Calling all 1776 families! (Program Updates)

Happy weekend, Pack 1776 families! We hope all of the scouts are having a great start to the school year, although we know it looks a bit different. Parents and guardians, please check your email. Our cubmaster has sent out an update with guidelines and program ideas for the 2020-2021 scouting year. Included in the email is a 1-2minute survey that we are asking all parents/guardians to fill out in order to help us plan for our program. The survey results and guidelines will be discussed at a zoom parent meeting on Monday Sept 21st, at 7pm. The zoom link and login information will be sent via email that morning.

If you did not receive this email, check spam. If it is still not there, please do not hesitate to reach out to us via email, or on Facebook messenger and we will make sure you get it. Any questions you may have can be filled out on the survey and addressed during the parent meeting. We look forward to seeing familiar faces on zoom and hopefully finding our way back to the scouting trail, safely, soon.

Yours In Scouting,

The leaders of Pack 1776

Virtual Camporee

Calling all scouts! Calling all scouts! It’s time to go camping! But wait, in social distancing, how do we do that? Well I have the answer for you! Cradle of Liberty Council is hosting a Virtual Camporee the weekend of May 15th-16th. Join us in camping in your backyard, or in your living room, just keep the smelly socks upstairs!

There will be a multitude of activities for cub scouts, older scouts, as well as adults and leaders. If you have a sibling that’s not a scout, let them join in the fun and try to recruit them. Here’s a little info on how this will work.

 

  • Friday Night at 7pm there will be an opening campfire hosted by the COL Venturing Officer’s Association (you may see some familiar faces performing!)
  • You can view the campfire as well as the opening colors (flag ceremony) at 8:30am, as a livestream on the council’s facebook.
  • Go to the Camporee website to see the day’s schedule
  • Click on the classes you wish to be apart of, register (for free!) in order to get sent the link for the zoom rooms!
  • During second period, at 10am, join myself, Ms. Avery, in a cub scout cooking class! I would love to see my 1776 scouts there, I miss you guys!
  • A parent guardian can send pictures to the Cub Scout Facebook page, or email the leaders, with permission to share on our Facebook. We want to showcase the scouts participating!
  • Closing scout’s own will be at 4pm, livestreamed on Facebook.
  • You do not need a Facebook account to view the live, just click the link above. You do not need a zoom account to participate, just click the link you get after registering.

I hope to see a bunch of the 1776 scouts at the camporee, if you have any questions, you can reach me at asytsma@cubscoutpack1776.org.

Sittin’ Around the Virtual Campfire…

Hello 1776 Cub Scouts! Tonight at 7pm, join us at the Cradle of Liberty Virtual Campfire. Scouts and Scouters from across the council will be livestreaming a campfire performance for all to enjoy. Our very own Bear leader, Miss Avery will be singing! So grab your snacks, your camp chair, and your scout spirit and sing along with us.

It will be livestreamed on the council Facebook page. Here’s the link to the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/146757846735326/

Monday Night Adventure

Baloo HikingAs our mighty cubs are finishing up their schooling for the day and fueling for our meeting tonight, I want to remind den parents about tonight’s meeting. Weather permitting, the Tigers, Wolves and Bears are going on a one-mile hike around the neighborhood tonight and looking to find evidence of wildlife in nature.

All scouts should have sturdy footwear, a water bottle, flashlight, and appropriate outerwear for the weather. The predicted temperature for 7:00pm is 64 degrees F. Scouts are encouraged to bring a backpack with their six essentials to prepare for longer hikes and adventures if they desire.

Bears Update 3/2/2020

Bear Adventure: Fur, Feathers, and FernsThe Bears took on the adventure of Furs, Feathers and Ferns Monday night. The scouts were able to plant their own herbs or vegetables, their choice of the seeds available. They should keep the plant in sunlight, and the soil moist. Most of the seeds will begin to form seedlings in 5-12 days, depending on what they chose. When the plant grows even more, they can transfer the starter pot to a larger planter. The scouts talked about wildlife they’ve seen before, as well as composting. We discussed some of the benefits of composting and the scouts can look in their Bear handbook for more information, and how to start it at home, if they desire.

 

To finish this adventure, the scouts will be going on a weather permitting one-mile hike during their meeting next week. In preparation for this, the scouts went over the six essentials. Please ensure the scouts bring a flashlight and water bottle next week, as well as proper clothing, stay tuned on the weather. The route will be shared with everyone before we depart. Put on those walking shoes and see you all next week!

Bears Update 2/17/20

ThisBear Adventure: Paws for Action Monday the Bears worked on the Paws for Action Adventure. To start off, they challenged themselves by naming as many of the 50 states that they could.  Through this adventure, they learned what each aspect of the American flag stands for, and practiced drawing one of their own. The scouts were able to learn and practice how to properly fold the US flag, and learned how to display it. We recited the Pledge of Allegiance, going into the meaning of each line. We named some famous Americans, past and present and talked about why some of them are famous.

 

We also discussed the importance of emergency contacts. Each scout received a magnet with space to write in important emergency numbers. While before it was common to have phone numbers written and put on the fridge in case you needed to use the house phone, today many of our scouts have a phone of their own. I shared how I store my In Case of Emergency phone numbers in my phone and encouraged them to talk with their families about which phone numbers they should know.

The scouts have homework to be completed by next week for completion of this adventure

  • Display their flag at home for one month (it can be their drawing, a small one or a larger one if your family has it)
  • Research 2 famous Americans and bring in a few facts about each to share with the den. There are some examples in the Bear Handbook.
  • Make their list of emergency contacts, discussing with their family who they should have on speed dial, or in the emergency contacts section in their phone. They do not need to bring in anything for this next week, but are free to share what they discussed if they would like.
  • Emergency plan: Sit down with your family, discuss and create a plan for an emergency. Each scout picked one that they want to work on and practice the plan at home. Please bring in a copy of the plan for next week to share.

Bear Den Update 01/20/2020

Bear Adventure: Super ScienceTonight the bear den completed the Super Science Adventure in full (requirements 1 through 5). While the Bear Scout may have gotten a little messy they gained a lot of knowledge. With science being an everyday wonder that Scouts can learn more about by simply using ordinary household supplies, their actions created amazing reactions in fun investigations while exploring static electricity, oil and water, sinking versus floating, and color morphing and layering.

The specific requirements covered were:

  1. Make static electricity by rubbing a balloon or a plastic or rubber comb against another material, such as a fleece blanket or wool sweater. Explain what you learned.
  2. Conduct one other static electricity investigation. Explain what you learned.
  3. Do a sink-or-float investigation. Explain what you learned.
  4. Do a color-morphing investigation. Explain what you learned.
  5. Do a color-layering investigation. Explain what you learned.

Their takeaways for the evening were: following directions; introduction to the scientific method; learning the scientific law of action and reaction; and finding new ways to be creative.

Here are a few of their creations:

Super Science - Color Layering & Density Bear Adventure: Super Science

 

Bears Update 3/12/2018

Bear Adventure: Bear NecessitiesOn Monday, the Bears began working on the core adventure Bear Necessities to prepare for upcoming camping trips in spring and summer.

We discussed some of the items that our Bears have taken camping in the past, as well as what items they should always bring to be prepared; how to pick a decent spot for a tent site; and what to look out for when setting one up.

Afterwards the scouts learned how to properly set up and take down a tent, practicing with an 8-man tent that they could all run around in.

Coin Wars Concluding

As you may seen by now, Venturing Crew 1776 is hosting a coin war fundraiser at the pack to help raise funds for a high-adventure camp this summer. The fundraiser started on Feb 5th, and will end on Feb 26th. This means there is only ONE meeting left to try and help your den win!

Each den has a bin, with our younger and smaller dens having a joint bin, that is located at the snack bar. Add any loose change you have to your den’s bin in order to obtain positive points towards your total score! Each cent is equal to one point, so a quarter is worth 25 points. If you want to sabotage another den, add dollar bills to their bin! Each dollar takes away 100 points from the den.

At the end, our Venturers that serve as Den Chiefs will count up the points for each den and announce the winning den at the following meeting. After the winning den is announced, that den will get to vote on what prize item they wish to have from a list that the crew has created.

Thank you for helping the crew on this adventure, and good luck to all of the dens!

Pancake Brunch

Pancake BreakfastAttention all Scouts and Parents,

Sunday marks the date of the Pancake Brunch! The brunch is going to be held at Saints United Lutheran Church between 11:30am-1:30pm. The cost is $5 per person which includes an order of sausage and all-you-can-eat pancakes. Toppings and extra sausage are available for a small fee.  Additionally, we will have a bake sale table for all to enjoy. Invite friends and families to enjoy a nice brunch.

This event is a fundraiser for the scouting units chartered by Saints United Lutheran Church. With all units involved, we will split the proceeds between the units.

If you or your scout would be willing to help out during the event please email Tom and Karen, who will forward the information to me, at the following email address: advisors.

In the email, please include your scout’s name, whether or not they would like to assist in the event, and whether or not you could bring in a baked good.  We ask all staff to arrive around 10:00 so we have time to prepare. If your scout does not wish to work the event, you may still come out and enjoy the breakfast.

Let’s make this a successful event for all involved and for all who come out! Please email me with any questions comments or concerns.

Thanks,

Avery