Wood Badge Ticket - N3-375-16 Beaver Patrol - The Vanderhoofs

I need a proof reading and suggestions ma.de for a skit I am working on for my Wood Badge Ticket. I have never written a skit/play before so I want to make sure it is Biblical, Applicable, and makes Sensable as a play. I hope you enjoy it and feel free to take it to your OP, Section, or District Powwow. RD

Oh I have not been on this forum due to being busy looking for a job, stuff around the house, scouts, Wood Badge and life in general. Please do not think I am mad at anybody with my lack of posting any comments on the forum.

Please pray for the 10 Commandment Hike to be held next month. I have 9 churches that said they would participate. Also plan to have the Gideons International come and talk about getting God's word out.









The Vanderhoofs

A morality story of the acceptance of other people coming into scouting.

Kelly Horton January 2018

Wood Badge N3-375-16 Beaver Patrol




































The Vanderhoofs

Cast of Characters:

MR. ODO VANDERHOOF – is a father that has experienced the rejection of others but is rather naive of why people are like this. He has a positive outlook on life despite of people seeing him as an odd person. Scientific name for White Tailed Deer is Odocoileus virginianus

BUCKY VANDERHOOF – is Mr. Vanderhoof’s son that is a new Boy Scout. He is eager to learn all the skills that the BSA has to offer. He is eager to learn from his patrol leaders, troop leaders, and fellow scouts. He is 12 years old and was involved in cub scouts, earned his Arrow of Light, but is new to the area, and is looking for a good troop to join.

SCOUTMASTER - LEON
ASSISTANT SCOUTMASTER #1 - MELVIN
ASSISTANT SCOUTMASTER #2 - JOHN
COMMITTEE CHAIR - DALE
Parent #1 – MR. WOLF
Parent #2 – MR. MACK
Parent #3 – MR. HUNTER

SPL - CALEB
ASPL - THOMAS
PATROL LEADER - RICHARD
ASSISTANT PATROL LEADER - JOSEPH
SCOUT #1 - TIM
SCOUT #2 - BOB
SCOUT #3 - CHAD
SCOUT #4 - STEVE
SCOUT #5 - DAVID
SCOUT #6 - BEN
SCOUT #7 - CARVER
SCOUT #8 - DOUG




The play takes place at a Boy Scout meeting one evening. The PLC is at one table, the Scoutmasters at another table, and the Troop Committee is at a third table. The PLC is the focus of the action.








At Curtain RISE: Scout Flags in center stage. Scoutmasters are Stage Right and Committee/Parents are Stage Left.


The setting – the local troop is just about to finish its PLC meeting where the SPL just finished up saying that there is a need to have a membership drive since a group of scouts aged out, reducing the troop size to one patrol instead of 2 patrols. The parents are seating themselves at a table, the adult scout leaders are sitting together discussing that nights meeting, and committee had just arrived and are going to give board of reviews for scouts ranking up.

The SPL asks the Quartermaster to get the flags for the meeting and the scouts are standing about talking to each other.

In comes Mr. Vanderhoof and his son Bucky. The SM goes over to greet the father and son. He has in mind that this father may become a good scoutmaster or prospective committee member. He waves over the committee chair and then the SPL. He then notices that Mr. Vanderhoof appears to have a growth coming out of this head and his hands are slightly deformed. He goes over anyway to greet him.

THE SCOUTMASTER TABLE:

SM
Hello, my name is Leon and I am the Scoutmaster of Troop 1. (He holds out his hand to shake his, and he acts startled since he just found out that he is shaking a hoof and not a hand. He then shakes Bucky’s hoof which is already extended. He is surprised to feel a hoof instead of a hand, but he tries to hide his reaction)

CC
(CC Comes over and introduces himself and leaves.) Good evening. I wanted to introduce myself as the CC, but I have to leave for now since we are holding BOR’s tonight. He shakes Mr. Vanderhoof’s and Bucky’s hoof and does not make any indication that he just shook a hoof. He then goes over to the advancement chair and talks with him.

ODO
My name is Odo Vanderhoof and this is my son Bucky. My wife is such a good doe. She is not here since she took our daughter “Fawn” to a Girl Scout meeting. So scouting is a herd activity for us.”

SM
Says – Hey SPL and ASPL, come on over here and let me introduce you to some visitors to the troop. (The SM invites the SPL and ASPL over and introduces Bucky to them. They shake hands and leave to start the meeting opening.)

The scene focus shifts to the parents sitting together at a table. Looking at the new Scouts.

THE PARENTS TABLE:

MR. WOLF (villain and antagonist)
Will you get a load of this, this guy and his son have antlers and hooves.

MR. HUNTER (protagonist)
Well at least he has a nice rack to him. It looks like his son still has velvet on his antlers ..

MR. MACK (villain and antagonist)
Well I don’t like it at all. I came to this troop because it didn’t have wierdoes in it.

MR. HUNTER
At least it didn’t have any until you showed up.

MR. MACK
At least I will have something to bring up at the next committee meeting.

THE OPENING: In this scene the SM is concerned that the boys may make fun of Bucky or notice that he has antlers and hooves. The SPL mentioned that he will introduce Bucky after the meeting opening starts. The SM is relieved but then realizes that Bucky will have to show salute and display the Scout sign.

(The SPL notices that Bucky has a scout uniform on.) He says to Bucky.

SPL
Hey everybody, this is Bucky Vanderhoof. He is visiting the troop tonight and make sure you introduce yourself to him sometime during the meeting. (SPL then turns to Bucky and notices that he is a Scout rank and asks him if he knows the pledges.) Do you know any of the pledges?

BUCKEY
No, My old troop did not work with me much.

SPL
Since you are new to the troop, I will let you get off the easy way and do the Pledge to the American Flag. You should know this from school. Hand salute!.
(Bucky does the pledge but the scouts do not seem to notice his hoof raised to his forehead. They are focused on the American Flag and the SPL.

SPL
Please return to the patrol
(The SPL then tells Bucky to return to the formation and asks another scout to do the Law. Scout sign.
The SPL then has another scout do the Scout Oath. They then break and gather around Bucky and shake his hoof. Bucky returns to the other scouts in his patrol and the remaining opening is performed. (Scout Law, Scout Oath, and Outdoor Code.) The SPL asks that Bucky stand with him; then the scouts pass by to their seats, with each scout greeting Bucky with a handshake. Bucky sits down and the SPL covers that night’s goals; that they were planning to go over the scouting basics with some other new scouts.

(add something about the scout sign having three parts pointing to three fingers, but the parents think its funny that Bucky only has two cloven hoofs)


THE SCOUTMASTER TABLE:
Odo Vanderhoof and the Scoutmasters talk: In this scene the scoutmasters sit down with Odo to get to know him a little better. (Use lighting to show that there is a change of emphasis from one scene to another.)

SM
So have you been in scouts before?

ODO
Oh, yes. My son and I were involved in a troop from the Buck Mountain Council, down state near the state game lands. It is pretty quiet all year long, but gets very active and loud right after Thanksgiving. It was an OK troop, but I don’t think we really fit in.

ASM
Oh really, what do you mean by not fitting in?

ODO
Well on one of the camp outs, one of the scouts kept putting his flashlight in front of his face. It was one of those new LED flash lights with a red colored to it. He kept pointing at Bucky and was calling him “Rudolf”. All the other scouts thought it was funny, but Bucky was sad over it, and could not understand why they were doing this. His name was “Bucky” and it was hard to confuse with the name “Rudolf”.

SM
That does not sound like a nice troop to be in.

ODO
They also would play these games, but they would not let Bucky join in.

SM
So do you know why they did this?

ODO
(Scratching his head with his hoof) I have no Ideer. (idea)

SM
Well I hope you do not find things like this happening here.

ODO
That is good to hear. Bucky and I consider being in scouts as the “Stag night, or a night out with the guys.”

MEETING ACTIVITY

(The SPL tells the scouts that there is going to be BOR’s going on during the meeting so they have to be quiet. The CC, CM’s, and parents leave the stage and scouts leave for their BOR, leaving the SPL, ASPL, PL and some scouts to work on knot tying)

SPL
(Tells scouts with BOR to leave and tells the remaining scouts that they were going to work on basic scouting skills like knot tying.) Hey you guys, do you know how to tie knots?

PL
Yeah I know how to tie knots good. (Bad grammer, but it’s the way people talk, so leave it in). I also need to teach younger scouts how to tie knots for my EDGE method.

SPL
Great! (He looks at the younger scouts and asks) Well?

SCOUT #1
I used to know them, but forgot how to tie them.

BUCKY
I don’t know how to tie them. My last troop would not teach me how to tie them since I was having a hard time with the rope.

PL
That’s OK. We teach the scouts how to tie knots with their eyes closed. Grab some rope.

BUCKY SCOUT #1
Is it hard to learn how to tie knots? No, not really. I did not tie them enough to really learn how to tie them.

PL
Don’t worry about learning how to tie them. I was a new scout like you two a couple of years ago and I learned how to tie them. Let’s start with the Square Knot.

(The PL sees that Bucky is having a hard time holding on the rope, but puts the rope between his cloven hoof and he is able to tie the square knot.)

PL
Left over right, and then right over left. I think you both are getting it.

SCOUT #1
Did I get it right?

PL
(Picks up the knot and inspects it.) Yeah you got it. Now take it apart and tie it again.

BUCKY
Did I get it right?

PL
(Picks up the knot and inspects it.) Hey you got it too. Are you sure you don’t know how to tie these knots? Good job. Now take it apart and tie it again. (To both scouts.) You have to tie and untie these knots again and again until you can do it with your eyes closed. Then you can tie them on a camp out in the dark.

Need action at the SM table as the meeting is going on.


(The scouts are at a table playing a knot tying game (Bucky is included) The scouts are laughing and having a good time. The Committee and scouts return from the BOR’s.

END OF MEETING

SPL
Alright you guys get into formation for the scoutmasters minute and closing. (The troop forms up and the SM starts to talk.)


SM
(The SM tells the story of the black banana.) There was a little girl that went to school and she had brought her lunch with her. While she sat at the table with her friends, she pulled out a banana that was all black. Everybody started to laugh and showed their bananas which were greenish/yellow to yellow in color. This made the little girl really sad. Her friend noticed she was sad. Her friend had anice yellow banana and asked her if she wanted to trade. She smiled and said yes. They traded bananas and the friend peeled back the skin of the banana. All the kids at the table expected the banana to be colored black like the peel. But to their surprise, the banana looked perfect and smelled way better than everybody else’s banana. The friend then took a bite of the banana and smiled. Everybody asked her what it tasted like. She said that it was the sweetest banana she had ever eaten. Even the little girl was surprised. Her friend asked her if she wanted to have half of the black banana and half of the yellow banana. So they traded half of their bananas with each other. They became good friends after that lunch. The moral of the story is that just because a banana looks different than other bananas doesn’t mean it is a bad banana. Sometimes it is just over ripe, but very sweet to taste. (SM hands the meeting over to the SPL)

SPL
I am not sure if I would trade the black banana for a yellow one, but I will keep that in mind if I ever see one. Alright Scouts lets close this meeting. May the Great Scoutmaster of all good bananas be with us until we meet again, Be Prepared.

TROOP
All start laughing.

The troop gets ready to leave and the SM and the Vanderhoofs come together.

ODO
Well it looks like the meeting has come to an end. We will have to “High Tail it out of here.”

SM
Will we see you again next week?

BUCKY
I really like this troop. Dad, can we come back?

ODO
I would say so. It looks like we found a troop that we can fit into.

(As the scouts leave, they all say “See you next week Bucky.” Everybody leaves and the SM smiles at the audience and shuts off the lights.)

The SM returns, turns lights on, and gives the Scoutmaster Minute.

SM (to the audience)
Many times in various group setting like a scout troop, a youth group, a highschool club or even a church, newcomers are not accepted by the existing members. People look at the outside apprearance of others and judge them by their own preconceived notions, prejudices, and experiences. Instead of looking at the individual as an individual with feelings and a soul, they look at the outside appearances or actions. Typically this is a learned behavior learned as a person gets older,. You people like the ones in the skit, do not have all this extra baggage and are accepting of others.

I ask you these questions and let you think about them.

Have you ever been a Vanderhoof and experienced rejection by a group of people?
Have you ever been a SM that is attempting to grow a group and having to deal with individuals with attitudes or opinions that are detrimental to the group?
Are you one of the people that does not notice or chooses to ignore the outside appearance of others and focus on the individual?
Do you make it a point to focus on the individual and treat them with respect as one of God’s creations?
Did you ever think that perhaps God was Mr. Vanderhoof and you treated his son in an acceptable manner?

Dwell on these questions and ask yourself what kind of a person are you and how you treat people will affect the group you are involved in.

Biblical references:
Matthew 25 – Passage of what people have “done” and “have not done” to others.
Hebrews 13:2 - Passage of showing hospitality to strangers.
1 Samual 16:7 – What God looks at as compared to what people look at.



















“No, No” words – “Hunting Season”, “Archery”, “Hunter Safety Course”, “Venison stew” on the last camp out.

Phrases or words to use: antlers, horns, rut, scrape, rubs, antler velvet, doe, fawn, young are usually born as twins, fawns have blue eyes at birth, herd, hunting season,

Props: Scouts in uniform as adults and youth. American Flag, Troop Flag, 2 tables, 16 chairs, rope, clip board, deer antlers – small and large, deer hooves – small and large, deer tails – large and small.

Wow, I am truly impressed.

This had a lot of imagination and a lot of work in it.

I especially liked, "Bucky and I consider being in scouts as the “Stag night"............"

Your Biblical references are appropriate.

Maybe, the only thing that I would suggest is if Bucky demonstrated a talent that the other boys didn't have, like being able to hear a parent's car coming from a mile away, or being able to smell supper several blocks away, or standing perfectly still for 10 minutes.

Thanks, perhaps the SPL, scout and Bucky can have a dialogue concerning everybody having a special skill that others do not have.

My mom used to call scouts Stag Night for a weekly meeting or Stag Week-end for a camp out.

There are a couple of back stories behind this skit.  For one, I had just ended up cutting up a buck that I had taken during hunting season.  I had some body parts left in the back of my truck.  I grabbed  the hoofs and drew my hands up in my coat sleeves.  I had stopped by a Troop Christmas Tree sale and went over to the SM to talk with him.  We both had our eyes fixed on each other.  As I introduced myself as Mr. Vanderhoof, I extended my arm. The SM shook it and jumped back when he shook a hoof instead of a hand.  So he jumped back and said, "What the"  I lifted my other arm and scratched my head saying, "I have no ideer."  He bent over laughing so hard and said that I was going to be an interesting addition to the troop.  My son came over and I introduced him as Bucky.  I found out that most of the boys in his troop had some form of disability.  My son has tourettes syndrome....the little jerk.  Sorry I could not resist the pun.  The troop would absolutely not tolerate the boys picking on each other.  The adults were constantly picking on and pranking each other though.

I did find a patrol medalion from the Scouts Canada that has a Stag Deer on it. The troop we joined had issues with the adults getting along. I made up the Stag Patrol and gave everybody a Stag Patrol Patch. I told them that the adults had to act like a real functioning patrol. If the adults can't act like a patrol, then how are we to expect the boys to act like a patrol. Correct commanders!?!

The black banana story.  When I was in elementary school, this woman from CYE (Christian Youth Evangelism) would come to our school and teach Sunday School.  (Yes, teach about the Bible in a public school!)  Her name was "Ms. Biddleman".  We called her "Ms. Bibleman".  We actually thought that was her name and it makes sense since she taught from the Bible.  She told this story to us right before lunch.  They had bananas out for our fruit, but nobody would take the dark banana.  The lunch lady was yelling at the kids because nobody wanted to touch that "Black Banana".  She just wanted to get the banana ate instead of throwing it out.

I bet the custodian brought in a black banana just to see if anybody would take it.  He would pull pranks like that.  My dad said that the custodian used to do stuff like that when my dad was in high school and Mr. Keene had just been hired.

I did meet "Ms. Biddleman/Ms. Bibleman" at a fair.  We, the Gideons, were handing out Bibles and CYE was painting faces on kids.  I asked her name and she was glad to hear that I was one of the kids she had taught in the past.  The gal never got married.  She said that the school kids were her kids.

But the seriousness of the skit.  How many times have people been turned off by the church because of how they acted towards a person that looked, smelled, acted, or sat in someones special chair or pew?  I think it happens more than we want to believe.  I used to work out of town and would skip out at lunch time and catch a local church service.  I would wear work clothes and was slighted a few times by my looks.  I did let the pastor know this with a letter and my response to a visitors card.  I was also invited to sit by a greeter, was talked to and invited to lunch after the service.  I remember the church well since it was an Elim Church in Canandaga, NY.  No wonder the church was packed with people.  I let the church leadership know how they treated a stranger via email.

Well just keep this in mind in the future when you meet someone.  You have first impressions as well as they do.  You may be the only representation of Jesus that they may see.  RD