Your Photos -- We Need Them!

I've seen you at our events... snapping away on your cameras and smart phones.  I know you have those pictures -- and now, we need you to share them with us!  

Every year we make a slide show for our Blue & Gold banquet but without YOUR pictures of YOUR SON, we may not have those awesome moments to include!  

Did ya snap a selfie at a den meeting or one of our fun events?  SEND IT TO US!

Photo Source

So SHARE SHARE SHARE you pictures with us please!

We actually HAVE a Pack 1910 DropBox where you can upload your images RIGHT FROM YOUR SMARTPHONE!  E-mail April for an invitation to our Pack's shared folder and start uploading immediately!

Cubanopolis

January's Pack meeting is one you will NOT want to miss!  This will be our annual Cubanopolis!

Just what is an Cubanopolis?  I'm glad you asked!  A Cubanapolis is a fun family event where the boys, prior to race day and with their parent’s assistance, make a cardboard race car that they can wear and run with.

The emphasis on this event is family fun and participation, so no trophies are awarded; instead the Scouts will race for some fun prizes and candy!  

We will, however, have some type of award for various categories for the construction and design of their cars so be creative!

Please make arrangements to pick up your cardboard box from April. YOU NEED THIS in order to make your car!

Car Making Rules:

• Body of car must be constructed of cardboard. Tape, tinfoil, paint, construction paper, stickers and paper plates can also be used for decoration.
• Use the box provided by the Pack.  It should fit around your son without being either too snug or too loose.
• No metal or glass materials may be used.
• No items can be hanging or dragging behind a car
• For safety reasons, cars should not have a ‘windshield’

Race Procedures:

• Each race will consist of 4 laps
• Each racer will need an adult present to be their pit crew

Each racer should bring 4 things with them on race day

1. Goggles or glasses or a swimming mask
2. A small towel or washcloth
3. A helmet (bike or ski helmet)
4. Gym-appropriate LACE up tennis shoes WITH socks.

Reminders will be sent out closer to race day. A couple of extras will be available, but certainly not enough for everyone. We will cover more of what the race entails the night of the race.  It is going to be SO MUCH FUN!

For our annual Cubanopolis to be a success, we want to remind our scouts that what is important is that they do their best, play by the rules, show good sportsmanship, and have fun.

Preparation

The Cub will decorate the box to look like a race car (or a space ship, garbage truck, or any vehicle he wants. Construction paper, paint, tape, aluminum foil and markers are all great things to have on hand to spur creativity. Colored paper plates make great wheels. Be sure no dangerous materials (such as glass or metal) are used.

And as always, remind the boys that what is important is that they do their best, play by the rules, show good sportsmanship, and have fun.

There are all KINDS of samples all over the internet, but I've included a couple I found as well just for inspiration.  I can't wait to see the creative minds at work in our Pack!

Cub-O

Save the date and make plans to join us January 3 from 10am to 4pm at Cub-O, the annual Cub Scout orienteering event held at Sid Richardson Scout Ranch.

Cub-O is the most poplar orienteering event in North America. A fun day of hiking and friendly competition for Cub Scouts, parents, and leaders. Orienteering, the use of map and compass, to find locations and plan a journey, has been a vital skill for humans for thousands of years. Thousands of people participate in the sport each year in local clubs and competitions. Longhorn Council has two events annually for orienteering. One is for Cub Scouts (Cub O), and one is held for Boy Scouts.

Lunch is included. Each team of 3-6 Cubs gets a Cub-O map half an hour before the race starts. Your goal is to hike in the woods and find as many of the 40 orange and white orienteering flags as you can. 

Plan your strategy to score the maximum point total possible in 2 hours! 

Map training sessions for Cub Scouts and parents are held all morning.

Lunch will be served in the dining hall. Meal times are assigned to minimize the length of serving lines. Units may choose to do Pack Family Camping on Friday and/or Saturday night. The Pack is not coordinating this campout, but any family desiring to camp either night, please see April for more information.

Scores will be available by Saturday night. After the event, each team's competition race maps will be available to pick up at the District Roundtable meetings in January or February. 

This is a rain or shine event: extreme inclement weather (ice or snow) may cause a one week postponement. Weather announcements will be made on the Longhorn Council Website and on our blog as well.

Sound like something you want to do?  Well, print out this registration form and get it to April by Monday, December 29 with payment.  Two adults are required to register per team.  Teams will be assigned based upon the number of cubs registered in our Pack.  We will do our best to keep dens intact and to have our Webelos I & II combined.  

From the registration form:  

Cub-O is an orienteering event designed for everyone to enjoy: dens that compete hard, dens that want an easy hike in the woods, and dens that want to teach their boys more about problem solving and map reading. All Tigers, Cub Scouts, Webelos, leaders, and parents are invited. Separate awards for each age group. CUB-O is the most popular Orienteering event in the USA! Over 1000 Cub Scouts, leaders, and parents participated in CUB-O every year since 1999!

It’s fast, exciting, and FUN. And it’s all Cub Scouts. The locations of 40-50 orange and white orienteering flags are marked on the map and you and your team will go hiking in the woods to find them – or most of them! Each flag has a hole punch that you use to mark your scorecard. Flags are worth 5, 10, 15, 20, or 30 points, depending on how hard they are to find. Your Den team will get a Cub-O competition map 20 minutes before the race starts. Then you plan a hiking strategy to find the most flags and score the most points in just 2 hours! You’ll stay warm ‘cause you’ll stay moving!

Cub-O is a team event for teams (Dens) of 3-6 Cub Scouts and at least 2 adults. Each team must have at least two adults registered for Cub-O. Be sure to dress warmly in layers and bring lots of water! Bring a compass and a watch so you’ll finish on time. All registered participants will get a Cub-O patch, our latest 5-color competition map, lunch and a great day of orienteering.

Additional attendees (attending, assisting, or camping, but not competing) can pay $6 for lunch and liability insurance only but must register and be prepaid. 

End of Year Wrap-Up

Thanks to everyone for joining us at the Pack 1910 Christmas Party!  We had a great time and it was a fun event to round out our scouting year.  If you captured any photos worth sharing, please e-mail them to April so that she can include them in our slide show that will be played at the Blue & Gold Banquet in February!

  

If you were at the Christmas Party but forgot to pick up your box for the January Cubanopolis, please be sure to make contact with April and pick that up ASAP!  We want everyone to have enough time to work on their cars!

There will be a separate blog entry for our Cubanopolis which will have information to answer all your questions on who, where, when, what, why and how!  Stay tuned for all the information on January's race!

Speaking of RACES.... don't forget all of the fun we have in store for the new year at the annual Pinewood Derby held in March!  Cars will be distributed at the January Pack meeting so you definitely don't want to miss that!  And, speaking of the Pinewood Derby, we need a couple of volunteers to help coordinate the event.  If you're interested, please let us know.  Without your help -- it can't happen!

All members should have submitted their registration dues for the new year by now AND paid ALL popcorn balances.  If you haven't, please take care of that IMMEDIATELY.  We need to close out the 2014 books.  If you haven't done so, you will likely need to resubmit an application because your scout's name will have been removed from the membership roster audit (called "Recharter") which is being turned in today.  These are the dues that pay for the boy's awards, books, pins, patches and more.  New Scouts that paid their $100 when they joined are covered through December 2015 (until the next recharter) so we are not talking to you.  This is just for transfers or current members.  Thank you to everyone who has taken care of this already!  Lots to remember this time of year and lots of deadlines so thank you for making my job easier.

Also, we HAVE to mention Cub-O.  Cub-O is January 3 and information regarding that was distributed at the December Pack Meeting.  Another blog entry dedicated to Cub-O will be published today.  If you can't wait, you may download your registration form here and turn it into APRIL no later than Monday, December 29.

Lastly, we want to wish you and yours a VERY Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  We know that children are involved in a lot of activities and there is always something demanding our time and attention... so we thank YOU for the gift of your involvement... for the gift of time with your sons.  Our Pack 1910 boys are very special gifts to all of us so thank YOU for the gift of their membership in the Boy Scouts of America.  We are all leaders because we believe in all that Scouts has to offer young men... and thank you for believing in us to help lead them.

December Core Value - Respect

The Core Value for the month of December is RESPECT.

Respect is showing regard for the worth of someone or something.  Through interacting with pack families, Cub Scouts will develop appreciation and respect for different families and traditions. Through pack service projects, they will learn to treat the environment with care and respect. 

Photo Source

Volunteer Opportunities Available Now

As our Webelos II begin their transition into the Boy Scouts, we are needing to fill three very critical positions in our Cub Scout Pack.  First and foremost...

Awards Chair -- This person is responsible for working behind the scenes.  You run a report from our ScoutTrack software at the end of each month, take that list to the Scout Shop and purchase the awards.  Coordinate with the Cubmaster on how they are to be presented and help package them accordingly.  

This position NEEDS TO BE FILLED IMMEDIATELY.  

Our current Awards Chair needs a couple of rotations to train her replacement on how to read and run the reports. Her son is a Webelos II and THEY LEAVE in FEBRUARY.  Without her, recognition of advancement comes to a screeching halt.  

Stated differently, we don't want to and shouldn't let our current leadership wear all the hats in our Pack!  

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

Another couple of volunteer roles that will be coming up as well are those of:  

Cubmaster -- Have a calling to work with our youth and want to help bring the program to life?  This is the job for you!  Our Cubmaster is the face of our pack!  

and 

Assistant Cubmaster -- This lucky leader fills in for the Cubmaster when s/he is unavailable.  

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

Flag Retirement

Photo by Tonya Polodoroff

Thank you to all who braved the chill to come out to our very special flag retirement ceremony and campfire Pack meeting at Bear Creek Park last month.  Each in attendance will receive a special segment for your brag vest!  I love that everyone got to be a part of something very special.

Thank you to the DeLeon family for coordinating the hot chocolate and snacks after the ceremony.  

Photo Source

Thank you to Mr. Harmon for keeping the fire going and to all our families for participating!  Thank you for the donations to the food pantry.  

What is your favorite thing to do in Cub Scouts?

Have you asked your son what is his favorite thing to do in Cub Scouts lately?




Hands down, their first response is USUALLY camping!  I love these candid answers... so many adventures waiting to be had!  

Pack Meeting, Popcorn and More -- OH MY!

Don't forget TOMORROW, at 6:30 Tuesday, November 18 is the November Pack meeting at the Bear Creek Park fire pit.  

Park in the parking lot by the sand volleyball court and go over the bridge to the opposite side of the creek.  

Webelos Den 3 Den Chief, Josh Gregorsok, from Troop 1910 will be our Fireman.  Please do not allow any children in or near the fire.  Along the same lines, he will be the only on responsible for putting anything in or removing anything from the fire until the flag retirement ceremony and then Parents, we would like you present beside them as they place their flag parts into the pit (safety first).  Parents, please explain this to your children.  Leaders, please reiterate this with your den.  

Wind chills will be down to 30 when it's over so please dress warmly.  Uniforms are certainly not required... coats and gloves definitely are!

This isn't just an average campfire, this will be a flag retirement ceremony which we will attempt to make sure that ALL our older scouts definitely get a part to play.  If you are FOR SURE going to be there and are a Webelos I or Webelos II, please e-mail me ASAP so that I can save you a speaking part.  

Scouts should be sure to bring a HEADLAMP if you have it (to keep your hands free for reading), a chair and an extra blanket... you may need it!  I would definitely bring a hat ... with flaps. We won't judge!  

Our event will commence at 6:30 sharp.  Once the service has ended, we invite pack members and their families over for some hot chocolate and a light snack.  Thank you to Heather DeLeon and Family for overseeing this!  Please see her during set-up to offer her assistance.

Remember there are several CRITICAL and VERY crucial collections going on at this event.

1) POPCORN. If you have yet to turn in your popcorn sales money for take order OR for the popcorn you already took and sold (from the September meeting), I have the sheets and need all monies turned in ASAP! If you haven't submitted your son's prize (applicable for take order sales ONLY -- sorry, council rules, not mine), I need your prize selection as well.  If you had take order SALES to pick up, they will be in the back of April's van.  They will be there.  Council failed to give us two kinds of popcorn which they apparently ran out so some orders are not complete.  I have been trying to ascertain what the deal is and when we should expect something.  As soon as I know, I will be passing this information along.  

2) COMMUNITY SERVICE DONATION to the food bank!  We would love each scout to bring at least two canned goods to donate to the food pantry.  A collection box will be set up for this purpose.

3) RECHARTER PAYMENT & PAPERWORK - The deadline for current members to renew is 11/30.  Clicking the heading above will take you to the blog link with more information.We need payment, health forms, volunteer forms

4) COWBOYS SLEEPOVER COMMITMENT - The deadline is the 25th but now would be a great time to turn that information in as well.  That information and registration forms can be found here.  We do have a deadline to reach in order to get the small price break they offer.  It's not much but every little bit helps.

The Sleepover to End All Sleepovers

The AT&T Stadium (aka Cowboys Stadium) is hosting a Scout Sleepover Friday, December 5 at 5pm to 8am, Saturday, December 6.  This is open to both Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.

There will be self-guided tours, a mock NFL combine, a movie on the big screen, camp out on the field complete with pizza and popcorn!

Registration flyer can be found by clicking here.

The cost is $60 per participant.  If more than 20 people are interested in attending, we can get a group rate of $55 per person.

If we want to try to get the group rate, I would need to know everyone's intent no later than 5pm Tuesday, November 25.  Therefore, if you ARE interested, please just e-mail April NOW by clicking HERE so that she can keep a tally.  

If we have more than 20 interested participants, we will do a group registration.  Payment will need to be made to the Pack immediately via credit card, PayPal through Payment page on the blog (a button will be uploaded with the amount plus service charge) or via check brought to April's house by Wednesday.  An e-mail will be sent out via ScoutTrack Tuesday evening letting you know if we met the group quota.  We will need payment immediately after that e-mail.

If we do not meet this quota, everyone who expressed interest will need to register themselves utilizing the registration form linked above.  

The deadline to register is Friday, November 28.  

Pack Meeting POSTPONED

Members and parents of Pack 1910 Scouts... please make note that the Pack Meeting Campfire scheduled for tomorrow night, November 11, is being postponed.

Yes, that's right. We are postponing tomorrow's pack meeting.

There is a polar vortex weather system moving through the metroplex which are going to send temperatures plummeting tomorrow from the high 50s to the low 30s. Winds are expected to be 15-20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. 

Couple that with a burn ban in Keller. It doesn't have the components for a safe, fun, family-friendly opportunity.

The cold we can handle but the potential risk, we simply cannot.

We are RESCHEDULING our flag retirement ceremony campfire for ONE WEEK FROM TOMORROW. Tuesday, November 18... same time... same place.

You will still be able to bring your canned good items and donate then.  Everything will stay the same, just delayed a week.

Thank you all for your understanding. It's never easy to coordinate an event and it's even harder to have to cancel it last minute. We wanted to give everyone enough notice so that you can make plans to join us NEXT WEEK. Hopefully the winds will cooperate with us then! Until then, stay warm!

Community Service

Another amazing opportunity to provide to our Community!

We are putting a call out to our entire pack to bring 1-2 non-perishable food items to the Pack Campfire.  There will be a collection box on site.  The Order of the Phoneix Webelos I Patrol will then be taking them to the food pantry as part of their Citizen badge.  I love how our Pack always pulls together for our community and I know this will be no different.  

So PLEASE help support our local food pantry and bring 2 nonperishable food items Tuesday to the Pack Meeting at Bear Creek Park.

November Core Value - Citizenship

The Core Value for the month of November is CITIZENSHIP.

Citizenship is taught to Cub Scouts by allowing them to contribute in community service events and by allowing them opportunities to show responsibility to local, state, and
national communities.  Cub Scouts develop good citizenship when they are learning about respecting the flag.

Photo source

I hope everyone took their Cub Scouts with them to exercise their number one civic duty as an adult -- and let them see you involved when you vote!

As citizens of the United States of America, we all have a responsibility to serve our country. Cub Scouts will learn ways to be better citizens while earning the Citizenship belt loop and pin.  Remember, these are something that can be earned at home and are done above and beyond den level activities.  Once you've completed the worksheets, present them to your den leader for entry into the ScoutTrack system.

Another opportunity to reinforce honoring the service our veterans have shown as citizens of our great country is to attend the Grapevine Veteran's Parade this Saturday at 9 a.m.  Encourage your Cub Scouts to wear their uniforms and look sharp.  Salute the flag properly as they pass.  For more information, visit their web page here.

Time to Recharter!

As I mentioned at the last Pack meeting and at the Committee Meeting, it’s time again for to recharter our Pack with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).  As part of this process, each Scout and leader must register for the upcoming year.  

The annual PAYMENT to Pack 1910 is reached from three components. 

1) National Dues – this fee is paid to the Boy Scouts of America and registers the Cub Scout for the period from January through December.

• For 2015, the National Dues are $25.50 ($24 registration fee plus $1.50 for accident insurance) per Cub Scout.  

• The Pack also pays the national dues and insurance ($25.50) for each registered leader.

2) Boys’ Life – this is the monthly magazine of the Boy Scouts of America. It’s a great read that reinforces Scouting and the good family values that are part of our program. While registration for Boys’ Life is optional, we feel that the content is so important and relevant, that we choose to make this part of our registration.  Therefore, we incorporate that fee into the dues as well. For more information, visit: www.boyslife.org  Boy's Life is $1 per month, so $12 annually.

3) Pack Fee – Pack 1910 charges an annual Pack Fee to help cover the cost of running the pack.  This includes training, advancement, and program costs. The fee is set each year by the Pack Committee. The annual Pack Fee is $37.50 per scout.  At the very basic level, this covers the handbook for each boy ($11), rank badges ($2 ea), mother's pins ($1.40), Webelos activity badges ($1.80 ea), belt loops ($1.90 ea), sports and academic pins ($1.90 ea), pinewood derby car ($4), rain gutter regatta kit ($5.50), two Pack 1910 patches ($4) as well as all segment patches for participation ($0.40 ea) and all of the materials associated with monthly Pack meetings.  

These three components make the annual fee of $75.00 per year for each Cub Scout.  

However, as I'm sure you can realize, the $37.50 Pack Fee does not even begin cover the annual expenses associated with each boy in the Pack.  Thus, we rely heavily on fundraising to ensure an awesome program for our youth.  

Yep, popcorn fuels Scouting nationwide!  As it was announced, an incentive for selling popcorn (our major fundraiser), families had the opportunity receive FULL PAYMENT of the Pack 1910 annual dues just by selling $350.  If you qualify for this, you will receive an e-mail notifying you of such.  If you are a NEW family that has already paid your dues, you will receive a refund.

Our Pack's national recharter dues ($37.50 per Cub Scout and $25.50 per leader) are due the first week of December to council for each scout registered with our Pack.  

Therefore, it is imperative to bring your annual payment to the November Pack meeting so that we know you are continuing your path with Pack 1910.

Checks should be made payable to Pack 1910.  If you would like to pay over the phone or at the Pack meeting using a credit card, that can be done as well.  However, for your convenience, we have set up a Payments page on our blog to enable parents to utilize PayPal as your form of payment for the annual dues.

We need all dues for 2015 paid by November 30.  Without registration payment commitments, we cannot recharter your Scout.  Awards and rank cannot be recorded for unregistered Scouts.

Remember, the fun things we do at the Pack meetings, the prizes, awards, rank insignia, handbooks, patches and all that the pack provides is funded only by dues and fundraisers.  We budget and rely on that commitment from every family each year. 

Please note that all new families should be paid up by now and therefore, recharter dues do not apply *unless* you have not yet paid.  

The forms below comprise the recharter package for each scout.  Please download each form, complete and bring them with you to the November Pack meeting together with your payment.  

1. Annual BSA Health Form.  Please note, this only needs to be completely if you have not yet submitted one since joining the Pack.  If you or your Scout attended Mustang District Day Camp, your Health Form is still valid.  Health forms are good from one year from the date of completion.  If you are unsure if we have one on file, please feel free to contact April via e-mail.
2. Volunteer Registration.  One should be completed per family.  Many hands makes light work and we appreciate everyone pitching in just a little.
3. Photo Release.  This form gives Pack 1910 permission to utilize images captured at Pack events on this blog or on displays at Pack events and promotions.

Again, your Scout's recharter packet should be turned in at the November pack meeting, scheduled for next Tuesday, November 11. If you cannot turn in your materials at the November pack meeting, please make arrangements to get them to April as soon as possible.  NOVEMBER 30 IS THE DEADLINE FOR ALL SCOUTS AND LEADERS.

Please note:  All leaders MUST be current in their Youth Protection Training in order to recharter.  If you are unaware as to the expiration of your YPT, please log into your www.myscouting.org account to check.  

Payment must be included with the registration documents for all Scouts, or you will not be re-registered with the Pack.  

Thank you for your assistance with the great fall paper chase!  I appreciate everyone's prompt attention to this matter.  If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours in Scouting,
April Driggers
Committee Chair
Pack 1910