Pack Meeting Thursday, December 16

It's almost time for our December Pack Meeting!  Please turn in all achievements by Thu, Dec 9.  Also, if anyone has pictures of our Cub Scout activities, I would love to put them on the site.  (contact Sara Blaney)

On Earning the Rank of Eagle

Mike Rowe, an Eagle Scout and the star of cable TV show Dirty Jobs responded to a dad's request for help in convincing his son to finish scouting with only a year and half left to go. I thought you'd be interested in his reply:

Quote:

Kelby,

Your Dad asked me to drop you a line and say something inspirational that might persuade you to dig down deep and find the determination to make the rank of Eagle Scout. It's a reasonable request, from a father who obviously wants to see his son succeed. But here's the thing - The Eagle Award is not really meant for people who need to be dragged across the finish line. It's meant for a select few, and I have no idea if you have the guts to see it through.

Statistically, I suspect you do not. Only one out of a hundred Scouts make Eagle, so if you fail, there will be lots of other people with whom you can share excuses. Quitting now might disappoint your Dad, but I doubt that he or anyone else will be overly surprised. Anytime 99 out of 100 people do the same thing, it's not exactly a shock. 

I'm not trying to be cute with a bunch of reverse psychology. When I was 15, there was nothing that anyone could have said to me that would have inspired me to do something I didn't want to do, especially a stranger with a TV show. So I'm not going to assume you're any different, or pretend that I have some influence or insight that you haven't already heard from a dozen other people who actually know and care about you. I'll just tell you straight up, that doing something extraordinary can be very lonely, and most people simply aren't cut out for it. Being an Eagle Scout requires you to be different than most everyone around you, and being different is really, really hard. That's why the award is called "an accomplishment."

Personally, and for whatever it's worth, the best decisions I've made in my own life, are those decisions that put me on the outside of being cool. Singing in the Opera, working in home shopping, starring in the school play when the entire football team laughed at me, and especially earning my Eagle, were all choices that required sacrifice, hard work, and delayed gratification. I have no idea if you possess those qualities, or even envy them. But I can tell you for certain, that NOT getting your Eagle, will be one of the easiest things you've ever done.

Whatever you decide to do Kelby, it's important to remember that the decision is yours. Not your Dad's, not your friend's, and not your Scoutmaster's. And you'll own that decision for the rest of your life.
Good Luck,            Mike Rowe

October Achievements

Great Job, Cub Scouts!

The following awards were presented at the October Pack Meeting:

Wolves:

Jack - Wolf Badge, Gold Arrow

Robert - Wolf Badge, Gold Arrow, Silver Arrow

Bears:

Eli - Bear Badge

Webelos:

Hayden - Traveler Pin
Warren - Traveler Pin
Samuel - Traveler Pin
Richard - Traveler Pin
Matthew - Traveler Pin, Fitness Pin

Duke - Traveler Pin, Outdoor Activity Award

*Although the main badge that the boys work all year for is their rank badge
(Wolf, Bear, Webelos), there are many other awards available. 
If you would like to work on some of these at home, here is a good reference site:  http://usscouts.org/awards.asp (scroll down to Cub Scout Awards) or here:  http://www.boyscouttrail.com/awards.asp (click on boy's rank)
We will present these at a pack meeting, however, due to budget limitations, families
will have to purchase these extra awards on their own (usually less than $2 each).

Pack Meeting this Thursday, Oct 28

Here are the assignments for Oct 28 Pack Meeting (your cub scout received a note abt 2 weeks ago):

Theme:  Citizenship

Wolves:

Set-up/Greeters (arrive 10 min. early)

Perform a skit on Service/“Good turn”                                            (Faith in God – Developing Talents)

Home Assignment –       2a - meaning of Pledge of Allegiance                      

Bears:

Opening ceremony

Home Assignment –       3b - 2 famous Americans and how they improve our lives

                                                3j - people who serve our country (including “normal” people)

Webelos:

Refreshments

Home Assignment -       

Citizenship 8 – Make a poster showing things you can do to be a good citizen

12 - Tell about a boy that you think is a good citizen and why

13 - Tell about 3 people that you think are good citizens and why

Attention: Leaders, Committee Members, Parents!

We are preparing to recharter the packs for next year.  We must have proof of YPT (Youth Protection Training) and a background check for all adults involved with the pack.  Parents who plan to attend field trips must also take this course and turn in the background check.

1.  YPT - Go to: https://myscouting.scouting.org/_layouts/MyScouting/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2f_layouts%2fAuthenticate.aspx%3fSource%3d%252f&Source=%2f

Login or register.  (I know some of you have had trouble.  If you cannot get in call or email Rod or Sara)
Go to E-learning under Training.
Take the Youth Protection Training course (or click View Certificate).  Training is good for 2 years.
Print Certificate (or copy/paste into an email)

2.  Background Check - Go to:  https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/DPS_WEB/SorNew/PublicSite/Search/index.aspx?PageIndex=Search&SearchType=Name

Type in your info.
Hit SEARCH.
Print the page.

3.  Turn these in to one of the following: 
Rod or Kim Morrow, Austin or Sara Blaney, Lani Koskie

Calendar Change!

This Thursday, Oct 21 at 6:45 we will meet at the VFW Hall (by Candy Cane Park) to work on outdoor flag ceremonies.  We will finish by 8:00 as usual.
 
Directions to VFW/Candy Cane Park:  (Park in VFW parking lot)
From 105 & 45: Take the feeder street North past Outback Steakhouse, past Heritage Museum; Turn right on W. Semands Ave.; Look for the VFW almost immediately on the right.
From the Church bldg:  Take Wilson Rd. East across 45; Turn right on Robin Hood Dr.; Go straight until VFW is directly ahead (across W. Semands Ave).

September Achievements

Congratulations!

Our Cub Scouts received quite a few awards at the September Pack Meeting! 
Keep it up guys!

Wolves:

Jack - Bobcat Badge

Baxter - Wolf Badge, 3 Arrow Points,

3 Year of Celebration Ribbons

Bears:

Devyn Sidhu - Bobcat Badge, Wolf Badge

Webelos:

Hayden - Bear Badge

Samuel - Bobcat Badge, Bear Badge

Richard - Bobcat Badge, Bear Badge, Whittling Chip

Matthew - Forester Pin

Duke - Webelos Pins: Fitness, Forester, Handyman,

Naturalist, Outdoorsman, Readyman, Scholar,

Sportsman; 2 Year of Celebration Ribbons

* Remember, you can work on your achievements

at home as well as in den meetings.  

Also note that rank badges (Wolf, Bear, Webelos) have to be

earned before a boy's next birthday in order to receive it.