Pack 89 Notes - January 16, 2018

Post date: Feb 09, 2018 9:54:13 PM

Pack 89 Families,

We are well on our way, even if it feels like the school year has barely been able to get restarted. Lots to go over so take a look below.

1) PWD Car Clinic (20 Jan) TOMORROW! 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Beech Grove. The second half of our Cub Scouting year brings with it the Pinewood Derby! If you have not experienced it before, you are in for a great time. If you have, what new designs, names, or paint schemes do you have for us this year! Can you go even faster? Our Pinewood Derby Car Clinics are designed to take the stress out of this great event. If you need access to power tools, car templates, specialty tools (the wheel spindles, car gauges, etc.) we will hook you up. Our Master Pit Mechanic and Pack Grandpa, Jerry Griswold, pulls his whole garage apart to help our boys design their cars, make their cuts, fine tune the wheels, and even get the weights situated. Boys, with parental supervision, will get to operate band saws, drill presses, belt, disk, and spindle sanders all to make their racer the fastest it can be. We will be selling cars ($5 per car) in the weeks before and will have more at the clinic and we’ll have plenty to experience there as well to answer any questions you may have. And yes there is an open family division as well, so siblings and the young at heart are welcome to participate. A copy of the rules is attached.

2) Den Meeting! (23 Jan) We’re on a roll, now. Keep it going.

3) Driver Ruritan Club Chicken Dinner! (27 Jan) The Driver Ruritan Club will be cooking chicken dinners again for its twice a year fundraiser on Saturday, January 27, 2018. For $8 you get half a chicken, two sides and a dinner role. You may eat-in or take out and the meals will be served between 11-5 pm. You must purchase a ticket in advance in order to purchase a meal. Our Blackbird patrol will be enjoying these meals at Klondike and are already accounted for in the totals. The proceeds from these chicken dinners funds camperships in Pack 89 and also support our local Boy Scout troop (Troop 16) and Girl Scout unit. If you want a night off from cooking this is the ticket! Tickets will be available at our Cub Scout meetings through January 23.

4) Klondike Derby! (27-28 Jan) New Info! MUSH!!! The Klondike Derby is almost upon us! The Blackbirds and Hawks will mush each other through the frozen wastes of Johnson’s Nursery and compete in knot-tying, fire building, map and compass work, wrist rockets, water rescue and a host of other events.

Details:

Ø Both dens need to arrive at Johnson’s between 8:00 - 8:15 am to prep their sleds and be ready for colors and the first station. No need to arrive any earlier. Parents do not necessarily need to run the events with their scouts, but we do need to you to be accessible in the event of an emergency – they are still Cub Scouts.

Ø Blackbirds, you’ll deposit your camping gear on site and go to the stations. You will set up camp later.

Ø Due to the grubby nature of this event, DO NOT wear your Class A uniforms. Blackbirds need to bring their Class A’s for Sunday’s Scout’s Own Service.

Ø The sleds are already equipped with the required gear, but you’ll need to load your lunches, water bottles, rain gear, and daypacks.

Ø Dress warm and in layers. Wear hats and gloves. Remember the Boy Scout Motto, Be Prepared!

Ø Go to as many stations as you can and compete. If you don’t know the skill, DO NOT WORRY, the guides will teach you. Be respectful – A Scout is Courteous.

Ø Bring a folding chair for lunch– no seats at Johnsons.

Ø Compete some more after lunch.

Ø Competition ends around 4:30 and evening colors is at 4:45. Hawks, you can leave at any time, but we’d love for you to make it to colors. You’re also invited to the campfire, but that won’t start until 8 pm. That might make the day too long for your scouts.

Ø Blackbirds – you will start cooking right after colors unless you have chosen to buy a chicken dinner from the Driver Ruritans. Those not cooking will set up their tents then relieve the cooks to do the same – hopefully most will be done as I expect you’ll be off the trail by 4 pm anyway .

Ø Now is a good time for any wet/dirty Blackbirds to change into some dry/clean clothes.

Ø Sunday we’ll make a good hot breakfast and go to the Scout’s Own church service.

Ø We should be home or at Driver Elementary School by 11 am. We’ll call when we leave Johnsons.

Ø Port-a-Potties will be on site!

Blackbirds and Parent Packing:

Ø The typical gear on the attached list. Most is the same as the first trip to Johnsons. Remember to tailor it for YOU!

Ø Warm clothes that can be layered – this is a rain or shine, hot or cold event and is not cancelled due to weather. In past years it was 30°F all day long and dropped to 14° at night. At present it does not look to be as cold for this year’s event, but, as Grandpa Jerry says, it is easier to take a layer off than to add one you didn’t bring…

Ø Hat, gloves, etc.

Ø Extra socks.

Ø One extra pair of shoes/sneakers.

Ø One extra pair of pants (the originals WILL get wet and muddy).

Ø Folding camp chair – there is nowhere else to sit at Johnsons but the ground.

Ø Sleeping bag – if you don’t have a true cold weather sleeping bag, get a “Walmart Special” fleece bag to put inside it. That adds about 10°F of added insulation.

Ø Ground pad or blanket to spread on the floor of your tent – you will lose a lot of heat to the ground if you don’t do this.

Ø Scouts will NOT need a mess kit since you will be using your chuck box. Parents, you’ll want to bring a plate, cup, and utensils so we don’t have to get paper products.

Ø Parents, you may want to bring a mug for coffee from Les’ world famous giant pot.

5) Den Meeting! (30 Jan) Where did the month go!?!

6) Scout Sunday (4 Feb) National Scout Sunday is Sunday, February 4^th. If you have a church, please be sure to wear your sharpest Class A uniform and be on your best behavior. Let your ministers know what the day is (I bet they do already) and show them A Scout is Reverent. If you can spare a Sunday away from your home church, I urge you to attend one of our other homes, Glebe Episcopal at 10:00 a.m. or Berea Christian at 11:00 a.m. Then Next Sunday (the 11^th) we’ll go to Beech Grove for the United Methodist Church Scout Sunday (9:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. services). This way we can show our host churches just how much we appreciate their support throughout the year.

7) Den Meeting! (6 Feb) Only three more meetings until Blue and Gold!

8) Pinewood Derby Car Clinic II! (10 Feb) NEW INFO! We had to move our second Pinewood Derby Clinic. Exact hours to be determined.

9) Methodist Church Scout Sunday (11 Feb) If you can spare a Sunday away from your home church, I urge you to attend Beech Grove United Methodist Church’s Scout Sunday (9:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. services). Beech Grove is our Charter Organization and is a great supporter of the Pack. Let’s show them how much we appreciate their support throughout the year. Sharpest Class A uniforms!