9/14/08

Hello Scouts,

Well the first pack meeting was a success and with that I would like to share a story that I found.  The article was written by Harvey Mackay and it has a great relation to the Cub Scouts and their leaders. Here is just a sample:

“The huge redwood trees in California are considered to be the tallest trees in the world. Some of them are 300 feet

high and more than 2,500 years old. One would think that trees so large would have a tremendous root system

reaching down hundreds of feet into the earth. Not true. The redwoods actually have a very shallow root system, but

they all intertwine. They don't stand alone, for all the trees support and protect each other. When the storms come or

the winds blow, the redwoods stand together.

There is strength in numbers.” 

As our pack continues to grow, we will be able to rely on each other, to help each other, and to support each other. That is what I have enjoyed most this past year. We had around 10 cubs when the blue and gold ceremony ended this past year, and things were not looking so great. But with the help of parents and our cubs we have grown this pack to over 20 and we are not stopping. This is great.  Here is another part of Harvey Mackays' column that I enjoyed.

 In a pulling contest at a county fair, the first place horse ended up moving a sled weighing 4,500 pounds. The second place finisher pulled 4,000 pounds. The owners of the two

horses decided to see what these horses could pull together. They hitched them up and found that the team could move 12,000 pounds.

By working separately, the two horses were good for only 8,500 pounds. However, when coupled together, their synergism produced an added 3,500 pounds!

We have great leaders in Pack 5. We have leaders who have very different personalities and very different talents. While the leaders have been able to provide a great scouting program for your sons, we could make the scouting program so much more by adding some new ideas and leadership. If you attend every pack meeting with your son, consider becoming a leader. We would love to hear what great ideas you would have for pack outings, or tapping into your talents at pack meetings. If anybody would love to see what we do behind the scenes come to a committee meeting. It’s not as bad as you think. ….

Paul Haupt

Cubmaster

9/8/08

8/31/08

Hello Scouts,

Just letting everybody know...they have a pinewood derby track set up at the fair and they would love for you to bring your pinewood derby cars there to show off to other kids...Paul and Andrew will be bringing theirs. Who wants a re-match........

Paul H.
Cubmaster

08/26/2008   

    So what does this have to do with being a leader.  As a leader we must not be afraid to not hand awards to boys who have not completed the task required for an award.  We must encourage them and coach them and direct them to complete the tasks required.  We must remind the parents to work on items at home because all cubs advance when the "Parents and Den Leaders" sign off the books.  As Cubmasters and Assistant Cubmasters we need to focus on safety and fun, not advancements, that is the "Parents and Den Leaders".  Not all boys will earn all awards and a den leader must keep focused on awarding to those who succeed, not to those who just show up and working with all to have the opportunity to succeed through failure.

Assistant Cubmaster Cubit

12/24/07

So what does Christmas mean to you?  It may mean many things to many different people, but what it means to Mr. Cubit is it is a time for reflection on the past years events, what is to come in the future and be thankful that I have my family, Diane, Conor and Ian.  My parents and my little sister.  I am thankful that I have wonderful friends like Floyd and Tracy, The Gould's, The Franklins, The Haupts, The Theopheles, The Maloney's, and of course all my cubs and boy scouts and leaders, past and present.  Scouting has helped me reinforce my beliefs in god and country.  So with that being said I would like to wish each and everyone a very, very merry Christmas and a safe New Year!

11/10/07

    It has been a while since I posted anything but I really had to today.  Today was our scouting for food collection day and at 1:00pm we met Troop 611 at the church to receive food.  We had possibly 12 boys come.  Two came well before our scheduled drop off time so I never got a count or weight of what they collected.  We will have to track who they were.  We did collect 397 items for a total weight of 254 lbs. of food.  It  was absolutely wonderful to see all the collections and everyone should feel proud of what was collected.  The church will be making baskets for Thanksgiving that will be going to local families in our community who are less fortunate or unable to get out to go pick up items.  This goes well this time of year especially for those who regularly attend the hot meals program at the church.  All though i may comment on scouting being a family activity or that it develops character of boys and young men to prepare them for life, it should be noted that a scouting core value is putting others needs above our own, to assist our communities and those less fortunate when needed.  The following is from the Boy Scout Handbook, Tenth Edition, Chapter 26, Boy Scouts of America.  I think this shows what is truly in the hearts of scouts around the world.

9/12/07

A new scouting year is upon us.  We have endured a hot summer, summer camps and no school!  Well back to school means back to regular scout meetings and I would ask that everyone please attend all the meetings you can.  Tonight we went over the new all cubs catapult competition at the Camporee this fall (Sept. 29th)  This is the first year that all cubs can participate and I think everyone will have a good time doing it.  Each den will need to build a catapult and bring it to the Camporee as this is a team competition.  Next meeting we need to have some scrap wood, nails, screws, tools to build the catapult.  I will have the instructions with me next meeting or you can view here. 

A look into the first Boys Brigade at Brown Sea Island, the birth place of Boy Scouts. June 1907.

It should be remembered that the camp on Brownsea Island was an experimental one; we must not expect to find there all the characteristics that now distinguish a Boy Scout camp from other types of camp. It is surprising, however, how many of the fully developed activities and methods are to be found in use at that first camp.

Brownsea Island is in Poole Harbor, about twenty miles west of the isle of Wight, off the south coast of England. The island is about a mile and a half in length and some three quarters of a mile wide. It is well wooded, with healthy clearings towards the center. An empty cottage on the shore is a landmark still for those who visit the site.

Baden Powell decided that he wanted a mixed company of boys to see how they would get on together; so he formed his party out of sons of his own friends and some boys selected by the Boy's Brigade officers of Poole and Bournemouth.

In a long letter to the parents of the boys he invited, Baden Powell described the scheme of training he proposed to follow at the camp: this was under the headings of Woodcraft, Observation, Discipline, Health and Endurance, Chivalry, Saving Life, and Patriotism. He gave the daily timetable with list of the personal equipment each boy would need.

News of the camp had gone about, and the newspapers were soon looking for copy, but Baden Powell put them off.

One newspaper did publish a description of the camp site, but the facts for this were gathered before the camp had really opened. A few of boys had arrived, and with Baden Powell and Major Maclaren were helping to pitch the tents. These were bell tents; this was the almost the only type available at that time and for some years to come. Scouting and the rising interest in camping helped to make the ridge tent know.

Each patrol had its own tent. The boys did not wear an uniform; some who came from public schools wore similar clothes. they did, however, have Patrol shoulder knots of colored wool: blue (Wolves), green ( Bulls), yellow (Curlews) and red (Ravens). Each Patrol Leader had a flag with the animal represented on it.

Each boy was given a brass fleur-de-lys badge which was fastened on to his coat; when he had passed a few tests ( knots, tracking, the Flag) he was given another brass badge to fasten below the first, a scroll with the words "Be Prepared" on it. Kaki scarves were also issued.

The daily program was as follows:

6:00 a.m. Turn out, air bedding, milk and biscuits
6:30 a.m. Exercises
7:00 a.m. Notices of day's activities with demonstrations
7:30 a.m. Clean camp
7:55 a.m. Parade. Flag break followed by Prayers. Breakfast
9:00 a.m. Scouting practices
12 noon Bathing
12:30 p.m. Lunch
1-2:15 p.m. Rest
2:30 p.m. Scouting practices
5:00 p.m. Tea
6:00 p.m. Camp games
7:15 p.m. Rub down and change
8:00 p.m. Supper
8:15 p.m. Campfire yarns. Short exercises ( breathing,etc.)
9:15 p.m. Prayers
9:30 p.m. Turn in. Lights out.


Baden Powell used the Koodoo horn (captured in Matabeland in 1896) to rouse the camp and for signals; several shorts notes meant "Rally"; a long call meant "Ready". This horn was sounded by Baden Powell at the opening of the Coming of Age Jamboree in 1929.

The exercises used morning and evening were simple ones rather on the lines of those given in Scouting for Boys.

Bathing included water games and the use of two boats.

The rest after lunch was strictly enforced.

The campfire yarns were mostly of Baden Powell's own adventures, many of them were incorporated in Scouting for Boys. No one recalls that they did any singing other than the Eengonyâma Zulu chant.

Baden Powell was very keen on getting the boys accustomed to night conditions; hence the night picket, when Baden Powell himself might try to get into the camp from outside the boundaries. One day he told the boys that he was going to "invade" the island and they were to stop him. As he passed under a big tree, a command "Halt" came from above, and there was Donald Baden Powell, who thus had the distinction of capturing his uncle. Baden Powell used this incident as a good example of the wisdom of looking up as well as around.

There were various competitions, some between the Patrols and some for an individual price. Thus a prize was given for the best collection of leaves of trees with their names. Another was given for observation tests. Many different practices and competitions in observation were carried out; indeed Baden Powell seems to have put most stress in the training on observation, tracking, stalking and similar forms of Scouting.

On a whole day each patrol went off on its own with uncooked rations, and had to look after itself, knowing that, at some time during the expedition, they would come under Baden Powell's observation. They had previously had practice in making fires and in making dampers. For this last job they had been taught to mix the dough on the insides of their jackets. This evidently appealed to them, for one of the survivors recalled that on his return home he started to do this, but had to stop owing to his mother's strong and understable objections!.

In some notes, Baden Powell said: " The troop of boys was divided up into "Patrols" of five, the senior boy in each being Patrol Leader. This organization was the secret of our success. Each patrol Leader was given full responsibility for the behavior of his Patrol at all times, in camp and in the field. The Patrol was the unit to work or play, and each patrol was camped in a separate spot. The boys were put "on their honour" to carry out orders. Responsibility and competitive rivalry were thus at once established, and a good standard of development was ensured throughout the Troop from day to day. The troop was trained progressively in the subjects of Scouting.......We found the best way of imparting theoretical instruction was to give it out in short installments with ample illustrative examples when sitting around the campfire or otherwise resting, and with demonstrations in the practice hour before breakfast.

The practice was then carried out in competitions and schemes.

Discipline was very satisfactory indeed. A "court of honor" was instituted to try any offenders against discipline, but it was never needed. In the first place the boys were put 'On their honor' to do their best; in the second place, the seniors boys were made responsible for the behavior of the boys forming their patrol. And this working perfectly well."

In his draft report he noted how easily boys of such contrasted social conditions had mixed. This experience impressed him deeply; out of it grew the basic idea of the fourth Scout Law.
 

5/7/07

Mr. Cubit, Mr. Terry, Mrs. Cubit, Mrs. Terry, Mr. Brisson, Mr. Gould, Mr. Maloney, Mr. Theopheles, Mr. Callahan, Mrs. Franklin, Mr. Yonkers, and I know I forgot some, but I hope you get the idea.  I have often said that scouting is not just a boys activity but a family activity.  Twin Rivers council has some of the best camps in the state and there is always a good time to be had including, Archery, Swimming, Arts and Crafts, hiking, games, slip 'n' slide as well activities like skits, campfires, songs and just being with your friends for a week.  I would really appreciate it if each of you could talk to your boys and see if they would like to attend at least day camp and if you can attend with them that would be a cost of $45.  Can't find daycare that cheap and the rewards of spending that time with your son(s) are "PRICELESS!"

4/13/07

Webelos 2

Conor

Alex

Wyatt

Brock

Brandon

2/10/07

Yours in scouting,

Cubmaster John