• Prepare to extinguish the fire before starting the Fire.
• Water / Sand Bucket
• Fire Tools - Shovels, Rakes, Pokers
• Safety Perimeter
• Where the Audience is to site
• Stage - Free of tripping hazards
• Stage Light

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The Campfire

• Welcome / opening
• Establish a rhythm
• Emcee
• Give Thanks, Praise or Cheer for last act
• Announce act that is UP
• Announce act that is on Deck (give Den Leader time to get setup)

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Clean Up

• Pick up song books
• Pickup Trash
• Put out Fire
• Fire Extinguishing - Out, Dead Cold Out
• Low impact Camping - Remove the Ash
• Put camp site back the way it was if altered

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Campfires In Cub Scouts

In summary, we convey lessons using group activities, public speaking, songs, and skits. The Scouts learn to serve others as they participate in a fun and energizing group experience. This experience can help them tap in to their creativity as they contribute to the campfire program. This is where memories are made and families can be strengthened.

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Practice Time

• BSA has a Campfire Program Planner (BSA form 33696A)

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Lets do it on the White Board!!

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