Blue & Gold Banquet

On Monday February 26, 2024, the Cub Scouts held their Blue and Gold Banquet. The banquet is to celebrate the founding date of the Boy Scouts of America. The banquet’s name derives from the colors of the Cub Scout uniform.

For anyone who has volunteered as Cub Master knows that the banquet standsout.LynetteHaggerty has served as Cub Master for seven years and really knows how to host the celebration banquet.

Honorary guests included Francis and Sue Nelson and Eddie and Kim Kenedy, pack committee members and elders at Madill Church of Christ who provide the regular Cub Scout meeting area. The Chickasaw District Executive with the Arbuckle Area Council, Rachel Fisher andhersonMurphywerealso in attendance. There were 12 Cub Scouts and Webelos along with their families and care givers.

The banquet theme this year was a Star Wars referenced theme, “Scouting: May the fun be with you”. The banquet began with the Pledge of Allegiance led by the pack and then a prayer blessing the meal and all scouts led by Francis Nelson.

The meal provided by the pack included tacos and nachos with all the fixings as well as deserts. The tables were set in a formal style with a planet center piece and dinner ware with Star Wars designs.

A photo wall with a galaxy backdropseemedtodrawthe scouts in for many pictures. The banquet also served as a stage in progression for each scout as achievement awards were handed out This year marks 114 years of the Boy Scouts of America. The organization was established by Robert Baden Powell on February 18, 1910. The first BSA encampment was in Silver Bay, NY. Silver Bay YMCA historic site is the site of the first BSA encampment and is also listed on the National Register of Historic places.

The first Boy Scout Troop is claimed to have been organizedinPawhuska,Okla. in May 1909 in the Osage Nation by John F. Mitchell. The local Arbuckle Council was renamed from the Red River Area Council and Ardmore Council organized in 1918. The Chickasaw Council was formed in 1930 andmergedintotheArbuckle Area Council in 1946 and remains today.

Many youth clubs existed during the time scouting was introduced in the United States.Manyoftheseresolved into the BSA, one being the “WoodCraft Indians”. The positive traits and practices of First Americans became the common staple principles of the BSA and remain so today.

The Boy Scouts remain to be the strongest youth club in the United States. The goal of Cub Scouts is encouraging boys and girls to make friends, be helpful to others, and do their very best no matter the outcome.

These principles are the very Scout Oath: “On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law: To help other people at all times: To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake,andmorallystraight.”

BSA is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States with 762,000 youth participants and is open to any youth starting with Cub Scouts grades K-5 and Boy Scouts to any youth ages 10-20 and a life of service thereafter. Any youth, male or female, can participate and volunteers are always welcome.

To find out more about scouting, get involved, or donate, visit beascout. scouting.org or call Ardmore area office 580-223-0831