Homework!

Here's our homework assignment given at the January 20 meeting, due at the February 3rd 17th meeting.


With a parent, use a map site on the internet to plan a trip from your home to a nearby place of interest.  Download the directions and a street map showing how to go from your home to the place you choose.

• One suggestion is Heritage Camp (hint:  Use 300 Heritage Road, Farmington, PA 15437 as an address)
• Another suggestion is Flag Plaza (hint:  You can use the T to get there, but will also have to get from your house to the T, and get from the T to Flag Plaza)
• Yet another suggestion is a place you drove to last summer for vacation or a weekend trip, or to a relatives house, or someplace you’ve never been that you’d like to visit.

Have your parent help you determine the cost of the trip you’ll be taking.  Assume:

• Gas costs $3.00 per gallon
• You car averages 25 miles per gallon regardless of whether you’re driving in the city or on the highway.
• You eat three times a day

See if you can think of other things you’d need to buy for your trip
The T lists fares at http://www.portauthority.org/PAAC/FaresPasses/Fares/tabid/122/Default.aspx

Meeting Reminder

Here's your reminder for our meeting Thursday night, the 16th, at 7:00.  We'll continue to meet in Westminster room 176 for the remainder of the Scouting year.

It will be pretty light, and we'll go over the Boy Scout Oath, Sign, etc.  We'll be using the Boy Scout sign, etc. from here on out to prepare the boys to cross over.  We'll also talk about some of the pins the boys can earn, and I'd like to get them to choose which pins they'd like to achieve.  We'll wrap up with a game or two, and maybe a little treat before we go.

Homework!

Here's the homework I assigned last night.  The boys can choose to do ONE of requirement 11, 13, or 16 from the Citizen Activity Badge on page 145 of the Webelos Handbook.  Whichever one they choose is up to them.  We'll have presentation and discussion at our next Den meeting on December 2nd.

Here are the specific requirements:

11. Write a short story of not less than 50 words about a former U.S. president or some other great American.

13. List the names of three people you think are good citizens (they can be from any country).  Tell why you chose each of them.

16. List four ways in which your country helps or works with other nations.

I also asked the boys to, as they're completing the assignments, think about what a citizen is and what citizenship means while doing the assignment.  At the next meeting, we'll talk some about the rights and duties of a citizen, and we'll finish up the requirements for the Citizen Badge.

Baker Clean Up

Sorry for the short notice, but I'm scheduling a clean-up once again for Baker Park.  I thought we did a great job last year, and from what I hear, Baker can use a little clean-up help.  Let's plan to meet this Saturday morning at 10:00 AM at the pavilion by the lower playground.  We'll plan to finish up before lunch.  I'll bring several trash bags.  You bring gloves for all trash pickers.

Additional Den Meetings Added

I've expanded the number of meetings we're going to have, probably from here on out.  In addition to our already scheduled meetings every third Thursday, I've added meetings every first Thursday.  The calendar has been updated.

So...we'll meet the first and third Thursday of every month until the Blue and Gold in April.  The meetings will be 7:00 at Westminter Room 176.

Webelos Swim Program

Click here for the Webelos Swim Program flyer.  There will be two sessions offered, one in January and one in February.  Each session is four weeks long, held every Sunday night in the Bethel high school pool.  The boys will earn their Aquanaut pin upon completion, which is another step toward completing the Webelos Badge, and I'd highly recommend attending if possible.

Don't worry about sending the registration form, but please respond which session you'd be interested in attending or if your son isn't interested in attending at all.  I'll complete the form and register our group.  We also need parent volunteers for the pool.  There has to be one adult in the water for every three Scouts, so please let me know if you can volunteer to assist.

Day Camp Registration

Today is the last day to register for Cub scout Day Camp.  Here is the link to register:  Event Registration

Colleen's information is the contact information.  Please see the e-mail I sent today for her information or contact me to pass it along.

After you register your son please make a copy of the Medical form and send his information to Colleen.  You can register and pay online if you like.

Sign-ups are available for the Spring camp-out at Elson farm on April 17-18.  Click here to access the sign-up form.

Den Meeting and Advancement

Here's your first reminder for our Den meeting next Thursday.  Same Cub time, Same Cub location.

Right now, I'm thinking it's mostly going to be a rocket building session, like we did last year.  I like doing this in the Den meeting, so the boys can concentrate on having fun and doing other things at the Spring campout instead of stressing about building a rocket all morning.

I'd also like to brush up on our knife safety skills one more time.  Lenni missed the first meetings where we did this, and I'd like for him to earn his Whittling Chip card.  This enables the Scouts to pack heat at the campouts (with parent permission), and I think a refresher would be good to help ensure everyone from Den 8 is responsible.

I'm also thinking about making our Baker school clean-up an annual event because I think it's a pretty good socially responsible activity for the boys and it gives us a chance to get together after the normal Scouting year.  That would be at least a month or two off.

For advancements, we've covered all we need to/intend to cover in Den meetings.  However, the Scouts still need to complete a few more activities at home to earn their Bear badge.  This badge can be presented earlier than the Blue and Gold dinner, and some advancements will be done at the upcoming Pack meeting on March 22nd.  Please refer to the instruction I sent earlier:  click here for details.  For advancements to be recognized at the Pack meeting, I have to have them in by March 15th.  You don't have to fill out the spreadsheet, but you do have to e-mail me or otherwise let me know that you've completed all the requirements.  Right now, Nick, Austin, Rohan and Kyle are going to be submitted for advancement.  Please let me know your status soon.

Meeting Reminder

We have a Den meeting this Thursday at 7:00 at Westminster.  We'll go over our homework and then I have birdhouse kits for the boys to build.  Once the "at home" requirements are completed, the boys will have done everything needed to earn their Bear badge although we'll still meet and do something fun next month, too.

Boyce-Mayview Hike

I'm going to schedule our Den to attend the Moonstruck Hike on February 28th (Sunday) from 7-8 pm at Boyce Mayview. I'll bet we're down to a foot or less of snow by then.

We have to pre-resgister for this, so please let me know if you plan to attend by February 15th. I need to know whether your son will be attending and how many adults will also be attending with him. There is a $3 registration fee per person. It's important to get registered because they might have to increase staffing if we hit them with a lot of people.

I Swear I Get No Commission for This Post

Home Depot offers a Kid's Workshop (<-- Click on the title for more details) the first Saturday morning of every month. Well, wouldn't you know that the February workshop is a car display case! I'm not planning a formal Den event to go there, but please take your Scout if it fits into your schedule. It also gives you Achievement 21c, even though we've already completed all our Duty to Self requirements.

You can do this at any Home Depot, according to the website. I've taken my boys to Village Square in the past.

Credit goes to our Cubmaster for remembering the workshops exist.

Pack Meeting Reminder

This month's Pack Meeting is on Sunday, January 31st at 3:00. It is at the old Recreation Center on McLauhlin Run Road.

Visit to the REEC

I’m in the process of scheduling a Full Moon Hike at the REEC for our Den. It will be on Sunday, February 28th from 7:00 to 8:00 PM, so please mark your calendars (I've already marked ours). It will fulfill one of our requirements to visit a Nature Center. It requires registration and a $3.00 fee per person. I’ll be asking for RSVPs very soon.

Homework for February

Here's your homework due for the February meeting:

Name one animal that has become extinct in the last 100 years. Tell why animals become extinct (just a reason or two). Name one animal that is on the endangered species list