Pack 661 Dragons

Homework!

2011-01-20T11:04:00.005-05:00

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

2010-12-15T10:59:00.000-05:00

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!

2010-11-19T14:31:00.001-05:00

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

2010-11-15T09:09:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-14T12:36:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-14T12:32:00.001-05:00

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

2010-05-21T09:37:00.000-04:00

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.

2010-03-18T22:08:00.000-04:00

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

2010-03-11T11:35:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-15T21:04:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-08T11:26:00.000-05:00

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

2010-01-22T10:34:00.001-05:00

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

2010-01-22T10:09:00.000-05:00

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

2010-01-22T09:55:00.000-05:00

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

2010-01-22T09:50:00.001-05:00

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

Requirements, Requirements, Requirements!

2010-01-22T09:29:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned at the beginning of the year, there are requirements the boys will need to complete at home with you to earn their Bear badge. If you click on the link to Bear Advancements, you can see what we’ve covered so far in meetings, but there are a number of requirements that need to be done at home.

These are marked with an “a” in the spreadsheet, but not all the activities marked with an “a” have to be completed. Here is a synopsis of what you have to do:

• Duty to God, Achievement #1 in the Bear handbook. You have to complete both a and b in that section.

• Achievement #6 in the Duty to Country section has to be done at home because most of the activities are specific to your home and the environment. Choose any three of the activities in that section.

• Three Achievements in the Duty to Family section must be done at home because, well, they’re all family oriented activities. They’re pretty simple things. We’ll be doing Achievement 8 at Den and Pack meetings, but you must complete a total of four from this section, so you have to choose three more to complete. You can choose any three of Achievements 9 – 13. Anything you’ve done in the past year counts here, so, for example, you get credit for Achievement 12a if you went camping last summer.

Confusing, I know, but please send me an e-mail if there are any questions. You can let me know when any or all of these Achievements have been completed, but I have to know they have to been done at least few weeks before the Blue and Gold on April 9 to allow for advancement recording.

Moving!

2010-01-22T09:13:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the new site! As I said in the newsletter, I’m removing all the convolution of Scouts, baseball, wrestling, etc. that used to be on the crossface site. This site is a mirror of the original site, and has all the historical Scouting posts and links. It will be spruced up a bit soon, and the Scouting information from the old crossface website will be removed as it will be repurposed only to the youth wrestling program. You can still visit it, but it won’t have any Scouting information! Look for the complete switch over the weekend. As always, I’ll continue to post to both the website and send e-mails with important information.

Homework!

2009-12-17T22:39:00.001-05:00

Here's our homework for January's meeting.

Either visit the library and review old copies of newspapers, or use the internet to find things that were going on at each of these times:

When you were born (at least one thing on your birthday and two from your birth year)

On July 20, 1969 (one thing)

When you were five years old (at least two things from that year)

With the exception of the July 20th date, these things can be any news item or event that catches the boys' interests.

Meeting Reminder

2009-12-15T22:34:00.001-05:00

Sorry I'm a little late with the reminder, but we have a Den meeting this Thursday evening at 7:00 at Westminster. We'll go over our homework (see below if you need the details again), probably get some more homework, and play a fun game. I'm thinking it'll be a little more laid back as we head into the holiday season.

Pack Meeting and Skit

2009-11-27T12:30:00.001-05:00

This is your reminder for the next Pack meeting. It is Monday, November 30, 7:00 at Westminster Fellowship Hall (same as last month).

We're scheduled to put on a skit for this meeting and, unfortunately, I won't be there until late in the meeting after the skit is already done.

So, I found a simple skit for the boys. We need one Scout to run around and act crazy -- I've chosen Timmy for this role. Then, the other boys chime in together.

Please take a few minutes to practice this skit with your son before the meeting. I'll send our Den flag with Kyle so everyone can find it and sit together. Then, when they call up Den 8, it would be wonderful if a Dad or Mom could just gently direct them to the front of the room.

Squirrels Think I'm Nuts!

All Scouts except Timmy stand centerstage.
Timmy comes running onstage yelling and screaming and waving his arms around like a crazy person.
Timmy: They're after me! They're after me!
Den: What's the matter?
Timmy: They're after me!
Den: Who's after you?
Timmy: The Squirrels are after me! They think I'm NUTS!
(Timmy runs off screaming and waving arms)

Homework!

2009-11-20T08:37:00.001-05:00

Here is the homework I assigned last night:

"Talk with a parent or other family member about how getting and giving facts fits into his or her job."

No special formatting or other requirements. The boys can type or write it up and read it (had a few of those last night), type or write notes (a few of those), or whatever else works as long as they can give a few facts themselves.

Knife Safety

2009-11-11T10:42:00.001-05:00

I swear I'll get some meeting agendas up someday . . . In the meantime, I think I said earlier that we were going to work on knife safety at the next meeting.

I found a bunch of cheap knives and bought them -- the picture is the exact knife. I'd like to hand out one knife to each Scout at the next meeting. Then, we'll use them to carve our soap bars.

IF YOU WOULD PREFER THAT I NOT GIVE YOUR SON A KNIFE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

The knife has a 2-and-a-half inch smooth blade and is a lockback. I think the lockback is a good idea for when they're using the knives so they don't fold back on their fingers.

Afterwards, I will hand out a "Whittling Chip" card to each Scout, which is an officially signed card that says the Scout has been instructed in knife safety and has taken an oath to always practice it.

Den Meeting Agendas

2009-10-20T15:29:00.001-04:00

As promised, the agendas from our first two Den meetings and what I have so far for November are being posted -- see the new link in the Scouting Links to the right. The November will be updated and future meetings will be added.

Homework Recap

2009-10-20T15:07:00.001-04:00

Here's a recap of the homework I assigned the boys in the last meeting.

1. Research a bird or animal you like. You can:
- Read about them in books.
- Watch them if they are in your neighborhood.
- Search for information about them on the internet.

2. Using your computer at home, prepare and print a report about your bird or animal.
- You must have at least one picture.
- You must have at least three facts about the animal.
- You mush have at least one fact about the animal that the Den Leader did not already know.

With regard to the report, it doesn't have to be anything formal with punctuation, etc. Just something each Cub puts together however he sees fit and he's comfortable talking from.

Pack Meeting Reminder

2009-10-20T14:50:00.001-04:00

Here's your reminder for the Pack meeting this coming Monday at 7:00 at Westminster. Below is a schedule for the evening. The only recognition for this meeting will be for Cubs that weren't at the last Pack meeting. In November, we're shooting for Rohan to receive his Wolf and Timmy to receive his Bobcat.

For this week, we'll probably use Den time as a little mini Den meeting and do something TBD from the handbook.

As a head's up, I'm planning to finish knife safety next month. I've ordered the boys' whittling chip cards, and they'll also be doing a carving. For that carving, we'll use a bar of Ivory soap. You can look at page 149 of the Bear Handbook if you want to cheat ahead, or just ask Ryan as it seems he is able to recite the entire book from memory in addition to the organization chart from John's company.

Point is that it would be very helpful if each of the boys had an adult partner for the carving so it doesn't also turn into a first aid presentation.

I'm working on getting meeting agendas together for the remainder of the year. I'm going to post whatever agendas I can get done on the website.

Also, please don't forget about our animal presentations. I'm going to post the requirements I laid out in the meeting within the next day.

Thanks and I hope to see you Monday.

--------------

*** We won't do sign-in or popcorn forms on the way in - just way too much chaos!

1) Gathering/SetUp;(Webelos IIs)
2) Opening flag;(Zeus)
3) Opening remarks; Dan (welcome/cheer)
4) Skit by Screaming Eagles
5) Presentation of awards from last B&G
6) Presentation of neckerchiefs to all new Cubs who weren't there last month.
7) Skit or song by Den 9
8) Den Time...allow Dens some time to gather the troops and discuss advancements/activities/whatever - it's your time!
During Den Time, Dan sends one den at a time to Cecilia's table to process popcorn forms
Up to Dens...., when done w/ Popcorn, you can either head home or continue Den Time.
For popcorn, start with Webelos I
then Tiger 4
then Webelos I - Screaming Eagles
then Webelos II
then Bears (8,9)
then Wolves (1,2,3)
then Tigers (5,6)

9) No formal closing, just allow Dens to finish up before/after popcorn.

2009-10-15T22:52:00.001-04:00

Remember there is a Popcorn Blitz this weekend. Anyone interested should meet in the Westminster parking lot at 1:30 this Sunday (October 18). Celia will break us into groups and we'll fan out to different areas of USC to sell popcorn.

I should have remembered to announce this at the meeting, but didn't. Look for lots more updates, especially here on the website, in the very near future.

Fill It Up!

2009-09-30T09:30:00.001-04:00

Just a little popcorn info. Remember, if you fill up your order form, you will receive a popcorn patch and choice of a Bow Blaster or Mallow Blaster. Once filled, give a photocopy to Celia, specifying whether your Cub wants a Bow Blaster or Mallow Blaster.

There is the popcorn blitz on the calendar. We'll all meet at Westminster and raid USC, together as a Den, to service the popcorn consumption needs of the community.

Final popcorn orders and money are due to Celia by October 26. Originals only -- no photocopied order forms (or money).

Popcorn pickup and sorting is on November 21. While that is a ways off, I'm sure Celia wouldn't mind if you let her know now right now that you'd like to volunteer to help pick up and sort.

Calendar Update

2009-09-24T10:26:00.001-04:00

There have been just a few updates to the Den calendar to note. I've added the Fun Day and several events related to popcorn sales.

You can still sign up for Fun Day, so RSVP at the Pack website if you haven't already.

Also, don't forget about the Pack Meeting this coming Monday. Should be a great opportunity to see the Cubmaster squirm handling almost 100 Cubs!

Pack Meeting Skit

2009-09-18T10:52:00.001-04:00

We had a pretty good group last night, but I was disappointed to see a few couldn't attend. We selected a skit for the Pack meeting on September 28th. It is the standard skit with no add-ons. If you weren't at the meeting, just go over it quickly with your son. Since we did it right off the bat last night, I don't think any practice is necessary.

Fun Day!

2009-09-16T14:24:00.001-04:00

Check out the information for this year's Fun Day and sign up if you can attend. Fun Day is like the day camp they have in the summer, except it's one day long instead of five. There will be BB guns, archery, crafts, and more. For additional details and a sign-up list, visit the Pack website at:

http://cubscouts661.blogspot.com/2009/09/conestoga-district-cub-fun-day-october.html

You can sign up your Cub right at the Pack website by following the applicable link. No need to e-mail anyone or anything else, but please hit the Pack website link if you plan to attend so they can get a firm number of Cubs attending.

Pack Meeting Activities

2009-09-03T20:42:00.001-04:00

~~In case you missed it via e-mail or at the Pack site, our Cubmaster is now forcing us into involuntary labor at each Pack meeting.~~ In case you missed it via e-mail or at the Pack site, our Cubmaster is graciously giving each of the Dens a unique and wonderful opportunity to substantively participate and develop leadership skills at each Pack meeting.

Our first role is to perform a skit or a song. Fortunately, our first meeting is before that, so we have an opportunity to practice. If you have any bright ideas, feel free to share!!! You can post a comment below or e-mail me (Matt).

Our first Den meeting is on Sept. 17 at 7:00 at Westminster Room 176. (No, I'm not sure where the room is, either).

Our first Pack meeting is on Sept. 28 at 7:00 at Westminster Fellowship Hall (That's the big room where we hold the Pinewood Derby).

Requirements Tracking

2009-08-10T10:17:00.001-04:00

Last year, we maintained a spreadsheet to track requirements. If you recall, I e-mailed the spreadsheet on several occasions, and the feedback was great and it ended up being a very effective tool. This year, I'm publishing a requirements spreadsheet online. It's called "Bear Advancements" and you can find it anytime in the Scouting Links to the right. Jim and I will continue to keep the spreadsheet updated for every Cub in the Den for requirements and electives we cover in Den meetings. However, there are lots of requirements that your Cub must complete with his family, and you'll certainly earn electives outside the Den meetings.

I've established a separate Google account that I'll be sending to each parent in the Den soon. Once signed in, it will enable you to view and edit the spreadsheet. I did this because not everyone has sold their soul to Google like me, and I don't want you to have to establish your own Google account for access. Maybe we'll use it for other collaborative efforts in the future, too.

Stay tuned for the e-mail in the near future.

2009-08-08T00:22:00.001-04:00

Well, we're just three short weeks from the kick-off swim party. Be sure to sign up if you haven't already!!! I've made a few changes to the calendar recently. Most importantly, we have the dates for the Campout at Elson Farm on November 7-8. Our Den, previously separated as 8 and 10, now a big force as Den 8, has set the highest attendance percentage at every campout. Let's aim to keep our reputation in tact this fall.

Also, be sure to take a look at the Pack calendar on the Pack site. It does a great job of integrating the school calendar and there are some events like the Fishing Derby/Trailblazer weekend that aren't on our calendar. Also, our Den meetings have now been incorporated.

I got to go to Heritage with my Webelo this year, and had a great time. Some of our Den 8 Scouts got to go later and had a blast from what I hear. If you'd like some more of Heritage, the Fishing Derby/Trailblazer is your big chance!

Clean-Up at Baker Park

2009-04-30T16:45:00.001-04:00

Here's a few pics from our March 15th meeting at Baker Park. Look at all the trash our little group picked up!

From Den 8 Baker Clean Up

Click on the links below for the rest.

Packin' out
Comparing collections
Learning about recycling and conserving
Is that a duck in your pocket?!
Quick, strike a pose!

Get Registered for Camping!

2009-04-27T16:38:00.001-04:00

In case you didn't see this at http://cubscouts661.blogspot.com/, you must register right away for Heritage Camp this summer!

The following 2 boys are registered for Heritage July 16-18:

Austin H
Nick D

Four others had indicated interest. If your name is not above, please contact cubscouts661@verizon.net asap!

Next Year's Den Meetings

2009-04-03T16:31:00.001-04:00

I've added calendar dates for next year's Den meetings. Basically, we'll meet the third Thursday of every month starting in September and running through March. We were asked to set meetings now to book rooms and we're attempting to schedule on nights other than those nights where other Dens or the Pack as a whole are meeting because there has been too much elbow-bumping in the past year. Later on, we'll also try to do some coordination with the other Bear den for some service projects or activities, therefore, meeting more than once per month.

Unlike the other calendar items (and the main Pack 661 calendar), there aren't really awesome maps associated with the location because we don't have the specific meeting rooms yet. Right now, it just says Westminster, which Google apparently thinks is located in England somewhere. We're not meeting in England.

Next Meeting

2009-04-01T21:17:00.001-04:00

I'm scheduling a meeting on Monday, April 13, 7:00 PM, at Westminster. The only thing we'll do at the meeting is rocket building in anticipation of the campout the following weekend at Boivin Farm, so plan for about 45 minutes I'd guess. I currently have and will distribute they boys' rockets and also bring along materials we need to build them. We're building the same rockets as we had last year.

You definitely want to bring your assembled rocket to the campout, so you aren't spending your whole morning building it that day. If you can't stick around and build the rocket on the 13th, please plan to swing by and pick up your kit or contact me and I'll make arrangements to otherwise get it to you.

Even if you don't attend the campout, please either stop by and build or contact me to pick it up. It's a wonderfully unique opportunity to demonstrate to your son that your years of experience have ill prepared you to follow simple directions and operate basic building materials. Also a good opportunity to teach him some new words.