Blue & Gold makes Green

This year's annual banquet and award ceremony had a football theme in honor of the Eagles Super bowl victory. Hence the joke that the typical Cub Scout colors of Blue and Gold come together to make Green. But the really important part of this event is the crossover ceremony where our AOL (Arrow of Light) Scouts get honored for their 5 years of achievements with Pack 462 and their commitment to continue scouting in Troop 434. So in that sense, Blue & Gold really makes Tan. Or Khaki (as in the color of the older boy's uniforms). There were 6 scouts achieving the AOL rank and 5 who are considering moving into the troop this year. It's extra exciting as they represent our first graduating class in while as the 2023 and 2024 classes all faded out during the COVID years.

5th graders cross over from Pack to Troop

The focus was not entirely on those 5-6 kids and their proud families though, this was a FULL pack event. So full that we had to secure extra tables and chairs from Temple Lutheran to maximize the space at Llanerch Presbyterian. Between Scouts, leaders, parents, and siblings, there were over 100 people in attendance. And that's despite many of our Tigers being doublebooked with baseball.

The highlight of the entertainment program were the Scout Den skits. We had classics like "Emergency Broadcast Test" for the Wolves, "Vindow Viper" for Lions and Tigers and "Johnny got hit by a bus" by the Troop. Our Webelos had the most elaborate setup as they turned the stage into a 747 crash. Each 4th grader wanted a speaking part so they all got to be characters jumping off the plane/stage. Ultimately, it turned out that Dr. Smart Guy plummetted to his death by mistaking a young Scouts' backpack for a parachute. Miller Blanche delivered the punchline as Michael Wilson went SPLAT.

The kids all ranked up. They've been called Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, all year long, but now they finally are. Next year they'll be on to the next rank, but this was our chance to cheer as they received their badges and got group photos with leaders. Thanks to the den leaders who make this program special. And the kids who were honored as Recruiters for bringing in their friends to keep the pack thriving. Finally, thanks to Chef Rich and Pastor Tim for an awesome spread of tailgate theme food choices. The pulled pork sandwiches with long hots were my personal favorite, but the kids seemed to favor the lines featuring Cheese Wiz. One station had a Wiz fountain for dipping chips, veggies, or pouring over your hot dogs. The kitchen line was for nachos, either beef or veggie, and we could make them as hot as we wanted with mild to spicy salsa and optional jalapenos. The execution was as good as the idea as 3 lines enabled us to speed up the dinner procession and get on with the show. Thanks gentleman! The 2024-25 Scout season isn't over for our K-4th graders though. Please sign up for Heritage Festival, summer camping, and let us know when a camp in event will work best for you.