2014 Klondike Derby

On Monday we will start prepping for the Klondike Derby.  Please note that the Klondike Derby is *NOT* the Pinewood Derby to be held in April.  The Klondike Derby is an event modeled after the Klondike Gold Rush.  The boys will pull a supply filled sled from station (town) to station  (town) performing various activities.  While most are fun and games, sometimes a few will challenge their skills/scouting knowledge.

The cost for the Klondike Derby at this point is $12 per scout and it includes (for the scout) lunch, hot cocoa, a patch and loads of fun.  .  We need a final headcount and payment no later than Monday January 13th.

As the date approaches we will be sure to let everyone know of the weather for the day.  Considering it is Winter expect it to be cold. If we are lucky we will have snow.  Snow just makes the event that much more fun.

BE PREPARED

To make the day successful lets and fun for the kids lets start with what you need to be prepared..

  1. Parents, be prepared yourself; you want to make sure you are warm, comfortable & dry yourself. The Klondike Derby is an outdoor event and we will be outside from approximately 8:30am until 3:30pm.
  2. Make sure that your boys are dressed for the weather, in layers and prepared for a change of weather.
    • NO SNEAKERS OR SHOES – BOOTS (Waterproof) ARE MANDATORY.  — The boys will be outside pulling a sled, playing games and more in cold, and possibly wet,  wintry weather.
    • Hat, Gloves, Scarf — Mittens are warmer but gloves offer dexterity. A great option are the soft cotton (knitted gloves) inside a pair of mittens.  This way they can maximize hand warmth but still have finger dexterity for activities without having to expose their hands.
    • Snow/Rain gear — In the event it will be a wet wintry mix or even snowy, if your boys get wet, they will get cold faster.  Their clothing should be in layers, which can be altered as necessary, with the innermost layers providing comfort & warmth and the outer most layers protecting against wind, snow & rain.
    • Spare socks & Shoes – Feet sweat, feet can get wet. There is nothing worse than soggy feet on a cold day.  Bring some extra socks and shoes to keep in the car.  This way your boys can change their shoes before heading home to keep your car clean and their feet warm.
  3. Make sure your boys have a bottle of water with them.  Yes, your boys will be provided food and drink but the cold air dehydrates you quite rapidly. For safety reasons it is absolutely mandatory that each scout has a bottle of water with them, labeled with their name.
  4. Bring your Handbooks & Neckerchiefs, we must have a minimum of one each per sled.
  5. Excitement – Have your boys bring a boat load of excitement.  The day is all about FUN FUN FUN!

 

SLEDS

I will be bringing the sleds, for your information each sled will have a box/crate containing the following items;

  • One to Two Tarps
  • Four to Six 6′ lengths of rope.
  • Four Scout Staves
  • One Gallon of Water
  • Trash bags
  • Compass
  • One of each rank Handbook
  • Fire building material (enough to build 1 fire per sled)
    • Tinder & kindling
  • A Lot Of Positive Energy

 

SKILLS & ACTIVITIES

  • Shelter building
  • Knots
  • Fire building
  • First Aid
  • Rescue situations
  • Team building
  • Compass points
  • fun, fun and more fun.

Family Bowling Night

image
Family Bowling Night is set for February 10th from 6 to 8PM. The cost is $11 per person and shoes are included. Price is based on 5 people per lane. All scouts and their families are invited and encouraged to bowl! I have reserved 10 lanes which means 50 people. We need a head count as soon as possible in case more lanes need to be added. If you would like to bowl, there will be a sign up sheet at the next few meetings. Money will be due by February 3rd’s meeting. All scouts who participate will earn their bowling belt loop. This may help Webelos earn an individual sport belt loop for their Sportsman Activity award.

Webelos 1 update

image
Last night, The pioneers finished most of their requirements for the Webelos badge. There are a few scouts who need to bring in the Webelos handbook with requirements 1 and 8 on pages 49-50 signed by their parents. If the requirements for citizen and fitness have been turned in, your scout has earned his Webelos Badge.

Merry Christmas

The time has come for our scouts to gather and celebrate the joys of Christmas. Monday 12/23 is our Christmas party. The doors will be open at 6pm. For those that signed up to bring a dish I have attached the sign up sheet if needed for review. If you did not have an opportunity to sign up and would like to bring something feel free to do so. All we ask is nothing with nuts please.

Be sure to bring the camera to capture the events of the evening as there will be games and activities for the kids and we may even get a special visitor stopping by.

 

Christmas Sign Up

Craftsman Activity Badge – All Webelos – December 9th, 2013

Webelos BadgeOn December 9th, Webelos 1 and 2 will be joining forces to make bean bag toss games for the Christmas party. This will fulfill one of the requirements for the Craftsman Activity Badge. Since this is the first project that requires the use of tools, there will be a talk about tool safety.

All Webelos need to be in long pants and closed shoes (No flip flops!). If any of our parents are handy, I will gladly accept all help. Extra rulers, Philips screwdrivers, 1/2″ wrenches, and channel locks will help speed up the process.

Arrow of Light Progress Report – November 25th, 2013

Last week we began working on the Traveler Activity Badge.  In earning the Traveler activity badge, you’re scout will learn the basics of reading a map, how to use public transportation and how to plan family trips.  Specifically we worked on Traveler requirements 9, 10, and 12.

Requirement 9 is looking at a map legend and learning what the symbols mean. Requirement 10 was finding a place of interest on a road map and to draw two different routes to it and determine which route is shorter. Requirement 12 is to earn the Geography Belt Loop which is done by drawing a map of the neighborhood, learning the geography of the community, and using a globe to locate the continents, oceans, equator, hemispheres.

This week will will fine tune the above requirements and begin covering the topics covered by their home assignments.

Home Assignments

Handouts were provided to begin requirements 7 & 8 as well as one to reinforce what requirement 9 teaches.

[wpdm_file id=14]

[wpdm_file id=12]

[wpdm_file id=15]

Mayfair/ Holmesburg Parade 11/24

We have line up details !  We are in the 2nd division so we will meet up across the street from The Knights Of Columbus on Welsh Blvd.  at 10:45am and walk up to Frankford Ave., once I am sure parking closer will be difficult. Carpools would make for less parking issues.

Please make sure that your scout is in Class A uniform for the parade. If your cub scout is in a blue shirt then they are to have blue slacks/pants, this includes Webelos still wearing blue Class A . Please NO Jeans !! If your Webelos is in a tan shirt they will need green khakis.  Neckerchiefs would be appreciated if the boys have them, also hats are acceptable and may help with the cool weather. You may also want to bring gloves as it is expected to be chilly Sunday morning. A long sleeve shirt under the Class A will also help ensure the marchers stay warm.

Last but not least we will be having Hot Chocolate on the trailer so please bring a travel mug with the scouts name on it so that they can warm up with some cocoa.

If you have any questions or concerns feelp free to contact me at kwonsor@cubscoutpack1776.org or at 267-638-6831.

2013 Scouting For Food Summary

Scouting For FoodI want to thank all of the scouts, leaders, parents and siblings for their support of this annual program.  While it can be tiresome and seem trivial on the surface this program goes a long way to to helping families who worry about where their next meal will come from.

Last year, the Pack collected 2,627 items weighing in at 2,254 lbs. This year the pack collected 2,208 items weighing in at 2,604 lbs. To put this in another perspective we collected an entire trailer full of food that weighed 1.3 tons.  We gave almost 500 pounds to the local Catholic Social Services pantry and the remainder when to the food bank at St. John’s Lutheran Church that works closely with Philabundance.

Not only should the scouts be commended for their tremendous efforts but a hearty thank you goes out to all of the parents that helped in many ways. Some walked with a group of kids, others followed behind with a vehicle to collect food items, while others helped unload, count and sort the food.  All of the cub scouts and siblings had a great time and all of our cubs most certainly did their best.

We had a total of 24 scouts, 6 siblings and 26 adults (leaders included) participate in this service project. All combined, over the two weekends, the pack netted 341 hours of community service.

Congratulations and Thank You to everyone involved.

Dues Deadlines

Dues for the 2014 year are $100 and will cover the full year from January 1st, 2014 through December 31st, 2014.  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 deadlines have started to arrive for the 2014 year. The important dates to remember are:

November 18th – All dues paid in full by this date will include a year subscription to Boys’ Life magazine for your son.

December 9th – 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 2014 scouting year and covers the entire year, January 1st through December 31st.  For new scouts it does not cover the $25 that covered the remainder of the 2013 scouting year.  If you still owe this $25.00, 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 2014 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.

Scouting for Food Pick Up

All the events mentioned here are on the calendar. Please bookmark the calendar and reference it frequently.

On Saturday Nov 16th (tomorrow) we will be meeting at the gym at 10:00 am.  We will break up into groups and this time we will scour the neighborhood (between Rhawn and Tyson and Frankford and the BLVD)  collecting any bags of food left out for the drive. We will be loading up our trucks and dropping off the food at St. John’s Lutheran Church and Catholic Social Services.

Hope to see everyone there !

 

NOTE:  IT WILL BE CHILLY – PLEASE DRESS WARMLY AND IN LAYERS IN CASE IT WARMS UP – BRING HATS & GLOVES!!!