Fairly regularly when I mention to other Cub Scout leaders that our pack has a one-hour (or pretty close) Blue and Gold Banquet with food, I get the reaction “How is that possible?”
It is not easy. It takes a lot of planning. The food should be ready to go at the start of the hour. There should be time for awards and a game or activity, but there may not be time in the program to do everything that all the pack leaders would like to do.
Why would you want to limit the event to one hour if it means not including all the things that you would like to? Because Cub Scouting should be fun and so should a Blue and Gold Banquet. I have yet to meet a Cub Scout who likes to attend a three-hour program.
I think it’s best to try to end the program while the kids and parents are still having a good time.
We have had three of these (approximately) hour-long banquets so far. It is different than how most packs do it, but I have yet to have a parent or boy tell me that they thought it did not go on long enough.
You’ve been talking to my wife? She’s our Tiger Den Leader, and is constantly reminding me to keep Pack activities on their level. Smarter Scouter than I.
Hm. Good point. However, I’m loathe to discard the leader recognition, or rank advancement, or award presentation, or entertaining skits, so it ends up being longer, but I’m not sure what I’d blow off.