Webelos Progress Report – December 10th, 2012

The Webelos have been finishing up the Citizen Activity Badge.  This badge is required in order to earn the Webelos Rank Badge.

The Citizen Activity Badge has a total of 17 requirements.  In order to earn the badge, they need to complete the first 8 requirements and then any 2 of the remaining 9 requirements.   As a group, over 2 den meetings we have covered the following requirements; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 14.  If your scout was absent for either of these two days they will need to make up what they missed in order to earn the badge.  They can do this on their own and any guardian can sign off on it.

The outstanding requirements to complete this belt loop are 1c, 6, and 8. Requirement 1c is simply a quick discussion about how any of the requirements done helped them be a good citizen.  Requirement 6 is about how the Star Spangled Banner was written. Requirement 8 is to earn the Citizenship Belt Loop, which has 3 requirements of its own.  Earning the Citizenship Belt Loop is something that must be done at home hence the homework assignments.

  • Citizenship Belt Loop requirement 1: Develop a list of jobs you can do around the home.  Chart your progress for one week.
  • Citizenship Belt Loop requirement 2: Make a poster showing things that you can do to be a good citizen.
  • Citizenship Belt Loop requirement 3: Participate in a family, den, or school service project.

Both requirements 1 & 2 can be done on a piece of paper.  Requirement three will require some thought but anyone that participated in Scouting for Food has met this requirement.

 

Dues for the 2013 Scouting Year

Dues for the 2013 year are $100 and will cover the full year from January 1st, 2013 through December 31st, 2013.  The dues allow the pack to function, and more importantly keep the scouts registered with the Boy Scouts of America as well as cover insurance.

The deadline is rapidly approaching for the 2013 year. The important dates to remember are:

December 3rd – All dues paid in full by this date will include a year subscription to Boys’ Life magazine for your son.

December 17th – All dues need to be paid in full by this date.  We will be chartering the pack and registering all paid scouts for the new year this week.  Payment by this date *DOES NOT* include a Boys’ Life subscription, however we can get you a discounted rate on the magazine if you wish.

 

Please Note:  The $100.00 is strictly for the 2013 scouting year and covers the entire year, January 1st through December 31st.  For new scouts it does not cover the $20 that covered the remainder of the 2012 scouting year.  If you still owe this $20.00, it is due immediately. Your son is not currently registered nor insured.  This must be paid in full before any monies will be applied to the 2013 scouting year.

If you have any issues or concerns, it is critical that you speak with your scout’s den leader and or the cubmaster as soon as possible.  Do not wait until after the deadline has passed to reach out.

Pack Meeting Next Week on November 26th

We missed our last Pack/Parent Meeting, having instead used that date to make up make up our Halloween party which was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy.  We will be making up that meeting next week on Monday November 26th.  We had originally considered skipping it but since there will not be one in December due to it being a short month, having off two weeks for Holidays, we felt it best to have it as soon as possible.

As usual we ask all boys to wear as much of their official uniform as they have. We also ask that at least one parent stay for the meeting for announcements and to support their scout in their accomplishments.  We will not be doing much in the way of skits in part due to this being a make up meeting but also because we will be having a Bobcat ceremony for all new scouts, having completed their Bobcat rank as well as handing out any other earned accomplishments to the boys.

Side note:

On the topic of pack meetings, we have decided that it would serve our families better to hold these at the end of the month going forward. This should allow us to make announcements for the upcoming month a bit timelier, minimizing short notice when possible. We will be updating the calendar with these changes shortly.

Webelos Progress Report November 20th, 2012

In the Webelos dens we are continuing off the foundation laid with our Veterans day activities and working on the Citizen Activity Badge requirements.   Part of these requirements, requirement 8, include earning the Citizenship Belt Loop.  Last night in den we discussed some of the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen covering requirements 1a, 1b and part of requirement 7. We covered the basics of flag etiquette and touched on the history and symbolism of the flag completing requirement 3 and just touching requirement 4.    Those boys who participated in the Scouting for Food service project completed their service project, required for requirement 3 of their citizenship belt loop thus completing 1/3 of Activity Badge, requirement 8.

Home Assignments

  • Read the Citizen chapter in the Webelos handbook, we will have discussions based on this.
  • Complete the requirements for the Citizenship Belt Loop
    • The boys were given a hand out to develop a list of jobs you can do around the home and chart their progress for one week.
    • Make a poster showing things that you can do to be a good citizen.
    • Those who did not participate in Scouting for Food, should start working on a type of service project they can do with their families. They will need to discuss their project upon completion.

Notes:

For the next couple of weeks, excluding next week’s pack meeting we will be working on the Citizen Activity Badge requirements.  If all goes smoothly, aside from any outstanding assignments, we should be able to complete this by December 3rd or December 10th.  It is important that assignments given out be completed at home.  There are still several boys that have not turned in their Fitness assignments, the last items to earn the Activity Badge.  Regarding Fitness see  the October 8th Progress Report and the October 15th Progress Report.

 

Resources:

Coming soon!

 

Collections: Tigers, Wolves & Bears

Time for Collections!

Collecting is an important part of growing up and tonight the boys get to share about what they like to collect and tell why it is special to them.

So Tigers, Wolves and Bears don’t forget a piece of your collection to show and share with the group.  Tonight we will learn more about each other and what we like while having fun and seeing new things.

2012 Scouting For Food Sleepover

SleepoverThe sleepover Saturday night will be our first overnight trip as a pack for new scouts.  It is important that your children are as comfortable as possible. We will also be going for a mini hike during the evening and it will be cold so your children will need to be dressed appropriately.  Below you will find a list of things that they should bring along with them.

It is important that I have a proper headcount and payment in full no later than Saturday morning. We need to know how much food to buy.  Your scout must also be on the roster which means we must have any outstanding dues paid in order to get the on the roster and insured.  Note this does not count towards the $100 due by Dec 17th for the new year.  Returning Scouts, you are all paid up from last year.

Please be sure to tell me no later than Saturday morning if you plan on attending.

  • Warm Outdoor Clothing (we will be taking a walk and it will be cold outside)
  • Please bring a hat and gloves
  • Pajamas
  • Sleeping Bag
  • Pillow
  • Toothbrush/Toothpaste
  • Flashlight (optional)
  • Necessary Medications
  • This includes emergency items such as inhalers, epi-pens, insulin and the such.
  • Items pertaining to dietary restrictions.

We will see you all at 9:30 saturday morning to collect our bags.

Happy Halloween

Hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween. Due to our recent storm the Scout Halloween party had been cancelled.

Luckily though we have been fortunate enough to be able to reschedule the  Halloween party for Monday, Nov. 5, 2012.  Bring your ninjas, pirates and superheroes for some games and treats. This is an event for the whole family. The party will be held from 6pm – 9pm as previously scheduled.

I have attached the sign up sheet for a helpful reminder of what to bring.  Can’t wait to see you all there !

Halloween List

halloween20001

 

Scout Day at The Constitution Center

I just want to remind everyone that next weekend, Nov 3rd, is Scout Day at the National Constitution Center.  This is one of the best low-cost events you could take your scout to.  Rarely do you see so many requirements, electives, and activity badges covered by a single event lasting only 6 hours (9:00a – 3:00p) surrounded by the history of our nation. It would be a crime to miss out on an opportunity like this.  The items covered per rank are listed below.

While this event is not a “pack event”, but rather an individual event, many of those who do go should meet up so we can stick together in groups, broken down by den.

The price is $14 per scout and $12 per adult and includes all programs, admission to the National Constitution Center, and a commemorative patch. The price does not include food.  You will need to provide your own lunch.  Details on who to contact for the event are in the calendar item (click here). PLEASE CALL IN ADVANCE AND RESERVE YOUR SPOTS!!!  These prices are throguh group sales only.

If you plan on going please contact us using the form on the site or via email, so we can be sure to meet up on Sunday.

The following requirements will be available to cover at this event. It is important to note, that while these are available it is up to the scout to be sure he works on the requirements while there.

TIGER CUBS
Making my Family Special– 1G
Where I Live– 2D, 2G, Character Connection
Keeping Myself Healthy and Safe– 3Fa
Fun and Games– Elective 3
Song Time– Elective 6
The Show Must Go On– Elective 21
Emergency– Elective 27
See a Performance– Elective 36

WOLF CUBS
Your Flag – 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g
Knowing Your Home & Community – 4a, 4b, 4c, 4f
Family Fun – 10a, 10f
Sing Along– Elective 11
Family Alert– Elective 16

BEAR CUBS
What Makes American Special? – 3a, 3b, 3d, 3e, 3h, 3i, 3j
Law Enforcement is a Big Job – 7a, 7b, 7d, 7e, 7f
Be Ready – 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d,11 e, 11g

WEBELOS
Citizen Activity Badge- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, 14, 15
Ready Man Activity Badge– 2,3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Showman Activity Badge– Drama 17

Halloween Party Cancelled

All,

We are going to cancel the Halloween party.  It doesn’t seem like the storm has any intent of dying down or changing course.  Even so there is the storm from the west and the arctic blast from the north that is going to collide with Sandy right here over Philadelphia.

We do not want anyone venturing out in tomorrow’s weather.  This storm is not one to be reckoned with.  So please be prepared, plan on staying put, riding out the storm and most importantly stay safe.

We hope everyone has a safe next few days and we will look forward to seeing you the week after next. Please take care of yourselves.

~All at Cub Scout Pack 155

Hurricane Sandy

As some of you may be aware Philadelphia is expected to get slammed by Hurricane Sandy. This storm has the potential to be the “Storm of the Century”. Right now it is projected to enter the Delaware Bay as a full Hurricane and break land at the mouth of the Delaware River. To make matters worse a winter storm from the west and an arctic blast from the north are expected to collide with the hurricane.

Needless to say this could prove to be an extremely dangerous storm. We are keeping a close eye on the storm but it appears that there is an extremely high probability that our Halloween Party will be cancelled. Since the storm could change course at any time, we will withhold a final decision for now but it is looking pretty certain.

While this is, and rightfully so, a scary time for some it is a prime teaching opportunity for your family, and particularly your scout. A storm like this stresses the importance of being prepared because Hurricanes can wipe out power, fuel sources as well as water supplies. The Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared” and the Cub Scout motto is “Do Your Best”. A time like this is a time to do your best in getting prepared.

PREPARING

First, know where your local shelters are. While the most popular shelters will be announced keep in mind that many of the older public and parochial schools have fallout shelters. While these shelters were intended for safety during an attack they serve as great storm shelters. Contact your local schools to see if they will be allowing access to their shelters in the event your family feels unsafe at home.

HOME PREP

Here is some lists a list of items to assist you with preparing to weather out the storm

Water

  • 3 gallons/person, minimum
    (in food grade plastic containers)
  • Additional water for sanitation

Food
Minimum three-day supply of non-perishable foods that require no refrigeration, little to no prep, and little to no water.

  • Dry cereal
  • Peanut Butter
  • Canned Fruits
  • Canned Vegetables
  • Canned Juice
  • Ready-To-Eat canned meants
  • Ready-To-Eat soups (not concentrated)
  • Quick energy snacks, graham crackers, saltines, etc..

First Aid
Create one for your home and one for each car.

  • Scissors
  • Thermometer
  • Tweezers
  • Needle
  • Sunscreen
  • Cleansing agent/soap
  • Latex gloves (2 pair)
  • Tongue blades (2)
  • Moistened towelettes
  • Assorted safety pins
  • 2″ sterile gauze pads (4-6)
  • 4″ sterile gauze pads (4-6)
  • 2″ sterile roller bandages (3 rolls)
  • 4″ sterile roller bandages (3 rolls)
  • Triangular bandages (3)
  • Petroleum jelly or other lubricant
  • Sterile adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
  • Antibiotic ointment
  • Eye wash solution to flush the eyes

Non-prescription drugs

  • Laxative
  • Anti-diarrhea medication
  • Aspirin and/or non-aspirin pain reliever
  • Antacid
  • Activated charcoal (use if advised by poison control)
  • Syrup of Ipecac (use if advised by poison control)

For Baby

  • Formula
  • Bottles
  • Powdered Milk
  • Diapers
  • Medication
  • Moist towelettes
  • Diaper rash ointment

For Pets

  • Food
  • Leash, harness or carrier
  • Records of vaccinations
  • non-tippable food and water containers

Basic Disaster Kit

  • Battery powered or hand crank radio, extra batteries
  • Battery powered or hand crank NOAA weather radio with tone alert, extra batteries
  • Flashlights, extra batteries
  • Dust masks to help filter contaminated air
  • plastic sheets and duct tape to shelter-in-place
  • local and regional maps
  • cell phones with chargers, inverters or solar chargers
  • Emergency reference materials such as first aid book.
  • Household Chlorine bleach (do not use scented, color safe or additives)

Sanitation

  • Disinfectant
  • Soap, liquid detergent
  • Feminine supplies
  • Toilet paper, towelettes, paper towels
  • Plastic garbage bags, ties (for personal sanitation)
  • Household chlorine bleach
  • Personal hygiene items
  • Plastic bucket with tight lid

Family Medical Needs

  • Insulin
  • Prescription drugs
  • Denture needs
  • Extra eye glasses
  • Contact lenses and supplies
  • Heart and high blood pressure medications

Clothing and bedding

  • Blankets or sleeping bags
  • One complete change of clothing and footwear per person
  • Rain gear
  • Sturdy shoes or work boots
  • Thermal Underwear

Important family documents

  • Important telephone numbers
  • Record of bank account numbers
  • Family records (birth, marriage, death certificates)
  • Inventory of valuable household goods
  • Copy of will, insurance policies, contracts, deeds, stocks and bonds
  • Record of credit card account numbers and companies
  • Copy of passports, social security cards, immunization records

Tools and Supplies
create one for your home and one for each car

  • Whistle (to signal for help)
  • Crowbar
  • Fire Extinguisher
  • flashlights and extra batteries
  • Paper, Pencil
  • Medicine Dropper
  • Needles, thread
  • Signal Flare
  • Assorted nails, wood screws
  • Plastic storage containers
  • Cash or traveler’s checks, change
  • Tape, duct and plumber’s tape or strap iron
  • Patch kit and can of fix-a-flat for tires
  • Shutoff wrench, to turn off utilities
  • Aluminum foil
  • Plastic sheeting
  • Compass
  • Matches in waterproof container
  • Pliers, screwdriver, hammer
  • Heavy cotton or hemp rope
  • Non-electric can opener, utility knife
  • Mess kits, or paper cups, plates and plastic utensils
  • Map of the area.

Entertainment

  • Games and books

 

Cold weather

Naturally a complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes is recommended but consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate. Living in a cold climate, you must think about warmth. It is possible that you will not have heat. Think about your clothing and bedding supplies.

Notes on Bleach Use

If you dilute bleach; 9 parts water to 1 part bleach it can be used as a disinfectant. In an emergency, you can use 8 drops of bleach per gallon of water to sanitize for drinking. If the water is cloudy use 16 drops. It is important that you use bleach without any additives. No scents, color safe or other cleansers.  Here is a chart put out by the Washington State department of health.

Treating Water with a 5-6 Percent Liquid Chlorine Bleach Solution
Volume of Water to be Treated Treating Clear/Cloudy Water:
Bleach Solution to Add 		Treating Cloudy, Very Cold, or Surface Water: Bleach Solution to Add
1 quart/1 liter 3 drops 5 drops
1/2 gallon/2 quarts/2 liters 5 drops 10 drops
1 gallon 1/8 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon
5 gallons  1/2 teaspoon 1 teaspoon
10 gallons 1 teaspoon 2 teaspoons