Blue & Gold Banquet

The scout activity for this week was the annual Blue & Gold Banquet.  This was Ronin's first time getting to go.  Woo hoo!  Which meant he had a cake to decorate (it's a scouting tradition.) 

This year's cake theme was "Survivor." 

So we thought about what we could do.  Hmmm, "survivor" huh?  Of course the reality show came to mind first, but after much thought, Ronin and I decided to center our cake design after a basic aspect of wilderness survival.  What are one of those items you just wouldn't want to go without if stranded out in the middle of nowhere?  (Aside from food and water, of course.) 

So we decided on a campfire cake.

A simple but needed neccessity for warmth, light, and the ability to cook food.  A campfire cake was perfect.  

So that meant a little bit of surfing the internet for some ideas.  I found a few good ones but decided to embellish our cake up a little bit.

Putting this cake together with Ronin was a fun bonding experience. 

Here's the end result:  


How cool . . . .er, I mean, "hot" is this?!

 Me and Ronin's favorite part of the cake was the fire for sure.  We used candy rocks, rod pretzel sticks for the wood, and easy homemade hard candy that was cooked, colored with yellow and red food coloring, and then quickly drizzled by spoonfuls onto a tinfoiled cookie sheet.  I ended up having to make a few batches.  I put in too much red food coloring and undercooked the first one, then again undercooked the second batch which meant the flames wouldn't harden enough to stay standing up straight.  My flames kept "simmering" out!  By the third batch I got it down to where I wanted it.  Then we just pulled the hard candy off the tin foil and layered and alternated the fire with tall, short, wide, and thin pieces to give it a more realistic dimension.

Now that we're ready, it's off to the banquet!

I was asked to take pictures of the event and I was happy to do so.  :)  Which is why this post is going to be extremely chuck full of photos.

The first thing everyone does upon arrival is put their cake on the display table...

...and then check out everyone else's cake.

There were some great cakes this year!

My favorite Cub Scout!

The flag ceremony to get the evening started. 

This was Ronin's first time calling the color guard in to post the flags and lead the audience in saying the Pledge of Allegiance.  He was nervous but had a great helper telling him what to say. :)

One of the many reasons why I am grateful for the scouting program is because it's an opportunity for us to teach our kids through example how to appreciate our flag and our nation

 Ronin was a gentlemen and waited at his table until most everyone had gotten their food first.  I must say he learned this one from his dad; Jed will wait and let everyone go first before himself.  It's nice to see that kids pick up on the good things too from their parents.

After dinner, earned badges were handed out.

 

Ronin's cake earned the "Smokey Bear" Award for properly making a safe campfire.  :)

After the awards, the cakes get eaten by all!!!!  Hmmmm....so many to choose from!

 

 

Next month?

Pine Wood Derby Racing!!!!!!