March Pack Hike

  

This weekend we're going to stay on dry land and stick to paved trails!

via GIPHY

As a reminder, hikers should be prepared with their six essential items for hiking:

1. First Aid Kit (a mini kit is fine)
2. FULL water bottle (there will be indoor restrooms on site for refills)
3. Sun protection (sunscreen and/or wide-brimmed hat)
4. Whistle (for EMERGENCY USE ONLY)
5. Trail food (something they enjoy and is portable, calorie-dense, and won't melt)
6. Flashlight/headlamp (They won't need to use this but the point is to train yourself to always BE PREPARED) 

Have your Scout gather these items into a lightweight backpack, cross-sling bag, or even a fanny pack. There's no need to buy a dedicated hiking bag if you don't want to, the main point here is to teach them the responsibility of preparing themselves for the hike. The Scouts love these events and the more they get to own various responsibilities the more we are instilling a lifelong love of the values and the outdoors!

Here are the details for this weekend:

Date/Time: Saturday, March 4, 09:00am

Location: Arbor Hills Nature Preserve

Directions: Directions from Keller UMC HERE. The center is off of Dallas North Tollway (DNT) and Parker Road in Plano, plan for ~45min drive time.

Weather: The current weather forecast is projecting temperatures in the 50-60 range; no rain, and light winds. Layers will be your friend! As a note, Scouts are not required to wear their "Class A" uniforms to hikes. Please wear what makes the most sense for your comfort and safety. (Loose layers, broken-in, close-toed hiking shoes, etc.)

Fees: Free!

Trails Map: Link HERE (not required to print, but some of the Scouts like to have one on hand and it's never too early to train for next year's CUB-O) 

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Please RSVP on Scoutbook and let us know in the comments if this is your Scout's first Pack Hike (we have a patch for first-time hikers!)

See y'all Saturday!

What makes a Pack?

 

For those who have seen or read "The Jungle Book", it probably comes as no surprise that a lot of the symbolism in Cub Scouting aligns really closely with Rudyard Kipling's classic series. What you may not know is that the founder of Scouting, Sir Baden-Powell, was friends with Kipling and this alignment is no accident at all.

In our handbook, we teach about Akela, and the importance of finding a mentor to lead youth in every setting. Whether it's at home, school, your religious institution, sporting events, social clubs, your Scout Den, or the Pack; the influence of present adult leaders creates the very fabric upon which the story of our children's lives are written. Take a second right now and think about your childhood and you will undoubtedly find at least one core memory from an adult who fundamentally influenced your life in a positive way, just by being there when you needed them. It's not always about how much we can give as adults to our Scouts, it's about the simple act of giving if we're able. 

Packs are varied in their composition, but in essence they consist of 1 or more dens of elementary-aged children (usually split by grade level), and a cohort of parent volunteers to guide them. The "activity level" of a Pack is almost entirely based upon the involvement level of those parent volunteers and you can find a whole range of different levels across even our district, and especially our council and the nation overall. There are some Packs who struggle to coordinate regular Pack meetings, and others who have committees to coordinate other committees. But the commonality among all of this is that the control of that activity level, which translates directly to how involved our kids can be and how much fun and learning they get to have; all of that control is in our own hands as the adults of the Pack.

I won't lie to you, some of the volunteer positions take a LOT of work. But what isn't always apparent is a lot are either low-calorie or only involve small bursts of activity and a lot of down-time in between; and every single one of these positions is critical to the overall success of the Pack. I've personally spent a good amount of time in a few other non-profit organizations at all kinds of levels from "just tell me what to do" to board of directors, and I've found that the positions here are very agile and similar in that you can find anything really that fits your interest. 

Here's a current list of our openings for your consideration:

• Cubmaster
• Assistant Cubmaster
• New Member Coordinator
• Awards/Advancement Chair*
• School Liaison*
• Day Camp Coordinator*
• Summer Event Chair*

* These positions fall under the "not quite as intense" category and are great candidates for folks who don't have as much free time as they'd like in their lives right now

Quick note: every position comes with a free friend! No really, the goal here is to have you shadow someone who is rotating out of the current position so you can "learn the ropes". Who couldn't use a new friend?!?!?!?!

I really do hope you'd consider. I can tell you that I am not a typical "rah rah" type of person but I do appreciate the way this group has allowed me to find my own place and pace. I would love to talk to anyone about any of our openings as one new-ish volunteer to another. I'm the guy who hangs out in the Wolf Den with the abnormally exquisite beard and the absolutely stunning Savannah Bananas hat. Come say hi and let's chat about anything from Scouting to Bananaball!

If you're immediately interested in any of these positions, shoot us an email at pack1910cubscouts@gmail.com

It's time to register for the Spring Campout!

 REGISTRATION FORM HERE

All the details are in the registration form linked above, but here's the summary:

WHO: Everyone is invited! (Cub Scouts and their families)

WHERE: We're going down to Camp Tahuaya (Seriously, click that link and check out those pictures! 😍)

WHEN: April 21-23, 2023 (Please note that our activity schedule is packed and it's really best to plan on showing up Friday afternoon/evening this time)

WHAT: Fun camping with the Pack, a day trip to the State Capitol + the Bullock Museum, Saturday night campfire program, Sunday Scout's Own service, group cleanup and pack-out, and more food than you could shake a stick at! 

COST: Food - $20 per person covers all meals; Museum/IMAX - $10 youth, $20 adults, Scouts are free

Breakdown for the weekend per person:

• Scouts - $20 total
• Adults - $40 food + activities
• Youth family - $30 food + activities

We want ALL of our Scouts and their families to enjoy these opportunities; if for any reason you need financial assistance, please contact Committee Chair April Driggers (adriggers@gmail.com) to inquire about the options we have available.

Pack Shirt Orders Are Open!

The order form for the new pack shirt is live!

FORM HERE

NOTE THE FORM IS ONLY OPEN THROUGH FEBRUARY 25 TO ENSURE THE VENDOR HAS TIME TO DELIVER BEFORE OUR SPRING CAMPOUT (hopefully 🤞)

You're Invited: KISC Jamboree on the Internet

 

The Kandersteg International Scout Centre (aka the "World Scout Centre") in Switzerland is celebrating their 100 year anniversary and inviting Scouts from around the world to their Jamboree on the Internet (KISC JOTI) from 19-26th of February, 2023! 

There will be a whole range of online activities and badges available, and you can join them from your home at your own time and convenience.

Registration is open at the link above and all participants under 13 years of age will be required to have an adult with them during activities.

This is a great way to show your Scout the camaraderie of Scouting around the world, as well as practice some of the lessons learned in the Cyber Trip training, or the new Protect Yourself Rules preview adventure.

Hope to see y'all there!

Our communications platform is moving!

 

The Who:

All Pack 1910 families! (Yep, that's you, and I promise this time I'm not asking for volunteers!)

The What/Why:

Our primary email communications have traditionally come via Scoutbook, but over the past several weeks there have been issues in their platform with the end result being missed emails (seemingly randomly). Unfortunately there's not an ETA on when (or even if) a resolution will be in place and "The Pack must go on!"

The When:

Right now! Today! Like earlier this morning, check your email from April! 😄

The Where/How:

We're moving to a new platform called BAND (I'll let you guess their most popular customers 🥁). There are options to accept messages via SMS, email, or even desktop alerts as well as the ability for admins to create sub-groups for each Den to help facilitate communication at the small unit level. 

Make sure you accept the invite in the email from April earlier today (Monday, February 13th, 2023) and when you're setting up your profile the system will prompt you for your Den leader's name so we can get you into the right group(s). 

Hopefully this is as painless for you as it can possibly be and we really appreciate your flexibility. We all know how stressful moving day can be, especially when it's unexpected. Thanks for you patience and we can't wait to see you over there!

Edit: check out the iOS and Android apps too!

Note: Scoutbook is still our official tool for recording advancement for your Scout(s) as well as our unit calendar. BAND is only replacing the email/communications functionality.

February Pack Hike

 

Let's get ready to rock walk!

This weekend we return to a relaxing stroll through nature after our rocket-fueled CUB-O adventure from January. We'd love all of our Scouts and their family members to join us this weekend for our February Pack Hike.

As a reminder, hikers should be prepared with their six essential items for hiking:

1. First Aid Kit (a mini kit is fine)
2. FULL water bottle (there will be indoor restrooms on site for refills)
3. Sun protection (sunscreen and/or wide-brimmed hat)
4. Whistle (for EMERGENCY USE ONLY)
5. Trail food (something they enjoy and is portable, calorie-dense, and won't melt)
6. Flashlight/headlamp (They won't need to use this but the point is to train yourself to always BE PREPARED) 

Have your Scout gather these items into a lightweight backpack, cross-sling bag, or even a fanny pack. There's no need to buy a dedicated hiking bag if you don't want to, the main point here is to teach them the responsibility of preparing themselves for the hike. The Scouts love these events and the more they get to own various responsibilities the more we are instilling a lifelong love of the values and the outdoors!

Here are the details for this weekend:

Date/Time: Saturday, February 11 @ 10:30am

Location: Trinity River Audubon Center

Directions: Directions from Keller UMC HERE. The center is off of I-45 and Loop 12 in Southeast Dallas, plan for ~50-60min drive time

Weather: The current weather forecast is projecting temperatures in the upper 30s/lower 40s; no rain, and light winds. Layers will be your friend! As a note, Scouts are not required to wear their "Class A" uniforms to hikes. Please wear what makes the most sense for your comfort and safety. (Loose layers, broken-in, close-toed hiking shoes, etc.)

Fees: From now through June 30, 2023 fees are $0 for all guests, but the Audobon Center does require that you still reserve a virtual ticket on their website - Link HERE (if this link doesn't work, you can find a ticket link at the bottom right of the "Plan your Visit" link above)

Trails Map: Link HERE (not required to print, but some of the Scouts like to have one on hand and it's never too early to train for next year's CUB-O) 

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Please RSVP on Scoutbook and let us know in the comments if this is your Scout's first Pack Hike (we have a patch for first-time hikers!)

See y'all Saturday!

Happy Birthday Scouts!

 

Today we honor the trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent girls and boys of Pack 1910 along with all packs, troops, crews, and ships around the nation as we celebrate the 113th birthday of Scouting in America.

Do you know the story of "The Unknown Scout"?

The legend goes that in 1909, American publisher William Dickinson "W.D." Boyce was lost in a thick London fog when he was approached by a young man who asked if he needed assistance. Boyce asked him for help finding an address and the young man took him there straight away. When Boyce offered the young man a tip in thanks he refused and told Boyce that he was simply a Scout doing a good turn. It was this good deed that influenced Boyce to bring Scouts to the United States, thinking that American boys should have the same opportunities for training that this young British Scout received. On February 8, 1910, Boyce filed incorporation papers in the District of Columbia for the creation of Boy Scouts of America (BSA).

How will you celebrate today?

As a Pack, we will celebrate this occasion (along with many others) at our Blue & Gold celebration on Saturday, February 25th. However, you can celebrate today in your own way! Here are a few suggestions:

• Do a good deed/service project
• Talk to an older family member or friend who was a Scout about their experiences
• Go on a hike or go geocaching
• Learn to tie a new knot
• Go fishing (Bear Creek Park is a great local spot!)
• Read about the history of Scouting

If you take some pictures of your activities, ask a parent or guardian to help you post them on Instagram with the hashtag #pack1910 so we can see all the fun!

And remember, whatever you choose to do, do your best!

Blue & Gold Dessert Competition

 

Dust the flour off those aprons and start brainstorming now!  Each year the grand finale of our Blue & Gold is the dessert competition.  We ask all scouts who wish to compete to make a themed dessert to share that will be voted on before being served.  

What theme?  Well... Cub Scouts of course!  Anything Cub Scout related!  

4 simple rules -- 

1) Scouts have to help!  We know we've got some Betty Crockers out there but this is really for our Scouts to shine.  Though we do know that attention spans wane so you might be more involved than you even want to be. 

2) Bring your own serving utensils. We will have plates, napkins and forks

3) ALL items on the cake have to be edible (get creative!)

4) Take home everything you came with -- the leftovers, your serving utensils and your serving tray. 

Blue & Gold

In lieu of a Pack meeting each February, we gather to celebrate our Unit at the annual Blue & Gold.  This fun event is an annual celebration of the birth of Scouting in America, a nod to our founder, Lord Baden Powell, as well as a farewell party for our Arrow of Light Scouts.  This will be their last Pack gathering as a Cub Scout.  They will be leaving our Unit at the end of this month to begin their journey in Scouts BSA Troops.  

And with all Pack events, we have lots of fun planned.  We will celebrate rank, awards and each other.  We also throw a fun (optional) into the mix as well with a dessert competition.  I mean, what's a party without some dessert, right?

Pack 1910's Blue and Gold is Saturday, February 25 at 4:30 pm at the United Methodist Church of Keller's Family Life Center (the gym where we hold Pack meetings). Doors open at 4:15 pm for dessert check in, finding your table and helping with any last minute set-up needs.

You need to RSVP on the Scoutbook event (so we know YES you're coming or NO you're not).  ADDITIONALLY, in the comments please include how many from your family are coming.  We need to know HOW MANY from your family IN TOTAL are coming in order to ensure we have adequate seating.  Since we aren't having a meal this year, we have options but still want to ensure your den families are able to sit together.

February 19 is the deadline

Stay tuned for details on the dessert competition.

Upcoming Adult Training Events

It's been said time and again; adult volunteers make the pack successful. But it's not about just throwing you to the wolves (no offense to our 2nd graders!), Scouts BSA wants to ensure that you are fully supported and provides a wide range of training opportunities; both virtually through the My Scouting Portal and in-person through the Longhorn Council and Mustang District. 

Here is a summary of upcoming trainings that we'd love for you to take part in:

Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO) Training

Dates: 

• Saturday March 11 (07:30am) >> Sunday March 12 (12:00pm)

       Registration closes March 1

Cost: $30 per participant

Location: Camp Burnett - 3301 N White Chapel Blvd. Southlake, TX 76092 (Directions)

<<< REGISTRATION LINK >>>

BALOO is the Cub Scout leader training required for any Cub Scout den or pack outdoor event, including pack camping overnighters and Webelos den overnighters. It is a requirement to have at least 1 BALOO-trained adult at our outdoor and overnight events, and we need to have as many adults certified as possible to ensure redundancy in case there is an emergency. (If there's only one certified adult on site and they have to leave, the entire pack has to leave)

BALOO training is comprised of two components - an online component and this practical, hands-on component. Both components must be completed to qualify as a "TRAINED" Cub Scout outdoor leader. The online component is available through the BSA LearnCenter at my.scouting.org and must be completed prior to the practical component. 

This practical portion of BALOO is an overnight camping experience and will cover GPS, aquatics, gear selection, nature & hiking, outdoor ethics, cooking & sanitation, first aid, cub scout knife safety and much, much more.

Note: ANY adult can attend this training, it is not limited to the registered Scout leaders and we encourage all interested parents and guardians to attend!

Cub Scout BB & Archery Instructor Training Course

Dates:

• Saturday, March 25  9:00AM - 12:00PM   BB
• Saturday, March 25  1:00PM - 4:00PM     Archery

     Registration closes March 23

• Saturday, May 20  9:00AM - 12:00PM   BB
• Saturday, May 20  1:00PM - 4:00PM     Archery

     Registration closes May 18

Cost: FREE

Location: Longhorn Council Office - 850 Cannon Dr, Hurst, TX 76054 (Directions)

<<< REGISTRATION LINK >>>

There are various events throughout the year held at the District and Council level where shooting sports are highlighted. For Cub Scouts, this includes both Archery and BB gun shooting and these events require certified instructors in the form of, you guessed it: adult volunteers like you!

These programs are designed to emphasize safety and marksmanship development under the direction of trained range personal using a nationally approved instructional method. Shooting sports are a major highlight in a Cub Scout's life and helping them learn a new skill is very gratifying. We hope you will consider getting trained so you can run ranges safely and effectively.

Note: Archery training is for CUB SCOUT ARCHERY ONLY. Leaders desiring to run Archery for Troops/Crews must be certified as USAA Level 1 instructors.