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!

Don't forget to RSVP for Blue & Gold

Spring Campout

It's time to gear up and RSVP for Pack 1910's Spring Campout.  It's sure to be quite an exciting trip and it'll be to a place that we have never been to before! 

We will be camping in Athens, Texas, at Circle 10's Trevor Reese Jones Campground. Dinner Friday evening will be on your own. Prior to lights out, however, we will have a cracker barrel. 

Saturday morning we will have a continental breakfast of muffins, milk, juice, fruit, bagels, etc. Then we will convoy over to the Texas Freshwater Fishery Center.  Luckily, we have received a group rate for our Pack to attend and admission is included with your camping fee.  You can take an interactive virtual tour here.  That link explains quite a bit about the different sections of the fishery. 

The boys will learn about eco systems, watersheds, streams, ponds, bluegill spawning area, see the reservoir exhibit, the alligator exhibit, Texas record fish exhibit... there is a theater and dive show... there will also be a tram tour and hey... they get to go fishing in the stocked pond. All the materials are provided other than bait (though I have read conflicting reports online that states bait is provided, but we should follow the Scout Motto of "Be Prepared" and bring our own. Please know that they do have bait restrictions on all outside bait.  Their policy states that "Visitors may not bring any freshwater organism such as fish, crayfish or aquatic insects, dead or alive, into TFFC. This is to protect our waters and fish. Visitors may fish with commercially-prepared baits in their original containers or natural baits such as crickets, chicken livers, worms or corn providing those baits have been inspected and approved by staff at the Anglers Pavilion."

Approved Baits

Shrimp (marine/saltwater)  *  Beef hearts

Cheese sticks  *  Chicken gizzards

Chicken livers  *  Hot dogs

Worms  *  Crickets

Grasshoppers  *  Flavored corn

Commercial baits (in original containers)

The Pack will have a picnic lunch at the fishery before heading back to the campgrounds for the evening's meal and campfire. Any boys that have a campfire requirement remaining for their advancement will be able to meet that at this campout.  Yay for advancement!

After breakfast on Sunday, we will have a Scout's Own chapel service, break camp, inspect the grounds to ensure we leave it better than we found it.  Then we will head on home with a great weekend on our minds.

If you're not an experienced camper... have no fear! Try it out! If you need any supplies, please let us know.  Remember, too, our campouts are family friendly meaning that your siblings are welcome to attend with you.

Important Info:

Cost is be $20 per person ($21 if you use Paypal). This will cover your site fee for camping $5 per head and your entrance to the Texas Freshwater Fishery program. It will cover your Friday cracker barrel, Saturday continental breakfast, sandwich lunch, dinner and breakfast on Sunday. Be sure you bring plenty to drink for your family. The entire family is welcome to attend. A PayPal link is live.

We DO need a head count ASAP (even if you think it's a maybe) because we have to reserve the campground and pay a deposit PER CAMPER. So if you know for a fact, you cannot make this campout, please RSVP on Scoutbook. Otherwise, we will likely be bothering you repeatedly until you RSVP. 

Don't forget to RSVP for the Blue & Gold!

Don't worry, however, I'll make sure we have a flood of reminders between now and then. Some of these are just too good to pass up!

Payments can be made here.  The entire family is welcome!

Wood Badge

Wood Badge is the premier adult leadership development course for the Boy Scouts of America.

Wood Badge teaches contemporary leadership and team-building skills in a comfortable outdoor setting, where learners become members of their own Troop. Wood Badge’s effectiveness as an effective leadership development experience has been applauded by industry training professionals. Its positive influence on graduates’ individual unit-level program is unparalleled.

Wood Badge is, first and foremost, learning by doing. Participants in the course are formed first into a Pack, bridge over into a Troop, and finally are inducted into a Venturing Crew, just as Scouts move up through the Scouting program. The courses are open to all adult Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Varsity, and Venturing leaders and district and council volunteers that have completed Basic Training for their position and are capable of handling the hectic, physically demanding course schedule.

Nationally famous training professionals and volunteers updated the Wood Badge syllabus to provide the best methods to adult Scouters for teaching leadership and delivering program to their youth.

What is the purpose of Wood Badge?
The ultimate purpose of Wood Badge is to help adult leaders deliver the highest quality Scouting program to young people to help them achieve their highest potential. It models the best techniques for developing leadership and teamwork among both young people and adults.

How much time will Wood Badge take?
Wood Badge is conducted over two, three-day weekends scheduled about three weeks apart. Each weekend begins at 8 a.m. Friday. Your patrol will have one or two meetings scheduled at your convenience between weekend sessions. There is also an alternate format that runs for six consecutive days.

Where is Wood Badge held?
The courses are held at Sid Richardson Scout Ranch near Bridgeport, at Camp Tahuaya near Temple, and at Worth Ranch near Palo Pinto. Camps offer multiple, private showers, dressing rooms (with electricity and mirrors!) and indoor restrooms with flush toilets. And you’ll be able to enjoy air-conditioned Gilwell Hall, our indoor learning facility at Sid Richardson. To help keep you in the Scouting spirit, you’ll be sleeping on cots in platform-mounted wall tents.

How will Wood Badge help me?
Wood Badge will teach you outdoor skills and leadership techniques in a ‘living,’ hands-on environment, and you will be able to apply all you learn to your Scouting involvement and your personal life. You will develop a Ticket, which is a written agreement outlining how you will apply your newly learned skills as you continue your involvement in Scouting. Development of your Ticket is an exercise in goal-setting and includes creating a personal vision and mission statement and outlining individual steps to personal success.

How do I get my beads?
You’re probably seen other Scouters wearing their Wood Badge beads. When you success-fully complete your Ticket, some of your Wood Badge staff members will present you with your Wood Badge beads, a tan neckerchief with the famed MacLaren tartan, a leather ‘woggle’ (neckerchief slide) and a special Wood Badge certificate.

What do I wear?
Participants are encouraged to wear a full uniform.

What are the qualifications?
It is for adult Scouters at all levels: Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Varsity, Venture, District and Council. It’s NOT just for Scoutmasters. 

The qualifications include:

• Be a registered member of the Boy Scouts of America.
• Complete basic training courses for your primary Scouting position.
• Complete the outdoor skills training program appropriate to your Scouting position.
• Be capable of functioning safely in an outdoor environment.
• Complete the Annual Health and Medical Form Parts A, B, and C

Graduates of previous courses are eligible to participate!

What is the course registration fee?
The individual fee for attending Wood Badge includes all your meals, course materials, a Wood Badge Tshirt and the coveted Wood Badge beads.

Standard Course Fee: $210
Lakeview Course Fee: $275

Available Courses

S2-662-17-1
Course Director – Tom Lucas
Location – Camp Worth
March 31 - April 2, 2017
April 21 - 23, 2017

S2-662-17-2
Course Director – Steve Parker
Location – Lakeview Lodge Conference Center (SR2)
July 17-22, 2017

S2-662-17-3
Course Director – Bob Gordon
Location – Camp 10 Sid Richardson Scout Ranch (SR2)
Sept 29 - Oct 1, 2017
Oct 20 - 22, 2017

Blue & Gold RSVP & Payment Live

Ladies and Gents, the Paypal Payment button is live.  Just look on the upper right hand corner of our home page or click here.

The Blue & Gold is $7.50 per person.  We will provide each family a CD containing the photo slide show as well.  These will be distributed after the Blue & Gold.  

Our theme may be intergalactic, but our menu is down home comfort food!

Chicken strips with gravy (for the kiddos)

Meat loaf (for the bigger kiddos)

Mashed potatoes

Green beans

Corn

Rolls with honey and butter

Lemonade

Sweet tea

Don't forget the Cake Wars contest!  Details are found here.  

Please note that the RSVP deadline is MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15.

Don't Mess With Texas Elementary School Art Contest

Don’t mess with Texas® and Keep Texas Beautiful invite you to set aside time for their Elementary School Art Contest.  Plus, after seeing last night's entries into the Cubanapolis, I know we have some very talented and artistic young men in our Pack!  

We need to do all we can to motivate young Texans to keep our environment free of trash. This contest is a great way to share the Don’t mess with Texas and Keep Texas Beautiful litter prevention messages with our Scouts so that they learn good habits now to last them a lifetime!

Inspired by their creativity and desire to protect our environment, elementary school students from across Texas can submit their best litter prevention design to be considered for the 2016 Don’t mess with Texas Calendar. Entries will be judged based on creativity/uniqueness, inclusion of a litter prevention message and interpretation of theme, overall visual appeal, composition, and age appropriateness.

Each winner will also win an iDeaUSA 8 tablet donated by H-E-B and Central Market. All student winners and their artwork will be showcased on the Don't mess with Texas and Keep Texas Beautiful websites and social media sites, at the 2016 Keep Texas Beautiful annual conference, in media announcements and through other means as appropriate.

The contest runs January 11 - April 8.  That means, all entries must be submitted or postmarked by April 8, 2016. Winners will be announced in early May 2016.

Entries should promote the Don’t Mess With Texas and/or Keep Texas Beautiful litter prevention messages in order to encourage the protection of our Texas roadways and environment. The purpose of the contest is to inspire our future leaders to refrain from littering, advocate for litter prevention, and take action to keep Texas beautiful.

The purpose of the contest is to encourage our future leaders to prevent littering, protect our roadways, and keep Texas beautiful.

You can get a copy of the entry form here and the full contest rules here.  

GOOD LUCK!

A few of the 2015 winners were:

(Third grader)


(Kindergarten)


(First Grade)


See them all here.

Pack Meeting TONIGHT!

Don't forget tonight at 6:30 p.m. is the January Pack Meeting!  We will be in the Family Life Center.  Tonight is our annual Cubanapolis race.  

Speaking of races... we will also be distributing the PINEWOOD DERBY CARS!  Be sure to come get yours!

 

Be sure to bring your car, a helmet, some eye protection and wear socks and sneakers that tie!  

Blue & Gold

Invited, you are.  Party we will.

Be sure you SAVE THE DATE for Friday, February 19 for the annual Blue & Gold banquet. This event is one of the highlights of the Cub Scout year.  The Blue & Gold is where we celebrate the anniversary of Scouting and say goodbye to our Webelos II Scouts who have done all they set out to do and will be off onto the big, wide world of Boy Scouts!  After all, that's exactly what we are preparing them to do!  

This is an event for the whole family!  Dinner will be served.  Oh yes, there will be food! We are currently in the process of confirming the catering cost and will have an active Paypal link on the site to make the payment process simple and painless.  Otherwise, be sure to RSVP on Scoutbook (use the comment section on the bottom of the event to note your exact family number).  Den leaders will also be collecting payment if you would rather pay cash or check.  Options for you!  We have them.  Isn't that so sweet of us?  

Oh, and speaking of SWEET!  

Did I mention one of the best parts???  DESSERT!

Dessert will be in the form of a CAKE BAKING CONTEST!  

YES WE DID!  We encourage all scouts (with the help of a parent or guardian) to show off their creativity as they bake and decorate a STAR WARS THEMED cake to enter into the CAKE WARS! We don't care if they are on the Light Side or the Dark Side... we just want to taste the INSIDE!  The Pack will have voting and award prizes for the grand champion!

The cake baking contest will be similar to past events.  Bring in your creation between 6-6:15pm and check in with Mrs. Herrold, Cake Wars coordinator.  We want all cakes to be on display before the program starts. The judging will be done during the program (announcements will be made) and the cakes will be served after winners are announced and dinner has concluded.  Desserts will be judged on originality and creativity!  

Fishing Derby

Now that you are hooked on Scouting... Pack 1910 is having a Fishing Derby on Sunday, January 17 from 2-4 pm at the Keller Town Hall pond.  All anglers should bring safety goggles, sunscreen and a hat along with their gear.  Don't forget your drinks, too!  Adults need to have a fishing license on their person as well.  Please be sure to RSVP on Scoutbook so that Mr. Eric James can plan accordingly.  Please contact him with any specific questions.

This would be a great opportunity to invite a friend to some of the fun that we do in Scouting!  If they join, your son receives his RECRUITER patch to wear proudly on his uniform!

Bears have the opportunity to earn their A Bear Goes Fishing Elective Adventure Loop.

This is a great opportunity, however, for ALL scouts to work on the requirements for the Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award.  This is an award that can be earned EVERY YEAR!

Cub Scouts can earn the Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award in each of the program years as long as the requirements are completed each year. The first time the award is earned, the boy will receive the pocket flap award, which is to be worn on the right pocket flap of the uniform shirt. Each successive time the award is earned, a Wolf Track pin may be added to the flap. Leaders should encourage boys to build on skills and experiences from previous years when working on the award for a successive year.


Requirements:

All Ranks
Attend Cub Scout day camp or Cub Scout/Webelos Scout resident camp. Additionally, complete the rank-specific requirements as follows:


Tiger Scouts
Complete the Backyard Jungle adventure, and complete four of the outdoor activities listed below.


Wolf Scouts
Complete the Paws on the Path adventure, and complete five of the outdoor activities listed below.


Bear Scouts
Complete the “Bear Necessities” adventure, and complete six of the outdoor activities listed below.


Webelos Scouts
Complete the Webelos Walkabout adventure, and complete seven of the outdoor activities listed below.


Outdoor Activities
These activities must be in addition to any similar activities counted toward rank advancement and can be accomplished as a family, a den, or a pack.

• Participate in a nature hike in your local area. This can be on an organized, marked trail, or just a hike to observe nature in your area.
• Participate in an outdoor activity such as a picnic or a fun day in a park.
• Explain the buddy system, and tell what to do if lost. Explain the importance of cooperation.
• Attend a pack overnighter. Be responsible by being prepared for the event.
• Complete an outdoor service project in your community.
• Complete a nature/conservation project in your area. This project should involve improving, beautifying, or supporting natural habitats. Discuss how this project helped you to respect nature.
• Participate in your pack’s earning the Summertime Pack Award.
• Participate in a nature observation activity. Describe or illustrate and display your observations at a den or pack meeting.Participate in an outdoor aquatics activity. This can be an organized swim meet or just a den, pack, or family swim.
• Participate in an outdoor campfire program. Perform in a skit, sing a song, or take part in a ceremony.
• Participate in an outdoor sporting event.
• Participate in an outdoor Scouts Own or other worship service.
• Explore a local city, county, state, or national park. Discuss with your den how a good citizen obeys park rules.
• Invent an outside game, and play it outside with friends for 30 minutes.  

What the Scout Law Means to John Wayne

Photo source

A great American, John Wayne, passed away many years ago. One of his last public appearances was at a dinner. He was riddled with cancer and knew he was close to death. The purpose of the dinner was to benefit a land purchase for a Scout Reservation called John Wayne Outpost Camp.

At this dinner, Wayne recited the Scout Law. Then he did something unusual. He said the twelve points of the Scout Law are "nice words". "Trouble is" he continued, "We learn them so young we sometimes don't get all the understanding that goes with them. I take care of that in my family. As each boy reaches Scout age, I make sure he learns the Scout Law. Then I break it down for him, with a few things I have picked up in more than half a century since I learned it."

Then Wayne proceeded to explain the importance of the Scout Law, breaking it down for the guests at the dinner; much like he would have for his grandson.

TRUSTWORTHY - The badge of honesty. Having it lets you look at any man in the eye. Lacking it, he won't look back. Keep this one at the top of your list.

LOYAL - The very word is life itself; for without loyalty we have no love of person or country

HELPFUL - Part sharing, part caring. By helping each other, we help ourselves; not to mention mankind. Be always full of help -- the dying man's last words.

FRIENDLY - Brotherhood is part of that word. You can take it in a lot of directions - and do - but make sure and start with brotherhood 

COURTEOUS - Allow each person his human dignity; which means a lot more than saying, "Yes, ma'am" and "Thank you, sir." It reflects an attitude that later in life you wish you had honored more... earlier in life. Save yourself that problem. Do it now.

KIND - This one word would stop wars and erase hatreds. But it's like your bicycle, it's just no good
unless you get out and use it.

OBEDIENT - Starts at home. Practice it in your family. Enlarge it in your friends. Share it with humanity.

CHEERFUL - Anyone can put on a happy face when the going is good. The secret is to wear it as a mask for your problems. It might surprise you how many others do the same thing.

THRIFTY - Means a lot more than putting pennies away; and it is the opposite of cheap. Common sense covers it just about as well as anything.

BRAVE - You don't have to fight to be brave. Millions of good, fine, decent folks show more bravery than heavyweight champs just by getting out of bed every morning, going out to do a good day's work, and living the best life they know how against the law of odds. Keep the word handy every day of your life.

CLEAN - Soap and water helps a lot on the outside. But it is the inside that counts, and don't ever forget it.

REVERENT - Believe in anything that you want to believe in, but keep God at the top of it. With Him, life can be a beautiful experience. Without Him, you are just biding time. 

Source:  BALOO's Bugle

January - A Scout Is Trustworthy

Since the implementation of the 2015 program update for Cub Scouting, Cubs memorize the Scout Oath and Law and learn about the principles they embody well before they join the Boy Scouts. As you may have noticed, our pack meetings are now focused around the twelve points of the Scout Law in order to help Cubs internalize each point. January’s theme is Trustworthy. But how does January's Cubanapolis Race relate to this point of the Scout Law? 

Helping your son build, decorate, and race their Cubanapolis cars, and encouraging fun regardless of the race’s outcome is something we all promote and look forward to. The Cubanapolis and the upcoming Pinewood Derby will not only gave you the chance to teach your sons about tools and workshop safety, but also offer valuable teaching moments about being a good sport and following the rules. The fun and competition in both of these races are a great setting to teach our Scouts about the importance of being trustworthy as they do their best and support their fellow Scouts.

Committee Meeting - January 4

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!

The meeting is at 7pm at the Hallelujah Center on Monday, January 4.  Finalizing the Cubanopolis, planning February's Pack Meeting and finalizing the Blue & Gold and other Pack activities as well.  

100 Books Every Boy Should Read

Boy's Life Magazine prepared a list of 100 books every boy should read.  While there are a few notables that (in my opinion) are missing from this list (I love books), it's definitely a great place to start building an awesome library for your young reader.  Never stop reading to your kids!

You can download the full list here.

Cubanapolis 500

January's Pack meeting is one you won't want to miss -- our annual Cubanapolis!

Just what is an Cubanapolis?  I'm glad you asked!  A Cubanapolis is a fun family event where the boys, prior to race day (and with their parent’s assistance) make a cardboard race car that they can wear and run with. Boxes were passed out at the December Christmas party. If you weren't able to make it, please get with your den leader ASAP to get your box!

The emphasis on this event is family fun and participation!  

We will, however, have some type of recognition for various categories for the construction and design of the cars -- so be creative!

Please make arrangements to pick up your cardboard box from your den leader if you did not get it at the December Pack meeting. YOU NEED THIS in order to make your car!

Car Making Rules:

• Body of car must be constructed of cardboard. Tape, tinfoil, paint, construction paper, stickers and paper plates can also be used for decoration.
• Use the box provided by the Pack.  It should fit around your son without being either too snug or too loose.
• No metal or glass materials may be used.
• No items can be hanging or dragging behind a car
• For safety reasons, cars should not have a ‘windshield’

Race Procedures:

• Each race will consist of 4 laps
• Each racer will need an adult present to be their pit crew

Each racer should bring 4 things with them on race day

1. Goggles or glasses or a swimming mask
2. A small towel or washcloth
3. A helmet (bike or ski helmet)
4. Gym-appropriate LACE up tennis shoes WITH socks.

Reminders will be sent out closer to race day. A couple of extras will be available, but certainly not enough for everyone. We will cover more of what the race entails the night of the race.  

For our annual Cubanopolis to be a success, we want to remind our scouts that what is important is that they do their best, play by the rules, show good sportsmanship, and have fun.

Preparation

The Cub will decorate the box to look like a race car (or a space ship, garbage truck, or any vehicle he wants. Construction paper, paint, tape, aluminum foil and markers are all great things to have on hand to spur creativity. Colored paper plates make great wheels. Be sure no dangerous materials (such as glass or metal) are used.

And as always, remind the boys that what is important is that they do their best, play by the rules, show good sportsmanship, and have fun.

There are all KINDS of samples all over the internet, but I've included a couple I found as well just for inspiration.  I can't wait to see the creative minds at work in our Pack!

Did You Know?

Did you know that 89% of the original astronaut corps (11 of the 12 astronauts who have walked on the moon have been an Eagle Scout?)

Did you know that 89% of the Senior Class of Presidents are Scouting alumni?

Did you know that 85% of Student Class Presidents are too?

85% of FBI agents, 72% of Rhodes Scholars, 70% of Naval Academy Grads, 68% of US Military Academy Grads and 63% of USAFA Grads are all among your Scouting alumni!

You've got some big shoes to fill kiddo!  Dig in!

Introduction to Map and Compass prior to CUB-O

Teach children the basics of navigation, and they’ll be ready for a lifetime of exploration

First, make sure the kids know what a map is and how it works. Sure, they might have seen you scratching your head over a road map a dozen times, but perhaps they’ve never actually used one before.

Choose a map of a place with which they’re familiar, such as a favorite park or campground. Don’t start with a large state road map or similarly scaled map, all those lines and colors are confusing.

Point out how to turn, or orient, the map so north is at the top. Find a compass rose or direction pointer, and explain how that works: When north is up, east is always to the right and west is always to the left.

If you’re working with a topo map, point out just a few colors and shapes: green for forested areas, blue for water, small black squares and rectangles for buildings. Don’t go into too many details about topographic lines.

Explain the concept of a scale. Let the kids measure one inch on the map and calculate how far that would be on the ground.

Next, pull out a simple compass, such as a Silva Starter.  

Many kids love technical details, so explain how the arrow floats in a liquid, the red pointer always pointing north. Show how they have to keep the compass level or the arrow can’t float freely.

Let them hold the compass and turn a complete circle, watching the arrow stay tracked to the north. Now that they have the basic elements of a map and compass down pat, it’s time to put the two together.

Have the kids place the map on a flat surface, and make sure they can point to north on the map. Now have one child place the compass on top of the map and line the direction of travel arrow so it points north.

Have another kid turn the map, without disturbing the compass, until the red arrow and the direction of travel arrow are aligned. Boom. Now both map and compass are pointing north.

The final step in Navigation 101 is to use the map and compass to actually navigate confidently from point A to point B.

All they have to do is find where they are on the map, and where they want to be.

They should align the compass so the baseplate connects these two points, then turn the compass dial until the north designation on the dial lines up with north on the map. Then they simply hold the compass and spin around until the red arrow is pointing to north on the dial. Start walking

as printed by: http://www.cabelas.com/category/Camp-Cabelas-Introducing-Kids-to-a-Map-Compass/914121180.uts?WT.tsrc=EML&WT.mc_id=email-aop&cmp=EP20151204&seg=cc&cnt=23

CUB-O

Save the date and make plans to join us Saturday, January 2 from 9am to 4pm at Cub-O, the annual Cub Scout orienteering event held at Sid Richardson Scout Ranch.

Cub-O is the most poplar orienteering event in North America. A fun day of hiking and friendly competition for Cub Scouts, parents, and leaders. Orienteering, the use of map and compass, to find locations and plan a journey, has been a vital skill for humans for thousands of years. Thousands of people participate in the sport each year in local clubs and competitions. Longhorn Council has two events annually for orienteering. One is for Cub Scouts (Cub O), and one is held for Boy Scouts (SCORE-O).

Lunch is included. Each team of 3-6 Cubs gets a Cub-O map half an hour before the race starts. Your goal is to hike in the woods and find as many of the 40 orange and white orienteering flags as you can.  Plan your strategy to score the maximum point total possible in 2 hours! 

Map training sessions for Cub Scouts and parents are held all morning.

Lunch will be served in the dining hall. Meal times are assigned to minimize the length of serving lines. Units may choose to do Pack Family Camping on Friday and/or Saturday night. The Pack is not coordinating this campout, but any family desiring to camp either night, please see April as we hope to have an event coordinator who will facilitate this event.    Volunteers are a GREAT GIFT.... HINT HINT

Scores will be available by Saturday night. After the event, each team's competition race maps will be available to pick up at the District Roundtable meetings in January or February. 

This is a rain or shine event: extreme inclement weather (ice or snow) may cause a one week postponement. Weather announcements will be made on the Longhorn Council Website and on our blog as well.

Sound like something you want to do?  Well, print out this registration form and get it to April by Monday, December 28 with payment.  Two adults are required to register per team.  Teams will be assigned based upon the number of cubs registered in our Pack.  We will do our best to keep dens intact and to have our Webelos I & II combined.  

From the registration form:  

Cub-O is an orienteering event designed for everyone to enjoy: dens that compete hard, dens that want an easy hike in the woods, and dens that want to teach their boys more about problem solving and map reading. All Tigers, Cub Scouts, Webelos, leaders, and parents are invited. Separate awards for each age group. CUB-O is the most popular Orienteering event in the USA! Over 1000 Cub Scouts, leaders, and parents participated in CUB-O every year since 1999!

It’s fast, exciting, and FUN. And it’s all Cub Scouts. The locations of 40-50 orange and white orienteering flags are marked on the map and you and your team will go hiking in the woods to find them – or most of them! Each flag has a hole punch that you use to mark your scorecard. Flags are worth 5, 10, 15, 20, or 30 points, depending on how hard they are to find. Your Den team will get a Cub-O competition map 20 minutes before the race starts. Then you plan a hiking strategy to find the most flags and score the most points in just 2 hours! You’ll stay warm ‘cause you’ll stay moving!

Cub-O is a team event for teams (Dens) of 3-6 Cub Scouts and at least 2 adults. Each team must have at least two adults registered for Cub-O. Be sure to dress warmly in layers and bring lots of water! Bring a compass and a watch so you’ll finish on time. All registered participants will get a Cub-O patch, our latest 5-color competition map, lunch and a great day of orienteering.

Additional attendees (attending, assisting, or camping, but not competing) can pay $6 for lunch and liability insurance only but must register and be prepaid. 

We are strongly encouraging our Bears and Webelos of both years to camp out at this event.  B'sides -- it'll be fun! Besides, they only way you're going to learn, is to be exposed to as many opportunities as they possibly can.

Please be sure you RSVP on the Scoutbook invitation if you plan to go and in the comments section, you can include if you are going to camp out.  ALL parents do not need to go on the competition.  We only need two leader per group who have been YPT Trained.  Otherwise, you are welcome to run around with your family, relax, read, enjoy the outdoors and take advantage of some down time!

December - A Scout is Reverent

How Does “Winter Wonderland” Relate to This Point of the Scout Law?

As winter comes, it brings with it a wonderland of snow, peace, beauty, and holidays. All of us come from different backgrounds and celebrate many traditions; each of our traditions gives us an identity and a sense of belonging. When we share those traditions and accept others’ traditions, we expand our circle so everyone feels like they belong. 

Whether we celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or none of these, sharing valued traditions and holding true to what they stand for will help us understand others.  But no matter who we are or how we celebrate, we are all part of a great organization that has taught us to show reverence for others and their beliefs.

Join us for our monthly pack meeting at United Methodist Church of Keller. Our Gathering Activity starts at 6:15 PM and the meeting will begin promptly at 6:30 PM. Make sure your scout looks his best and sports some seriously seasonal headgear!

Brag Vest

Wondering what to do with all of your activity and service Patches?  One way to display them is with a Youth Patch Vest also called a "brag vest."

The vest can be purchased at the Longhorn Council Scout Shop or online at scoutstuff.org.