Christmas Party

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.

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.

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.

Santa will arrive to hand out candy canes on the stage.

Flow of activities:

• People start arriving at 6:00 or 6:30.
• Have a table set up for gifts/food bank donations. Have someone to collect cash donations.
• Let the kids fool around for a while.
• Do Section openings.
• Group Commissioner or Troop Scouter to welcome everyone and explain how the evening will progress.
• Gather everyone seated and facing the stage.
• Do song, skit and cheer.
• Hand out the B.L.A.S.T. popcorn trophy 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. 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!
• Have Santa arrive and hand out candy canes.
• Invite everyone to have some treats – in order of Beavers/Cubs/Scouts/Venturers/Rover
• Thank everyone for coming and see you next year!

During the evening, we need to hand out the B.L.A.S.T. popcorn trophy and various popcorn sales prizes. 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 top sellers so we know who can throw a pie.

Before the party, remember to do the following:

• Agree on who will MC the evening.
• All Sections to prepare song, skit and cheer.
• Get the B.L.A.S.T. trophy from last year’s winner and engrave it.
• Get popcorn patches and awards.
• Get groundsheet or tarp, towels, whipped cream, and pie plates.
• Buy some paper cups for drinks and some paper plates to serve food.
• Buy candy canes and bring a basket or bowl for them.
• Find a volunteer to be Santa.
• Get the Santa suit from the locker or from Knox Church storage.
• Bring the Section flags. There are three flag holders (two wooden and one metal) at Knox, plus the flagpole for the Scout opening.
• Assign someone to coordinate the song/skit/cheer portion of the evening.
• 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.