Longhorn Council's NAME THE HAUNTED TRAIL CONTEST starts August 18 and is open to all Cub Scouts (with a parent or guardian).
Submit your
best scary names online for the Haunted Trails at Camp Tahuaya and at SR2. ENTER YOUR SCOUT'S VOTE HERE
The Cub Scout who submits the winning name, and
their parent /guardian and family, get to attend Fall Festival and Haunted Trail for free on a scheduled weekend.
Contest ends
September 22 with the last entry accepted at 5PM. Best names to be chosen by a panel of judges. Winners to be announced on September 23.
No matter how you're doing school this year -- for most of us, tomorrow --school is back in session! So, with a new year is a fresh set of crayons (don't you just love the smell of a fresh box of crayons?), sharpened pencils, new shoes and new friends! It's also time for new adventures... new rank... new skills... new challenges... In short, it's back to scouting!
The beginning of school starts the beginning of our recruiting season so if you know someone who may be interested in Cub Scouts... invite them to one of our activities. Nothing big... we do things like...
go hiking
Practice citizenship
Go camping
Go fishing
Knife skills
(yes, they really learn how to properly use a pocket knife)
Learn basic first aid
Complete acts of community service
Build and shoot rockets
... and cool experiences like overnights at Fossil Rim... The Perot Museum... the USS Lexington... turning a block of wood into a race car... or visiting cool places like the police department... the fire station... or even the Texas Capitol...
Who WOULDN'T want to join?
We have plans for the Fall Festival campout at Sid Richardson the first weekend in October... be sure to join now to get integrated into your den before heading to camp!
We have added two informational Zoom meetings to our calendar for interested parents to get all the details on Pack 1910. September 9 and 11 from 7-8pm.
If you like funny pets, rockets and astronauts, Pinewood Derby cars, movie makeup artists and backyard camping, then you’ll love Family Fun Fest!
It’s outdoor adventure you can have online! This very special online-only event is just for families like yours.
There will be cool hands-on activities, interviews with amazing people, and opportunities to make your community better with a service project.
Join in on the fun with activities like designing a Pinewood Derby car and baking homemade treats for your pets with a trained chef.
Want to join in the adventures? Here is the schedule and supply list.
BUILD A FAST PINEWOOD DERBY CAR (10am CT)
Vote to design a Pinewood Derby car LIVE. Meet NASCAR's Joey Logano as he gives an exclusive look inside a race car and answers qustions about going fast!
Supplies:
Download a pinewood derby coloring page and design your car along with the show HERE
Crayons
LET'S MAKE SOME ART! (10:45am CT)
Sketch along with professional illustrators and choose the subjects you want to learn to create! (
Supplies:
A pencil, pen or felt-tip pen
3-5 sheets of blank paper
LET'S GIVE BACK (11:30am CT)
Find out what "Do a good turn daily" means and complete your own good turn using the art you created.
Supplies:
Download a customizable thank you note and help us thank teachers during the show HERE
LET'S GO TO SPACE! (12pm CT)
Meet Dr. Bernard Harris, former astronaut and the first African American to perform a spacewalk! Learn how to build your own water rocket.
Supplies:
Empty plastic bottle
A few pieces of construction paper
scissors
foam board (optional)
hot glue gun, glue
colorful tape or plain duct tape
stickers
LET'S TALK ANIMALS! (12:40 pm CT)
Check out all kinds of ways to take care of your furry (and scale-y) friends. Post photos of your pets using #FamFunFest and you may see them during the show.
Learn how to make dog treats from MasterChef Junior winner, Logan Guleff, and see how to put together a pet first-aid kit.
LET'S RACE! (1:15pm CT)
Tune in for the epic finale as we race the car YOU built during the show! Stay until the end to see if your car wins the race, who gets the grand prize and snag a special offer only available to viewers!
WIN PRIZES!
They're giving away cool prizes for Family Fun Fest like... Scout Shop gift cards, Pinewood Derby bundles, hammocks, backpacks, portable batteries, tents... and more! Here's how to snag one:
Download and fill out an Adventure Log. Once you complete as many line items as you can, snap a picture and post on social with the hashtag #famfunfest to be entered to win one of three $200 Scout Shop gift card. Increase your chance of winning by posting pictures of you accomplishing the various adventures with the hashtag #famfunfest!
Tune in and participate in the live event for even more chances to win. There will be giveaways every 30 minutes!
Pack families, don't forget to email Suzie Donskey if your Scout is interested in purchasing one of the 2020 Space Launch patches for his brag vest. We have several scouts who watched the launch and thought a group order would be the best way to commemorate this occasion. First launch in 9 years! So cool! Thank you again to Suzie for coordinating this for the Unit. Email Suzie HERE Patches are $3 each and can be paid for via Venmo or contact her for other arrangements.
I may be dating myself here but I remember being excited for my Ranger Rick magazine when I was a kid. It encouraged me to explore. The magazine is still available today and while it has subscriptions suited for younger children (the "Junior" edition) as well as your traditional Ranger Rick, they also have a website full of fun information you can let your little explorers dive into. CHECK OUT RANGER RICK RIGHT HERE
But first, you might want to make sure they've earned their CYBER CHIP! What's the Cyber Chip? Why... I'm so glad you asked!
Long gone are the days of the "be home before the sun goes down" kind of parenting that a lot of us grew up with. Unfortunately, however, the more kids are inside, the more inclined they are to engage in some kind of online, electronic activity. I'm sure we've all seen news reports about cyber bullying, online security, location services on devices, geotagging of photos and social networking predators. It would be nice to think these topics won't impact our youth, but we need to be proactive and realize that we are in the thick of it! We must protect them.
Crazy fact - did you know that over 5 MILLION Facebook users are actually kids under the age of 10 even though the age limit to even have an account is 13?
If you have a pulse, you've likely heard of.... Minecraft or Roblox or even Fortnight. I know many Scouts absolutely LOVE watching YouTube videos that have to do with these gaming platforms. However, if you think for a second that they should watch these unsupervised, you're in for a shock. Unless you disconnect the chat feature, it's a perfect tool for a predator to groom your child. Predators use clickbait to lure victims to watch material that is anything but age appropriate for Cub Scouts or adults for that matter! FortNight and Roblox have both been exposed time and time again for being a candystore for predators.
More and more children have their own electronic devices allowing them even greater access to a whole world that is not the most friendly to the eyes, heart and especially to the spirit and character of our children.
With the electronic world aimed against us, how can parents teach our children internet safety principles?
In partnership with NetSmartz®, the Boy Scouts of America developed the Cyber Chip program. Along the same lines of how the Whittling Chip is designed to teach the boys pocketknife safety, the Cyber Chip is designed to teach them internet safety. There are BSA Cyber Chip requirements for boys in grades 1-3, grades 4-5 so your Cub Scouts are covered! In fact, there are programs available from grades 1 - 12! Even if your children aren’t in Cub Scouts, you can still take advantage of NetSmartz’s awesome programming.
Each Cyber Chip level covers topics such as cyber bullying, cell phone use, texting, blogging, gaming and identity theft. To earn the Cyber Chip, Cub Scouts sign an Internet Safety Pledge, watch an age-appropriate online video and share what they’ve learned with their den or den leader. Older boys complete additional activities.
Once they present their completion certificate to their den leaders, they will earn their Cyber Chip which is a temporary patch to be worn on their uniform. (It's pictured at the top of this post.)
The Cyber Chip expires annually. Scouts are required to “recharge” the chip each year by returning to the NetSmartz® website for their grade and completing the recharge requirements (at the bottom for their required grade). Grades 1-3 have their own experience, Grades 4-5 have another, 6-8 have another and grades 9-12 have their own as well. This keeps the information relevant and age-appropriate. Upon this completion, they'll be presented with a recharged pin to wear on their patch.
It is definitely hard to navigate these waters, but we have a responsibility to keep our kids safe and we can only do that by first educating ourselves. By encouraging our kids to participate in programs like the Cyber Chip, we are taking steps to ensure they are equipped with the tools to keep them and their friends and siblings safe.
If your Scout has already completed his/her Cyber Chip and you want to mix it up a little, there's a new award called the Protect Yourself Rules Adventure Loop. This can either be earned as an elective or in place of the Cyber Chip for one year. You can read all about this new adventure loop for our program and all of the requirements RIGHT HERE.
Cyber safety -- it's all of our jobs! It’s never too early to begin talking about it with your children. Start your conversation today and help them earn this awesome temporary patch that can be worn with their uniform -- the Cyber Chip, their recharter pin OR the new adventure loop!
A big shout out to all of the awesome dads that make up the true workhorse behind Pack 1910. Without you, we would be lost! Sometimes we perceive many benchmark holidays as fabrications by the flower, jewelry or candy companies for the obligatory "atta boy" shout outs but I believe Father's Day is a day that we should all recognize the important contributions that fathers make to their families.
A girl's first prince, a boy's first hero. A builder of self-confidence, a strong and valiant leader. A father sets the stage on what his children will mirror in being a future leader and role model.
We celebrate those dads that jump in with both feet and take an active role in parenting by being present. Your presence IS a present! By attending school functions, sports practices as well as helping supervise camping trips and even den meetings... we all thank you and wish you a Happy Father's Day!
The 9th point of the Scout Law reads "A Scout is Thrifty." Pack 1910 believes that every Scout who chooses to be part of the BSA (or any organization) needs to learn the value of hard work to pay their way in Scouting or even in life.
Scouting, like anything, comes with costs... uniforms, gear, membership registrations, summer camps, day camps, events and the like. However, we know you don't become responsible leaders and adults by expecting to have everything given to you. We know that there is a great deal of personal satisfaction and growth in knowing that you did something yourself. That teaches pride. That teaches responsibility... setting and reaching goals. It's an amazing process to equip tomorrow's future leaders with the tools for success through a program like Scouting.
Therefore, each year, Pack 1910 participates in a fundraiser coordinated by Longhorn Council which enables us to provide that unique opportunity for our Scouts. While our Unit's biggest fundraiser to pay for Pack equipment, event registration fees, camping fees, and to provide scholarships, awards and supplies has always been the annual popcorn campaign, this particular program allows Scouts to have a direct impact on their ability to reach THEIR own fundraising goals all by themselves.
However, this year was a little different. This year we had Covid-19 shut down our opportunities. We couldn't meet in person. We couldn't establish points of sale. We had to quarantine. So leadership regrouped and, after discussion, decided to use this unique opportunity as a way to thank our first responders in our own back yard.
Our Scouts and Scouters turned this from a personal fundraiser to an opportunity to give back. We put out the call and YOU ANSWERED! For every ScoutSaver purchased, all of the proceeds were donated to purchase another ScoutSaver... and everyone chose to donate ALL their cards to the Keller Fire Department and the Keller Police Department. This wasn't about the Scouts -- it was about the community.
Today, our Cubmaster, Michael Ford, and his family were able to present Pack 1910's ScoutSaver donation to Keller Police Department (socially distanced, of course) with the sincere gratitude of our Unit, families and friends with the message that we love our first responders and we thank them for their service to our community.
THIS is what Scouting is all about! Great job Pack 1910.
We think all Cub Scouts are superheroes and we're giving them a chance to prove it this summer.
The Covid-19 quarantine and social distancing really threw a wrench into all the fun we had planned to finish out the 2019 Scouting year but ... have no fear because the SUPER CUB SCOUT ADVENTURE PASSPORT IS HERE.
Each summer, our Pack usually plans 3 or more activities per month for us to do together to enable our Cub Scouts not only to stay active all summer long, but also to earn the National Summertime Achievement Award (pictured below). This award is a rank-specific pin that can be earned each year by participating in at least one Pack-organized activity in June, July and August.
Obviously, we can't do much of what we'd planned for this summer due to social distancing and the fact that several of our activities aren't even open yet to full capacity or that the guidelines for attending are a little too extreme / activities too limited to think we'd get a good turn out. So, we created a summer bucket list of fun for you and your Scout to do together... all while working toward something super awesome -- an award! Your Scout gets an award for having fun with you?! Win/Win.
We've provided six amazing themes for you and your Cub Scout to explore together.
Exploring My World
Exploring My Family
Exploring My Community
Exploring My Summer
Exploring Cub Scouting
Exploring Nature
Each theme has a 3x3 box of activities. Pick one theme to complete each month. Have your scout pick activities that he wants to participate in. His goal is to complete a tic-tac-toe for each theme. (Don't feel limited to do just three -- there are LOTS of fun activities to do together.) The purpose is the journey... not only the prize.
If your scout feels like being extra Super... have him complete a tic-tac-toe in ALL of the themes and he will also earn a Super Hero patch for his brag vest! These will be awarded in September.
National Get Outdoors Day is June 11. This day exists to “encourage Americans, especially our youth, to seek out healthy, active outdoor lives and embrace our parks, forests, refuges and other public lands and waters.” GO Day is coordinated by the American Recreation Coalition and U.S. Forest Service and links hundreds of local, state and federal agencies, diverse non-profit organizations in the health and youth-service fields, the recreation industry and media interests.
So, what can you do to participate?
Go for a hike
Take your favorite four-legged friend to a dog park
Mustang District Roundtable will be via ZOOM meeting this month. Please check the Scoutbook event for the login information. We hope to see many leaders from our Unit there.
Be part of the NASA mission and watch history on May 27 as we launch astronauts from American soil for the first time since 2011.
Even though we can’t experience the launch together physically, we can still experience it together virtually. Celebrate this historic moment at home with a launch watch party!
The live stream
You will be able to watch the live launch below or on NASA Television.
NASA's LIVE FEED:
The stream begins at 11 a.m. CST with live views of the SpaceX/Falcon 9 rocket on Launch Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center for the Crew Dragon DM-2 launch to the International Space Station. At 11:15 a.m. CST, the live launch coverage begins.
The launch is scheduled for 3:33 p.m. CST. At 5 p.m. a post-launch news conference will take place.
The mission
A new era of human spaceflight is set to begin as American astronauts once again launch on an American rocket from American soil to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will fly on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, lifting off on a Falcon 9 rocket at 3:32 p.m. CST May 27, from Launch Complex 39A in Florida, for an extended stay at the space station for the Demo-2 mission. The specific duration of the mission is to be determined.
As the final flight test for SpaceX, this mission will validate the company’s crew transportation system, including the launch pad, rocket, spacecraft, and operational capabilities. This also will be the first time NASA astronauts will test the spacecraft systems in orbit.
The playlist
Every party needs a good playlist. NASA's spacey Spotify song selections have all of the cosmic classics you’re looking for in a rocket launch watch party.
The outfit
That iconic retro NASA look is simple to recreate. You just need a white button up shirt, a slim tie, and usually dark slacks. Don’t forget your pocket protector and black-frame glasses.
If you’re looking for a costume for the kiddos, check out this simple DIY astronaut costume you can make with house-hold items HERE
The food & drinks
What better way to celebrate this return to space than with a party menu themed around each era of NASA spaceflight.
MERCURY
Start your party off right with these quick finger foods that celebrate the first NASA crewed missions. The Mercury program launched Alan Shepard into space and John Glenn into orbit. This Galaxy Party Popcorn will launch your taste buds into orbit, too.
GEMINI
It takes two to make a dream come true. Or to operate the Gemini spacecraft. NASA’s second crewed space program sent two people into orbit. So why not make twice-baked potato skins to give your party a savory appetizer?
APOLLO
The first missions to land on the Moon should be commemorated with some edible Moon rocks. Here’s a fun snack to make the whole family will enjoy.
SPACE SHUTTLE
Thanks to the shuttle, we were able to launch and repair orbital telescopes that let us gaze into the vastness of space. Make these galaxy brownies for a sweet treat to end your watch party!
ISS
Need a main course to round out your menu? Do what the astronauts aboard the International Space Station do and enjoy a tortilla! Make your own flour tortillas with this recipe and create a fun wrap to end your watch party in style.
Set the scene
DIY space decorations - anything from rocket garlands to starry balloons to intergalactic lighting will create the perfect photo backdrop.
This is a perfect time to drag those holiday lights out of storage and create your own starry sky. Print and color a few NASA coloring pages and decorate the room with your own solar system.
Plan a fun activity
Space fans can test their space knowledge with space trivia or a Try this at Home activity. We have a selection to choose from on our resources page.
Your future explorers can also build a DEMO-2 straw rocket using the NASA demonstration HERE.
Connect with friends
Countdown to the launch. Set up a video call with friends, share your watch party photos on social media and use the hashtags #launchamerica and #spacecenterhou. We may reshare your party pics.
While many Americans will celebrate Memorial Day with hot dogs, hamburgers and a day off... let us not forget what this day is really all about. Memorial Day is not about 20% off sales and lounging by the pool. Memorial Day is a day of honor and respect for our fallen... and sometimes forgotten.
From the US Memorial Day website, Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United States of America. Over two dozen cities and towns claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day.
Regardless of the exact date or location of its origins, one thing is clear – Memorial Day was borne out of the Civil War and a desire to honor our dead. It was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.
On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.
I encourage all Pack 1910 families to engage in something meaningful this weekend to help instill in our Cubs a purpose for this day. Let's raise a generation that doesn't forget.
While the Coronavirus has taken much from us, we still have much to be thankful for... the sacrifice of those heroes and their legacy of selflessness. There will be no parade this year, but there will be a televised event. I hope you'll join me in watching it.. It will be streaming on all major networks.
Here is a Memorial Day Tribute you could watch with your family.
We have added to our Pack Calendar a special entry on Memorial Day. At 3pm -- no matter where you are, what you are doing or whose company you are sharing -- please stop and take a moment to gather your family and friends together to remember those who have fallen in service to our great nation. Memorial Day is more than a cookout, it's a time to be in thought for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice as well as their families. The National Moment of Remembrance is at 3pm. Unite with Americans everywhere to show that we have not forgotten that freedom isn't free. We are the home of the free BECAUSE of the brave!
Pack family, friends, parent co-workers and community members can now go online and purchase a Scout Saver for themselves or choose to donate one to a Hometown Hero. You can select to have the card delivered through the US mail straight to you, by a Scout when it is safe for them to do so, or choose to donate a card to our local community front line workers (first responders, grocery store employees, hospital workers). Our Unit will deliver these in packs of 10 to facilities around the community as a way to say thank you! Pack 1910 will match your purchase card-for-card to give back to the community.
ORDER COMMUNITY DONATED SCOUT SAVERS BELOW
ORDER YOUR PERSONAL DELIVERY (mail or Scout) SCOUT SAVERS BELOW!
In this week's episode of ScoutingWire TV, we see how Scouts around the world are #ScoutingAtHome and continuing on through these tough times. You'll also learn more about Philmont Scout Camp and how you can still enjoy High Adventure Camps throughout the summer. Stay tuned for next week's episode!
I'm going to issue a Scouting Challenge for Pack 1910.
Print the image corresponding to your NEW RANK and DO YOUR BEST coloring job. I want to see them all held up to the screen for the bridging ceremony coming soon.
Experiencing an increase in need at the Resource Center, the KUMC outreach serves the food insecure in our community. We invite you to help us meet this increased need.
Monetary donations are welcome. CLICK HERE to give online or you can mail a check to the church with "Resource Center" in the memo line.
A donation of food items is also greatly appreciated! Most needed items are:
peanut butter
jelly
canned soups/Ramen
mac-n-cheese
pasta
canned pasta sauce
canned vegetables
canned meat (tuna, chicken and/or canned ready meals such as ravioli, spaghetti O's)
Happy Mother's Day to all the Akela Moms out there in Pack 1910! We owe you so much for not only putting up with the stinky, smoke-laden camp-out clothes to the finding of lost whatchamacallits...
...from the rides back and forth to den and Pack meetings to the planning of advancement
...from the recording of adventures to the patience of letting them learn to do their best even though you can do it faster
...from the selling of popcorn to volunteering for those little tasks to unburden the leadership
...from the smiles of support and encouragement to the mentoring of tomorrow's leaders
...from the snacks for den meetings to the last-minute projects to help fulfill
...from the sewing of patches to the labeling of all things
...from greeting at the registration tables to the finder of lost woggles
...from the input and feedback that makes our Pack grow to the simple things like meeting set up and breakdown
...for pitching in to do what we all do best... provide that maternal instinct to nurture, grow and protect. Today, we celebrate you!
From all of our leadership... THANK YOU AND HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY
Happy Mother's Day to the Lion moms who have jumped into this new program because you knew it was something your little cubs would benefit from! You're already taking steps to ensure that this is the best program for him! We appreciate you!
Happy Mother's Day to the Tiger moms who have jumped into this program fearlessly and helped turn this into something their boys want to be a part of! We appreciate you!
Happy Mother's Day to the Wolf moms who are learning their way more and more through the program and start to realize the importance of Pack participation! We appreciate you!
Happy Mother's Day to the Bear moms who are learning now that the program is designed to lead these young Cubs into the steps of independence. Staying ever so close... but allowing them more opportunities to grow in the wild! We appreciate you!
And... last but not least...
Happy Mother's Day to our Webelos moms who are now learning to step back and let the boys experience the program as it was meant to be... supervised learning by doing. They're on the precipice of learning to lead each other. Just like the superheroes of the past, you've equipped them with the right equipment in their toolbelt by effectively letting the program teach them to be self-reliant! We appreciate you!
Simply put, we just couldn't do it without our MOMS!! I read a quote somewhere that said, "God couldn't be everywhere, so he created mothers." May your day be blessed!
Everyone on our planet has a duty and an obligation to protect it. Sometimes a little friendly reminder is in order as well. We live in a disposable society where everything is single-use, broken then replaced instead of repaired, convenience trumps all... but at what cost? Earth Day, founded in 1970, is a day where we have that annual reminder to encourage one another to support sustainability, environmental protection and do more
Cub Scouts learn to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle but do we know what that really means?
Reduce -- use less. Buy reusable items so that your trash output is reduced.
Reuse -- find ways to repurpose what you have or let others reuse them -- donating old clothes is a great way to reuse things that still have lots of life in them
Recycle -- whenever possible, find ways to recycle everything you can.
Conservation is a big part of Scouting and what a better time to focus on that than on Earth Day!
In fact, Cub Scouts actually has a special award for dens going above and beyond to focus on that very thing -- The Cub Scout World Conservation Award. Wolves, Bears or Webelos have the opportunity to earn this additional award. Check out the requirements HERE.
See you guys TONIGHT for our first virtual Pack Meeting. Please be sure to check your e-mail for the log-in link and password.
Have your Scout ready with their Genius Kit Creation (click HERE for the info) so he can show how he has used everyday items in a repurposed manner to help reduce waste!
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