September 2002

Laugh Time

By Jennifer Rardin

At the annual Iroquois District Skit-O-Rama, Chicago Cub Scouts entertain families and friends with their wild and zany humor.

• A Star Is Born
• On With the Show
• The Play's the Thing

On stage, a den of Cub Scout comedians is performing its well-rehearsed skit. The pacing is perfect, the dialogue loud and clear. When the punch line is delivered, the audience roars, the boys grin, and their leaders share a chuckle.

Laughter gets top billing at the Chicago Area Council's annual Iroquois District Skit-O-Rama, where the focus is always on fun and participation. One hundred Cub Scouts from 12 of the district's 14 packs are performing at the April 2002 presentation of the popular event, held at Chicago's St. Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church.

For a long time, organizers have followed the same simple formula: set a date, secure a site, and invite district packs at 6 p.m. for two to three hours of what Iroquois District Cub Scouting chairman John Hosty describes as "FUN—fantastic, unbelievable nonsense."

Send in the (class) clowns

Skit-O-Rama's success also relies on the fact that "Every boy is a class clown by nature," Hosty adds. In addition to helping organize and manage the event, Hosty does some clowning himself, participating in short skits, jokes, or sketches delivered between acts.

In one memorable scene he joins other leaders onstage. They stand in a line and make high-pitched humming noises while Hosty's son, John Hosty III, takes the microphone and announces:

"This is a test of the Iroquois District Emergency Broadcast System. It is only a test. If this had been a real emergency, you would've heard this."

The leaders erupt into wild screams of panic and run around the stage flapping their arms, while the audience howls.

The Skit-O-Rama offers participants many benefits, says Hosty, but "the best thing is humor." Cub Scouts are able to "laugh at themselves" and "at others in a positive way." And in today's stressful world, a chance for boys to kick up their heels and simply enjoy being a kid is an increasingly rare and important opportunity.

At Skit-O-Rama, it's O.K. to act goofy, make jokes, or spoof a popular song. For instance, three Cub Scouts from Pack 4441 slay the crowd with their version of "In the Navy." Another skit has some Cub Scouts from Pack 4439 making their way up an endless spiral staircase, while others act as a living foundation for a rickety wall. And in their skit, Cub Scouts from Pack 3697 just want to get a decent hamburger.

Performing onstage also helps Cub Scouts develop skills that can benefit them later in life. A role in a skit, for example, might be their first experience speaking in front of an audience. They also can learn how to use a microphone, project their voices and personalities, and memorize lines, choreography, and stage directions.

Some, like 10-year-old Alexander Marek of Pack 4441, also discover how great it feels to exercise their courage. Alexander, whose role required his appearing onstage in a T-shirt and boxer shorts, has this advice for other Cub Scout performers: "If you get on a stage and you have a part some people would be embarrassed by, don't worry about it. Just get up and do it."

Sparking enthusiasm

To help generate interest in the event, the district holds a patch design contest for each Skit-O-Rama. An admission price of $3.50 per Scout offsets the cost of producing the popular souvenir patches. A vote by audience and participants decides the contest winner. (See the sidebar "A Star Is Born.")

Getting someone special to act as master of ceremonies also helps spark enthusiasm for the event. "You want a parent or a leader who's outgoing, or even a Boy Scout who's outgoing, who's willing to stand up in front of everybody and can think on his feet," advises Hosty.

In the Iroquois District that person is "Downtown Jerry Brown," whose love of performing combines with flexibility and a great sense of humor.

"The Skit-O-Rama is my particular joy," says Brown, who's registered as a district member at large. "I've always enjoyed performing, and this really gives me an opportunity."

During the evening, Brown introduces each act and provides some entertainment between them. Before the show began, he also handled another major responsibility—organizing the order of presentation.

All acts are registered earlier in the evening. This assures organizers an accurate patch count and prepares stagehands for special needs, like music or lighting. It also allows Brown to stagger the performances of dens within the same pack, so boys can watch their friends and brothers perform.

Brown and Hosty also make sure that individual Cub Scouts get a chance to perform, even if their pack or den hasn't entered an act. They get to ham it up in "run-ons," the comedy routines that maintain audience interest between acts and during unanticipated delays.

Run-ons help maintain the tradition of "the show must go on." And in the Iroquois District, the show has gone on for more than 25 years and continues to be as popular as ever.

One secret to its success, John Hosty says, is using the KISMIF philosophy that all Cub Scout leaders learn about in their training: Keep It Simple, Make It Fun.

As a result, leaders, boys, and families get to relax, laugh, enjoy, and applaud one another's talents. "And that's one part of Scouting that never changes," says John Hosty.

Freelance writer Jennifer Rardin lives in Robinson, Ill.

A Star Is Born A patch-design contest, like the one used by the Iroquois District to generate enthusiasm for its Skit-O-Rama and all their other events, can be an excellent tool to encourage and motivate artistically minded Cub Scouts. Cub Scouts receive a template that offers specific, yet flexible, guidelines, such as patch size, number of colors, and shapes allowed. They complete their designs at home and bring them to the event for judging. The audience and participants at Skit-O-Rama choose the winner. Designs are numbered and then taped to the wall (with identifying information hidden). Voters then write the number of their favorite design on the back of their ticket. The vote is tallied and announced later in the evening, which heightens the anticipation. Of 37 entries at the April 2002 event, the design by 10-year-old David Burchell of Pack 4439 was the voters' favorite. He took home a commemorative plaque and earned a special place in the quarter-century history of the Skit-O-Rama. —J.R.

On With the Show John Hosty, Iroquois District Cub Scouting chairman, and Mike Munley, committee chairman for Pack 4441 (which hosts the Chicago event), offer these tips for organizing a successful Skit-O-Rama: As soon as you have a date for the event, reserve the hall in which you plan to present it. Line up the quality assistance of a superb master of ceremonies. Use monthly roundtables to spread the word throughout the district. Ask for acts to be submitted for review prior to the day of the event, to prevent duplication and avoid potentially offensive content. Make sure the host pack assigns responsibilities—such as setup, breakdown, and concessions—to individual dens. Never, ever, tell a kid he can't participate.

The Play's the Thing Figuring how to fill three minutes onstage can be the toughest part of planning a den's participation in Skit-O-Rama. Vital to success, says John Hosty, is selecting a skit or act that Cub Scouts really enjoy. "The Internet's a great resource," Hosty says. "In your search engine, type in skits, run-ons, and jokes." He likes to look for ideas by exploring sites for Boy Scouting in countries other than the United States, such as Australia, Ireland, and nations in the Pacific Rim. "And look at sites other than those for Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts." For example, he found run-ons from the United Kingdom, like this news bulletin: "A wig truck overturned on the expressway, and the police are combing the countryside for clues." For some more dry British humor, try www.Scoutingresources.org.uk/stunt_index.html. Other sources include "Ye Olde Catalogue of Boy Scout Skits" at http://burtleburtle.net/bob/scout/ and "Scouts Australia Campfire Skits," www.Scouts.asn.au/resources/skits.html. Many other skits can be found at www.macScouter.com. Marcella Richmond, a Pack 3624 den leader, uses several sources for her acts. "Sometimes we'll pull things off the Internet," she says, "or we'll sometimes find books at the [council service center] Scout shop." In particular, she recommends the Cub Scout Leader How-to Book (BSA No. 33832A). "The Cub Scouts will make up a lot of skits on their own," says Richmond. Whether their skit is from a book or self-created, Richmond urges the boys to pick the activity they want and then create their own props and costumes. Limit the number of practices, advises Janet Sladek, Cubmaster of Pack 3406. Boys can learn a short act quickly, and "you don't want them to get bored with it," she says. "Practice two weeks before and maybe during the week of the event. Don't overdo it." Also, avoid elaborate sets and complicated foot movements. They can move the focus from fun and laughter to jangled nerves and frustration. "Some of them get a little nervous," says Richmond, "but most are really excited because they get to do their own thing—and the boys who've [performed before] want to do better than they did last year." Taking the stage can be scary for some Cub Scouts, especially alone. "I was nervous because sometimes I get shaky in front of people," admits Gordon Przislicki of Pack 3498. Performing a skit or spoof with the rest of his den helped a lot, he says. Moral support is also important, says den leader Marcella Richmond. "If we have a quiet boy, we put him with a boy who's a little more boisterous. And I usually stand right in front of the stage so they can see me...If they're scared, I tell them to look at me and they'll be O.K." —J.R.

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