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Description

Show you know what your Promise means, and why Investitures are important, by sharing a story in a shadow puppet theatre.

Courtesy of The Scout Association
https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities/promise-puppets/

Resources

±15 mintues
Scissors
Sticky tape
Wooden skewers
Torch or phone
Cardboard box
Tracing paper

Take it further
Young people could perform their show to older people, for example, in a care home. They could even see if any of their audience have been involved in Scouts – what did Scout values mean to them? This could count towards the Community Impact Staged Activity Badge.

Youth shaped guidance
Young people should have ownership over their plays from the story to the performance. Encourage everyone to think about their own experiences when they’re making up their stories.

Safety: Scissors
Supervise young people appropriately when they’re using scissors. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people

Safety: Dark
Provide some light, so the environment isn’t completely dark. Everyone must be able to see others and move around the area safely.

Safety: Rubbish and recycling
All items should be clean and suitable for this activity.

Safety: Glue and solvents
Supervise young people appropriately when they’re using glue and solvent products. Make sure there’s plenty of ventilation. Be aware of any medical conditions which could be affected by glue or solvent use and make adjustments as needed.

Safety: Sharp objects
Teach young people how to use sharp objects safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.

Instructions

Before you begin
Gather a set of materials for each group. Cereal boxes work well as the cardboard box. You could also use copy paper or baking parchment instead of tracing paper, and craft sticks work well instead of bamboo skewers.
If you’re using bamboo skewers, snip off the sharp end.
It might be useful to have some extra adults (or older young people) so there’s enough to help each group. Why not invite parents and carers to help?

Go through the Promise
1. Everyone who’s been Invested should say their Promise out loud. People should say the Promise they made – it’s OK if people say different versions at the same time.
2. The person leading the activity should remind everyone that there are different versions and that people choose the one that works best for them.
3. Some people who have been Invested should share what happened at their Investiture.
4. The person leading the activity should ask if anyone knows why the Promise is so important. Every Scout makes a Promise, so it reminds people that they’re part of a worldwide family. It helps everyone remember that they share Scout values such as integrity, respect, and cooperation.


Plan a play
1. Everyone should split into four groups with a helper.
2. The person leading the activity should give each group a theme: doing my best; being helpful and kind; loving our world; being Invested. People can adapt loving our world to the Promise they made. Being Invested isn’t quite part of the Promise; it’s the ceremony where new members make their Promise.
3. Each group should talk about how they could make up a puppet story about their theme. For example, loving our world could be about children who volunteer to plant flowers for older people. The Investiture group could show the ceremony, or show a new member learning from an older member.


Make a theatre and puppets
1. The person leading the activity should give each group a box, some scissors, some tape, some pens, and some tracing paper: everything they need to make a theatre.
2. Each group should tape the ends of their box closed. They should draw a rectangle on the front and back, leaving a bit of a border (about a couple of centimetres) around the edge.
3. Each group should cut both of their rectangles out. An adult (and only an adult) could use a craft knife, or people could poke a hole and cut them out with scissors. Groups should save the
cardboard to make puppets.
4. Everyone should tape or glue some tracing paper to the front ‘window’ of their box. It doesn’t matter whether they stick the paper to the front or the inside: whichever they find easiest is fine.
5. Everyone should use the leftover cardboard to draw and cut out some characters. Everyone should make sure the puppets are big enough to be seen – and that they have simple, clear, outlines. Tiny details, features, and colours won’t be seen – exaggerated silhouettes are best.
6. Everyone should tape their characters to craft sticks or bamboo skewers.
7. Everyone should angle a lamp or torch behind the box. They could dim the lights for the best effect.
8. To be a puppeteer, everyone should sit or stand at the side of their theatre. They should put their puppets near the illuminated paper. From the front, people will be able to see the silhouettes. Everyone should experiment with the best angles for the lamp and puppets.
9. Everyone should practise their plays.
10. Once everyone is ready, they should take it in turns to show their plays to the other groups.


Reflection
This activity gave everyone the chance to explore the different parts of the Beaver Scout Promise as well as the Investiture. What does it mean to people to be a Scout? Scouts hold certain beliefs and values.Why do people think it’s important to do you best? Can anyone think of an example of when something has been difficult or challenging, but they’ve tried hard to succeed?

The Scout Promise also talks about showing love and respect for other people and the world. How do people feel when others are kind and helpful to them? Being helpful also involves creating and keeping friendships where people can work together, listen, and help each other. This is an important skill! Well done to everyone who’s learning to work together and keep the different parts of their Promise.

Tags

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Badge Links

• Membership - Investiture
• Membership - Promise