Memorial Day

I share this post every year and will continue to as it serves as a genuinely poignant reminder of the freedoms we take for granted and the sacrifice so many have made to our country.  I want to wish all of our Pack 1910 family a Happy Memorial Day.

While many Americans will celebrate Memorial Day with hot dogs, hamburgers and a day off... let us not forget what this day is really all about.  Memorial Day is not about 20% off sales and lounging by the pool.  Memorial Day is a day of honor and respect for our fallen... and sometimes forgotten.  

Photo source

Photo source

From the US Memorial Day website, Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United States of America. Over two dozen cities and towns claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day.

Regardless of the exact date or location of its origins, one thing is clear – Memorial Day was borne out of the Civil War and a desire to honor our dead. It was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.  

 


I encourage all Pack 1910 families to engage in something meaningful this weekend to help instill in our Cubs a purpose for this day.  Let's raise a generation that doesn't forget. The National Memorial Day Parade takes place tomorrow at 1pm CST and you will be able to view it live here.  More on the parade can be found here.

Troop 1910 and Troop 32 in Keller will be assisting the Mt. Gilead Cemetery with a ceremony that I would like to invite ALL of our Pack family to attend.  There is plenty of shade, but please be prepared to bring your own chairs.  Any scouts please wear full Field Uniform.  There is usually quite an impressive but brief service and flag retirement... they've even had historical reenactors present as well in the past.  It's definitely worthy of attendance.  You may park in the church across the street. The address is 1352 Bancroft Road in Keller.  Again, the ceremony begins at 11 am.  The Rotary Club will serve hot dogs and light refreshments after the service.

We have added to our Pack Calendar a special entry on Memorial Day.  At 3pm -- no matter where you are, what you are doing or whose company you are sharing -- please stop and take a moment to gather your family and friends together to remember those who have fallen in service to our great nation.  Memorial Day is more than a cookout, it's a time to be in thought for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice as well as their families.  The National Moment of Remembrance is at 3pm, local time, wherever you are. Unite with Americans everywhere to show that we have not forgotten that freedom isn't free.  We are the home of the free BECAUSE of the brave!  

Here is a Memorial Day Tribute you could watch with your family.  

Pack 1910 at Keller City Council

Pack 1910 was represented at the May 17 Keller City Council Meeting by four outstanding young men who led the pledge. Great job guys!

Thank you to Mayor Mathews!

Pack 1910 Summer Adventures

We set up a specific four-year schedule of different activities so that, for your Scout's entire Cub Scout career, he wouldn't be participating in the same thing summer after summer.  

Cub Scouts is a year-round program and our Pack makes the most of each summer to bring opportunities for our Scouts to stay engaged and involved all year long!

We will be utilizing the Scoutbook system to track RSVP's for these events.  This helps the adult coordinators know which Scouts to expect so that no one is left behind.  Also, a few of these event require advance deposits.  Once you RSVP, you will be contacted to confirm how you wish to pay.  PayPal invoices can be sent via e-mail or checks mailed to the treasurer.  

One important thing to note -- Please be sure you are RSVPing -- even if it is a "no" -- so that we know you received the invitation information.  The courtesy of a reply is greatly appreciated.  

Please understand that many of these programs we are planning on require not only a minimum number of participants and as stated previously, a deposit.  If you RSVP and are not able to attend, you will still need to pay your portion as it likely has already been covered by the Pack or, alternatively, find a family to go in your place and have them reimburse you. Most of these events do not allow refunds.  Thank you for your understanding.

The Scoutbook events will have all event-specific information for each activity.  This notification is merely for you to save the date!

PACK 1910 SUMMER PROGRAM 2016:

June

6-10:  Mustang District Day Camp.  See THIS PAGE on our website that is dedicated to all things Day Camp.

11:  Stargazing Party at the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History. 
25:  Reunion Tower tour and lunch

26-29:  Cub Scout Resident Camp

29-July 2:  Cub Scout Resident Camp

**Did your scout register for Day Camp?  If so, they're on their way to earning the Outdoor Activity Award.  Read all about the requirements for this awesome award here. Please note, however, that since the ENTIRE Cub Scout program is changing at the end of this month, the new requirements for this award to coincide with the new achievements can be found on THIS document.  Scroll to Page 3.  ANY Scout can earn this... You would be working on the requirements for the rank they are advancing to.

July

8-9:  Lock-In
9:  Stargazing Party at the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History

10-13:  Webelos Resident Camp

13-16:  Webelos Resident Camp

26:  Evening at Jumpstreet

August

9:  Tour of Texas Motor Speedway

13-14:  Webelos Overnighter to Space Center Houston

20:  Annual Raingutter Regatta, pizza party and ice cream back to school bash 

...that by joining us for just one event a month, your scout is eligible for the National Summertime Achievement Award?  These are rank specific, color-coordinated very cool special pins to place on their uniform to show off their involvement.

If enough of his den participates, they will earn the Summertime Award for their DEN! And, collectively, if enough of our Scouts participate all summer long, our PACK earns the National Summertime Pack Award!  How cool is THAT?  Awards will be presented at the Scout level during the September Pack meeting.

End of Year Potluck and Bridging Ceremony

The culmination and celebration of a year of hard work is something Pack 1910 scouts look forward to.  Our annual bridging celebration and potluck is definitely one of our most anticipated events. It is THIS SUNDAY!

The Scouts will begin with a graduation bridging to their new ranks in the prayer garden of the United Methodist Church of Keller at 3pm.  So, have them present in their full field uniform looking sharp.  They will be presented with their new neckerchief and slides.  

Then, it’s time for some fun over at the H-Center!  They will all have a BLAST with our water activities and outdoor games.  Plus, we all get to enjoy a casual meal together in fellowship.  

A gentle reminder that this will serve as the last Pack Meeting until September. Another post will be made on the fun summer events we have in store!  Be sure to save the date for those.

Be sure to check your e-mail (and/or spam folder) for the Sign-up Genius that went out regarding sign-ups for potluck items. In order to make this great event EVEN BETTER, we need a little help from everyone.  So, thank you in advance for stepping up and helping the Pack go!

• Sunday, May 22 at 3pm
• United Methodist Church Prayer Garden for Bridging then a short walk to the Hallelujah Center for the potluck and games.  (Feel free to drop your food items off before the bridging).
• Scouts should arrive in full field uniform
• Bring drinks for your family
• Scouts should BRING a sun shirt, swim shorts and shoes that can get wet
• Don’t forget to bring your camp chairs
• Bring a towel
• Sign up for one or more of the slots to cover needed items for the potluck
• Did I mention to bring drinks for your family?
• Oh yeah, and chairs, too
• Last but not least – Don’t forget to bring your cameras!

If you have any questions, please contact April or your den leaders.

What's So Cool About Cub Scouts?

Know someone who needs to have some fun this summer?  Tell them about Cub Scouts!  A program too good to keep to yourself!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Akela Moms out there in Pack 1910!  We owe you so much for not only putting up with the stinky, smoke-laden camp-out clothes to finding of lost whatchamacallits...

...from the rides back and forth to den and Pack meetings to the planning of advancement

...from the selling of popcorn and chocolates to volunteering for those little jobs that mean so much

...from the smiles of support and encouragement to the mentoring of tomorrow's leaders

...from the snacks to the last-minute projects

...from the collecting to the leading.  

Happy Mother's Day to the Tiger moms who have jumped into this program fearlessly and helped turn this into something their boys want to be a part of!  We appreciate you!

Happy Mother's Day to the Wolf moms who are learning their way more and more through the program and start to realize the importance of Pack participation!  We appreciate you!

Happy Mother's Day to the Bear moms who are learning now that we the program is designed to lead these young Cubs into the steps of independence.  Staying ever so close... but allowing them more opportunities to grow in the wild!  We appreciate you!

And... last but not least...

Happy Mother's Day to our Webelos moms who are now learning to step back and let the boys experience the program as it was meant to be... supervised learning by doing. They're on the precipice of learning to lead each other.  Just like the superheroes of the past, you've equipped them with the right equipment in their toolbelt by effectively letting the program teach them to be self-reliant!  We appreciate you!

Simply put, we just couldn't do it without our MOMS!!  May your day be blessed!

Day Camp Registration is LIVE **IMPORTANT NEWS**

You read that right -- Mustang District Cub Scout Day Camp registration is NOW LIVE!

Are you ready to sign your Scout up for a week of AWESOMENESS?  Look no further than RIGHT HERE.

The dates for camp are June 6-10 and the theme is CSI: Cub Scout Investigators!  The camp takes place at Harvest Church located at 7200 Denton Highway, Watauga.  


Cub Scout Day Camp is the place for outdoor adventure and Cub Scout FUN! It’s a week of activities and programs for Cub Scouts of all ranks not regularly found in den or pack activities.  These include BB gun safety & shooting, archery, hiking, water activities, and outdoor skills, as well as crafts, games, and advancement. 

In order to be guaranteed a t-shirt, your scouter MUST BE REGISTERED BY MAY 16.  

Online Registration CLOSES May 30.  

Camp is $95 per scout. Please note that camperships ARE available to cover half the cost for those in need.  You will need to complete this form and submit it to the Committee Chair or Cubmaster as soon as registration opens.  

Cub Scout Day Camp is completely volunteer run which means we are counting on our parents to register as a volunteer at least one day (preferrably two) during the week.  

We require a total of FOUR PARENTS PER DAY for our Pack; two parents to chaperone the Cub Scout den and two parents to chaperone the Webelos den.  In order to chaperone, you MUST TAKE THE LIVE, IN-PERSON YOUTH PROTECTION TRAINING CLASS.  These will be offered throughout the month and will be posted on Scoutbook.  Once you take it, please send April Driggers a copy of your card via e-mail.

ONCE YOUR REGISTER, YOU NEED TO CONTACT ELIZABETH HAYDEN IMMEDIATELY.  She is Pack 1910's Day Camp Coordinator. She will be collecting the health forms for all volunteer chaperones, scouts, siblings and tots.  You have to have a completed, current health-form on file to attend camp.  Let her know, too, which day(s) you are available to chaperone. We can NOT do this without you!

Health forms can be found here

***If your son sold camp cards to offset his registration fees and you want to use that toward your Day Camp registration, please let Elizabeth know and we will issue you a reimbursement check for the portion of sales.  You will still need to pay for daycamp in full since the transactions are through two separate entities.  

Take Me Fishing

It's definitely that time of year again! And all you need to know is to visit the one-stop-information source for all things fishing:

This site covers everything from gear, to fish identification, essentials you need when taking kids and I encourage you all to check it out!  

In other words, make plans to keep your scOUT OUTside! 

Cub Scout Purposes—Family Understanding

In a continuing series, we are taking a look at the Purposes of Cub Scouting and some of the reasons WHY Cub Scouting is important and relevant as well as HOW we achieve those purposes in the BSA’s Cub Scout program. This week’s article will talk about Family Understanding. 

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 exactly does “Family Understanding” mean anyway? Well, to me it means that Cub Scouting is a family program and families should be involved in Cub Scouting. The BSA believes that families are important—It wouldn’t be one of the purposes of Cub Scouting if they weren’t. The Cub Scouting program involves the family much more than the older boy programs. So HOW does Cub Scouting involve the family?

A Family at the BSA Philmont Training Center together.

First of all there are the pack meetings—a meeting that the entire family is invited to. 

There is lots of fun and learning available for all members of the family in the new adventures in the boys’ handbooks, too.  The new Cub Scout program has even more opportunities than before.  Many of the requirements in the old program specifically said “with your den…” but with the new program almost every adventure includes “with your family or den”.  I think it’s easier for parents now to know what they can do together as a family to help with the Cub Scout’s advancement. In fact, if you search for “family” (so that you catch both the word family and families) in the Cub Scout requirements doc available here you will find that it is found 148 times in just 43 pages.  That’s an average of 3.4 times per page. That’s a lot of mention. That’s a lot a family can do together. And while there is a lot they CAN do at home, there are a couple of specific things that SHOULD (dare I say MUST) be done at home.

Family Camping can be FUN!

Most of the cooking and meal prep requirements might be easily done at home but are possible to do as a den also. Another example is the new Duty to God adventures (one is required for each rank). It is recommended that these adventures be completed at home so that parents can help pass on their own beliefs and ideas about religion, faith, duty, and God. There is also the requirement for each rank that says “With your parent or guardian, complete the exercises in the pamphlet How to Protect Your Children From Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide, and earn the Cyber Chip award for your age.” This isn’t really something a den leader should be doing. It should be done with the parents so that they can have those discussions about child abuse and about their specific family rules and expectations when it comes to the use of technology. 

So, that’s a little of HOW; now let’s talk a little bit about WHY.  For this let’s turn it around and look at this purpose backwards—”Understanding Family.”  That helps me look at it different way. What is it we want young boys to learn or understand about families?

One of the Boy Scout Merit badges is all about family relationships.  Those earning it are required to contemplate: What is a family, why it is important to individuals and to society, and how actions of one member can affect the others. These sound like very good things for Cub Scouts to know/understand as well.  So, here is what is written in the Family Life Merit badge pamphlet under the section heading of “What is a Family”:

The family is the basic unit of society and is important to both individuals and communities.  The world we live in is rapidly changing, making today’s society much more complex than ever before.  As you earn this merit badge you will realize why it is important to know more about family life and how to strengthen our families.

Strong families are the foundation of strong communities.  You know that a strong foundation is needed to construct a sturdy building.  Think of society as the building, the family as the foundation of that building, and individuals and the community as pieces of building material. All the parts are important and none can be left out, but it all starts with a strong foundation.  Just as these parts are necessary to have a strong building, your basic understanding about families and how to strengthen them will help you, your family, your community and society, now and in the future.  

Learning begins in the family, where basic physical and material needs are met, training takes place and character and lifelong behaviors develop.  Family is the foundation for physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and moral development. Families feed, clothe, and provide love, nurturing, and protection from harm. People learn to speak, think, trust, and to feel and express emotions from being a part of a family.  Mature family members teach the younger ones important skills like how to get along with others and how to know right from wrong. 

Family life will always have it’s ups and downs as family members go through both good times and unpleasant ones.  But in most strong families, people give support and show concern and loyalty to one another when needed.

Communities and society care about families too, by creating laws and providing services to help families. Many families also share faith and religious activities with one another.  As a Scout, part of your duty is to do your best to make your family strong and help your family thrive.  By doing this you are helping to lay the foundation for a stronger community and society.   (Taken from Pg 7-9 of the 2008 printing of the BSA’s Family Life Merit Badge Pamphlet)

Isn’t that a great explanation?  And that’s from just 3 of the 33 pages of the Family Life pamphlet.  Just think of all the great things the boys can learn and understand about why they are important and where they as an individual fit in.  It may be from Boy Scout literature, but children are never too young to understand the how and why of family life.

Scouting believes in the importance of the family to individuals, to communities and to the world.  When an organization’s three main aims are character development, citizenship and fitness… I can see many ways “Family Understanding” fits in with those aims and why it is one of the Purposes of Cub Scouting.  I hope you can too.

From the series authored by Annaleis Smith here.

May - A Scout is Kind

A Scout Is Kind. How Does “My Animal Friends” Relate to This Point of the Scout Law? 

A Scout knows there is strength in being gentle. It is important to be kind to all creatures great and small. 

This month we will explore ways to be kind to our animal friends.