Newsletter - 2002 - December

InsaneScouter News

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What's New at http://insanescouter.com

I am proud to announce many of the new features and content now available at InsaneScouter. Below you will find a list of what these updates are and where to find them.

• Added More Winter / Christmas E-Post Cards
• Added Winter / Christmas Clip Art
• Send a Letter to Santa
• Christmas Maze
• Christmas Word Find
• Christmas Crossword Puzzle
• Illustrated History of BSA Square Knot Evolution

If you would like to help in any way with the InsaneScouter website, please contact us at webmaster@insanescouter.org

Christmas Fun Activities

Easy "Gingerbread" Houses

This is my very favorite Christmas activity because its easy to do, inexpensive, and it encourages the kids to be creative!

Youll need a small milk carton, some graham crackers, frosting, and candy and goodies for decorating.

Wash and dry the milk carton and tape it back shut. Place it on a paper plate, cookie sheet, or another flat surface. Now, using the frosting, stick graham cracker "walls" on the sides of the carton. Apply 2 crackers on the top to form the roof. Use lots of frosting so your house stays together!

Now, decorate with candy! You can use candy canes, gumdrops, M&Ms, Skittles, licorice, sprinkles, lollipops, etc!

Clay Ornaments

You can shape your own Christmas tree, candy cane or star ornaments with this easy-to-make clay! Use acrylic paints, glitter and ribbon to add the finishing touches!

Heres what you do: Boil 1 ½ cups of water (adult assistance required), remove from the stove and stir in 2 cups of salt and 1 cup of cornstarch. Now heat the mixture on low. Cook the dough until its hard to stir.

Pour the dough onto waxed paper. Let it cool and then knead it. Use a rolling pin to roll it out until its about 1/8 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out Christmas shapes from the dough. Use a toothpick to poke a hole at the top of each shape. Let the dough shapes dry for a few days. Paint and decorate your ornaments!

Beaded Ornaments

You can make beautiful bead ornaments to give as gifts, or to hang on your Christmas tree!

All you need are pipe cleaners and transparent crafts beads (5-10 millimeters) Hook the end of a pipe cleaner and thread on beads from the opposite end, stopping about a half inch from the tip. Twist together the two ends and your bead strand is ready to be shaped into a star, candy cane, or other holiday shape!

You can twist multiple strings together to form three dimensional shapes and unique ornaments!

Creative Gift Wrap Ideas!

• Try some of these easy and inexpensive ideas for wrapping presents!
• Place the gift in a brown paper bag that you have decorated with markers, crayons, paints, and glitter. Use ribbon to tie that top closed.
• Wrap a box with aluminum foil. Tie yarn around it and make a bow, You can draw on the foil with permanent markers.
• Cover a box with different colors of construction or tissue paper to create a collage effect.
• Wrap small gifts in colored tissue paper. Place the tissue paper in a small plastic bag so that the tissue paper sticks out of the top. Tie with yarn.
• Hide the gift. Write out clues to help the person find the gift. Hide that clue to help the person find that clue and on and on. You can have many clues. Hide them and have them lead from one to another!

Santa Centerpiece

This is an adorable centerpiece for your holiday table! Youll need a clean milk carton with the top cut off, 1 piece of white construction paper (large enough to fit around the milk carton), cotton balls, twigs, holly leaves and evergreen pieces.

Glue the white paper around the milk carton. Cut off any excess paper. Use markers to draw eyes, a nose, and a mouth on the carton.

Glue on cotton balls for Santas beard and around the top of the carton for Santas hair. Arrange some twigs, holly leaves and evergreen pieces in your centerpiece!

Rudolph Surprise Pops!

These are adorable snacks to feed the kids this holiday season.

Youll need some Ritz crackers, peanut butter, a small bag of chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons of vegetable shortening, mini pretzel twists, M & Ms and craft sticks.

Line a cookie sheet with foil or wax paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Use a craft stick to spread peanut butter on a cracker. Place the craft stick across the top of the peanut butter, so it is nearly to the top of the cracker. Place the second cracker on top, so the craft stick is sandwiched between the crackers. Repeat until you have as many crackers as you would like.

Place chocolate chips and shortening in a bowl and melt in the microwave. (about a minute and a half) Using a spoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over the peanut butter crackers until the entire sandwich is well covered.

For antlers, slightly press the ends of 2 pretzels into the peanut butter sandwich. Use M & Ms to make eyes and nose.

Clothespin Reindeer

Decorate a box with these homemade critters, or use to decorate the tree! Just take a wooden clothespin (the kind without the spring) and paint it brown. Allow to dry. Place the clothespin upside down (so the 2 "pinchers" form the ears), and glue on 2 wiggly eyes. Ad a red pompom for a nose and let dry! Make a whole "team" of reindeer!

Frosty the Snowman

Heres an easy craft for all! Glue a small white paper plate to the top edge of a larger one. Let kids decorate with magic markers, pom poms, fabric scraps, and construction paper!

Book Exchange

Supplies: Inexpensive book gift wrapped for each child
Book- The Gingerbread Man

How To Play: Children set in a circle, each one holding a wrapped book. A Room Mother reads "The Gingerbread Man" story. Every time the word "ran" is spoken you pass the book to the person on your right. Continue doing until the story is over. The book on your lap at the end of the story is yours to keep and open.

Gift Unwrap Relay

Supplies: Empty boxes wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper

How To Play: Divide the class into teams. Put a stack of presents at the end of each teamís course. The first child in each team runs to the presents, unwraps one, and races back to the next person in line. First team finished unwrapping wins! Note: To make it easier on the Room Parents, you may wish to adapt this game to where the child unwraps, throws away the paper, then runs back!

Littlest Angel or Good Elf

How To Play: Challenge the children to do random acts of kindness for others for one day. Tell them that they are not to reveal that they have done these nice things and if someone should ask them, "did you make sisters bed"? they can reply, "Must have been a good elf".

This game helps children realize we dont always have to be recognized and made over when we do something for someone else. If playing with preschoolers or kindergarteners you may want to send a note home with them explaining how parents can help.

Pin The Nose On Frosty or Rudolph

Supplies: Big Picture of Frosty or Rudolph
A red circle or orange carrot shape, for each child, with adhesive on back and their name on the front.
Blindfold

How To Play: Blindfold the player, spin em around and let them try to stick the nose where its supposed to go. Give a prize for the player that gets the closest.

Blind Snowman Game

Supplies:8 1/2 x 11 Sheet of Paper
Pencil

How To Play: Give everyone a piece of paper and a pencil. Explain to them that they will close their eyes and you will tell them what to draw. DONT tell them theyre drawing a snowman!

Draw 3 circles on top of each other. Each circle gets smaller from bottom to top. In the middle circle draw three buttons going vertically down the center. In the top circle draw two eyes, a carrot nose, and a mouth. Draw a hat on top of the smallest circle. Draw stick arms on both sides of the middle circle. Draw a broom in one stick hand.

Christmas Poems - By Michael

(http://www.members.tripod.com/wlytle1/id3.htm)

Christmas Ceremony

It is best to have either 2 narrators or a Cubmaster and Assistant Cubmaster doing the ceremonies. Cubs should have been instructed to bring a flashlight. Cover the flashlight with either green or red plastic wrap. Make sure to double the plastic wrap to dull the light from the flashlight. Use a rubber band to keep the plastic wrap on.

Narrator #1:
Now, twas the night of the pack meeting and all through the place, not a boy was stirring, anticipation on each face.

Cubmaster:
It was time for advancements and they all turned so when their den was called they would hear it loud and clear.

Narrator #1:
The Cubmaster was checking his list, not once but twice, to see which boys had worked hard and earned awards this night.

Cubmaster:
When all of a sudden, the Cubmaster was ready with helpers nigh, to pass out awards as the first den was called the boys filed by.

Narrator #1:
First came the Tigers with faces so bright, it wasn't hard to tell that they get their pins tonight. (would den ___ please come forward)

CEREMONY:
(all boys turn on green flashlights, house lights off) (Tiger candle is lit by pack denner.) The Tiger pin is special because it is the first step to achievements in the Cub Scouting experience. They have searched, discovered and shared and through this have earned their first award. Den leader please present the awards.

Cubmaster:
Second, are the Wolves, experienced that's true, but there is still much to learn, Akelas not through (Wolf ranks presented)

CEREMONY:
Wolf candle (all boys turn on red flashlights) 12 achievements constitutes hard work and lots of fun for Wolves. Rank is earned for a Wolf after he has completed the 12 steps in his Wolf book. A boy and parent have to work hard to earn rank in December. Den Leaders, please present the awards.

Narrator #1:
Third are the Bears, most experienced and so fair, but not quite ready they are waiting for next year.

Cubmaster:
Last are the WEBELOS Scouts, but not least to be sure, Akelas lessons they've learned, now Boy Scouts is their lure. Come up WEBELOS den ___, your activities are harder that's a fact, your accomplishments you wear proudly on your hat.

CEREMONY:
(all boys turn on green flashlights) WEBELOS leader please present the activity pins.

Narrator #1:
Come up WEBELOS den ___, you've worked hard and we have noticed that you're up for activities pins, and that's not braggadocios.

CEREMONY:
(all boys turn on red flashlights) Now den ___ with WEBELOS fine, you not only earned activity pins but through working hard some have earned their WEBELOS badge. (present the activities pins and ask the WEBELOS that are to get their rank to stay on the stage) (Green flashlights through activity pins only) No lights for WEBELOS rank.

CEREMONY:
Tonight there are three candles lit on our awards table. The spirit of Christmas candle, the spirit of Scouting candle and the WEBELOS rank candle. The lit WEBELOS rank candle symbolizes the final patch to complete the diamond of ranks on a Cub Scout uniform and stretching his mind and his body. He is preparing to be a Boy Scout. One of the requirements of the WEBELOS rank is to know the Boy Scout Promise. With your candles lit by the spirit of Scouting candle, please say in unison the Boy Scout Promise.

Now with the light of the flame burned into your mind's eye, blow out the candle and prepare to receive your badge of honor. (all boys turn on flashlights) WEBELOS leaders please present the WEBELOS ranks.

-Bay Area Council Pow Wow, 1994

InsaneScouter Moment - Twas The Night Before Christmas...Mom Style

I thought it might be nice to do something different for a change...

Twas The Night Before Christmas...Mom Style

Twas the night before Christmas, when all thru the abode
Only one creature was stirring, & she was cleaning the commode.
The children were finally sleeping, all snug in their beds, while
visions of Nintendo 64 & Barbie, flipped through their heads.

The dad was snoring in front of the TV, with a half-constructed
bicycle propped on his knee. So only the mom heard the reindeer
hooves clatter, which made her sigh, "Now what is the matter?"

With toilet bowl brush still clutched in her hand, She descended the
stairs, & saw the old man. He was covered with ashes & soot, which
fell with a shrug, "Oh great," muttered the mom, "Now I have to
clean the rug."

"Ho Ho Ho!" cried Santa, "Im glad you're awake."
"your gift was especially difficult to make."
"Thanks, Santa, but all I want is time alone."
"Exactly!" he chuckled, "So, I've made you a clone."

"A clone?" she muttered, "What good is that?"
"Run along, Santa, I've no time for chit chat."
Then out walked the clone - The mothers twin,
Same hair, same eyes, same double chin.

"She'll cook, shell dust, she'll mop every mess.
Youll relax, take it easy, watch The Young & The Restless."
"Fantastic!" the mom cheered. "My dream has come true!"
"I'll shop, I'll read, I'll sleep a night through!"

From the room above, the youngest did fret.
"Mommy?! Come quickly, Im scared & Im wet."
The clone replied, "Im coming, sweetheart."
"Hey," the mom smiled, "She sure knows her part."

The clone changed the small one & hummed her tune,
as she bundled the child in a blanket cocoon.
"You're the best mommy ever. I really love you."
The clone smiled & sighed, "And I love you, too."

The mom frowned & said, "Sorry, Santa, no deal."
"That's my childs LOVE she is trying to steal."
Smiling wisely Santa said,
"To me it is clear, Only one loving mother is needed here."

The mom kissed her child & tucked her in bed.
"Thank You, Santa, for clearing my head.
I sometimes forget it won't be very long,
when they'll be too old for my cradle & song."

The clock on the mantle began to chime.
Santa whispered to the clone, "It works every time."
With the clone by his side, Santa said "Goodnight.
Merry Christmas, dear Mom, You will be all right."

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