So Close To Another Goal!!!

  

We are $2,047 from our next goal which earns the entire Unit a bowling day!  Keep up the amazing work.  We are so proud of you!

Pop Star of the Week - Braden!

Our Pop Star of the Week has sold more than $5700 in popcorn so far which not only has earned him free dues for 2023 but he's also going to be Cubmaster for the Day at a Pack Meeting!  What a rock star.  Way to go Braden!

 

September Hike

Amazing job today Scouts!  

The heat index was 93 when we were completed but you did it -- got those 3 miles in! This is the longest hike scheduled this year and we had some SUPER TROOPERS out there holding their own!  Proud of you.

Please add YOUR photos HERE

Make sure you have plans to join us for the October hike at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge.  This is one of the best places to hike in our area (in my opinion).  We can have multiple groups on this one in case some want to do a longer hike and others can take a more leisurely pace on a shorter hike.  

We will also get to be led by our new Hiking Chair, Jeromy Lackey!  

Scouts United at Rotary Club Speaking Engagement

 

A big thank you to our AOLs from the Donskey family for representing our Unit this morning at the Golden Triangle Rotary Club monthly meeting.  Representatives from all six of our units were asked to come speak to the Club who became our Chartered Organization this January.  

We had representation from the Troop, Ship, Crew and Pack present.  I couldn't be more proud of these young men.

Public speaking isn't for everyone. In fact, it's one of the top three things people fear most but Scouting helps break people out of their shell with the confidence it builds in their character through participation in the various activities, interviews and interactions afforded to the youth in this program. I'm so proud of these boys!  

Calendar Updated

  

Please note the link for the Pack 12-month calendar has been updated. If you have an old QR code, it will take you to a broken link.  We may find the updated calendar by clicking HERE or on the icon below.

Camping is In-Tents!

 We're about to enter CAMPING SEASON!  Are you a little “camping-shy”? Don’t let it hold you back!! Do it for your Scout – they’ll love you for it!!

We've had a few families asking about what they need for Cub Scout camping.  First things first, all adults attending need to be Youth Protection Trained and all campers (adults/youth/siblings) need to have a completed BSA Health Form Part A and B on file with our Membership Chair, Alison Ford.

Cub Scout family camping is also referred to as "car camping." With a large enough vehicle, you're fortunate enough to be able to take just about everything AND the kitchen sink with you. But for the amount of time you'll be there, it's really not necessary. Though, a few creature comforts are definitely worth it!

So, unless you have an open-ended bank account, don't run out and buy every piece of gear you THINK you need at REI until you feel out what YOUR family requires. (If you do have an open-ended account however, I'll text you my list too.)

The best thing to do when starting to acquire gear is to start small and simple so that you can discover exactly what your family needs... and grow from there. There are plenty of seasoned camping veterans in our pack that have gear to spare so don't hesitate to put the word out if you need to borrow something.

To begin simply, you need something to sleep IN, something to sleep ON, somewhere to sit, something to wear, personal toiletries. light and water.

(Oh... and toilet paper! Don't forget the toilet paper!)

Today we're starting with something to sleep IN.

The first thing you need to consider is how much space you NEED.  How many people, how much stuff. Are you tall? Do you need lots of leg room? All things to consider when determining size.

If you bring kids, you generally need more space so you might consider sizing up to accommodate all the stuff.  If you want to sleep on cots, you need to be sure you're taking into account the space they take up literally and figuratively.  If you want an air mattress inside your tent, be sure you have room for your belongings as well.

One perk of cots is that you can generally store gear underneath allowing for more space in the tent to move about.

Do consider the bigger the tent, the more size it takes up in your vehicle and the more it weighs. Large tents that need to be heavily staked down may not be as conducive to allowing the Scouts the opportunity to help with set up.  We've had several families in the past who brought two SMALLER tents rather than one large one.  Since Cub Scout camping is "car camping" weight really shouldn't be an issue, however.

Once you've determined size, you'll need to determine what SHAPE of tent you want.  You can get dome tents or cabin tents.

Dome tents are generally lighter, easier to set up and are much more stable in high wind conditions.

Cabin tents, however, provide more vertical space (if you're tall this might be a consideration so be sure to check the peak height listed) Some even have "rooms" where you can zip off walls (to help separate siblings who won't quit poking each other not that I have any idea what that is like.)

This cabin tent even has a shaded vestibule which would be perfect for chairs.

One of the tents I have is pictured below -- a dome tent with a covered vestibule which provides a place to store shoes and our cooler under cover but out of the tent's interior. Notice the full rain fly -- in order to have full circulation this DOES have to be FULLY staked down to ensure the rain fly doesn't just lay on the tent body. When you sleep, condensation will build up and you need to have that outer layer off the inner layer to prevent the condensation raindrops from falling on your head. I prefer the full fly for weather protection and privacy.  In my experience, too, a full rainfly is desirable though when it's warmer, the airflow isn't as great - something to consider.  The smaller the tent, the warmer you will be in the cooler months, however.

My suggestion is to go where you can get inside and test them out... Cabelas or Bass Pro both have tents set up in the store that you can check out.  Seriously, get inside and lay down to see just how much space you actually have and then use those dimensions to help set a minimum allowance for what you want.

My only other suggestion for you to consider is to put SOME SORT of reflective SOMETHING on your guy lines to prevent people from tripping over them in the dark. Accidents happen. Tent stakes through the leg are NO fun... we try to prevent the Scouts from running between tent lines but you know how well excited children listen. Reflective tape for your guy lines - you want this!

This is going to be your home away from home. You want to be comfortable and to sleep as good as you can away from your Sleep Number Bed.

Another consideration is that once your Cub Scout transitions to Scouts BSA, usually the Troop will be providing the tent. If you want to come camping with the Troop, you'll want a SMALL tent since it will be just you and your gear. At that point, small is king!

Hope these will give you something to consider when starting to build your camping gear!

Don't forget the registration link is open for our October campout.  Get registered TODAY!  Your registration link is on Scoutbook.

Seeking a Hiking Chair

 

The Pack Committee is seeking an adult volunteer to take over our Hiking Club and be our Hiking Chair.  

The Hiking Chair will facilitate planning the 22-23 hikes (they're actually planned, you just need to verify they are open, ensure we know what trails we're hiking, communicate the info, etc.)  You'll update Scoutbook with the contact information, trail head, etc. 

If you're on the hike, you'll familiarize yourself with the Outdoor Code, Leave No Trace principles, be Youth Protection Trained and be sure Cubs are prepared with their day packs with general instruction on the six essential items needed for a Cub Scout Hike. 

The hikes are already planned for the 22-23 year and there is a full handbook we created.  

You'll also help track the miles logged on the hikes (using an app on your phone -- super easy) so that we can present awards for those milestones reached.

If you have an interest in helping the Unit this way, please reach out to April Driggers or Michael Ford.  

Thanks!

Take Popcorn to Social Media!

 

Promote your Scout's sale on Social Media

We know most of our Scouting parents have some sort of social media page, whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, or another platform. Harnessing the power of your personal social media to promote your Scout's popcorn fundraiser is one way of making your sale a success. We’ve seen Scouts sell thousands of dollars in popcorn in a matter of days by simply sharing their sale with their friends and followers. 

One great way to engage your friends and followers across the country is by incorporating the 50 States Club challenge! Update this Interactive Map and publicly share what states your Scout has sold popcorn in. You may have friends beyond the Longhorn Council who are wanting to help your Scout reach their goal! 

Continuing to share updates on the progress of your Scouts sale is a great way to keep your friends and followers in the loop. You don’t have to post every day, or even every other day, but be sure to regularly update your social media as your Scout makes progress on achieving their goal.

Spot the Space Station TONIGHT

 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 availability.  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 Sept 14 8:30 PM, Visible: 7 min, Max Height: 76 degrees, Appears: 10 degrees above SW, Disappears 11 degrees above 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

September Pack Meeting Tonight - Hometown Heroes

 Welcome new and returning members of Pack 1910

Join us for our first Pack Meeting of the 2022-2023 Scouting year!

WHEN: Tuesday, September 13 at 6:15 pm

WHERE: Family Life Center at Keller United Methodist Church

1025 Johnson Road

In addition to a fun meeting with recognition for all the hard work over the summer, we will also enjoy some songs, games and lots of information on the upcoming season of scouting ahead.

We will talk about popcorn, our calendar, registration process for upcoming events as well as collecting donations for our Community Storehouse food drive, health forms, taking payments and more.  It's going to be a whirlwind of an evening but we are so excited to start.

This is a great night to join if you weren't able to make our sign-up event.  Leaders will be on hand to answer questions and help you and your scout find his way on your journey!

READY?  SEE YOU THERE!

September Community Service Event

 

Pop Star of the Week... Meet Sawyer!

 

New Parent Information Night TONIGHT

   

Parents, please make plans to join us TONIGHT for an informal but ridiculously important Parent Information and Orientation Zoom meeting Wednesday, September 7 from 7-8:30 pm 

Bring your questions. THIS is where you'll get answers.

If you haven't yet, be sure to bookmark and review your New Parent Orientation Guide.  Having that accessible in these first few months is a great survival tool to have in your arsenal. This document is always available from our blog's main page by accessing (on a desktop, not a mobile device) the Scouting Links header in the left hand margin.

Please RSVP on ScoutBook so we know to expect you.  If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then you definitely want to come! If you've not yet accessed and/or received your Scoutbook notification, just hop on.  We will make things happen.

Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86755840200?pwd=L2dRbm9VYTVBeWhIeUxSNkg4QmQxUT09

Meeting ID: 867 5584 0200

Passcode: 074626

September Committee Meeting Tonight

  

PLEASE ATTEND TONIGHT'S COMMITTEE MEETING TO HELP THE PACK MAKE PLANS AND DECISIONS ABOUT YOUR SCOUT'S ACTIVITIES.

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

ALL parents are encouraged to attend and help enrich and strengthen our Pack. Topics will include upcoming September events, recruitment, fundraising, our fall campout, as well as plans for our upcoming meetings.

RSVP on Scoutbook and then call in on your cell phone or log in on your computer. It will be a ZOOM meeting so you can join us from anywhere. The link to the meeting agenda 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) and any attachments.

The meeting begins at 7pm in the convenience of your own home, 

Popcorn Info Zoom TONIGHT!

 

Our Popcorn Kernel, Melissa Freis, will be on the Zoom call tonight just prior to the Committee / Leader / Parent Info meeting tonight to give details and answer questions for all popcorn questions.  

Dial in with the Zoom info provided on Scoutbook.  See you soon at 6:30pm

Longhorn Council Fall Fam Fest

 

Longhorn Council's Fall Fam Fest 2022 will be held October 1 at John Gammil Park in Haslet from 10am - 2pm.

This is an awesome event you can attend with your entire family to kick off your Scouting year.

New families who just joined have their registration fees covered!  (Just use the code provided when you signed up online).

Current Scout families are $10 (per family, not person) and non-scouting families are $15.  Yep -- you can bring a friend!  If they just love it -- they join and your Scout earns his or her recruiter strip.

Registration closes 9/28.  Register HERE

BALOO Training

   

Parents and Leaders - we are in CRITICAL need of more BALOO trained adults in our Pack.

What IS BALOO training?

BALOO training is the Cub Scout training required for any Cub Scout den or pack outdoor event, including pack and Webelos den overnight camping. BALOO certification is reached after completion of two components—one online and one practical, hands-on session (in layman's terms -- that means you'll be camping). Both components must be completed to qualify as a “TRAINED” Cub Scout outdoor leader.

The online component which must be completed prior to the practical component contains introductory and basic information that will be built upon during the camping. Cool thing... YOU CAN DO THIS PORTION RIGHT NOW in the comfort of your own home by simply logging into your my.scouting.org account (the same one where you took Youth Protection Training) and knock that out of the way! Talk about being proactive!

Why take BALOO?

Great question! I'm glad you asked. Here's the simple explanation: We cannot camp without BALOO trained adults -- not leaders.. but ADULTS (this means you). It's that simple.

As a Pack, we are not allowed to camp-out anywhere other than at a Council or District sponsored event UNLESS we have at least one BALOO trained adult. We should have at least one, if not TWO BALOO trained adults in EVERY DEN! Why?  Because eventually your scouts will be Webelos and you will need that to camp as a den.  

As a Pack, we have set a standard that we will have a minimum of two BALOO trained adults on every overnight event, because if there is only one.... and that person has to leave due to illness or emergency... the event has to end. The more BALOO trained adults we have in our Pack, the better off our entire program is.

We know not everyone can make every camp out which is why we need MULTIPLE PARENTS AND LEADERS to obtain their BALOO certification. This is not the time to rely on everyone else to ensure your Scout's program is the best one around -- THIS is a way YOU can make an IMMEDIATE DIFFERENCE!!!

BUT I'M NOT A TRAINED LEADER

So what? You don't have to be! Cool, huh? You only have to be an adult who wants to see our Pack's outdoor program continue and succeed.

SO, WHAT'S THE CATCH?

The catch is that... we need parents to attend! You need to take the training and then commit to being one of those BALOO trained adults who... ya know... actually comes camping with us!  The more that attend from the same unit, you can really bring some exciting things back to our outdoor program.

WHEN AND WHERE IS THE TRAINING?

The next one is next weekend and is SO CLOSE TO HOME you are just crazy to not attend!  It'll be Friday, September 9 from 6:30 pm to Saturday, September 10 at 5pm at Camp Burnett in Southlake -- you can't ask for a more convenient location. REGISTRATION CLOSES IN TWO DAYS  REGISTER HERE

Once you complete the course, you get a handy dandy business sized card that signifies you are indeed a BALOO trained adult. KEEP THAT CARD IN YOUR WALLET! It has to be on your person for overnight events. Oh, and Pack leadership -- we need a copy of that!

The only way to make our program BE the best one around, is to personally invest in it!

BALOO is one or two evenings with some amazing leadership and parents just like you who want to see their Scout's unit be awesome! Such a small investment with a huge payoff for everyone! Plus if you attend, you'll become one of my heroes. 

Time To Get Popping!

 

Pack 1910 -- it’s time to get popping! 

SHOW AND SELL BOOTHS ARE AVAILABLE FOR ALMOST ALL WEEKENDS FROM NOW  - OCTOBER 30.  (We will NOT host a booth on our campout weekend.)

Online sales start NOW!  

Take order starts NOW! 

Show and Sell Start NOW!

Wagon Sales starts NOW!

Formal kick off will be at our September Pack Meeting but you can start selling anytime as soon as you download the app.  

If you have questions about the popcorn fundraising program, you can check our Popcorn Page. We have tons of of incentives to make this totally worth your while!  

LIKE... FREE 2023 RECHARTER DUES!?!?  

(Oh, and it's pretty tasty stuff! That doesn't hurt one bit!)