kbpaulie Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 In March DS will be crossing over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. What ideas do you have for a gift for him? (Our family is pretty well set w/ lots of campin gear (sleeping bags, tents, headlamps, etc.) He doesn't have a backpack, but he may be able to use mine and not sure I want to get something so $$. He already has pocket knives. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starwarsmomma Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I'm running the blue and gold this year (third time, one more next year!). We don't usually do gifts. The grandparents will do a gift card to Academy. For my boys, we do a BOY SCOUT TIME CAPSULE. The special thing about this time capsule is that it's filled with surprises for the boy that they CANNOT OPEN until they either earn their Eagle OR Graduate High school, whichever happens first. It's a #10 can from the local LDS cannery. Only costs about $1-2 each can,and they will seal them for free for me. I fill each boy's can (all the boys in the webelo den, plus mine) with little (cheap) things and a letter from the den leaders, etc.. I also decorate the outside with scout stationary. Each boy's family adds letters from family, pictures, little trinkets. Some people put special scout coins, key chains, $2 bills, nice compass, paracord bracelets, small knives (sometimes BSA) anything they think the boys would like. I made a knot tying kit and added those to the cans (free with stuff I already had) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshin Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I gave my oldest a durable book cover for his Boy Scout manual. Inside it holds a notebook and pen, as well as the manual. I made it, but they sell them at our scout shop, too. I knew the hardest part for him would be to take notes and keep track of things at meetings, so I figured that gave him an easy grab-and-go option when running out the door, plus would help protect his manual on campouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebacabunch Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I have never heard of a gift. THe boys in our troop get the new neckerchief and that is usually enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom in High Heels Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Our pack won't be doing anything, but we'll be getting Indy a really nice pocket knife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 We are doing really nice Arrow of Light wooden plaques with arrows I am making and an engraved plate on them. Normally they'd be $70 each but it's Wood badge year so a friend (in a troop unrelated to our pack) is making them for free as a ticket. I'm super grateful. If you have plaques or something bigger you want to do - and it's less than a year since a WB class - you can likely find someone who can do it for you for free. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 We did the Arrow of Light plaque as well. We ordered the arrow online from a Native American company. It is beautiful. Our AOL ceremony was the same night as the crossing over ceremony. It just worked out that way because it took so long to receive the arrows. If we would have had the crossing over ceremony only, the boys would have received their brown boy scout shirts and the boy scout handbook. The boys in DSs Webelos den had decided to stay with the blue cub shirts all the way through so getting that tan shirt was a big deal. We had a bridge that the boy crossed over. As he entered the bridge he was wearing the blue shirt. Halfway across he took it off and handed it to the Cubmaster. The new scoutmaster handed the boy a tan shirt to put on. By the time the scout walked off the bridge he was wearing his tan shirt. The boys from the scout troop were waiting for the boy at the end of the bridge and welcomed him into the troop. It was really cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I have never heard of a gift. THe boys in our troop get the new neckerchief and that is usually enough. This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 My son is getting AoL this year at the Blue & Gold. They have a plaque and arrow they get. The crossing over is later and they do cross a bridge. On the other side they get greeted by the troop they are going to and whatever hat/neckerchief they have they get one. I like the gift idea though. The handbook cover is a cheap option. We are buying our son a tent since he will need one for camping. Both our family tents bit the dust this past summer due to mold. So he needs a one person tent and since he only joined Cub Scouts a year ago and did so much it's a big accomplishment for him and we will find the money for this larger gift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 My son's den did the Arrow plaque with stripes painted on the arrows by one dedicated mom to represent all the different awards they had earned. That was treated more as part of the award than as a gift. Their den leader also organized a gift for the cross over. Parents had the option of ordering a walking stick in a couple different woods and prices. We ordered one for our son and he has put the little plaques or plates from the scout store on it-one for Weebelos, one for his arrow, and one for each Boy Scout rank he has earned since. He has taken it on hikes with him on more than one occassion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I had some other thoughts about this after I posted earlier..... Is this gift something you want to give him at home, in private? Or during the ceremony with the pack/troop? If it is something you want to do in private, get him anything you think he needs, will use and that you can afford. Your local scouting store will have numerous things both you and your scout will want to buy. :) If it is something you want to give during the ceremony, I would speak to the scoutmaster or the den leader. I like to keep things as equitable as possible when it comes to official scouting ceremonies. There are always boys with more money or less money and not every family can find the means to purchase or bestow gifts for every occasion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starwarsmomma Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 our pack does our own wood plaques and we paint our own arrows. Costs under $15 for both if we do it ourselves. Not too time consuming. Hubby cut out the plaques, I stained them, ordered brass plates to put on top for $3 each. I bought the plain wood arrows from academy for $2 each. Sanded off the academy blank stamping on them, then painted the stripes with craft paint. We also do a special frame certificate for Super-Achiever that has a special shadow box attached for their pins. Really cute and original, and only costs $15 for the frame. pm me if you want the certificate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Is this something from you, the troop leader, or you the parent? I've never seen parents give individual gifts at crossovers or arrow of light ceremonies. As a troop, we gave every boy that crossover in to our troop a neckerchief, slide and scout handbook. Their pack usually gave them their arrow of light board (arrow attached to board with other decor) if the two ceremonies were on the same night. If I wanted to give my own child something, I would not do it at the ceremony as that might make other parents and scouts feel awkward if they had not done it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarinesWife Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 We gave our son an arrow of light coin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbpaulie Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 This was for AOL & x-over. Something from us, parents. Not at the ceremony, but in private. Something to acknowledge his achievement. He does get an arrow from the Pack. Hmmmm, thinking I like the hiking stick idea or maybe the book cover. We'll give him the tan shirt, but that's not really a "gift". thanks all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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