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guitarnan
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| Posted: March 26 2010 at 10:08pm | IP Logged
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I didn't realize there are so many Scout moms here!
Please share any tips or experiences from Courts of Honor you've planned or attended. My son's CoH will be some time in early summer, we think - barely enough time for me to get organized!
Rather than hijack the coin thread (and my dh - Mr. Coin - just told me they expect to sell out of those coins very, very quickly) I decided to start this one.
Many thanks.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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DianaC
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| Posted: March 26 2010 at 10:17pm | IP Logged
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We printed this poem on the inside front cover of our invitations. Have a tissue ready:
This Uniformed Little Boy
It seems like only yesterday, his eyes were lit with joy,
As we watched with admiration, this uniformed little boy.
Campouts, picknicks, pinewood cars, the years slipped quickly by,
The colors changed from blue to green, in the twinkling of an eye.
Soon came ranks of Tenderfoot, Second, First, and Star,
Each leading toward that final quest, once visioned from afar.
And then the rank of Life, and as life can often do,
The goal so close within his grasp, was dimming from his view.
Yet from within he found the strength to reach that final quest,
Remembering words from years gone by: I WILL DO MY BEST.
It seems like only yesterday, his eyes were lit with joy,
As we watched in admiration, this uniformed little boy.
Now with an eagle upon his chest, he soars, where once he ran,
No longer this uniformed little boy; our Son... an Eagle... A Man.
~~Mike Wood
I'd love to discuss other aspects of ds's Eagle Court of Honor and reception, but I'm on my way to bed, so I'll come back to this.
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stefoodie
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| Posted: March 26 2010 at 10:17pm | IP Logged
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Well, ours are pretty ordinary, except we just had the most recent at our new Scout Achievement Center.
I'll tell you this, though. Dd-18 who's a culinary student told me one of her chef professors catered his son's Court of Honor. He ordered lobsters for the occasion!!!
That's way too fancy for us. We usually have a potluck. At the last one the dish that got the most attention was this 3-layered dessert with pretzels on the bottom, some sweet creamy thing in the middle and red jello-like mixture on top.
All I know is the scouts always enjoy some physical games/general roughhousing at the end after cleanup! So you might want to plan some time for that.
I'll post again if hubby (scoutmaster) or other scouting friends have ideas. I'm not as involved yet as I'd like to be because of baby.... but soon!
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stef
mom to five
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stefoodie
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| Posted: March 26 2010 at 10:19pm | IP Logged
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Oh man, Diana, that just made me 
they grow up so fast....
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stef
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guitarnan
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| Posted: March 26 2010 at 10:22pm | IP Logged
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Sniff.
Off to find a tissue...
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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stacykay
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| Posted: March 26 2010 at 10:34pm | IP Logged
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Usually you can get a congressman or senator to write a letter for this honor (if you like your congressman and/or senator.) 
Some families in our troop go to such lengths that the eagle court of honor is reminiscent of a wedding reception! For our oldest ds and his eagle, because he got all in just under the wire before turning 18, we just had the simple ceremony with the adult leaders who had been with him all along on his journey through scouts. We took him out for a nice dinner afterwards. And here I am crying just like I did that evening!  Very much tears of pride and joy and yes, some poignant tears, too.
Congratulations to your ds!!!
God Bless,
Stacy in MI
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guitarnan
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| Posted: March 26 2010 at 10:38pm | IP Logged
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Stacy, my son turned 18 about 2 weeks after he finished his Eagle project. (He's already registered for SSS and registered to vote. More sniffles.)
He's been in three troops (the troop he's in now is sponsored by the same organization that sponsors his old Cub Scout pack) so we have people to invite from several places. And grandparents.
I don't want it to look like a wedding, though! (Cringing...hoping that day is a few years away...)
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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stacykay
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| Posted: March 26 2010 at 10:53pm | IP Logged
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Oh, I think the people are important! But some families put on big dinners afterwards with all of the trimmings and elaborate cakes, decorations (BSA-themed, of course.) I do like the programs most have (we didn't) and the picture boards which usually have pictures that capture the young men from Tigers to present.
Our sons have been fortunate that the pack from our church feeds right into the troop from our church. Seems like years ago (it was!) when one of the dads was explaining to me the difference between boy scouts and cub scouts! (I had made the mistake of using them interchangeably when 21yods was a tiger!)
My dh and I were somewhat dismayed at a recent pack meeting when each parent of boys receiving their "arrow of light" came up and presented each son with some very fancy remembrances (from elaborate shadow boxes to exquisitely hand-crafted banners or quilts which held every badge they had ever received.) Not that they weren't really nice and I am sure the boys really loved them, but ... it's like how I feel with fancy birthday parties and such when dc are very young, ...where do you go from there? So! Totally off-track now. Just so much running through my mind and looking at the clock, I see it's late, so I better sign off, as I get quite verbose in my writing the later the hour!!!!
God Bless!!!
and  for those moments when inevitably sneak up on you!
Stacy in MI
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guitarnan
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| Posted: March 26 2010 at 11:31pm | IP Logged
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LOL, Stacy, my son's Arrow of Light memento was the corrugated cardboard Arrow of Light patch - super-sized - that I painted for the ceremony. (I think he still has it somewhere!) We had a lovely ceremony but no one thought to bring gifts...
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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hsmom
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| Posted: April 08 2010 at 6:02am | IP Logged
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Ours was pretty simple. We had a red, white and blue theme. Cake, jelly beans, ice-cream punch and fruit. If I were to do it again I would add finger sandwiches.
Enjoy the moment!
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guitarnan
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| Posted: April 08 2010 at 6:07am | IP Logged
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Jelly beans sound festive...but I'm trying to imagine all those boys and the jelly beans...
Finger sandwiches sound good, though, or something similar and sugar-free.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Carole N.
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Well, we don't really have Eagle ceremonies over here, but at home we had a range of activities. My plan was to have my ds and his friend (who would be receiving at the same time, of course) bring up the gifts at the Saturday evening mass. Then to the parish hall for a dinner of barbeque.
I have saved much of his scouting memorabilia. So scrapbooking photos of the years (they sell a very nice album at the scout shop), pictures of his Eagle project and little bits of some of the activities they did as cubs. They always did a memory table. Some of the scouts did powerpoint presentations as well. Then there is the actual Eagle ceremony which would be conducted by our dear friend (who is retired Navy pilot). And somewhere in there would be a cake with some sort of scouting theme.
These ideas were collected over a long period of time. We knew so many of the boys and my dh always attended after he became the troopmaster.
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 Carole ... in Wales
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DianaC
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| Posted: April 08 2010 at 7:43am | IP Logged
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We used the eagle scout red,white and blue balloons from the scout shop and made "balloon bouquets" as decorations around the perimeter of the room. On the food table, we placed pots of flowering plants that we got at Lowe's that had red, white and blue mixtures. (We then gave the plants as thank-yous to the Moms who helped serve and set up at the reception). On the dining tables, we placed small bowls of red,white and blue M&Ms. (These usually come out for Memorial day - and they were a big hit!)
For food, we had trays made at our grocery - they do a very nice job. We ordered several trays of finger sandwiches, a fruit and cheese tray and a vegie/dip tray. We had a nice cake made (also at the grocery) and they scanned our troop's logo and "printed" it on the cake.
Our highlight was the memorabilia table. We put out ds's scout hats, tiger shirt, cub shirt, some camp tshirts, neckerchiefs, crafts and things that he had earned and collected along his scouting travels. I had made a scrapbook for him and we put that on display along with lots of photos and mementos that hadn't yet made their way into the scrapbook. The table was pulled away from the wall and all the guys - youth and adults spent the majority of their time all around the table reminiscing and retelling. It was great!
I suppose it may have looked like a wedding, but we had lots and lots of people who had been involved in over 10 years of our son's scouting experiences. It was a wonderful way to celebrate their involvement in our Son's success.
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Topic: Eagle Court of Honor Planning Tips
