Pack Meeting is TONIGHT!

Tonight is the first official Pack meeting for the new Scouting year!  

We will be announcing our many changes in our Pack's program tonight and we will also be having our annual uniform inspection!!  Make sure you find those neckerchiefs and slides!  

See you there no later than 6:30 p.m. at the Family Life Center of the First United Methodist Church of Keller!  Gathering activity begins at 6:15 p.m.  

Don't forget your donations to the USO!  Tonight is the last time to make them!  

We will have songs, skits, uniform inspections, distribution of our genius kits, information and registration for our fall campout and more!  DON'T MISS IT! 

See you there!

A Camping We Will Go!

It's time again to get in gear for our Fall Family Camp out!  Our Pack tradition is to attend the Fall Festival at Sid Richardson Scout Ranch located on Lake Bridgeport.  It's a weekend campout that's packed full of fun!  No camping experience is necessary!  This is where you go learn the ropes!

The informational brochures can be found here and here (two pages, one needs to be filled out and turned in).  Please note, however, that you will turn the forms into THE PACK.  Please DO NOT mail them or turn them into the Council office.  We will register as a Pack.

Deadline for turning in forms is MONDAY, OCTOBER 6.  

Cost is $22 per youth, $10 per adult.  Payments can be made via check payable to LONGHORN COUNCIL.  

There is a place on the form where you indicate if you are camping Friday night, Saturday night or if you're just attending for the day's events.  Once we have an idea of attendees, we will decide as a Pack what we will do for meals Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon.  Friday night will be on your own.  Dinner on Saturday evening and a continental breakfast Sunday is included with your registration fee.  

This is a great opportunity, also, for our newer scouts to get their hands dirty on the range with archery and bb gun ranges.  They will have an area set up for pumpkin carving and there may be a trebuchet (big catapult) set up to do some punkin' chunkin' as well!  We will go over this more as it gets closer to the date.

We will be attending the weekend of October 10-12.  Our Webelos II will be camping out with Boy Scout Troop 1910 as part of their Arrow of Light requirement.  Camping out Friday night is optional but many families enjoy the extra night in the fall air.  Let's face it, camping is a BIG reason why boys WANT to be in Scouts!

All Pack 1910 camp outs are family friendly events so the whole family is welcome!  So mark your calendars NOW to attend!  

USO Donations -- Still collecting through Pack Meeting!

We will STILL BE COLLECTING donations for the United Service Organization (the "USO") at the September Pack.  Please note, however, this meeting will be the LAST OPPORTUNITY to make these donations!  

The USO has a mission to lift the spirits of service members and their families. Millions of times each year at hundreds of locations around the world, the USO lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families. A nonprofit, congressionally chartered, private organization, the USO relies on the generosity of individuals, organizations and corporations to support its activities. The USO is not part of the U.S. government, but is recognized by the Department of Defense, Congress and President of the United States, who serves as Honorary Chairman of the USO.  The USO will use our donations to provide to the men and women of the armed forces who travel through the DFW Airport. They recently put out a call for help because their donations are dwindling! Pack 1910 knew we had to help!  The following items are being collected: 

SINGLE-SERVING SIZED SNACK AND DRINK ITEMS:
Cases of chocolate bars
Variety pack chips
Cookies
Raisins
Trail Mix
Kellogg's Rice Crispy Treats
Pretzels
Beef Jerky
Crackers
Peanuts/Mixed Nuts
Sunflower Seeds
Granola and/or Protein Bars
Chewing Gum
Cases of Apple/Orange Juice and Juice Boxes
Bottled Water

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
Batteries (all sizes)
1 lb. Bags of Starbucks - Medium Roast Breakfast Blend
New Coloring Books and Crayons
New Children's Toys/Stuffed Animals
New or Like-New DVDs
New or Like-New games for X Box, X Box 360, Play Station 2, Play Station 3, and Wii
9" Microwave Safe Paper Plates
Rolls of Paper Towels
12 oz. Foam Cups

TRAVEL-SIZED TOILETRY ITEMS
Baby Powder
Shaving Cream
Deodorant (men's and women's)
Toothpaste and Toothbrushes
Lip Balm/Chap stick
Shampoo/Conditioner
Razors

Please encourage your entire family to participate in collecting items for this worthy cause!  Want to learn more about the USO?  Check them out here.  If you watch the videos, have a tissue handy!  What a great program to support!

Tuesday is First Pack Meeting

Hey gang -- WELCOME BACK TO CUB SCOUTS!!!!  We are gearing up for our FIRST PACK MEETING of the 2014-2015 year Tuesday, September 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center of the First United Methodist Church of Keller

We are going to:

... have a uniform inspection (not sure what that means?  Check out this!)
... learn about our annual fundraising goals and what they mean for you!
... hear about our FALL CAMPOUT!
... a fun presentation of the summer awards earned by our scouts (be ready to catch!)
... have some impromptu fun

Den Assignments:  

• Webelos II will be doing the flag ceremony
• Webelos I will be doing the opening and the prayer
• Bears will do our closing

These can always be found here.  

It's going to be a great year full of fun and adventure and we are SO glad you're along for the ride with us!

Join Cub Scouts!!

It's that time of year again!  We are about to kick off a new Scout year and want YOU to join us!  

WHO:       Boys in 1st - 5th grade in the Keller and surrounding areas
WHAT:     Cub Scout Pack 1910 Membership Drive
WHERE:    First United Methodist Church of Keller, Family Life Center
                1025 Johnson Road, Keller
WHEN:      Tuesday, September 2 6:30 pm
WHY:        Because -- IT IS FUN!  But also... 

Scouting promotes and encourages family time.  Time is valuable and what better way to spend it than investing in lasting memories with your son.  More than ever, today’s families struggle to find time to spend together. Cub Scouting helps to support your family by providing ready-made opportunities for you and your son to do things together.

Your son needs to belong to a group of boys his own age. Through this sense of belonging, he builds his self-esteem and learns to get along with others. As a parent, you want to be assured that the groups that your boy joins will teach values consistent with good citizenship, character development, and physical fitness. The Boy Scouts of America has been weaving these lifetime values into fun and educational activities since 1910.

In a society where your son is taught that winning is everything, Cub Scouting teaches him to “do his best” and to be helpful to others.


Scouting teaches family values and works to strengthen your relationship with your son. Scouting activities can bring added value to the time you already have with your son.

He will learn to live by the code of “On my honor.”

But we know that boys do not join Cub Scouting just to get their character built.


Boys join because it is fun!!!

Our program is full but it's not complete without YOU!  Please complete the informational form on the website for more information if you are unable to attend.  Someone from our membership committee will be in touch with you shortly.

September's Core Value

The Core Value for the month of September is COOPERATION.

Cooperation is being helpful and working together with others toward a common goal. Cooperation is also a key element in teamwork. In the Cub Scout program, boys will gain a better understanding of the importance of supporting each other as they play games and learn new skills.

Why COOPERATION?  

• We can do more working together than I can do alone.
• Every person has a unique contribution to make to the group.
• Success is gained when everyone works together.
• Two heads are better than one.
• Things in life come easier if you know how to get along and cooperate with others.

Ready for the 2014-2015 Scouting Year!

If you have son in 1st-5th grade, Pack 1910 is looking for YOU!  

We are kicking off the 2014-2015 Scouting year with a membership rally Tuesday, September 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Family Life Center of the First United Methodist Church of Keller, 1025 Johnson Road.  

Bring your son and come find out what the world of Cub Scouts is all about!  We have an action packed year planned with community service, camping, racing, parties, detective work, a Cubanopolis, songs, skits, and more fun than should be allowed!  

If you are an active Cub Scout with friends interested, this is the meeting for them to meet with leaders, sign up and find out what our program is all about!  

101 Things To Do In Cub Scouts

Another Scouter posted this video to YouTube and I just had to share!  



The membership rally and recruitment season is upon us.  There are SO many fantastic facets of the Scouting program and many boys do things that they would never get to do otherwise!  Check out the video for a first hand look at some of the awesome things that can be had... just because of Cub Scouts!!!  

Longhorn Council Cub Scout Activities

We are lucky to be part of one of the best Councils in the Boy Scouts of America.  The leadership at the Longhorn Council spends a great deal of time putting together a full year of programming for us all.  

Here is a link to the available activities offered through the Longhorn Council for the 2014-2015 Cub Scout year.  I encourage you to print out this and keep it handy!  

While as a Pack we will not participate in everything the Council has to offer, you (as a family) are more than welcome to!  For instance, every weekend in October, there are available activities for you and your family or your even your entire den to participate in.  So, if you are unable to make one of the scheduled Pack events such as camping, but your Cub still wants to camp -- make it a point to get active with some of the available programs put on through the Longhorn Council.

All of the Pack activities will be listed on our ScoutTrack calendar and also located here on our blog under the Forms page.  Simply look for the link sending you to the 2014-2015 Annual Program Calendar.

August Core Value & Summer Service Project

The core value for August is HONESTY. Telling the truth and being worthy of trust. Cub Scouts will gain a better understanding of the importance of following the rules, playing fair, and being trustworthy in games and in daily life.. 

Simply stated -- a Scout is honest. As boys have fun and interact in their den and pack, they learn that honesty can simply be defined as a refusal to lie, cheat, or steal in any way. Honesty is simply the truth.

Unfortunately, honesty isn't one of those traits we can SEE, we just have to experience and appreciate it when we have it.  I personally believe honesty and integrity go hand in hand.  You see, integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Or, stated differently, doing the TRUTHFUL thing... being honest to what you know is right... choosing to be full of integrity means that you choose what is right regardless of what you have to gain from it.  Honesty... is well... AWESOME!

American businessman Joseph Sugarman once said, “Each time you are honest and conduct yourself with honesty, a success force will drive you toward greater success. Each time you lie, even with a little white lie, there are strong forces pushing you toward failure.” We gain our strength and ability to live not from the days when everything goes right. But rather, it is from days that are full of problems. May we always do the right thing every day, no matter who’s looking.

July Core Value & Summer Service Project

• The core value for July is COURAGE.  Courage is being brave and doing what is right regardless of our fears, the difficulties, or the consequences.

Exploring new territory and challenging oneself with new skills takes a certain amount of courage. Cub Scouts will benefit from the experiences offered to them from Cub Scouts... we know it requires a LOT of courage to learn new skills!  

When we begin to feel that life is hard and the task before us is more than we can handle, stop and remember those who forged the trails before us.  They left for a life in the unknown.  They didn't know what lay ahead of them, but with courage they moved on.  They hiked over mountains and through dry hot deserts, just to name a few of their difficulties. But they drew upon their faith, and their courage and determination to get the job done.

I thought this photo really summed up what "courage" meant to me... and it is a great segue into our SUMMER COMMUNITY SERVICE DRIVE. 



Next month will be our Raingutter Regatta at the Hidden Lakes Clubhouse.  During this time, we will be collecting items for USO to provide the men and women of the armed forces who travel through the DFW Airport.  You see, they put out a call for help because their donations are dwindling!  We have to help!  We will be collecting the following items for the USO to help support our service members:

Single-Serving Sized Snack and Drink Items: 

Cases of chocolate bars

Variety pack chips

Cookies

Raisins

Trail Mix

Kellogg's Rice Crispy Treats

Pretzels

Beef Jerky

Crackers

Peanuts/Mixed Nuts

Sunflower Seeds

Granola and/or Protein Bars

Chewing Gum

Cases of Apple/Orange Juice and Juice Boxes

Bottled Water

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Batteries (all sizes)

1 lb. Bags of Starbucks - Medium Roast Breakfast Blend

New Coloring Books and Crayons

New Children's Toys/Stuffed Animals

New or Like-New DVDs

New or Like-New games for X Box, X Box 360, Play Station 2, Play Station 3, and Wii

9" Microwave Safe Paper Plates

Rolls of Paper Towels

12 oz. Foam Cups

TRAVEL-SIZED TOILETRY ITEMS

Baby Powder

Shaving Cream

Deodorant (men's and women's)

Toothpaste and Toothbrushes

Lip Balm/Chap stick

Shampoo/Conditioner

Razors

Please encourage your entire family to participate in collecting items for this worthy cause!  If you are unable to make the Regatta, please bring your donations to April Driggers' home before the Regatta so that everything can be delivered together to the USO.

Enjoy your time together as a family this Summer, your fellow Scouts and Leaders at Pack 1910 look forward to seeing you soon!  Stay safe, drink plenty of water (we know what happens when you don’t!) and HAVE FUN!

What are those for? What do we do with them?

From the time your Scout earns his first rank patch, which will always be the Bobcat for ANY scout rank, he will also be presented with several items.

The first is, obviously, his rank patch.  This is cloth patch that should be sewn onto his uniform.  You may find the proper location to place all insignia here.

He will also receive a card indicating his having received this rank patch.  



These cards should be kept in a safe place. This is your "proof of ownership" for each rank, belt loop, pin and activity badge that your scout receives.  A great way to store these from now until the time your Cub Scout crosses over to a Boy Scout Troop and earns his Eagle is to store all of these inside plastic sleeves within a 1" binder.  The best sleeves are the ones intended to hold baseball cards.  I found ours at Hobby Lobby.  To the right is a great example I found on the internet.  This is obviously a Boy Scout notebook (you can tell by the blue Merit Badge cards), but it serves the same purpose.


Lastly, your scout will also receive a small metal pin which is a miniature version of his rank patch.  In this case, the Bobcat rank patch



These pins are called Parent's Pins.  These are also referred to as Mother's Pins.  These pins are given to your Cub Scout to present and subsequently pin to the lapel of his parent's shirt (usually Mom).  Why? Because it gives them a chance to share recognition with their parent.  We realize that it takes a village... and we want to give your Scout an opportunity to provide his parent with a token of his appreciation for all YOU have done to help him attain his rank.  In short, it's a big deal and you deserve to be rewarded and celebrated, too!

These Parent's Pins may be worn on your lapel, but they are generally worn on a mother's ribbon.  These can be bought at the Scout shop or you could make your own. The ones available at the Scout shop are shown to the right.


There are other options as well.  The one shown below is for both Cub Scouts AND Boy Scouts.  This allows your son to just pin the ribbon.  There is even a great way to make your own here:


See how he pins the ribbon?  Cute isn't it?  They're a great idea.  I will say that I have seen many a pin clap get lost down the front of a mom's shirt by little fingers that aren't used to "pinning" pins onto clothing.  The ribbons are a great way to prevent this from happening and you only need wear them at the Pack meetings where he would be receiving his rank advancement.

Photo Source

So, now you know!  

They're HEEEEEEERRRREEEEE!

THEY'RE HEEEEEEEEEEEEERE!!!  (Does anyone remember this show?  ha!)

But anyway, it's a great day today!  Our new pack t-shirts and sweatshirts are IN!  That's right!  They're HERE!  

The front:

The back:

Feel free to come by April's home and pick them up if you will be out and about or, if you'd prefer to pick them up at a Pack function, be sure you let her know, and she can bring it for you if attending.  April will be at the Hallelujah Center tomorrow, Sunday, July 29 at 4:30 pm if you would like to pick up your shirts then.

Cash, checks made payable to Pack 1910 or credit cards are welcomed forms of payment.

If you didn't buy one, there are extras available.  

Looking ahead this week...

For those that made it to the movie today, I hope you had an amazing journey into the creative world of DreamWorks with How To Train Your Dragon 2.  I don't know about YOU, but I want a toothless!  The "big" moral of the story reminded me of this little gem, however, that reads "Don't judge a hero by the size of his cape."

And looking ahead to our next venture for the summer, it's coming up THIS week.  Specifically, Thursday, June 26 we will be taking a little field trip to the U.S. Bureau of Engraving.  We will all meet near the front door at 9:45 and enter at 10am together as a group.  You are free to work your way through the building at your leisure.  Explore with your kids.  Explain.  And better yet -- the crafstmen and women will be available to tell the boys all about what they do there.  Learn about the offset print for currency and see how it was done over time.  There are experiences on both floors of the building for the Scouts to interact with the professionals.  Did you know that The Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s Western Currency Facility 

produces over half of the nation’s paper currency. Come see billions of dollars as you take the tour on the elevated walkway above the production floor and learn about the history of United States paper currency. 

Again, we will meet at 9:45 a.m. in the parking lot for the purposes of a headcount.  If I have a parent that is willing to take the list I can forward them and do a head check for recording purposes and then get it back to me, I would greatly appreciate this.  The tour will be entering at 10:00 a.m. together.

This would certainly be a good institution to wear your Official Field Uniform (blue shirt, neckerchief, etc.) to tour and it always makes nice photos as well.  However, if you want to just wear your pack t-shirt, that would be fully acceptable as well.  We would encourage all of our Scouts to wear their Official Field Uniform, however.  

I would love someone, too, to volunteer to snap some photos as I will be unable to attend.  If you DO take photos, please please be sure to forward those to me or Tom Harmon so that they can be uploaded to the Pack's DropBox for use in the December slide show.  

Oh, and the best part --> this event is FREE!  

Please e-mail me if you can be the point of contact for this event and/or if you can snap a few photos.

Remember, so long as you attend at least ONE Pack event a month throughout the summer, your scout will be eligible for the rank specific Summertime Achievement Award!

See how they match your slides?  Cool huh!?

What did they earn?

I spoke with the Day Camp Director today.  They are going to be sending out via e-mail in the next couple of weeks a list of what all Cub Scouts and Webelos may have earned while attending Day Camp.  Obviously, if your scout wasn't present for the full week, there may be some differences between what he and his fellow scout may have earned.

So, stay tuned... once we have the list, it will all be reflected in their Scout record.  Any Loops, Pins, activity badges and the like will not be awarded until the September Pack meeting.  

Summer

Cub Scouts is a year-round program and our Pack makes the most of each summer to bring opportunities for our Scouts to stay engaged and involved all year long!

We will be utilizing the e-vite system to track RSVP's for these events.  This helps the adult coordinators know which Scouts to expect so that no one is left behind.  Please be sure you are RSVPing -- even if it is a "no" -- so that we know you received the e-vite.  The courtesy of a reply is greatly appreciated.  

Please understand that many of these programs we are putting on require not only a minimum number of participants, but also a deposit --which we cover.  If you RSVP and are not able to attend, you will still need to pay your portion as it likely has already been covered by the Pack.  Thank you for your understanding.

Pack 1910 Summer Program 2014:

June

7:  Did you make it to the Star Party?  Be sure to let your den leader know {FREE}

9-12:  Day Camp.  It's not too late to register.  See this post for more information. 
22:  How to Train Your Dragon 2.  $14.50 per person includes movies, drink and popcorn.  Evite can be found here.  

26:  Field trip to the Bureau of Printing and engraving.  Evite here.  {FREE}

Did your scout register for Day Camp?  If so, they're on their way to earning the Outdoor Activity Award.  Read all about the requirements for this awesome award here. Talk to your den leader about steps required to earn this award. 

July

5:  Star Party {FREE}

11-12: Lock-in at the Summit Climbing Gym.  Evite can be found here.  $32.50 per person  Siblings, friends and family welcome.  

28:  Grapevine Aquarium (this event is still being coordinated...stay tuned)

August

2:  Kingsnake show and climbing wall at the Basswood Activity Center.  This evite can be found here. {FREE}
23:  Annual Raingutter Regatta, pizza party and ice cream back to school bash at the Hidden Lakes Clubhouse, 2700 Bear Creek Parkway. {$5 per person}

...that by joining us for just one event a month, your scout is eligible for the National Summertime Achievement Award?  These are rank specific, color-coordinated very cool special pins to place on their uniform to show off their involvement.



If enough of his den participates, they will earn the Summertime Award for their DEN!  And, collectively, if enough of our Scouts participate all summer long, our PACK earns the National Summertime Pack Award!  How cool is THAT?  Awards will be presented at the Scout level during the September Pack meeting.  

Day Camp

***edited 6/4 at 3:23 pm - ALL LATE REGISTRATIONS NEED TO GO TO THE DAY CAMP DIRECTORS -- NOT TO COUNCIL

If you weren't able to make the on-line registration deadline, it's not too late to get you and your Scout registered for the best daycamp in the Longhorn Council - MUSTANG DISTRICT DAYCAMP!

Online registration ended Friday, May 23 at 5pm. You may still register, however. Cost is $95 and registration has to be done by hand.

Adult volunteers/chaperones registration forms are here.  (click the word "here")

Scout registrations forms are here.

Remember, too, BSA Health Form Part A & B are required for everyone. 

ALL of these forms need to be turned into the Longhorn Council office ASAP. Be sure to provide April with a copy of your health forms so that our Pack has them on file and you don't have to fill them out again (they are required annually).  Scanned/e-mailed copies are perfect.

Very important --> ALL Adult volunteers are required to have Live, In Person Youth Protection Training.

 The last class being offered for this is THIS Thursday, June 5 at 6pm at Harvest Church.

If you have any questions, please let April know.  Remember our DAY CAMP PAGE on this website will always contain the most up-to-date information in one location.