Patches!!

At last night's Pack meeting, everyone (well, just about -- whoops) received a small clear envelope with their name on it.  This contained several really cool things.  This post is to tell you WHAT to do with what you got!  

If you or your son are new to Cub Scouts, you may notice at some pack meetings or events, that some scouts are sporting red vests with many different kinds of patches attached. Another fun perk of Cub Scouts is getting to collect colorful activity patches for many of the activities they take part in.  For instance, when they turn in their take-order popcorn sales sheet, they earn a patch.  When they attend the USS Lexington (which you DEFINITELY WANT TO DO THIS SEPTEMBER), they get a patch!  Just for joining Pack 1910, we provide boys with their FIRST patch -- a circular Pack 1910 patch to start their collection.  

(Please note, the patch pictured below does NOT go on the official uniform. The official Uniform Insignia Guide designating what can be affixed to the actual uniform can be found HERE or just ask one of the leaders!)

From there, for every Pack activity they participate in, they will earn a small colorful segment (unless it's a special activity, then they'll likely earn another specialty patch to add to their collection along with their segment). The segments are grouped along the edges of the circular patch (pictured above) so that it's a history of their Scouting career. After a wonderful, industrious Cub Scout career, their vests could look something like this on the back... what an awesome keepsake!  {update 9/2017: The segment program has been discontinued}

The question most parents have is -- what in the world do we DO with all these things?  To that I say, you have options!

The easiest option is to just collect them in a box (but what fun is THAT!) or you could let you Scout pin them on a bulletin board. The downside of that is that they may get lost and the segments are small so it does require dedication to keep up with (and a LOT of pins)... oh, and pins can fall out or be knocked off.

I think the BEST way is to display these is on a red vest also called a "brag vest".  These can be purchased at the Scout Shop, online at ScoutStuff or you can use THIS PATTERN to make your own.  There is another online company called www.PatchVest.com that has free shipping and charges $10 per red vest.  Since these aren't official BSA uniform components, you can get them anywhere you want!

  

Yet another option is a blanket.  This is a way that you can carry the patch collection display into Boy Scouts as well if you like. But again, this would likely be something that is stuck in a box or on a shelf -- no fun!  

Again, please know that the red brag vest is not a required component of the official BSA uniform, but you gotta admit -- they look really cool -- especially when they are full of Scouting adventures!  That's why we call them a brag vest!  The boys get to show off and brag about all their experiences!

To note -- most patches do not have an iron-on adhesive backing so sewing is the preferred method of attachment.  If you're not one who likes to sew, most dry cleaners have a seamstress that will do this for a nominal fee of $1-2 per patch for the large ones. 

Patches!

If you or your son are new to Cub Scouts, you may notice at some pack meetings that some scouts are sporting red felt vests with many different kinds of patches attached. You see, yet another fun perk of Cub Scouts is getting to collect colorful activity patches for many of the adventures they go on.  For instance, when they turn in their take-order popcorn sales sheet, they earn a patch.  When they attend the USS Lexington, they get a patch!  Just for joining Pack 1910, we provide boys with their FIRST patch -- a circular Pack 1910 patch to start their collection.  

From there, for every Pack activity they participate in, they will earn a segment (unless it's a special activity, then they'll likely earn another specialty patch to add to their collection along with their segment). The segments are grouped along the edges of the circular patch so that it's a history of their Scouting career.  After a wonderful, industrious Cub Scout career, their vests could look something like this...

The question most parents have is -- what in the world do we DO with all these things?  To that I say, you have options!

The easiest option is to just collect them in a box (but what fun is THAT!) or let him pin them on a bulletin board. The downside of that is that they may get lost and the segments are small so it does require dedication to keep up with them.

Another way to display these is on a red vest also called a "brag vest".  These can be purchased at the Scout Shop, online at ScoutStuff or you can use THIS PATTERN to make your own.  There is another online company called www.PatchVest.com that has free shipping and charges $10 per red vest.  Since these aren't official BSA uniform components, you can get them anywhere you want!

 

Yet another option is a blanket.  This is a way that you can carry the patch collection display into Boy Scouts as well.

Again, please know that the red brag vest is not part of the official BSA uniform, but they just look really cool -- especially when they are full of Scouting adventures!

To note -- most patches do not have an iron-on adhesive backing so sewing is the preferred method of attachment.  If you're not one who likes to sew, most dry cleaners have a seamstress that will do this for a nominal fee of $1-2 per patch for the large ones. 

You asked for it...

... and we're going to deliver it!

We had our den leaders poll the boys to find out what THEY wanted from THEIR Cub Scout experience!  And you know what? We are going to make it happen!

Some of the top requests repeatedly heard from boys at different age groups/ different dens were:

• Pizza party
• horseback riding
• fishing
• climbing walls

Guess what?  They're ALL part of the bigger plan we have in store for this year or the upcoming summers.  Pizza party? Check!  The end of summer is a back to school pizza party/rain gutter regatta! 

They want horseback riding?  That is on the rotation of summer events for next year.  

They want to go fishing!  We are working right now on incorporating one of the Trout-O-Rees held at Camp Tahuaya into our annual calendar!  They want climbing walls!  Well, guess what?  Those are going to be after the kingsnake show in August!  How's THAT for meeting the call!  

We're not stopping there, however!  Our new Scout year is going to be packed full of fun!  

Not only are we starting a PACK 1910 HIKING CLUB with scheduled hikes EVERY SINGLE MONTH!  But, for the boys that attend -- they're going to get really cool things like patches and hiking sticks and medallions for reaching certain milestones!  

Oh wait...there's more!  We typically have operated on a NASA/USS Lexington rotation for "big trips" but we're going to mix that up as well so that there is no repetition for those who will be in the program from Tigers.  We are going to start a NASA/Fossil Rim/NASA/USS Lexington rotation!  Since this year is the NASA rotation, we will make plans for Fossil Rim next year! Oh yeah!  That's right...an AWESOME program is in store for Fossil Rim!

Your den meetings will continue to be fun and productive... but our Pack meetings?  Yeah, we're kicking them up a notch (or ten)!  Our Pack meetings are going to have a THEME and ... well, they're going to ROCK!  There's simply no other way to put it!  A couple of things we DO want to make sure EVERYONE is aware of is that we will be checking attendance at these events for two purposes 1) if you miss, we want to know because a lot of the activities that we are working into our Pack meetings may cover rank and/or electives and most importantly 2) we want to send you a card and tell you that we missed you and hope to see you soon!  You see, these are going to be awesome Pack meetings that you just will NOT want to miss!!!  Here's a little idea of what is in store:

September - Our first official Pack meeting of the new scouting year.  Welcome back.  Walk right into a uniform inspection.  Each den will have all of their inspection totals averaged.  Highest average picks the first skit sack and so on and so forth.  There will be a title on the outside of the bag but no other contents of the bag will be revealed.  You have to choose based on name alone.  (Yeah, you know how your mother told you not to judge a book by its cover.... you're gonna be doing it!).  After that we will have awards -- (well, if you can CATCH them!)  Then, they will be given a kit and will have one month to work their genius on it to bring back to the October Pack Meeting to show it off!  This is just going to be the first leg on our journey upwards to bigger and better!

October - We are going to have a Halloween Party!  Not just ANY Halloween party but a COSTUME party!  EVERYONE should come in costume!   We are going to have games and relays and races and a costume parade.  Scary good time!

November - We are fortunate in that our Pack meeting falls on Veteran's Day.  Not only are we going to have a campfire at Bear Creek Park like last time.  But we are also going to have a very memorable flag retirement ceremony where our Webelos will be able to be a large portion of that.  We have also reached out to the VFW to be present as well.  It should be VERY special!

December - We are going to have a Christmas pizza party with games and treats... 

January - This Pack meeting is going to set the bar for how the rest of the year must resonate with the boys.,  You see.... we are hosting a CUBANOPOPLIS!!!!! It's a neat word but really, what the heck is that thing we can't pronounce?  It's a car race!  In December we are going to give each scout a box to take home with him.  He will have a month to turn that box into a car!  It can be ANYTHING  It can be a Lightning McQueen or it could be Herbie (I know someone has to know Herbie the love bug still and prove I'm not THAT old!)  I'm farily certain we will have SpongeBob Squarepansts here.  So... more information will be provided later but just know it's going to be  a blast!

February - This Pack Meeting is going to feature the "Minute To Win It" challenges.  They'll have to try them one by one.  And we can't forget that Blue & Gold will be later this month.  

March - The March Pack Meeting Theme is CSI - Cub Scout Investigations.  We will need our super sleuths to get through a laser grid and solve crime to make sure we know what to do to find the missing awards!!!

April - And we are saving the best for last.  You see, this month's Pack meeting is likely the end-all-be-all of Pack meetings.  Our theme?  LEGOS!!

May - We will have our bridging picnic at the H-center again.  Maybe we will have a den competition Dutch Oven Cookoff for best dessert! 

So as you can see... we are going to have TONS OF FUN!!!!

Oh and I completely forgot to mention... the REALLY COOL PATCHES we are going to start instituting into our program!  Attend a Pack event -- you get a patch.  Not just ANY patch, however, it's a segment patch.  Your initial patch will be about a 3" circle and then as you attend events, you'll receive segments that look like this (shown right)  and then by combining those around the provided base patch, your cub scout career is there for everyone to see!  It just grows over your cub scout's career into this (below).

So, as you can tell... we have a LOT in store for you this year!  I hope you stay along for the ride!