Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Pinewood Derby Results


Thank you to everyone who helped with set-up, facilitating and break-down/clean up of the annual Pinewood Derby race!  We couldn't have done it without you!  

I thought everyone would be interested to know the top 4 at each den level just for the sake of potentially correcting your design for next year to up the ante a bit.

B. Hayden 1
C. Smith 2
H. Hunt 3
S. Montenegro 4

W. Erlanson 1
B. Stroud 2
M. Diaz 3
M. Brinkmeier 4


A. Hawman 1
R. Mahanna 2
D. Earnest 3
O. Hallinnan 4


R. Walker 1
B. Shultz 2
A. Warren 3
D. Dhooge 4

So proud of everyone's creative designs and sportmanship!  

Annual Planning Meeting - Monday, May 2

PARENTS WANTED!!!  PLEASE ATTEND MONDAY'S COMMITTEE MEETING TO HELP THE PACK MAKE PLANS AND DECISIONS ABOUT YOUR SON'S SCOUT ACTIVITIES.

The Pack Committee helps ensure that our Cub Scouts are offered fun-filled and meaningful events through the year. 

Parents please attend and help enrich and strengthen our Pack. Topics include upcoming pack meeting plans, assignments for the next month and upcoming large-scale activities.  

We have a few leadership roles we would love to have filled and just by coming to these meetings -- you could help the Pack tremendously!

The meeting is at 7pm at the Hallelujah Center on Monday, May 2.  At this meeting we will be setting next year's budget and going over the full annual planning session for the upcoming year.  June starts the beginning of our new Scouting year, and we want to ensure all plans are in place for the success of our Cubs!   This is the motherload of meetings and we NEED YOU THERE!

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Cub Scout Purposes - Personal Achievement

Cub Scout Purposes – Personal Achievement

Cub Scout Purposes – In a continuing series we are taking a look at some of the reasons WHY Cub Scouting is important and relevant as well as HOW we achieve those purposes. This week’s article will discuss the concept of Personal Achievement.
1. Character Development 6. Respectful Relationships
2. Spiritual Growth 7. Personal Achievement
3. Good Citizenship 8. Friendly Service
4. Sportsmanship and Fitness 9. Fun and Adventure
5. Family Understanding 10. Preparation for Boy Scouts
So, what does Personal Achievement mean?  Well, I’m not sure if I can actually define it because it would be different for each boy – that’s why it’s personal.  Does it mean that a boy earns all the Cub Scout ranks?  Maybe.  Does it means he learns to get along with others?  Probably.  Does it mean a boy learns to like the outdoors? Possibly.  Does it mean he learns to tie knots? Could be.  Each Cub Scout will achieve something, but exactly what that something is will depend on the boy.    So, I guess this article is not going to be so much what it IS but more of an discussion of what it could be with a mention of what it is NOT.
Which Statement is true?  Personal Achievement = Advancement OR Advancement = Personal Achievement.  Either statement or both could be true depending on the boy, images-206but sometimes I think we parents and leaders need to be very very careful of our own attitudes and expectations in regards to a boy’s achievements.  Much too often advancement is treated as the end goal of Cub Scouting (and Scouting in general) when in fact it is not.  We need to remember that advancement it’s is just one of the Methods of Cub Scouting not one of the Purposes.  A parent does not sign their son up for Scouting for the badge.  They sign him up for all the many things he will learn and be exposed to in the process of possibly earning that badge.
For some boys part of their personal achievement will be met thru the advancement process.  Some boys are very motivated to earn the rank badges and/or to earn as many adventure loops and pins as possible.  Other boys are content to earn what they do and not worry about what they don’t.  Is it okay for a boy not to earn his rank?  Yes!  There is much more to summer camp than how many merit badges a boy comes home with, there is much more to scouting than if he earns his eagle and there are so many things a boy can get from being a Cub Scout even if he does not earn his rank(s). It’s all about the journey not just the destination.Screen Shot 2016-02-25 at 10.41.15 PM
Let’s look at 3 examples (of the thousands there could be) of boys you may see in your pack who for one reason or another, may or may not earn a rank while he is a Cub Scout.
Example 1 – Let’s say there is a very shy, only child, who spends all his time playing video games in his room. He get’s nervous around other children and always sits by himself at school.  A parent signs him up for Cub Scouting.  In the year, or two, or more that he is a Cub Scout lets say he makes friends and learns to join in the actives and games a den and pack meetings, He is exposed to hiking or other nature activities.  However he (for one reason or another) never does earn his rank badges – not one.  Has Cub Scouting helped fulfilled it’s purpose of Personal Achievement for this boy.  YES!
Example 2 – Let’s say we have a very outgoing, friendly boy from a big family.  He becomes a Cub Scout and learns more about leadership.  He is the denner and does a great job at it.  He learns about citizenship and good sportsmanship and service too but he too never earns any ranks.  Did Cub Scouting help him with personal achievement?  Yes.
Example 3 – Let’s say we have a boy who is very very involved in other activities such as piano, karate, and sports.  Den meetings happen to be held on the same day that he has soccer practice in the fall and baseball practice in the spring so he only makes it to den meetings once or sometimes twice a month.  He is never there enough to compete an entire adventure with the den and his parents may or may not help him complete the adventures at home (he may not have the time) He most likely will not earn his rank and is that okay? Yes!
In each of these 3 examples above, each boy is still gaining something, achieving, growing, learning in some way. Weather he earns all ranks, only 2 ranks or none, a boy can still have personal achievements as a Cub Scout.
images-237Many of you have probably watched two brothers go thru Cub Scouting and in the end one has earned more ranks than the other or more adventure loops or more arrow pints under the old program. (maybe more merit badges as a Boy Scout)  Does that mean he achieved more?  Not necessarily.  While I believe every boy will have the opportunity to learn and grow in many ways while working on advancement, sometimes  a boy can be so focused on doing what it takes to earn that rank that the requirements are just treated as a checklist.  Sometimes the potential learning and growth is not internalized or applied personally.  I propose that sometimes a boy who has earned less advancement wise could possibly have achieved more thru his Cub Scout experiences.
Now, I am not trying to give any excuses or rationalize for those who don’t earn their rank.  I just want to be sure that we understand that it’s okay if they don’t.  Yes, in an ideal world every boy has the motivation to achieve every rank.  Every boy has the time to attend every meeting and activity.  Every boy has the parental support and help to achieve everything he wants to.  We want boys to come, we want boys to earn all the ranks they can but we must never give the impression that he is less, if he doesn’t.  Cub Scouting is for ALL boys no matter what their interest, no matter what their time availability, no matter what their motivation.  Each boy should be given the chance to learn, grow, progress at his own pace and in his own way. There are methods we can use to help motivate boys to achieve more, be that ranks or other, but that’s a whole different topic that we won’t even get into here.images-203 copy
In Cub Scouting each boy will learn, grow and achieve in different ways.  Personal means personal.  Just like the Cub Scout motto is Do Your Best.  We should apply that to each boy individually as well.  Each boy must do his own best, not the den’s collective best or the best that the den leader can do, or that the best parents want.  When asked to stop and think about it a boy knows when he has done his best and when he hasn’t.  We can all list a great many things that being a Cub Scout can help a boy achieve and yet I am also sure that there are things that boys achieve because of Cub Scouting that we don’t see.  What is it that we really want them to achieve?  In my opinion (yours may vary), what we really want is for them to become boys who are trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. Will they all be come that in Cub Scouting? Nope!  Odds are they won’t.  That’s why we want them to continue on to Boy Scouting to keep having the kinds of experiences that will help them achieve even more.
Author Annaleis Smith, reprinted from here.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Texas Rangers Scout Weekend


Attention all you Rangers fans out there!  The Texas Rangers have announced their Scout Weekend for 2016 at Globe Life Park in Arlington!



There is not one, not two, but THREE games to choose from!  You'll get to watch the Texas Rangers take on the Blue Jays!  Something cool is in store for each night so pick and choose wisely!

Friday, May 13:  Following the game, stay for a post-game fireworks show. 
Source
Saturday, May 15: This is Bark at the Park (where you can take your dog if you preregister it).  It's also Dr. Pepper/Kroger bobblehead night for the first 15,000 fans.  There is also a post-game concert

Sunday, May 16: Toby Mac post game concert.  It's also $1 Blue Bell Ice Cream Sunday!

Everyone who attends will receive a commemorative scout patch for their brag vest.   A photo of the patch is available on the registration form.  Pricing varies depending on where you want to sit.  

Those interested in attending are encouraged to get your ticket registration forms in SOONER rather than later.  Dens that would like to participate together need to submit their orders TOGETHER to ensure that the seats are all in the same area otherwise the orders will be processed on a first come, first served basis. This will need to be organized at the den level by den leaders or a volunteering parent.





Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Get OUTSIDE!

Life’s better outside is a health fact. Studies show that kids who play and learn outside are healthier, happier and smarter. But for many kids today, most of their activity involves sitting indoors, typically in front of a screen. This disconnect from nature is called “nature deficit disorder” and pediatricians have begun recommending that children spend more time in nature.
To discover ways to lure your kids outside, visit NatureRocksTexas.org. There you'll find family-friendly outdoor adventures, parks and nature centers across Texas. And check out Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine's list of 35 Ways to Get Out and Play for outdoor activity ideas like: flashlight freeze tag, a scavenger hunt, backyard camping, building a fort and geocaching.
Do your kids a favor and help them learn how to play, explore and connect with nature. They’ll be healthier, smarter and build happy memories that will last a lifetime.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

A Big Thank You


A big thank you to Liz Hayden for stepping up to take on the role of Summer Camp Coordinator!  YAY we can have summer camp attendees now!  Yay!!!

We so appreciate you taking that leap of faith and saying YES!  Many hands make light work and we SO APPRECIATE YOU!!!

Flag Retirement Ceremony

THIS FRIDAY night is going to be a busy one for Pack 1910 Cub Scouts and their families! Not only is it Pinewood Derby Registration, but it is also Ridgeview's Outdoor Family Movie Night in the field behind the school. We will divide and conquer!

The Principal of Ridgeview Elementary has a flag that needs to be retired and has asked us to handle that.  What a better time to show the school how we can demonstrate Citizenship while we respectfully retire the flag.  So we invite all scouts in FULL CLASS A UNIFORM to come and conduct a flag retirement ceremony before Friday's movie at the school. Therefore, we need some scout volunteers in order to make that happen.  The event will be created on Scoutbook, please just RSVP if you will be there so we know who to give parts to.

We encourage everyone to get your pinewood derby car checked in early and scoot on over to the school to participate.


Ridgeview Elementary will be showing The Peanuts Movie. I still haven't seen it and I even owned a SNOOPY DOLL in a former life!  Families participating in the flag retirement are encouraged to stay and enjoy the movie.  After the movie, the Pack is assigned clean up detail of the area.  Adults, even if your children can't stay, we would certainly appreciate our leaders taking part in this important part of our representation.


Please indicate your availability to serve in this capacity on Scoutbook.  I hope we have an all-hands-on-deck representation of our boys and leadership at our school.  It's a great investment of time for recruiting as well.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Day Camp Coordinator

Uncle Sam Says - Pack 1910 Needs you to volunteer

Our Scouts want to go to Day Camp.  Day Camp registration is LIVE!  As Ms. Attel said at our April Pack Meeting, we need parent volunteers as chaperones and we need ONE parent to be the Day Camp Coordinator

What IS a Day Camp Coordinator?  Someone to ensure that we have a list of scouts, that they've submitted their forms, that we have a copy of their health form and that their parents register at least one day as a chaperone and have attended training.  It's just someone to work behind the scenes as a point-of-contact for this activity and check boxes beside names.  It's a simple but very important job.  You do NOT need to be a registered leader to do this... just someone who is willing to lend a helping hand.  


We know there is someone out there waiting to help fill a void -- and THIS IS YOUR TIME TO SHINE!   We need you!  

And, if you're just feeling exceptionally generous, we have another couple of volunteer roles that we would love to be filled before the upcoming year. Specifically the position of MEMBERSHIP CHAIR and that of SECRETARY.  Our next Committee Meeting is Monday, May 2.  This is our Annual Planning Meeting -- where we plan for the upcoming year.  If you'd like to plug in, please PLEASE do everything possible to make it to this meeting.  THIS is where the magic happens and we need you to be a part of it!

PLEASE SEE OUR LEADER PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE AND OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP FILL THE CRITICAL NEEDS OF OUR PACK.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Cub Scout Purposes - Respectful Relationships

Cub Scout Purposes

In a continuing series we are taking a look at some of the reasons WHY Cub Scouting is important and relevant as well as HOW we achieve those purposes. This week’s article will discuss the concept of Respectful Relationships.
1. Character Development6. Respectful Relationships
2. Spiritual Growth7. Personal Achievement
3. Good Citizenship8. Friendly Service
4. Sportsmanship and Fitness9. Fun and Adventure
5. Family Understanding10. Preparation for Boy Scouts
We have already discussed the first and most important relationship that a boy will have in his life—his family.  Let’s look at some of the other relationships he may have or may learn about and what he can do to be sure that he is respectful of and to those involved.
The majority of boys in our council join Cub Scouting when they are about 6-7 years old (first grade).  By age eight, all boys are already in various relationships but may not think of them as such.  He is a member of both his immediate and extended family. He is a member of his school class. He is a member of his Sunday school class if he attends church. He might be a member of a 4H club.  He might be a member of a soccer/ lacrosse/ baseball/ basketball/ football team.  When he joins Cub Scouting, he adds at least two new relationships.  He is now a member of a den and of a pack. He may not have thought about it before, but he will definitely be taught about citizenship and how he is also a member of his community, his state, his country and the world.  Of course, we have not just expanded his world, but we want to help him look at his many roles respectfully as well.

Family Relationships–  As a boy grows he can be of more help and understand his role in helping the family be strong. His relationships with his parents and his siblings become more important and closer as they do things together.  Families are invited to pack meetings each month to help celebrate his achievements and to have fun together.  His relationships with his family, current and future, are the most important he will ever have.

School Relationships – At school he is a student, but he has various other relationships as well.  By the time he is an eight-year-old Cub Scout he is most likely in the 3rd or 4th grade.  By now, he probably understands how to respectfully relate to the various people at school. He does not treat the other students the same as he does the teacher or the principal.  He has a different relationship with the lunch lady, the custodian, the librarian and the janitor.  Knowing who you are and how you fit helps you know how to treat others.iStock_000016678101_-_Young_Students_Reading-616x406
Church Relationships– Much like school, a boy’s church probably involves a few different relationships with other children and adults.  Odds are, a boy has been attending church even longer than he has school and so how to act with whom is probably well understood.  With the new Duty to God adventures that are required for each Cub Scout rank, a Cub Scout is encouraged to learn more about his relationship with God and how to “live his religion”.
Den Relationships – A boy’s den probably includes boys in his neighborhood that he might play with on weekends and after school, but his den may also involve others who don’t live as close by.  It’s also a group of boys just his age—no older boys, no younger boys and certainly no girls.  These relationships may be hard to figure out at first. Who is the leader? Who knows this or does that? That’s where the den leaders (adults) come in. Den leaders plan fun activities for the boys to do together. Dens should all have a denner and assistant denner so boys take turns being leaders and assisting the leader.  Everyone wears the same uniform and is working toward the same rank. In the den, it should be easy to see how the golden rule applies and how competition can be different as we each try to do our best.
Pack MeetingPack Relationships – This is where all the dens come together with their families and show off what they have learned.  It’s where you get to give your den yell and root for your fellow den members in competitions against the other dens.  Its where you can have competitions of kids vs adults.  A boy’s relationship with his den leader is going to be different than that with the Cubmaster or even the pack committee members. There are various adventures that have the boys interact with different members of the pack.
Community Relationships – Since citizenship is one of the aims of Scouting and “Good Citizenship” is one of the purposes of Cub Scouting, it makes sense that a boy will learn about how being a citizen requires respectful relationships as well—not only relationships with other people (neighbors, police and firemen, etc.), but also how to respect the relationship we have with/to the earth itself. Cub Scouts also learn about service and often learn that they may be little, but they can do big things—especially when they work together.flag service cub scout
Nature Relationships– Let’s face it, most boys have a natural affinity to dirt.  Ask any mother…  So most boys need to be taught how to act in nature and that the rules for what they are allowed to do in their backyard are different from those at the park and those in the mountains. Cub Scouting teaches boys how to respect nature. Using the Leave No Trace principals for kids to show respect for and leave the nature for others to enjoy as well are practiced on outings.  Ethan and OathCub Scouting may give some boys their first taste of nature outside the city park and their first exposure to how one part of nature effects another.
As a Cub Scout grows older, he will have a better understanding of how his being trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent can affect each of those relationships differently. They also learn how each relationship is different.  Cub Scouts learn how to show respect for themselves, others and the world around them.

Author:  Annaleis Smith

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Building Character

Another of my favorite bloggers, Mark Timm, recently shared a post on his blog about character that resonated with me as it completely encapsulates the very essence of Scouting. He gave me permission to share with you.  Habit 3 of a Family That Wins: Character

Jansen - Character is sum total MT fb (1)

Who are you when no one is looking? Habit 3 of a family that wins was taught to me by my grandparents and parents who believed it to be the foundation of everything. What is it? Character.
I grew up believing character to be who you are when no one is looking. I’ve shared that definition with my children as we’ve worked to make it the bedrock of our family culture.
It is also the real foundation of all worthwhile success and the sum total of all the choices we make in life.
As I’ve grown older, and hopefully wiser, I’ve realized that if I plan to leave a legacy and ensure my children are positioned to succeed in life, I’ve got to do all that I can to prepare, teach, and instill in them the habit of character.
Consequently, character dominates the conversations in our house.
But how can parents and families teach it?
Character is something that’s caught more than taught. It’s not as easy to teach character, as it is to demonstrate character.
Whether you like it or not, you are the most influential book your children will ever read on the subject of character.
How do they see you treat a waiter or waitress at a restaurant? If you’re given too much change at the store, do you give it back? If a neighbor needs help when you are busy, do you help them anyway?
Likewise the language you use when communicating with others demonstrates character. Do you have the courage to apologize, especially to your own children?
In short, we are always demonstrating character to our kids.
But can we teach it? I believe the answer is yes.
We’ve invested a significant amount of resources and time into doing just that in our family.
We focused on 21 different character traits over six months of family meetings. Each week, one of our kids would present a different character trait. Each child gave presentations on character traits such as honesty, generosity, and grace.
We thought if they presented it, it would be more understandable to them. And it worked—to an extent.
They learned a lot about character traits, but 21 is a lot for kids to learn!
So even though it was a valuable exercise, it really didn’t stick in the way we had hoped. We started looking for other ways to reinforce character.
2Gill - Success is always temporary MT fb
I was given an acrostic by a dear friend of mine, Don Seltzer, who used this simple tool for decades to teach his children: T R U S T

A Simple Acrostic to Teach Character

T — Transparency. Transparency is truth and it means you have nothing to hide. It means that your word is your oath, that your yes is your yes. But Don attaches another T to transparency, because he says without Teachability, Transparency really doesn’t mean anything.
Teachability means that you’re not argumentative. You listen and are attentive to what others have to contribute. You think carefully before taking action.
R —Reliability. Reliability means that you’re consistent, that you do what you say you’re going to do. It’s as simple as that. If you see reliability in your child, you know that they are headed down the path of character.
U — Understanding. As Stephen Covey put it, “Seek first to understand then to be understood.”
Understanding others first really boils down to empathy, compassion, and kindness. It means your children see you treating others as having worth and value, not because you get something from them, but because you value them as people.
S — Security. Being secure in the core of who you are is critical to anyone having an internal sense of being loved and cherished. One of the most significant things for any child to know is that they’re loved and that they belong. When they have that sense of security in their core, then they’re comfortable being who they are and making decisions based on sound character.
T — Thankfulness. The spirit of gratitude goes a long way. Our brains are naturally wired to be negative and fearful. Consequently, we have to train our brain to be positive. It doesn’t just happen by itself. Gratitude must be intentional.
We’ve used this acrostic to talk about character with our kids as we go about life.
When they make wrong decisions or resist our instruction, we refer to the TRUST acrostic and say, “Hey, you’re not very teachable today. It’s hard for me to coach you to be your best when you’re not teachable.” Or “You’re really lacking in understanding others today. Maybe we need to talk about empathy or connecting with other people.”

When Character Becomes Part of the Culture

You see, the habit of character has to become part of the atmosphere of the home in order for the habit of character to really take hold—like the Chinese bamboo tree.
bamboo-918484_960_720
The Chinese bamboo tree requires water, fertilizer, soil, sunshine. But in the first year of its growth, you see no visible signs of activity. In the second year, still no growth above the soil. Same thing in the third year and fourth year as it tests the grower’s patience.
Finally, in the 5th year, a miracle seems to take place. Incredible growth happens—up to 80 feet in 6 weeks!
But the Chinese bamboo tree doesn’t really grow 80 feet in 6 weeks.
It grows underground for years before you see the evidence of years of work.
Had the tree not developed a strong foundation that no one could see, it could not have sustained itself or experienced the phenomenal growth.
The same principle is true for families and for children—our ability as parents to stay the course even when we’re unable to see any growth on the surface at all.
We must patiently work towards worthwhile habits and strong character in our kids while helping them overcome adversity and challenges so they can grow the internal foundation they need to handle whatever life throws their way.
The question for us as parents is can we stay focused and continue to believe in what we’re doing even when we don’t see the immediate results?
We live in a culture that’s really all about instant gratification. And that is why developing the habit of character in our families requires one critical thing—faith.
We have to have faith to keep watering and fertilizing the ground of our children and our families if we are going to see incredible growth in the future.
Inside each one of our kids or grandkids is a Chinese bamboo tree called character, just waiting to break through.
Keep watering. Keep teaching. Keep believing.
And your family will soon experience incredible growth. 

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Awesome Reasons To Be A Cub Scout!

reasons to sign up for cub scouts

Scouting makes the world such a small place!  One of my favorite blogs shared a post on the 10 Awesome Reasons You Should Sign Your Kid Up For Cub Scouts and I could NOT agree more!  She includes personal examples that completely validate the authenticity of this amazing program!  

With her permission, I am including a link to her blog post.  I encourage all of our families to read it... share... start a dialogue with those you think might benefit from the program!  

Remember, Day Camp registration is upon us and what a GREAT way to introduce your friends and their families to all the awesomeness of Cub Scouting!

Thank you, A Southern Mom, for sharing your own personal experience with Scouting!

Monday, April 11, 2016

Pack Meeting This Tuesday - Legomania - Bring A Friend


The April Pack Meeting is TOMORROW NIGHT and it's a night full of fun, friendship and LEGO!  That's right!  

Tuesday, April 12 is our 
LEGO PACK MEETING NIGHT!


Coincidentally, it is ALSO our Bring A Friend night!  Because Lego and friends just go together, literally!  You need more than one to have fun and build!  

Scouts, do you have a friend that you think would enjoy the adventures of Cub Scouts? BRING THEM ALONG TOMORROW!  They can partner up with you for the entire evening and experience all the fun, games and excitement of Cub Scouts with you by their side!

Recruiter StripPlus, if your son's friend joins Scouts he will not only have a built in buddy... he will also earn his RECRUITER STRIP!  How cool is that?!

Scouts wear your uniform to school TOMORROW, Tuesday, April 12 to encourage excitement and interest in your Pack!  

This is a great time too, for your son to SHOW OFF one of his Lego creations!  Have him bring his build to display at the meeting.  We want him to talk about it and show everyone what he's done!

Print out and have your son deliver these invites to his friends this afternoon!  Or, download and send these invites to your friends via e-mail.

Displaying Invite1.jpg