Cub Scout Pack 1776 Mayfair Philadelphia

This weekend the groups that aims to preserve historic Germantown will be hosting their annual festival.  When we think of colonial cities we naturally think of Philadelphia but we often forget that what now makes up Philadelphia’s neighborhoods were once their own cities and towns lying in the outskirts of Philadelphia. Germantown was one such city located 7 miles North of Philadelphia. Visiting this neighborhood is literally visiting a city within a city filled with historical sites of its own such as the Germantown White House and Chew Mansion to name a couple.

There will be several events going on through out the day including a couple of live shows, which include two reenactments of the Battle of Germantown.

The boys who attend this event will have the opportunity to fulfill several requirements, listed below. Some do require the boys to interact and or work with others to complete.  Below is a list of what the boys in attendance can fulfill throughout the day.

What to Bring

You really don’t need to bring much besides yourselves.  You could purchase food and drink down there but it is much more cost effective to bring your own lunch which can also help with meeting the Picnic requirements.  This is a rain or shine event so be sure to be prepared. As they say “the show must go on.”  On that note a blanket to sit on while eating lunch is another option to make the day more enjoyable.  Also a notebook and pen to take notes for some of the requirements is a plus too.

To summarize; all are optional as you will have to carry them but recommended:

• Lunch
• blanket (to sit and eat lunch)
• notepad and pen
• rain gear
• camera
• The boys should wear their class A or class B shirts if they have them.

Who To Look For

There will be several people from the pack in attendance you can check into at the event.  All you need to do is say hi and let them know you are there. We will be meeting at 10:00 am on the lawn of the the Upsula, directly across the street from the Cliveden House/Chew Mansion.

• Tom, our Cubmaster, will be there with his daughter Avery, one of our den assistants, and his son Tommy, a second year Weblos in the pack. However they may not be so obvious as they will not be wearing their scouting uniforms. Consider it a bit of a challenge for the scouts to find them. Parents, NO HELPING.
• Karen, our Assistant Cubmaster and bear den leader, will be there with her son Jared. She will be the primary lead on this event and will be wearing her Class A uniform to make herself easier to find.d.
• Tim, our committee chairman, will be there with his son Jack. He will also be wearing his Class A uniform and should be another easy find.
• I will add other leaders here as they confirm their attendance.

Lunch Suggestion: The first battle is at 12:00 noon.  I would recommend meeting up in one of the corners of the property to eat lunch, right after.  From within the property face the main gate and meet in either the far left or far right corner.  Karen will figure out which area is best suited for lunch and let everyone know at the morning meeting.

Activities

Each year the event gets bigger and better. This year several of the additional sites are including their own scout friendly activities. Additionally between the 12:00 and 3:00 Battles there will be a Children’s Muster at Upsala from 1:30-2:30. This will be a chance for your scout to see what it was like to sign up and drill in the Continental Army.

 

Possible Requirements

Tigers:

• Achievements
  • 1G – Go to a historical society, museum, old farm, historical building in your community.  Discover how family life was the same and how it was different many years ago.
  • 2F – Look at a map of your community with your adult partner (Make sure you tell us where the map was ;p ).
  • 5F – Go outside and watch the weather (Bring a write up of what the weather was like to the Monday meeting).
  • 5G – Take a hike with your den (grab some of the others and explore the site).
• Electives
  • Elective 22 – With your family or den have a picnic, assuming you all find a grassy spot for lunch!
  • Elective 36 – See a performance

Wolves:

• Achievements
  • 4d – when leaving home remember to…. (Write a paragraph about what you did before leaving and bring it Monday).
  • 4f – Visit an important place in your community such as a historic or government location. Explain why it is important.
  • 10c – Plan a walk. Go to a museum with your family.
  • 10f – Attend a live program with your family

Bear

• Achievements
  • 3b – Find out about two famous Americans.  Tell things they did or are doing to improve our way of life. (You can learn about a couple famous Americans at the event, write down their names for Monday).
  • 3c – Find out something about the old homes near where you live, go to see two of them (Upsula & Chew Mansion – there are others open too).
  • 3d – Find out where place sof historical interest are located in or near your town or city. Go visit one of them with your family or den.
  • 8e – Find out some history about your community.
  • 10a – Go on a day trip with members of your family.
  • 12c – Have a picnic with your family.
  • 12d – Attend an outdoor event with your family.
  • 18g – have the boys write about their day. (Remember to bring it on Monday)

Webelos

• Anything the webelos could earn are preparatory items or discussion items for after the event.

All Scouts

• Belt Loops & Pins
  • Citizen Pin Requirement 10
    • Attend a community event or visit a landmark in your community
  • Good Manners  Pin Requirement 1
    • Meet one new person (reenactors?, shake hands properly, and introduce self).
  • Heritages Belt Loop Requirement 1
    • Talk to reenactors about history, traditions and culture of colonial America
• Outdoor Activity Award
  • 2. Participate in an outdoor activity such as a picnic or park fun day.
  • 13. Explore a local city, county, state, or national park. Discuss with your den how a good citizen obeys the park rules.

 

Resource Links (click)
Revolutionary Germantown
Events for the day
Directions
Historic Sites of Germantown
Historical Information
Downloadable Map of the Area