Happy Thanksgiving

We would like to wish the entire Cub Scout Pack 1776 family a Happy Thanksgiving Holiday.  Throughout the course of our lives it is often far easier to ask for favors than it is to give thanks.  When times are dark we often neglect the good we have to be thankful for.  This day was set aside so that we may reflect on all of the good bestowed upon our lives, because even in the darkest hour there is that ray of light to be thankful for despite it always being overlooked.

On this day of prayer and reflection, we can look to the words of George Washington as he makes the first official proclamation of Thanksgiving to a fledgeling nation. [Read more…]

Welcome To A New Scouting Season!

The title says it all!  Welcome back to a new scouting season.  In addition to welcoming back our returning scouts we would also like to wish the best to our scouts who crossed over into the Boy Scouts.  Your pack wishes you the best of luck and hopes you enjoy your learning experience in the Boy Scouts.

We hope everyone had a great summer and enjoyed the summer activities that we had planned for you.  We would love to get your feedback on our summer activity line up.  Below is a recap of our summer activities for those who may have missed some of them.

New Season

As we get back into the swing of things with our weekly meetings starting back up on Monday September 10th. For our returning scouts there will be no delay in extracurricular scouting activities as we start the season with our Fort Mifflin camping trip on Sept 21st. What a great way to start another fun filled season.

The beginning of the season is also the best time for your boys to bring in any friends or family interested in scouting. If anyone they bring joins and pays their dues for the year your son will earn his recruiter badge.

During this time we will have a lot of new scouts showing up with an interest in scouting. We expect that our seasoned scouts will exhibit the core values of scouting and help make the new scouts feel welcome. They should take the time to introduce themselves, introduce new boys to other pack members & leaders, as well as assist them with earning the Bobcat rank. This common courtesy also covers requirements for the various ranks; for example

  • Tigers: Elective 9, Help a new boy get to know other people.
  • Wolves: Elective 22e. Invite a boy to join Cub Scouting or help a new Cub scout through the Bobcat trail.
  • Bears: Achievement 24a, Help a by join Cub Scouting or help a new Cub scout through the Bobcat trail.

This year we will be working on having monthly Pack meetings, to be held the first Monday of every month except where noted otherwise due to a short month or a holiday.  The goal is award boys their accomplishments on a more regular and timely basis. It also serves as a great opportunity for the parents to see what their boys have accomplished throughout the course of the year as well as provide more opportunity for the boys to show off their talents and skills.

We look forward to seeing you all in a week or so.

Summer Recap

Summer Activities

June

We started off the summer with a district hosted ‘Cub Scout Bullseye Shootout’ in early June at Camp Hart where the boys got to engage in a variety of age appropriate shooting activities such as archery, archery games, bb shooting, slingshots, zyclones, water pistols and the obstacle course that had them nice and tired for the ride home. Towards the end of the month we took part in one of the Scout Nights at the Camden Riversharks which included the game, dinner, a fireworks display, a movie with snacks, camping in the outfield, breakfast and a baseball clinic run by the players.

July

July is the month of summer camps so we only had a night of bouncing and climbing at BounceU towards the end of the month.   We had 2 boys attend Summer Day camp and 1 attend Summer Resident Camp where they got incredible head starts towards their rank before the scouting season even started having earned several belt loops, pins, activity badges and completing a variety of requirements & electives.

August

In August we had a camping trip at the Renaissance Faire which for a mere $10 including a night of camping and a day at the Renaissance Faire, which itself is normally around $40 per person.  Then we closed out the Summer with a great hike in Wissahickon Park.

 

Photo Section Coming Soon

As you may have noticed there is a new section on the site (on the menu at the top) for pack photos.  We haven’t imported any of the photos into the site yet, but they are coming soon.  If you have any photos that you would like to share please send us an email using the contact page.  We do not have an official pack photographer so we rely on family & friends to share their photos with us.

Blue & Gold Rescheduled to Monday June 11th

It has come to our attention that some parents were still following an old calendar for the date of the Blue & Gold.  We replaced that calendar when Pack leadership was restructured making the web site Calendar the final authority for pack events mentioning that if it is not on the web site calendar it is not expected to happen. However, there has still been some confusion.

While the date people thought the Blue & Gold was to take place was never on the web site Calendar, a few people assumed that to be the date despite the real date being up there.  What added to the confusion was the fact that the final date was the old date transposed (May 12th vs May 21st).  Naturally at a quick glance it is easy to confuse the two dates.

Once we determined the source of this date conflict, we felt it prudent to reschedule the Blue & Gold to a date which allows us ample time to make sure that *EVERYONE* is aware of the date. The new date of the Blue & Gold is going to be Monday June 11th at 6:00 pm.

Thank you for your patience in allowing us to ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding this important event.  We will be contacting families individually with the new date to ensure that everyone is properly informed.

Parent Meeting Tonight

Just a reminder that we will be having a parent meeting tonight and at least 1 representative from each family is required to attend.  The meeting will begin gathering promptly at 6:45pm .

On a side note: If your child is a Bear or Webelos and has an appropriately sized folding knife, he may bring it tonight. However, since he has not earned his whittling chip yet, you will need to hold it for him and give it to one of the leaders to hold until he is ready for it.

Klondike Derby Photos

I posted the photos I have from the Cub Scout Klondike Derby to our Facebook Page since the photo gallery on the site isn’t up and running yet.  Right now it is just the photos I had and a couple from another parent.  As other parents send me their photos, I will be sure to add them.

The boys had a blast and what you see here is only a fraction of the activities that were available for them to take part in.  Of course Pack 155 had the most prominent pack flag out there, and the boys knew that it is actually an official flag of the United States and treated it with the respect any flag would treat the current U.S. flag with.

Great job guys!

 

2012 Klondike Derby

On Monday we prepared for the Klondike Derby; we have 14 boys signed up to go.  Please note that the Klondike Derby is *NOT* the Pinewood Derby to be held in March.  The Klondike Derby is an event modeled after the the Alaskan 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 a few will challenge their skills/scouting knowledge.

The weather forecast for Saturday, at the time of this writing, is a high of 40 with a wintry mix all day.  This means it will be snow, sleet, rain all mixed together. Naturally this could change , as it already has.  Earlier this week they were calling for a high of 50 with a chance for showers.  I will continue to watch the weather and keep you up to date of any major changes.

 

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, 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 — Again it will be a wet wintry mix all day.  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 your boys must have a bottle of water with them.
  4. Bring your Handbooks & Neckerchiefs
  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 of each Cub Scout Handbook
*One each Cub Scout Neckerchief
*Four 3′ Lengths of Rope
*First Aid Kit
*Den Flag
*Filled Water Bottles For Each Scout
*Den Yell & A Lot Of Positive Energy

 

SKILLS

Citizenship: Know President, Vice President, Governor & Mayor

  • Tigers/Wolves/Bears: Know the people and their job
  • Webelos: The above plus the length of term and what political party they are with.

First Aid – Basic First Aid

  • Tigers – What to do if you get cut (just explain)
  • Wolves – How to take care of a small cut
  • Bears – How to take care of a knife cut to the finger
  • Webelos – How to stop serious bleeding and demonstrate the Heimlich maneuver and tell when it is used.

Cub Scout Basics (All Ranks)

  • Cub Scout Promise
  • Cub Scout Motto
  • Cub Scout Pack Law

Leave No Trace (All Ranks)

  • Explain Leave no Trace
  • How Do They Use It

Buddy System (All Ranks)

  • Explain the Buddy System
  • Give Examples when to use the Buddy System

Knots & Rope

  • Tigers
    •  Practice Tying Shoes
  • Wolves
    • Tie an Overhand Knot
    • Tie a Square Knot
  • Bears
    • Tie a Square Knot
    • Tie a Bowline
    • Tie Two Half Hitches
    • Tie a Slip Knot
    • Explain how each not is used.
  • Webelos
    • Demonstrate setting up a tent or dining fly using two half hitches and a taut line hitch.
    • Show how to tie a square knot and explain how it is used.

Flag

  • All
    • Know the Pledge of Allegiance
    • Help Folding the Flag
  • Tigers – How many Stars?
  • Wolves – How many Stars & what do they mean?
  • Bears – How many stripes & what do they mean?
  • Webelos – How many stars were on the first flag and who made it?

FUN AND GAMES

  • Spear Throwing
  • Animal Tracks
  • Ring Toss
  • Jug Drop
  • Stilt Relay
  • Magnetic Fishing
  • 3 Legged Relay
  • Ball Through A Hoop
  • Skit & Song (each team needs a song/skit)
  • Car & Driver
  • Forehead Squeeze Relay
  • Target Shooting with Nerf Guns
  • Obstacle Course

Event specifics such as time, location, costs can be found on the Klondike Derby Calendar Event (here).

Krispy Kreme Fundraiser

Krispy Kreme Glazed DonutSatisfy Your Sweet Tooth &  Help Cub Scouts Do Their Best

Cub Scout Pack 155 is trying something new this year to help raise money for the pack.  We are now taking orders for Krispy Kreme Fundraising Certificates that are good for One Dozen Original Glazed Donuts.  Each certificate is $8.00 which is $1.00 cheaper than buying the donuts outright at the store.  All the while each certificate sold helps the pack.

We are taking orders between January 16th and February 13th, all monies are due up front and to be turned in at the Den Meeting on Monday February 13th.  All certificates will be handed out to the sellers at the Den Meeting on Monday February 20th for distribution to the buyers.

So think about it, you can satisfy that craving, save a buck and help the scouts all at once, by buying some certificates for Krispy Kreme Donuts. These certificates make great gifts, great incentives or just use them so you are ready for the next special occasion. The donuts themselves freeze well too.

Attached is a copy of the flyer and presale form in case you missed the meeting and need a copy or if yours if full and you need an additional sheet.

Anyone who is just visiting the site and wishes to assist our pack by purchasing some certificates, please contact me directly through the contact form on the site, located at the top of the page.

Attachments:
Krispy Kreme Sales Sheet

Happy Thanksgiving

We would like to wish the entire Cub Scout Pack 155 family a Happy Thanksgiving Holiday.  Throughout the course of our lives it is often far easier to ask for favors than it is to give thanks.  When times are dark we often neglect the good we have to be thankful for.  This day was set aside so that we may reflect on all of the good bestowed upon our lives, because even in the darkest hour there is that ray of light to be thankful for despite it always being overlooked.

On this day of prayer and reflection, we can look to the words of George Washington as he makes the first official proclamation of Thanksgiving to a fledgeling nation. [Read more…]

Scouting For Food 2011

Today Troop/Pack/Crew 155 did our part in the Boy Scouts of America’s Scouting for Food tradition. Scouting for Food is the nation’s largest one day food drive.  We proudly netted 1,836 food items weighing in at 2,949 lbs. To put that into another perspective that is a mere 51 pounds shy of 1.5 tons of food that we collected and dropped off at a local food bank this weekend. [Read more…]