Theme Description
"Ladies and Gentleman" welcome to the Cub Scout Circus. It will be a month of entertainment. Dens will practice stunts, skits, songs, run-ons and applauses as part of their advancement --and just for fun -as they prepare to share their talents at the monthly pack meeting. The pack meeting focus will be the magic of a circus, with the Cubmaster serving as ringmaster. The pack meeting may be set up with three rings where each of the dens performs what they have been practicing. Be sure to have lots of balloons, peanuts, and popcorn for the audience, as well as spotlights on each den as they participate. Awards could be presented in each ring.
AMERICAN CIRCUSES
"The circus was introduced in the United States by John Bill Ricketts, an English equestrian who opened a show in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1792 and staged subsequent circuses in New York City and Boston, Massachusetts. President George Washington reportedly attended a Ricketts circus and sold the company a horse in 1797. The Ricketts circus remained in existence, with several name changes, through the first decade of the 19th century. Some of the outstanding companies in the early history of American circuses were the Mount Pitt circus and the troupes of the American animal tamer Isaac Van Amburgh, the American chemist and inventor Gilbert Spaulding, and the American clown Dan Rice." Source:Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002. © 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Ceremonies
Circus Advancement
Cubmaster: (Dressed as Ringmaster)
Ladies and Gentlemen, you are about to see Circus like you have never seen before!
For our first act tonight we have trained Bobcats and their trainers (parents). They will be in the center ring and will perform for us showing what feats they have mastered. (Bobcats and parents come forward and go through Bobcat requirements with Cubmaster. Badges are presented.) Notice how these Bobcats have been trained well by their trainers. Let's have a fine round of applause for this fine act we have just seen performed before our very eyes!
And now we have for our second colossal circus act of achievement this evening, a fine trained Wolf act. The Wolves in this act are: (read boys' names receiving Wolf badge or arrow points under Wolf badge.) Here come those Wolf Cubs and their trainers into our center ring! (Boys and parents come forward)
(Handle Bear badges and arrow points in same manner as Wolf.)
And now ladies and gentlemen, we have a stupendous act which takes much skill and requires work and patience as these young men climb to great heights . . . in fact, to the very top in the Cub Scout Circus of Achievements. Let's all watch breathlessly as we give special honors in a ceremony, which will demonstrate to you, what heights these boys have climbed with the help of their trainers along the way. It is a privilege to introduce you to the participants in this outstanding feat. (Call boys, Webelos Leader and parents forward.) (Present activity badges with appropriate language pertaining to badge, such as:)
These are our skilled athletes . . . who have shown their dexterity in physical fitness feats (or) These are the aquanauts whose remarkable agility in the water is unequaled… etc.
And now for the stars of our show… the young men who have completed the requirements for the Arrow of Light… the highest award in Cub Scouting. In order to qualify for this award, these young men have shown superior knowledge about Scouting, citizenship and emergency first aid. As these stars step into our center ring let's give them a roaring round of applause. (Read names…)
We have presented for you one of the most exciting, most stupendous show in the history of Cub Scouting. The young men you have seen before you have attained the heights of achievement … an amazing array of ability and stupendous skill. . . an extravaganza extraordinary!
Cracker Jacks
This is an simple ceremony (non-rank?) especially if you have A LOT of awards to give out. To make things easier, have all awards bunched together either by boy or by the different awards)
Equipment: Giant Box of Cracker Jacks with awards inside.
CM: We all know we can't have a circus without Clowns, Cotton Candy and Cracker Jacks. Well, (indicate to the scouts) we have our Clowns, and since it's so late in the evening, it's probally best we skip the Cotton Candy, so that just leaves Cracker Jacks. The thing I like best sbout Cracker Jacks is you always get a surprise inside. My problem, is I can never wait until I finish eating the Popcorn to get my prize. (Begin taking handfuls of packing popcorn out of box while digging for an award.) (Once you find an award, call boy forward to present it to him)
Cheers
Skits and Run-On's
Tiger Tamer
Ringleader: Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! For our first act tonight, we have the ferocious Tigers. Tigers come out on stage with their tamer.
Tamer: We will begin tonight with the famous Towering Tiger Pyramid! (Cracks whip to get Tigers to obey but Tiger ignore tamer).
Ringleader: We can't have this! Your fired! (Tamer walks away) Quick someone call Ringling Circus! (New tamer from Barnum & Bailey's come in tries to get Tigers to obey, but they continue to ignore tamer).
Ringleader: Oh what to do!! Are Sigfried and Roy available? (Tamers walks off as Sigfried & Roy come out and try to get Tigers to obey, but fail. Meanwhile Tigers are starting to get restless and making a lot of noise).
Ringleader: If we don't get someone who can handle these Tigers in here quick, it will be a disaster! (Turns to audience) Is there anyone here who can get tigers to behave and follow directions???
(Tiger Leader in uniform walks out on stage)
T.L.: Tigers! (Tigers stop and listen) Search! (Tigers begin to search the stage) Discover! (Tigers find an object hidden on stage) Share! (Tigers show off).
Center Ring Antics
A circus means clowns, and lots of them. Present a series of clown acts using the ideas below as starters. Have the ringmaster introduce the acts and tie them together.
The Lion Tamer #1
A clown comes in with five “lions”. The tamer cracks his whip as the lions circle single file around him. Suddenly, one lion comes up behind the tamer and bites his leg. The tamer stops, glares, then proceeds to get the lions going again.
A second lion bites his leg; the tamer again stops and then proceeds. The same thing happens with lions three and four.
And then lion five bites his arm. After the final bite, the tamer leads-them off and comes back to take his bows.
Ringmaster: "Heavens, that was quite a performance, but a little dangerous, isn’t it?"
The tamer: "On no, I don't mind. It helps with my research."
Ringmaster: "What do you mean?"
Tamer: "Well, it just goes to prove that four out of five lions prefer legs."
Songs
Did You Ever See A Clown
Sung to: "Did You Ever See A Lassie?"
Did you ever see a clown,
A clown, a clown?
Did you ever see a clown
Move this way and that?
Did you ever see a clown
Move this way and that?
Move this way and that way,
Move this way and that way.
Did you ever see a clown
Move this way and that?
(Have child form circle. One child in middle should perform actions. Take turns.)
Five Big Elephants
Five big elephants - oh, what a sight,
Swinging their trunks from left to right!
Four are followers, and one is the king.
They all walk around in the circus ring.
Let's All Go to the Circus Today
Sung to: "Mary Had A Little Lamb"
Let's all go to the circus today,
The circus today, the circus today,
Let's all go to the circus today
And watch the animals play.
Other Verses:
See the lions jump through the hoops... At the circus today
See the big seals spinning balls... At the circus today
See the little dogs jump and twirl...At the circus today
Circus Song
Sung to: "I've Been Working on the Railroad"
I am walking through the circus,
Happy as can be.
I am walking through the circus,
Just to see what I can see.
I can see the clown laughing.
I can see the elephant, too.
I can see the lion sleeping.
Look out! He sees you.
Clown Song
Sung to: "I'm a Little Teapot"
I'm a little clown short and fat.
Here is my tummy, here is my hat.
I can do a trick as you will see,
Just turn around and look at me.
At the end of song, the teacher points to a child to do a trick
Wiggles The Clown
I wear a funny little hat.
I have a funny nose.
Sometimes I'm thin.
Sometimes I'm fat.
My shoes have floppy toes.
I wiggle, wiggle all about.
I jiggle up and down.
I make children laugh and shout.
It's fun to be a clown.
Funny Clowns
Sung to: "Frere Jacques"
Funny clowns, funny clowns,
Jump around, jump around.
Sometimes making faces,
Sometimes running races.
Funny clowns, funny clowns.
Funny clowns, funny clowns,
Spin around, spin around.
Sometimes with a big nose,
Sometimes with two big toes.
Funny clowns, funny clowns
We Are Clowns Today
Sung to: "The Farmer in the Dell"
We are clowns today,
We are clowns today,
Heigh-ho the derry-oh,
We are clowns today.
Additional verses: We do tricks today. We make faces today. We fall down today.
Funny Clown
Sung to: "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Turn Around"
Funny clown, funny clown,
Spin around.
Funny clown, funny clown
Jump up and down
Funny clown, funny clown,
Touch your toes.
Funny clown, funny clown
Honk your nose.
Prancing Horses
Sung to: "10 Little Indians"
The children pretend to be circus animals.
Prancing, prancing, prancing horses,
Prancing, prancing, prancing horses,
Prancing, prancing, prancing horses
All around the ring.
Other Verses: Leaping lions, Dancing elephants, Etc...
Circus Clown
I'd like to be a circus clown,
And make a funny face. (Make a funny face)
And have all the people laugh at me,
As I jump around the place. (Act silly, make a clown face)
If I Were A Circus Clown
If I were a circus clown,
With a red nose big and round,
I'd bring smiles to every face\\/
And throw balloons everyplace.
We're Going To The Circus
Sung to: "Farmer in the Dell"
We're going to the circus,
We're going to the circus,
On Wednesday afternoon (or another day and time)
We're going to the circus.
Additional verses:
We're going to see the clowns.....
We'll see the horses trot.....
We'll hear the lions roar......
We'll see the elephants march.......
We'll watch the acrobats.......
We're gonna eat some peanuts.......
Circus Show
Sung to: "Are You Sleeping"
Elephants walking, elephants walking
See the clowns, funny clowns
Ponies with their riders, poodles doing tricks,
See the show, circus show
Take Me Out To The Circus
Sung to: "Take Me Out To The Ball Game"
Take me out to the circus
Take me out to the show
Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks
I don't care if I ever get back
Cause it's clap, clap, clap for the jugglers
and laugh, laugh, laugh for the clowns
For it's one, two, three rings of fun at the old big top.
Silly Clowns
Five silly clowns, jumping all around,
Jump so high, then touch the ground.
One silly clown said, "I can't stay,"
So he turned around and hopped away.
Repeat with four, three, two, one.
Jokes
What did a cannibal say to the other while they were devouring a clown?
Doesn't this taste a little funny to you?
Did you hear about the fire at the circus?
The flames were intense (in tents)!
Why did the class clown spend the whole night crawling around the playground?
Because he lost his marbles.
Why did the clown cross the road?
To find his rubber chicken.
Why did the clown wear loud socks?
So his feet wouldn't fall asleep.
Why did the circus elephants get thrown out of the public swimming pool?
Because they kept dropping their trunks.
What is the pink stuff between elephant's toes?
Slow clowns.
How do you catch a circus elephant?
Hide in the grass and make peanut noises.
What do dogs sleep in when they go camping?
A Pup Tent
Why couldn't the flower go to school on its bike?
It's petals were broken
HEY WILLIE!
A lady is giving a party for her granddaughter and has gone all out - caterer, band and a hired clown. Just before the party starts, two bums show up looking for a handout. Feeling sorry for the bums, the woman tells them that they can get a meal if they will chop some wood out back. Gratefully, they head to the rear of the house.
Guests arrive, and all is going well, with the children having a wonderful time. But, the clown has not shown up and finally, the clown calls to report that he is stuck in traffic and will probably not make the party at all.
The woman is very disappointed and unsuccessfully tries to entertain the children herself. She happens to look out the window and sees one of the bums doing cartwheels across the lawn. She watches in awe as he swings from tree branches, does midair flips and leaps high in the air. She speaks to the other bum and says, "What your friend is doing is absolutely marvelous. I have never seen such a thing. Do you think your friend would consider repeating this performance for the children at the party? I would pay him $50!"
Other bum says, "Well, I dunno. Let me ask him." He then turned to Willie and yelled, "Hey Willie! For $50, would you chop off another toe?"
Crafts
Button Nose Clown
Materials: Felt, yarn, pom poms, glue and scissors.
- Cut out a circle from felt. In the center of the circle, cut a slit that is large enough for a shirt button to go through.
- Glue on pieces of yarn and felt to make a clown face, hair, and hat. (Do not give the clown a nose.)
- Button the clown to your shirt through the slit in its face. The button will be the clown’s nose.
Flying Mouse Balloon Animal
(a very simple and fun introduction to balloon twisting)there are instructions at: http://www.mbd2.com/mouse.htm - I have no financial interest in this website.
Homemade Juggling Balls
(2004 Santa Clara County Council Pow Wow Book)
Here are some homemade juggling balls you can make out of old tennis balls.
Supplies: 3 old tennis balls, Xacto knife, colored electrical tape, Sand or bird seed
Direction:
- Cut a 1½” slit in a tennis ball at the seam. Have an adult do this step.
- Open up the slit, and pour in the sand or birdseed until ball is completely filled.
- Cover the ball completely with the colored electrical tape.
- Repeat with the other two balls. Use the same color tape for all 3 balls, or different colored tape for each ball.
Rola-Bola
(2004 Santa Clara County Council Pow Wow Book)
A Rola-Bola is a board resting on a piece of pipe, and you are supposed to be standing on it, juggling. Or doing something else of course, but that is up to you.
Supplies:
- Bola and Floor Board* - Two pieces of plywood about 3-feet by 1-foot and 3/4 of an inch thick. (*The floor board is optional but if you want to perform on grass or a rough surface it is necessary).
- Bumbers - Two pieces of wood 1 inch by 1 inch by a foot.
- Rola - a piece of PVC pipe 1 foot long and 6 inches in diameter.
- Griptape - Optional but advisable: some grip tape from a skateboard shop (one boards worth.)
Directions:
- Attach the bumbers to the bottom of the bola at the sides.
- Cut the grip tape in half and put each half at one side of the top of the board.
- Try out your Rola-Bola. I advise beginners to put a chair in front of the Rola-Bola and hold on to it until a balance is learned.
Chinese Juggling Sticks
(2004 Santa Clara County Council Pow Wow Book)
Chinese Juggling Sticks are commonly referred to as Devil Sticks. A large stick with pompons at the ends is juggled between 2 hand sticks. They originated in China a couple of thousand years ago. The pompons on the ends of Chinese juggling sticks look like flowers, therefore the name for this toy translates into flower stick. Devil Sticks do not have any pompons on the ends and are tapered in the middle.
Supplies:
- 1 (5/8" X 24") hardwood dowel
- 2 (3/8" X 18") hardwood dowels
- Colored electrical tape (1/2" wide) - The more colors used, the more colorful the sticks!
- 1 roll of rubber tape (available at electrical supply or hardware stores)
- Small standard roll of duct tape
- 3 (4" X 12") strips of felt that will match tape colors
- Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive or Tacky Glue
Directions:
- Find center of the large dowel by measuring.
- Wrap tape on either side of center and put a strip of colored tape around center.
- Take the same colored tape as in center and, beginning from the outside center, wrap it around the stick in candy cane fashion leaving space for the width of rubber tape to also be wrapped around in candy cane style. Wrap the rubber tape around in the same way, covering the dowel with alternating rubber and colored tape Do this on both sides.
- Wrap the duct tape on both ends in equal amounts for weight distribution (1/2 - 3/4 inch thick around both ends). Test weight distribution by balancing the center on a finger.
- Cut the felt or material rectangles into ½” wide by 3" long strips as shown below. A pair of pinking shears makes the ends look more decorative.
- Stack the 3 strips and wrap non-stripped end of the felt with Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive around the duct tape so that the strips flap in a flowery display.
For the hand sticks: Alternate colored and rubber tapes around 2/3 of smaller dowels in candy cane fashion. Wrap extra rubber tape around the end and at end of candy cane design. For the other 1/3 of hand stick, cover candy cane style with your choice of colored tape. Wrap a couple of extra times around the end.
Heads Up Hats
(2004 Santa Clara County Council Pow Wow Book)
This is a craft that you can play with. The game doesn’t even need rules--the equipment is so irresistible, kids immediately devise their own variations for the game. Each boy will need one hat and one small, soft object, such as a beanbag or Koosh ball.
Supplies: Two Paper Bowls (plain white – Chinette work best); 1” elastic band; Tacky glue or Hot glue; Stickers, markers, pompoms, feathers and other decoratingmaterials; Stapler; Single hole punch
Directions:
- Have the boys decorate each bowl with markers and stickers. Remember that the bowls will be glued bottom to bottom.
- Punch two holes into the bottom bowl opposite each other in the side of the bowl.
- Fit the elastic through the holes and knot the elastic or staple it. Size the elastic to the boy so that it sits firmly on his head.
- Glue the 2 paper bowls bottom to bottom.
- Let the bowls dry until the next meeting.
At the next den meeting, have the boys play a game with their new hats. For one game, put kids in pairs about four feet apart. At the whistle, the first player to toss the soft object into his partner's hat, wins. For another variation, the first child to toss the object into her own hat wins. You will need to make the hats ahead of time.
Clown Hats
(2004 Santa Clara County Council Pow Wow Book)
Here are some clown hats to make for your circus.
Supplies: Paper bags, standard grocery size or slightly smaller; Tape (double-sided and clear); Pom-poms, googly eyes, feathers, pipe cleaners, and other decorations; Crepe paper; Curling ribbon; Construction paper; Scissors; White Glue or Tacky glue; Stapler; Hole punch
Directions:
- Have each boy roll down the top of a bag to the outside until it reaches the hat size he wants to wear. Have him try it on for size, pinch or pull the brim to adjust the fit, then tape it in place.
- Have each boy decorate the hat using the craft materials. They can either be stapled or glued or taped on.
- The boys can make the hat as crazy or as simple as they want. The crepe paper or curling ribbon can be used to create streamers down the back of the hat.