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Opening a Cub meeting

How do you start your meeting? Some groups do the Grand Howl or a flag ceremony.

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Before you begin

  • Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Additional help to carry out your risk assessment, including examples can be found here. Don’t forget to make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
  • Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help if you’re short on helpers.

Having an opening is an important part of a meeting’s structure. There’s no right way to do open a meeting – whatever you do, an opening should welcome everyone and help them focus.

Opening ceremonies can help everyone in the Cub Pack bond. Lots of groups choose to do the Grand Howl and Flag Break to begin their meeting – but they’re not the only option. It’s up to you what you say and what else you do – why not ask the Cubs what they think?

Grand Howl

The Grand Howl is inspired by The Jungle Book. In the book, a wolf pack’s meetings begin with everyone circling their leader, Akela (pronounces ahh-kay-lah), and howling. It’s their Grand Howl.

In Cubs, the Grand Howl gathers everyone together and helps them to focus. By talking about ‘doing your best’, it also helps everyone remember their Promise. Not all groups do the Grand Howl, and those that do have lots of different variations, and that’s OK.

Before you start the Grand Howl, choose a Sixer to lead the call of ‘Cubs, do your best’.

  1. Akela calls out ‘Pack! Pack! Pack!’
  2. Everyone makes a circle, standing in their Sixes (some people stand around the flag). Everyone stands ‘at ease’ with their feet shoulder width apart and their hands behind their back.
  3. Akela calls ‘Pack! Pack alert!’
  4. Everyone stands ‘alert’ with their feet together and their hands by their sides.
  5. Akela moves to the centre of the circle, and raises and lowers their arms.
  6. Everyone squats low on the ground with their hands between their feet.
  7. Everyone calls out ‘Akela, we’ll do our best!’
  8. Everyone stands up and makes the Scout sign.
  9. The chosen Sixer calls out ‘Cubs, do your best’.
  10. Everyone replies ‘We will do our best!’

Flag Break

Flag Break reminds everyone that they made their Scout Promise and what it means to them. Before you start your Flag Break, choose a Sixer to unfurl the flag.

  1. Everyone stands around the flag in their Sixes.
  2. The person leading Flag Break calls ‘Pack! Pack alert’
  3. Everyone stands ‘alert’ with their feet together and their hands by their sides.
  4. The chosen Sixer comes forward and gently pulls the cord to unfurl the flag.
  5. The Sixer takes a step backwards and leads everyone in saluting the flag, before returning to their Six.
  6. The person leading calls ‘Pack! Pack at ease!’
  7. The person leading the meeting may want to introduce the evening and give the first instructions, while everyone’s together and focused.

Reflection

Opening and closing ceremonies help you respect and trust others. How do you show respect in the ceremonies? Do they remind you that you all have some things in common (for example, being Cubs) even when you’re all individuals? Do they help you feel like you can trust the others in your Pack?

Opening and closing ceremonies also remind you that you’re a local, national, and international citizen. Do you feel part of something bigger during these ceremonies? Do these ceremonies remind you of your Cub Promise? Do you feel closer to the people around you when you share things such as ceremonies? When else do you take part in ceremonies?

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

If people don’t like being the centre of attention, they could have a turn at being one of a chosen pair of Sixers, or a pair (or small group) with a thought for the day, when they’re ready to give it a go.

Some people don’t like (or can’t cope with) loud noises – such as the ones that often get made during the Grand Howl. You could try a mimed or quiet version, come up with other alternative openings, or plan a strategy with the young person affected (and their parents and carers).

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

Cubs Membership Award
Cubs YouShape Award: Lead

Young people can lead the opening ceremony.