Serving food at a Cub Scout event

Does it happen to you too? You are participating in some cub scout event and you have to wait 40 minutes in line for food? Drives me nuts, specially when I am the event director myself. Its not a big problem, cub scout families are tolerant and wait in line without complaints. But an ounce of improved organization can lighten the wait by a ton.

This is not a big deal. All which is needed is a desire to do something and some flexibility of the servers to recognize the problem. Watch, find out what dish is slowest and make that one go faster. You read these instructions, but be aware that your servers don't. They need to be told slowly and only the points which matter. Don't tell them all about these instructions; they would think you are crazy.

Enough Space:

Do the servers have enough space to move their ellbows? Add an extra table for the serving so people don't stand in each others way.

No fidgeting:

Not too much stuff. If there is too much stuff people block the line re-organizing the way they hold the plates. Consider moms holding plates for two cub scouts and a younger sibling.

Two lines:

Make two serving lines. If you do so, make them more or less equal. Our young people have problems choosing the right line if the two lines look different.

If you are well organized you can eat in shifts. However if things don't go smooth, the second shift might not appreciate it.

Not everything at once:

Do you need to serve the desert at the same time as the main dish? What if you put it on an extra table so that people get their main dish first and come back to get the desert?

Do you need to serve drinks at the same time or place as the main dish? Could you put the drinks on an extra table?

Functional order:

Plates first! you need the plates before you can get the food. Paper plates sometimes stick together. Put the plates enough ahead on the serving line that this wouldn't delay serving.

SilverPlasic ware and napkins last. Some people like to know what they get before decide whether to take a spoon or not. Some people might decide to bring their full plate to the table first and then get plasic ware and napkins. (To be encouraged).

Alternatives:

If you can't make the lines faster, what about making the lines more fun? E.g. songs while waiting in line.

Quantity

It happens frequently that servers decide how much food each person can get. That is good initiative, but the server might not know how many people should be fed nor how much food is available. They can err in both directions. You need to tell them. You need to be forcefull: servers seem to resist correct information because they have heard the wrong information first.

Seconds

Cub Scouts frequently have eyes which are larger then their stomachs. Tell them that they can come for seconds if there is enough.

Announce when seconds are served. (Seconds only after everybody got their first serving, or the lines got completely handled; whichever happens first)

Friendly

Serving efficiently does not imply being unfriendly. Prevent the person serving the dish which blocks the line from chatting; all others may do so.

The way it looks

Cub Scouts eat with their eyes; you can serve nice looking plates without lots of re-arranging.

When things go wrong

• Food is not ready on time: This is painfull but it happens. Relax, don't squeeze the eating time but announce new times for the program. People like to know what is going on.
• Have things ready to clean up a spilled plate.
• Not enough food: Make small portions and say that there will be seconds if there should be enough after all. Is it necessary that everybody gets the same? I think not. What is necessary is that we try get something for everybody.
• Make sure the servers get to eat too.

Enjoy your meal