Bear

Bear Necessities

Meeting #3

Back to Meeting #2

PREPARATION AND MATERIALS NEEDED

• Camping gear from lists (Personal and Group)

• Food for cooking meals

• Thermometer and homemade barometer

• Rope—a 6-foot piece for each Scout

• Plan for transportation to and from camp location.

• Confirm that transportation to and from the event is in place. Secure signed activity consent forms.

• The unit den leader should bring a copy of the Guide to Safe Scouting.

GATHERING:

Remind the Scouts of the slogan, “Take only memories, leave only footprints,” and the adage that Scouts always leave a campsite better than they found it. Bear Scouts focus on the Outdoor Code principle of “Be considerate in the outdoors.” Discuss ways that they can demonstrate that principle when they are at a campsite. Point out to them the things that previous campers may have left behind and remind them that if we leave it here also, other campers will think it was ours. So let’s clean up!

OPENING

• Say the Pledge of Allegiance and the Scout Oath and Scout Law. If the den does not have a United States flag, ask one Scout to display the flag on their uniform for the group.

• Go over the activities planned for the outing.

• Share the time that the dinner preparation will begin.

• Share the time the campfire will begin.

TALK TIME

• Carry out business items for the den.

• Allow time for sharing among Cub Scouts.

◆Activity 1: Set Up Camp (Requirement 4)

The Scouts should be putting up their own tents with minimal help from adults. They should be able to explain why they are putting their tent in this specific location based on site considerations. Have them lay out the tent on the ground where they think it should go. Then, before completely pitching it, have them review the location with an adult.

◆ Activity 2: Prepare and Cook Your Meal (optional for the Cub Scouts to be involved)

• Prepare and cook your meal. Try to let every Scout have a hand in preparing and cooking the food, if possible. If you have a large group, divide the tasks so that some will do the cooking for one meal and cleanup for the next, or vice versa. You need to be sure all Scouts have a practical hand in the project and learn something from it. This might be a good time to discuss how a Scout is clean. Remind them of the importance of washing hands before preparing food to avoid spreading germs. Be sure everyone helps clean the utensils used to cook and eat the meal. Be sure all trash and food scraps are disposed of properly.

Be sure to have the Scouts help with at least one other meal so they can improve on the skills they learned and add to their cooking knowledge.

◆Activity 3: Two Half Hitches (Requirement 5)

• Have the Scouts demonstrate how to tie two half hitches to secure a rope to a post, rail, or tree. Have them teach the knot to another Scout. Scouts can find instructions for the knot in the Bear Handbook.

◆Activity 4: Thermometer and Barometer (Requirement 6)

• Set up the thermometer and homemade barometer from Meeting 1. Have the Scouts observe the readings at several times during the day. Does the weather appear to be changing? Use the barometer you constructed as a model for Scouts to follow as they construct their own barometers.

◆Activity 5: Games (Optional)

• Play “500” or any other game.

◆Activity 6: Campfire (Optional)

• Prepare s’mores, Dutch oven cobbler, or another treat around the campfire. Enjoy the campout!

CLOSING

• The closing for this plan may be part of the ending of the campfire, or maybe the morning after camping out. It should be inspirational and ideally reference the outdoors.

A Walk with Nature

John Muir was a naturalist, writer, conservationist, and founder of the Sierra Club. He said “In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.”

I ask you, what did you seek when you arrived at this outing? Did you find it, experience it? Now think for a moment about what else you have experienced in our time outdoors. (Pause). Let us travel safely from this place, back to our homes, in hopes that we may soon walk again with Nature.

AFTER THE MEETING

• Record completion of requirements 1, 4, and 5.

• Work together to clean up the campsite.

• Send thank-you notes to those who helped.

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