Pinewood Derby 2017

 

Make plans now to join Pack 1910 for the end-all-be-all of racing events -- the PINEWOOD DERBY!  We will distribute Pinewood Derby Kits at the March Pack. 

Our Pinewood Derby is set for April 29. 

Registration and vehicle check in will be Friday, April 28 from 7-8 pm at the church. 

The track will be set up for test runs and last minute tweaks and lubrication. Cars will be checked in and ready for race day the following morning.  The official scale will be there and we will be checking car dimensions to be sure all Scout cars are in compliance for the big race.  

Pack 1910 has a dedicated webpage just for Pinewood Derby info.  See that HERE.

Again, the race will be at 9:30 am April 29 in the FLC.

There are all kinds of ways to enhance your car's performance. I've collected some for you here to check out.

Put the weight in the rear!  Improving upon the weight distribution of the car once you've cut the body out. 

Check out Pinewood World.

Are you a physics geek that wants to know the whys behind the how? Check out this and this.

A favorite blog of mine actually summed it up quite nicely

All the speed in your son’s car will come from POTENTIAL ENERGY being converted to KINETIC ENERGY. When the car is at the top of the track, ready to go down, it is full of potential energy, or the force of gravity pulling the car back to earth. If the track were to suddenly disappear, the car would fall to the ground, converting the potential energy to movement, or kinetic energy.
Theoretically, the fastest the car can go is the speed at which it would be traveling as it fell right before it hit the ground. Of course, your car (or your son’s car) won’t be going that fast since it loses some of it’s kinetic energy to FRICTION and other forces. Friction losses come from the rubbing of the wheels against the side of the car, against the axles, and against the track. There is also a little bit of friction from air, called drag. Energy is also converted into rotational energy, i.e. the spinning of the wheels.

So in essence, we want to maximize the potential energy in your car and minimize the losses due to friction and other forces. While I can’t give away all our secrets, here are a couple of tips to do just that.

Need to find a template to cut your car? Check out here, here and also a ton of designs here. Oh, and since Minecraft is SO big, how about instructions for a Creeper car. Find that here.  Anyone a Star Wars fan?  There are some really awesome designs here.  Want to know how to make a FAST car?  See this post on Boy's Life.

Dremel actually has an interactive tool online where your son can pick out the design and it will give you a printable template for which to build his car! How cool is THAT? There are all kinds of stickers and decals available at hobby shops.

There is so much good information and ideas out there! Just let your fingers do the walking! You'll be overwhelmed in no time.

Pack workshop dates to cut, sand or work on the car will be March 25 and April 8 (times TBA).  

Building a Pinewood Derby car is a great bonding experience for parents and their scouts. We understand, too, that participation and involvement with the build will be age-appropriate.  Tigers at about 20% of the work, Wolves about 40%, Bears about 60% and once they're Webelos-- we would expect them to do the majority of work on their cars. Winning is fun, but that shouldn't be what this whole experience is about.  

However, if you just can't keep your hands out of the toolkit, we ARE having an OPEN CLASS so that YOU CAN BUILD YOUR OWN CAR!  Let your son experience the process with your guiding hand, but the lessons gleaned from the build (win or lose) be his to learn. 

Along the same lines, we have a great movie called Down & Derby available for families to check out and watch together before the race.  See April to check it out.

Day Camp Coordinator

Uncle Sam Says - Pack 1910 Needs you to volunteer!

Our Cub Scouts want to go to Day Camp. We need two-deep leadership in two different dens every single day of Mustang District Day Camp.  That means, we need FOUR parent volunteers as chaperones EVERY DAY and we need ONE parent to be the Day Camp Coordinator.


What IS a Day Camp Coordinator? Someone to ensure that we have a complete 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 basically 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 positions of PACK SECRETARY, OUTINGS CHAIR, and TRAINING CHAIR. 

Our next Committee Meeting is Monday, March 6. It's two months before our Annual Planning Meeting where we plan the entire upcoming Scouting year. So, now is a GREAT time to jump in and get your feet wet before the kick off of our Summer Events!  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!

Blue & Gold - How the West Was FUN!

Thank you to everyone for joining us last night for our annual Blue & Gold Banquet.  It was such a treat to see those smiling Cub Scouts, proud parents, dedicated leaders, and some of my most favorite Scouters who were guests.  We do it all for them -- the boys!  We want their experience in this program to be everything it can so thank you for making that all possible!

We have some fun pictures to share!  Here is a LINK to them all. We would love you to add your photos to our album too!

It takes hard work to set up a Blue & Gold!  But Monica's magnetic personality kept us smiling!

Some of the amazing culinary creations for the Cake Bake Competition:

 

 

 

Banana, Bandanna... banana... bandanna... 

A Tigers hiding out in the jail.

Our den after receiving their Arrow of Light awards.

And (the ones I was able to catch) a photo of them pinning their moms...

 

  

 

Everyone received an awesome patch designed by our Committee Chair's friend, Corey Pankey, just for  this event! THANK YOU COREY!

Another amazing highlight to our evening was that our new Cubmaster, Chris Mahanna, was the first member of his Bear patrol from his Wood Badge course to receive his beads after completing his tickets.  Wood Badge is the highest level of training an adult leader can receive as part of the Boy Scouts of America.  It's a lot of work, a lot of time but it's also a lot of fun... and reaffirms your commitment to the program.  We are so proud of you Chris!

The evening was a complete success and we thank you all for spending it with us celebrating these young men and the anniversary of Scouting.

It's bittersweet to see them all moving on!   Another round of applause for our AOL den as they are moving on to Troop 1910.

Scout Sunday

Thank you to all of our Pack, Troop and Crew members who participated in the Scout Sunday services at United Methodist Church of Keller.  Seeing the faces of our membership in acts of selfless service, I believe, helps bring home the message of why we do what we do!  

Thank you to the Brunell family for sending in your photo of your boys in action!

Save The Date for Day Camp!

The annual Mustang District Day Camp held each June is definitely a highlight of our Pack's summer calendar.  This year's theme is CREEPY CRAWLIES!  How cool is that?

We have a whole page dedicated to all things DAY CAMP!  Click HERE for that information. It continually be updated as we have more information.

But the important information you need NOW is:

WHO: Cubs entering 1st grade in the fall - 5th graders 
WHAT:  The BEST Day Camp in our Council
WHERE:  Harvest Church on 377 in Watauga
WHEN:  June 5-9 from 8 am - 4 pm daily
WHY:  Because it's a BLAST
HOW MUCH:  $98 per camper** and includes a t-shirt, patch, cap, all program supplies and insurance. EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION ENDS MAY 8.  After that, the fee is $108.

We NEVER want money to be a reason for your Scout to NOT attend District Day Camp so if there is a need, please complete the campership form, submit it to Chris Mahanna or April Driggers and your fee will be reduced by 50%.  We absolutely treat these in the most confidential manner.

**Please note -- We are participating again in the Camp Card Sales to let the boys earn money to pay for and/or offset this fee.  For ever $10 camp card they sell, 50% (or $5) goes toward their day camp fee (or if they're not going to day camp, toward another event fee).

So again, SAVE THE DATE!  

Pack Meeting TOMORROW

Don't forget tomorrow, February 14, is the February Pack meeting!  Bring your valentine with you for a sweet evening of fun and games!  It's our annual Minute to Win It showdown!

Think you got what it takes?  Well, bring it!  We will give you 60 seconds to prove it!

As always, siblings are welcome to attend and participate.  Your den's assignments can always be found HERE so you can come prepared!

We will be finalizing Blue & Gold attendance, taking registrations for the spring campout and talking about our spring fundraiser, camp cards and so much more!  We can't wait to see you!  Be sure to RSVP on Scoutbook.  

Camp Cards

Pack 1910 is pleased to announce that the 2017 Longhorn Council Camp Card fundraising program is about to get underway!  

By selling Camp Cards similar to the one above, Scouts can earn their own way to District Day Camp this June, Medieval Times this July or even to the USS Lexington which we will visit this September!  Units participating in the program earn 50% commission on each card.  The cards cost $10 each so each sale nets $5.00 to go into the Scout's Account. We are passing this commission to the individual scout account of the Cub Scout who sold them.  This is not a fundraiser for the unit, it's allocated for your Scout to use to pay for his way to Pack events.

Oh, and did I mention they best part?  This fundraiser is completely risk-free! That's right. Any cards you don't sell, you simply return them and you're done.  100% Risk Free. 

All unsold cards and funds are due to April at the Committee Meeting held May 1. 

What specific savings can the boys sell from these cards?


The top and probably the way to obtain the easiest sell is to show an automatic return of your investment by simply spending money at the grocery store -- we're feeding hungry boys so that's QUITE easy to do!

The big savings here that makes it an easy sell is that the cost of the card is $10, but as soon as they go into Tom Thumb or Albertsons and spend $100 in groceries, they get their $10 back. 

If you can get your son to sell 3 packs of 10 Camp Cards, that's a $300 sale and a $150 commission, or, stated differently, your Scout has paid for 100% of Day Camp and about 90% his entire fee to stay overnight on the USS Lexington in September!

Please note that while this is an OPTIONAL fundraiser, we want to encourage participation in order to lessen the direct financial burden on our Pack families.  While it is SO EASY (albeit sometimes painful) to write that check and pay their way, that fails to give our Scouts the opportunity to learn a valuable lesson in sweat equity by participating in THEIR program. Selling teaches perseverance and being thrifty.  Besides, every Scout deserves the opportunity to pay his own way.  

Cards will be distributed at the March Pack Meeting.  I encourage to you to do your best! It's a VERY easy sell!

RESERVE YOUR SCOUT'S CAMP CARDS HERE.

Recognition

 Cub Scout Pack 1910 Cubmaster, Chris Mahanna, and Cmmittee Chair, April Driggers, had the distinct pleasure of representing Pack 1910 tonight at The Longhorn Council District Award Recognition dinner at The Fort Worth Club. 

Pack 1910's Popcorn fundraising was led by the one... the only, Jennifer Woodruff and without her nothing would have even been possible!  Truly blessed are we to have her as part of our unit!

The fundraiser efforts this year enabled the Pack to purchase a camping trailer for all of our equipment and supplies.  

We look forward to an even more successful fundraiser this fall!

Spot The Space Station

Watch the International Space Station pass overhead from several thousand worldwide locations. It is the third brightest object in the sky and easy to spot if you know when to look up.

Visible to the naked eye, it looks like a fast-moving plane only much higher and traveling thousands of miles an hour faster!

Following THIS LINK you can sign up to receive texts to be notified when the ISS is viewable from your location (Fort Worth is the nearest checkpoint for us in Keller).

The Spot The Station link provides information to explain what all the data means for the notification viewing availabilty.  In short, it answers just how to spot the station.

For instance, it will give you a text or e-mail that reads 

SpotTheStation! Time: Wed Apr 25 7:45 PM, Visible: 4 min, Max Height: 66 degrees, Appears: WSW, Disappears NE.

But what does all this sighting information mean?

Time is when the sighting opportunity will begin in your local time zone. All sightings will occur within a few hours before or after sunrise or sunset. This is the optimum viewing period as the sun reflects off the space station and contrasts against the darker sky.

Visible is the maximum time period the space station is visible before crossing back below the horizon.

Max Height is measured in degrees (also known as elevation). It represents the height of the space station from the horizon in the night sky. The horizon is at zero degrees, and directly overhead is ninety degrees. If you hold your fist at arm’s length and place your fist resting on the horizon, the top will be about 10 degrees.

Appears is the location in the sky where the station will be visible first. This value, like maximum height, also is measured in degrees from the horizon. The letters represent compass directions -- N is north, WNW is west by northwest, and so on.

Disappears represents where in the night sky the International Space Station will leave your field of view.

Happy ISS chasing

February Committee / Parent Meeting

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!  You can RSVP on Scoutbook or just show up!  The meeting agenda link will be posted in the Comments field below the event on the ScoutBook calendar.  We ask that you please print your own (no wasted paper).

The meeting is at 7pm at the Scout House on Monday, February 6.  We will be finalizing the Pack Meeting, Blue & Gold, discussing Pine Wood Derby and the Spring Campout.  Come join us!