Soccer and Scouting Bobcat Ceremony - April 1, 2006

The Catalina Council, Boy Scouts of America, has launched its second year of Soccer and Scouting with enormous success. Since the first registration on September 10, a total of 445 boys have been registered on 24 teams/dens in 12 packs.

The teams practice once a week, while also participating in traditional Scouting activities. Some teams are so enthusiastic about Scouting that they meet several times a week to participate in activities such as nature hikes, and field trips to the fire station, zoo, and many other places of local interest. Every Saturday, the teams play a soccer game against other teams in the program.

On April 1, 2006, 120 Cub Scouts and their families gathered at the Catalina Council's Double V Scout Ranch for the Soccer and Scouting Bobcat Ceremony and Fun Activity Day. The goal of this event was to introduce the boys to a day camp-type experience and recognize them for their achievement of earning the Bobcat badge. Double V Scout Ranch is an ideal location for supporting the Soccer and Scouting program because of its close proximity to our target neighborhoods of South and Southwest Tucson and the city of South Tucson.

The day's activities began with a hot dog lunch donated by local grocery stores. Each boy had the opportunity to participate in several Scouting activities, including archery, nature hikes, obstacle courses, BB-gun station, leather stamping activity, and teamwork games. For many of the boys, it was the first time they had ever seen a bow and arrow, let alone had the opportunity to shoot one. The day concluded with the Bobcat ceremony around a campfire.

Several Cub Scout adult volunteers and Arrowmen from the Order of the Arrow were instrumental in orchestrating this ceremony and added to the "sizzle" factor for the boys. The ceremony included a brief story about Mowgli and the jungle and the significance of the Bobcat badge. Each coach/den leader presented his boys with the badge as they crossed a Scouting bridge to the applause of all in the audience. As part of their introduction of the boys in the den and their accomplishments, several coaches thanked the Boy Scouts for the program and the opportunity to be a part of it. They were glad that the boys had the opportunities that they did not get as youth. At the conclusion of the ceremony, all of the boys recited the Cub Scout Promise, Law of the Pack, and Cub Scout motto in unison. The ceremony ended with a visit from Santa and candy canes for all.

Catalina Council, Boy Scouts of America Scoutreach - Soccer and Scouting

1. Planning
   1. Compiled ESRI data to determine the target area:
      1. Southwest and South Tucson were identified as areas where Soccer and Scouting would be most beneficial.
      2. Targeted elementary schools in Sunnyside School District and southwest area of Tucson Unified School District.
   2. Scheduled meetings with principals and prevention specialists at schools within the target area and arranged classroom, lunchtime, and after-school visits.
   3. Secured school soccer fields and meeting locations for practices and training.
2. Recruitment/Marketing Methods
   1. Created flyers, stickers, and signs and distributed them to prospective elementary schools, local libraries, community centers, churches, and other areas with high visibility.
   2. Visited target schools during prearranged classroom, lunchtime, and/or after-school program time. Discussed the program with boys and distributed stickers and fliers to each one.
   3. Distributed press releases in both English and Spanish to local media outlets:
      1. Telemundo televised Soccer and Scouting PSA one month prior to the registration date.
      2. Univision televised a short interview with a Soccer and Scouting representative.
      3. KEVT, a local Hispanic radio station ran a half-hour discussion of the program.
      4. The Arizona Daily Star included Soccer and Scouting registration in its calendar section.
      5. "La Caliente" of the Arizona Daily Star ran a short overview of the program and promoted the registration date.
3. Outcome
   1. To date, there are 445 boys registered in the Soccer and Scouting program, forming 24 teams/dens in 12 units.
   2. Teams are chartered to the following organizations:
      1. Optimist Club of Tucson
      2. Luz Southside Coalition
      3. Nosotros Academy
      4. Church of God
   3. Every Tuesday, coaches/den leaders are offered Soccer and Scouting training, rotating between Scouting-specific and soccer-specific.
   4. The teams meet one to three times a week for a practice/den meeting and play a soccer game every Saturday against other teams in the program.
   5. Every Monday, all boys registered in the program are invited to a pack meeting at the Mulcahy YMCA, where they are assisted in earning their advancement badges.
   6. At the end of each season (12 weeks), the boys take part in a Bobcat ceremony/mini day camp, where they have the opportunity to participate in activities such as archery, nature hikes, BB-gun shooting, arts and crafts activities, and more. Most important, the boys are presented with their Bobcat or Tiger badge.

The Merits of Marketing (marketing.scouting.org) is a resource for local councils, developed by the Marketing & Communications Division of the National Council, Boy Scouts of America.