Christmas Party - Revision history

Geoffpinkerton: Minor updates after 2025 Christmas Party.

2026-01-09T17:54:41Z

Minor updates after 2025 Christmas Party.

Geoffpinkerton at 16:48, 4 December 2022

2022-12-04T16:48:06Z

Geoffpinkerton at 16:47, 4 December 2022

2022-12-04T16:47:17Z

Geoffpinkerton at 16:44, 4 December 2022

2022-12-04T16:44:08Z

Geoffpinkerton at 16:38, 4 December 2022

2022-12-04T16:38:17Z

Geoffpinkerton at 16:37, 4 December 2022

2022-12-04T16:37:13Z

Geoffpinkerton at 16:30, 4 December 2022

2022-12-04T16:30:59Z

Geoffpinkerton: Changed to outdoor event

2022-12-04T16:29:59Z

Changed to outdoor event

Geoffpinkerton at 16:34, 19 December 2019

2019-12-19T16:34:24Z

Geoffpinkerton at 18:02, 26 November 2019

2019-11-26T18:02:48Z

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 The Christmas Party is an all-Section event where we all gather in a common location for our yearly Christmas Party, typically in early December.
 <br /><br />
-It is a potluck, so everyone brings something to share.  We could have a sign-up sheet to figure out who is bringing what, but that always seems more work than it is worth.
+It is a potluck, so everyone brings something to share.  We could have a sign-up sheet to figure out who is bringing what, but that always seems more work than it is worth.  Recently, we have had has Sections bring appetizer, main or desert.  This worked well to ensure not everyone brings deserts!
 <br /><br />
 This is often the final week of our Christmas Giving campaign, so everyone should bring an unwrapped toy, food, and/or cash to donate.
 <br /><br />
 Santa will arrive to hand out candy canes on the stage.
@@ Line 20: / Line 18: @@
 * Do Section openings (optional).
 * Group Commissioner or Troop Scouter to welcome everyone and explain how the evening will progress.
 * Present commendations if any (Thanks! button).
 * Have Santa arrive and hand out candy canes.
 * Thank everyone for coming and see you next year!
 <br />
 Before the party, remember to do the following:
 * Book the location.
-* All Sections should prepare song, skit and cheer.
+* Find a volunteer to be Santa (BTW, Scouter Rob fits the suit nicely but all the Beavers know him).
 * Buy 150x paper cups for drinks
 * Buy 110x paper cups for drinks
@@ Line 43: / Line 38: @@
 From the locker, get the following:
 * Propane lanterns and propane trees from the locker and fuel from the trailer.
-* Santa suit from the locker (or possibly Knox Church).
+* Santa suit.
 * Section flags and the wood round that holds all the flags nicely.
 * Banner.
@@ Line 54: / Line 49: @@
 ==Historical:==
-We have held the party indoor at Knox Presbyterian Church or Queens Avenue United Church.  The only place we now have access to is Knox and it is not large enough any more.
+We have held the party indoor at Knox Presbyterian Church or Queens Avenue United Church.
 <br /><br />
 When Scouts has a successful national popcorn campain, we used the Christmas Party as time to recongize everyone's efforts.  The top popcorn sellers of each Section get to throw a whipped cream pie in a leader’s face so we needed groundsheet, towels, whipped cream, and pie plates.  Leaders who think they are in for it, might consider bringing a spare t-shirt.  During the pie toss, we need to ensure that all the kids stay back.  If not, they push forward and it becomes unmanageable.

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 * Bring packing tape.
 From the locker, get the following:
-* Propane lanterns from the locker and fuel from the trailer.
+* Propane lanterns and propane trees from the locker and fuel from the trailer.
 * Santa suit from the locker (or possibly Knox Church).
 * Section flags and the wood round that holds all the flags nicely.

@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 Before the party, remember to do the following:
 * Book the location.
 * Agree on who will MC the evening.
 * Assign someone to coordinate the song/skit/cheer portion of the evening.
-* Find a volunteer to be Santa.
+* Find a volunteer to be Santa (BTW, Scouter Rob fits the suit nicely).
 * Buy 150x paper cups for drinks
 * Buy 150x paper plates to serve food.
 * Buy 110x candy canes and bring a basket or bowl for Santa to hand them out.
 * Buy a large package of napkins.
 From the locker, get the following:
 * Propane lanterns from the locker and fuel from the trailer.
@@ Line 46: / Line 49: @@
 <br />
 After the party, remember to do the following:
 * Take the toys/food/cash somewhere to donate.  In 2019, we took them to Fraserside Community Services Society on 7th St.  In 2018, we took them to the Lower Mainland Purpose Society on Begbie St.  In the past, we have taken them to the New West Christmas Bureau at the Salvation Army Church on 6th Street at Blackford St.

@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 <br />
 Before the party, remember to do the following:
 * Agree on who will MC the evening.
 * Find a volunteer to be Santa.
 * Bring a chair for Santa.
@@ Line 36: / Line 38: @@
 * Buy 110x candy canes and bring a basket or bowl for Santa to hand them out.
 * Buy a large package of napkins.
-* Bring the Santa suit from the locker (or possibly Knox Church).
+From the locker, get the following:
-* Bring the Section flags from the locker along withe th wood round that holds all the flags nicely.
+* Propane lanterns from the locker and fuel from the trailer.
-* Bring the banner from the locker.
+* Santa suit from the locker (or possibly Knox Church).
-* Assign someone to coordinate the song/skit/cheer portion of the evening.
+* Section flags and the wood round that holds all the flags nicely.
 <br />
 After the party, remember to do the following:

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 If we have the party at an outdoor location like the picnic shelter at Queen's Park, this is the flow of activities:
 * Have some Scouters arrive a bit early to set up banner and lights.
-* Set up an area for gifts/food bank donations (if we did the collections this year and advertised it).  ave someone to collect cash donations.
+* Set up an area for gifts/food bank donations (if we did the collections this year and advertised it).  Have someone to collect cash donations.
 * Set up an area for awards/presentation/investitures/etc.
 * Set up some tables/area for food.  Depending on the amount of people, two lines is better to move people along more quickly.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-The Christmas Party is an all-Section event where we all gather in a common location for our yearly Christmas Party.  The party is held in early December at Knox Presbyterian Church or Queens Avenue United Church.  Queens won’t let us use the kitchen any more so we now typically have it at Knox and starts at 6:00 or 6:30.
+==General==
 <br /><br />
 It is a potluck, so everyone brings something to share.  We could have a sign-up sheet to figure out who is bringing what, but that always seems more work than it is worth.
 This is often the final week of our Christmas Giving campaign, so everyone should bring an unwrapped toy to donate.
 <br /><br />
 Like every camp, Sections, or groups within Sections, do songs, skits and cheers.  Someone needs to organize the flow of this… like a campfire chief at a camp.  Often a Venturer takes care of this.  This should be organized ahead of time.
 <br /><br />
-Santa will arrive to hand out candy canes on the stage.
+==Outdoor party:==
 <br /><br />
-Flow of activities:
+When it was in a Chruch or hall, this was the flow of activities:
 * Have some Scouters arrive a bit early to set up chairs for the adults (QAUC has about 110 chairs) and an area for the youth to sit on the floor in front of the chairs.
 * Set up a table for presents (if we did the collections this year and advertised it).
@@ Line 33: / Line 71: @@
 * A list of top sellers so we know who can throw a pie.
 <br />
-Before the party, remember to do the following:
+Other things we need when we do the party inside:
 * Get the B.L.A.S.T. popcorn trophy from last year’s winner and engrave it.
 * Get popcorn patches and awards if they are available.
 * Bring a couple of towels from home.
 * Buy 2 spray cans of whipping cream.
 * Get a groundsheet or tarp from the locker.
 * Suggest getting some extra prizes for random draws.
 * Suggest having a random draw for an extra cream pie.  This would be open to anyone who sold popcorn.
 * Oh, and bring some Tylenol!

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 <br /><br />
 The top popcorn sellers of each Section get to throw a whipped cream pie in a leader’s face so we need groundsheet, towels, whipped cream, and pie plates.  Leaders who think they are in for it, might consider bringing a spare t-shirt.  During the pie toss, we need to ensure that all the kids stay back.  If not, they push forward and it becomes unmanageable.
-Like every camp, Sections, or groups within Sections, do songs, skits and cheers.  Someone needs to organize the flow of this… like a campfire chief at a camp.  Often a Venturer takes care of this.
+Like every camp, Sections, or groups within Sections, do songs, skits and cheers.  Someone needs to organize the flow of this… like a campfire chief at a camp.  Often a Venturer takes care of this.  This should be organized ahead of time.
 <br /><br />
 Santa will arrive to hand out candy canes on the stage.
@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 * Have a table set up for gifts/food bank donations.  Have someone to collect cash donations.  Only if we decide to do this.
 * Let the kids fool around for a while.
-* Do Section openings.
+* Do Section openings (optional).
 * Group Commissioner or Troop Scouter to welcome everyone and explain how the evening will progress.
 * Gather everyone seated and facing the stage.
@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 * Do song, skit and cheer.  Consider doing one song and one skit per Section or the evening goes too long.
 * Hand out the [[Awards#Bradford Lawless Amazing Sales Trophy (B.L.A.S.T.)|Bradford Lawless Amazing Sales Trophy (B.L.A.S.T.)]] and various popcorn sales prizes.  If patches and national prizes are not available, say they will come after Christmas.  Explain that the B.L.A.S.T. popcorn trophy is awarded to the high seller every year.  The Bradford Lawless Awesome Sales Trophy is named after a Cub who had cancer and was determined to sell lots of popcorn to raise money for Cubs.
-* Announce the top sellers from each Section and have them select their victim.  This is the point where the kids go bananas!
+* Announce the top sellers from each Section and have them select their victim.  This is the point where the kids go bananas!  Normally we have one Beaver, one Cub, and one Scout.  In 2019, we had the top seller from each Colony and from each Pack, but got confused between pies and prizes.  Need to resolve this plan before the day of the event.
 * Have Santa arrive and hand out candy canes.
 * Invite everyone to have some treats – in order of Beavers/Cubs/Scouts/Venturers/Rover
@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 During the evening, we need to hand out the B.L.A.S.T. popcorn trophy and various popcorn sales prizes (if they are available).  To do this, we need:
 * A list of all youth who sold popcorn.
-* A list of all who receive a sales prize, either national or gift cards.
+* A list of all who receive a sales prize and gift cards.
 * A list of top sellers so we know who can throw a pie.
 <br />
@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 <br />
 After the party, remember to do the following:
-* Take the toys somewhere to donate.  In 2018, we took them to the Lower Mainland Purpose Society on Begbie St.  In the past, we took them to Fraserside Community Services Society on 7th St., and the New West Christmas Bureau at the Salvation Army Church on 6th Street at Blackford St.
+* Take the toys somewhere to donate.  In 2019, we took them to Fraserside Community Services Society on 7th St.  In 2018, we took them to the Lower Mainland Purpose Society on Begbie St.  In the past, we have taken them to the New West Christmas Bureau at the Salvation Army Church on 6th Street at Blackford St.