Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Welcome New Scouts!
Welcome Nathan and Francis!
I'm sure you and your parents have a lot of questions about Scouting and are very excited to start this adventure! As your Den Leader, I will help you every step of the way.
Our den this year is the Wolf Den. That's right! You're a Wolf! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Get ready for a grrrrrrrrreat year!
Parents: Last year's den (1st graders) was Tigers and consisted of three boys (Hunter, Ian and Jay). We started halfway through the school year so we still have a couple of things to do for them to get their Tiger badges. For that reason, we may meet separately for the first couple of weeks. After all, we have different goals for right now. Last year's Tigers have to finish their badges but new members could benefit from a little bit of introduction to scouting.
So how about this? Next Tuesday, September 28, new guys Nathan and Francis will come to the church for our regular meeting at 6 p.m. This meeting will be optional for the other boys. After a couple of meetings, we will come together as a group for the rest of the year as Wolves. This way, new folks will get a chance to get familiar with Scouting and have their questions answered.
I will email you all a link to click on whenever I update this site. That will keep you informed as things develop. Note: you can scroll down to see older posts (especially newcomers - you will see some things we did last year).
In the meantime, please feel free to email me or call with any questions or concerns.
Our three most important things to do right now are:
1. Sell popcorn!
2. Come to the next meeting 6 p.m. Tuesday 9/28 at the church
3. Sell popcorn!
Also: if you know others who are interested in Scouts, encourage them to join. It's a great activity for our young ones and a lot of fun. See you soon!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
This Year's Outlook
Great news! John has done a lot of work to prepare for an exciting year of Cub Scouts including:
*Summer training to help him with his role as pack leader
*New rules to ensure that parents participate more and all leaders are good role models for our boys
*More thorough planning to make sure the kids are on task and have fun
*We're now hooked up with the Elks who are going to provide us with a place for cookouts, get-togethers, bonfires, ceremonies, fundraisers, etc. And it's right in town!!!
Yesterday's recruitment drive brought in 25 potential new members to the pack!
A popcorn fundraiser (his son earned over $700 in one day!)
A brief, targeted training for parents and leaders
A 6 p.m. start time for meetings at the church (Tuesdays)
He has a key to the church so we won't have to rely on anyone else to let us in
We will have a ceremony soon to recognize last year's badge recipients (including us - see below)
We only have two things left to do for the guys to get their Bear badges: A visit to the TV station on Main Street; a hike in the woods. John assured me that, after we get those two things done, he will sign off on the boys' badges.
As I mentioned before, we can do the hike at a scenic location about twenty minutes away or right here in town behind the college. Either one will work. And then we're all set!
At that point we will be able to start fresh with a great new year of Scouting. It's time for the Wolves!!!
Next meeting: Tuesday 6 p.m. at the church. We will register for the year and get started. See you there!
*Summer training to help him with his role as pack leader
*New rules to ensure that parents participate more and all leaders are good role models for our boys
*More thorough planning to make sure the kids are on task and have fun
*We're now hooked up with the Elks who are going to provide us with a place for cookouts, get-togethers, bonfires, ceremonies, fundraisers, etc. And it's right in town!!!
Yesterday's recruitment drive brought in 25 potential new members to the pack!
A popcorn fundraiser (his son earned over $700 in one day!)
A brief, targeted training for parents and leaders
A 6 p.m. start time for meetings at the church (Tuesdays)
He has a key to the church so we won't have to rely on anyone else to let us in
We will have a ceremony soon to recognize last year's badge recipients (including us - see below)
We only have two things left to do for the guys to get their Bear badges: A visit to the TV station on Main Street; a hike in the woods. John assured me that, after we get those two things done, he will sign off on the boys' badges.
As I mentioned before, we can do the hike at a scenic location about twenty minutes away or right here in town behind the college. Either one will work. And then we're all set!
At that point we will be able to start fresh with a great new year of Scouting. It's time for the Wolves!!!
Next meeting: Tuesday 6 p.m. at the church. We will register for the year and get started. See you there!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Fire Station Tour!
Our next meeting is Tuesday night at 6:30.
We will meet at the church, then go to the Fire Station. It might be a bit of a late night!
See you there.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Race Day!
Welcome to the 2010 Pinewood Derby!
Thousands of boys all across the country, starting with a mere block of pine, have fashioned aerodynamic, supersonic, race-frantic, mega-fantastic speedsters!
After several weeks of preparation and fine tuning, our troop's big day has come and anticipation is in the air!
Today's racers are staged in their lanes and ready for action! They've all passed tech inspection for dimensions and weight requirements.
Each entrant's name and assigned lane has been put into the computer program. Cars will race in heats of four, using a different lane each time. The electronic eyes at the start and finish will record cars' times to the thousandth of a second. Times will be averaged and the fastest average will be the winner!
The track is set, the cars and crews are ready... Let's go!
Aligning the car correctly at the start is the key to success. Here, Ian sets up for a fast run.
Race Director, Scott, oversees the start positions. Troop Leader, John, looks on.
The boys wait hopefully at the finish.
There were no malfunctions or crashes during the race. Everyone's car ran well.
The results are in..... Ian took second place!
Ian and Pit Crew Chief are proud of their accomplishment. It's been a team effort all the way!
The top three finishers in the troop have qualified for the District Race, to be held in the near future. A top three finish in that race will mean going on to the U.S Regionals, then to the U.S. National Competition. Who knows what is in store for the number 18 car?
Right now, though, it's time to savor the victory and celebrate the day! Well done, Ian and all our troop brothers!
Many thanks to Scott, John, and supporters who made the race possible. We appreciate all you do!
Thousands of boys all across the country, starting with a mere block of pine, have fashioned aerodynamic, supersonic, race-frantic, mega-fantastic speedsters!
After several weeks of preparation and fine tuning, our troop's big day has come and anticipation is in the air!
Today's racers are staged in their lanes and ready for action! They've all passed tech inspection for dimensions and weight requirements.
Each entrant's name and assigned lane has been put into the computer program. Cars will race in heats of four, using a different lane each time. The electronic eyes at the start and finish will record cars' times to the thousandth of a second. Times will be averaged and the fastest average will be the winner!
The track is set, the cars and crews are ready... Let's go!
Aligning the car correctly at the start is the key to success. Here, Ian sets up for a fast run.
Race Director, Scott, oversees the start positions. Troop Leader, John, looks on.
The boys wait hopefully at the finish.
There were no malfunctions or crashes during the race. Everyone's car ran well.
The results are in..... Ian took second place!
Ian and Pit Crew Chief are proud of their accomplishment. It's been a team effort all the way!
The top three finishers in the troop have qualified for the District Race, to be held in the near future. A top three finish in that race will mean going on to the U.S Regionals, then to the U.S. National Competition. Who knows what is in store for the number 18 car?
Right now, though, it's time to savor the victory and celebrate the day! Well done, Ian and all our troop brothers!
Many thanks to Scott, John, and supporters who made the race possible. We appreciate all you do!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Practice!
The boys got a chance to test their cars at our Pack Meeting. We set them up on the track and fine tuned our starts (critical to minimizing drag on the track channel).
As the pictures show, it was a lot of fun!
Can't wait for race day!
Our derby is Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at the Community Center.
See you there!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Derby Car Workshop
Today Scott helped the boys get a great start on their cars at his home workshop. The shapes were cut out, sanded, and even painted. He showed us ways to improve wheels and axles and to add weight as needed to reach our 5 oz. target.
We also got a chance to see finished racers in action on the track. The tips he gave us for setting up for the heats will help us on race day.
Thanks, Scott! You're very generous!
Ian using a rasp to shape his car.
The boys and their dads working together.
Finished Derby cars from years past.
Here's a link for steps to building a winning car. It's pretty involved but, if you're interested, have at it.
Good luck to all!
Next event: Tuesday night at 6:30 at the church is our next den meeting. I think we should split our time between test racing the Derby cars downstairs and doing the den activity for achievement 1. This is called "1D" in the Cub Scout Handbook. Check out p. 40-41 for what to bring. See you there!
We also got a chance to see finished racers in action on the track. The tips he gave us for setting up for the heats will help us on race day.
Thanks, Scott! You're very generous!
Ian using a rasp to shape his car.
The boys and their dads working together.
Finished Derby cars from years past.Here's a link for steps to building a winning car. It's pretty involved but, if you're interested, have at it.
Good luck to all!
Next event: Tuesday night at 6:30 at the church is our next den meeting. I think we should split our time between test racing the Derby cars downstairs and doing the den activity for achievement 1. This is called "1D" in the Cub Scout Handbook. Check out p. 40-41 for what to bring. See you there!
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