Staying Safe, Pt. II...9-29-07

This Saturday's Den Meeting was very informative.
The boys in attendance checked off Achievement #9 and learned some very important lessons on Fire, Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety.

I'd like to thank all the Parents, Scouts and Staff who endured the stinky weather to help make the meeting happen. We couldn't have done it without you.

Details for the next Den meeting are coming soon.

Next Den Meeting

Our next Den Meeting will be this Saturday, September 29th at 10 am.
The location will be the LDS Ward on Wasatch Drive.

The topic for our next meeting will be Achievement #9, "Be Safe at Home and on the Street." Take a look at your Wolf Handbook to know what to expect! (pp. 82-87)
I hope to see you all there.

Please e-mail me if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Thanks!

9-21-07 Pack Meeting

This month's Pack meeting was one to remember.
Our Color Guard did great, the activities were informative and fun, and our Den received a ton of awards!


Here are our guys, standing tall, looking good and ready to go!
I was very proud. They remembered all their cues from rehearsal.

(Wait, aren't they backwards? Yeah, that was a small error on my part. Sorry.)





Once they posted the Colors, the Orator (J.W.) led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.







After the Opening Ceremonies, the Pack mantle of Cubmaster was handed off to one of our Den fathers, D.L.

The Pack family gave him a very warm welcome.





This meeting's project and activity was conducted by the West Village Den leadership.
They did a great job.

We made a bird caller out of a block of wood and an eyescrew.







Everybody got a big kick out of that.
Once we were finished building them, we enjoyed a group bird call.







The activity of the night was a game of "Lava Crossing."








The boys had to use teamwork, balance and quick reflexes to make it across.







Here they are, guarding their precious footpads from getting snatched by a leader.







After the activity, it was time for awards!
D.S. (1st on the left) earned the Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award along with the Immediate Recognition Placard with one bead.









S.W. also earned the CSOAA and IR Placard.








C.L. received the CSOAA for participating in the Den's outdoor activities.







So did V.Z., who got a IR bead along with his CSOAA.








The MVP for the night however, was A.H.
Along with the CSOAA and an IR Placard, our Den Bannerman met the requirements for his Bobcat Badge!

His Mom was so proud!




Sadly, leaders aren't allowed to wear the CSOAA in the proper place. But considering how much the Chief has helped us with our requirements, I thought he deserved some recognition.





Wait a minute? Where's J.W.'s pics? Unfortunately, my photographer at the time left the lens cap on when he snapped his award images. So to the proud W. Parents, please accept my sincerest apologies. I'll get him next time. Honest!

After the awards section was complete, the Color Guard retired the Colors and the meeting came to an end.










On to the refreshments!

I'm really happy for our Cubs this month.
Keep up the good work, guys.




Before I forget, there were two Cubs who didn't get an award because they were absent from the Pack meeting. Scouts M.D. and M.G.P., each of you have a patch coming to recognize all your effort! E-mail me for details.

Gathering the Pack...

***ANNOUNCEMENT***

Hear ye, hear ye!
The next Pack Meeting will be held this Friday (9-21-07) at 6:30pm.
We will be meeting at the LDS ward on Wasatch Drive.

It's sure to be a great event.
Our Den will be presenting the colors, several of our Cubs are lined up for awards and we'll be meeting the new Cubmaster!
The excitement is almost too much to contain!
I hope to see all of you there.

Playing it Safe at Home...(9-15-07)

The 9/15 Den meeting was a busy one!

Our first order of business was the selection of a Color Guard.
It took a little bit of haggling and encouragement. But once we were done, the final detail assignments were:
J.W. - Orator
C.L. - US Flag Bearer
A.H. - Den Flag Bearer
D.S. - Escort
S.W. - Escort
We rehearsed the ceremony a couple of times to let the boys get a feel for the actions.
At first, they were a little nervous and uncoordinated. But by the last run-through, the Cubs were acting like old pro's. Why aren't there any pictures of them? Because I want you parents to attend the Pack Meeting this Friday to see them in action yourself!

After rehearsal, the Cubs divided up between myself and the Assistant Den Leader to complete Achievement #4 (p. 60, WHB). We talked about how to be prepared and safe at home along with how to help their parents keep the household running smooth.
(That means they're trained and ready to go, Parents. Feel free to put them to work! ;-)

As the boys listened to their lessons, the Chief went around snapping photos.
Take a look!

Lecturing to Eight-Year-Olds can be like herding cats sometimes.
But not our guys. Even through their usual rambunctiousness, the Cubs settled down when it came time to work.






Here's a group listening to the A.D.L. talk about household chores and other responsibilities in the home.







My lessons focused on making a list of important phone numbers and dealing with strangers that call on the phone or even worse...knock on the door and try to come in.






Thankfully, they were all ears.








Well, most of the time anyway.








Once the classes were finally over, the boys turned up the juice and went back to their wacky selves.



I didn't mind. They earned a little time to fool around. ;-)











Thanks a bunch for working hard and paying attention, guys. Well done!

Our next meet-up will be the Pack Meeting this Friday at 6:30pm. (I'll double check to be sure!)
I've got a ton of awards to give out, so come see our boys put their best face forward.

See you then!


Before I forget!!!
For those of you keeping track at home, I've made a list of the Wolf Handbook checkpoints covered by last week's Day Hike:
Requirement #10c (p. 91)
Elective #15e (p. 187)
Elective #18b, g (pp. 196 and 199)
Elective #23b, c, d (pp. 223 and 224)

That's all folks. Please e-mail me if you have any questions. Thanks a bunch!

Changes to Our Next Meeting!!!

***ANNOUNCEMENT***

The Cubmaster has asked our Den to perform the Flag Ceremony at the Pack Meeting! (This will cover Wolf Achievement #2, for those of you who don't have it!)

Because we've got to practice so we can be ready, we need access to the US Flag.

That being the case, I'm moving the location of Saturday's Den Meeting to the LDS Ward building on Wasatch Drive. Once there we'll select our color guard, practice the ceremony a couple of times and then talk about Wolf Achievement #4, Knowing Our Home and Community.

So just to make sure:

Our next Den Meeting will be this Saturday, September 15th at 10 am.
The location will be the LDS Ward on Wasatch Drive.

I hope to see you all there.

Please e-mail me if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Thanks!

Hiking the Butte! 9-8-07

Today's hike went off spectacularly!
The weather was perfect and our timing couldn't have been better. Not a mosquito in sight and plenty of cool shade all the way to the Garden.

Today was also the first day for some new members. Specifically, the Den is eager to welcome a new scout to the fold along with L.W. (J.W.'s dad) as the new Assistant Den Leader.

Take a look!
Up bright and early for an opening prayer, a safety briefing and a picture at the trailhead. The boys were eager to get on the road.







The first stretch of the hike took us up Red Butte Canyon Road. Here's the ever-diligent A.H., toting the Den Colors and keeping up the Cub Scout Spirit!






At the end of the gravel road, the group took a short break to prepare for their ascent up Red Butte. We talked about how the canyon was formed along with the types of critters that might live there.

Here's S.W. and Mama S.W. getting ready for the big climb.



The new Assistant Den Leader really took well to his new position. Here he is with his boy, J.W., ready to continue the hike.








After the break, the boys tackled the long climb up the butte. Thar' she blows in the background.

This was the hardest part of the hike. The Cubs hunkered down and climbed...







...and climbed...











...and climbed some more...








...until we finally got to "Lunch Rock" where we stopped for the meal break!

The Cubs were relieved and triumphant at their accomplishment !





Even the Cubmaster was ready for a break!








Spirits were high after the boys had some food in their bellies. Once they had time to let their feet recuperate, it was on to the Garden!






We entered the Garden through a deer gate in the back-country fence. Getting past it was easy 'cause we worked together!







The trail inside the Garden was thicker and bushier than hike up the Butte.

Watch out for those jutting roots, guys!








The trail wound down the hill like a snake, switching back and forth.

It made for some really tricky terrain, but it also gave us great opportunities for pictures like this one!




All of the sudden, the trail cleared up and spanned the steep incline along the hill.

Oh yeah, that's our new scout keeping terrific pace with the Den vets!




I know I don't have to say it, but the view was awesome!








We took our last break at a lonely little park bench with a beautiful overlook.






Here we are on the home stretch. From here the path brought us to the arboretum proper, where we planned to splash around the Children's Garden and wash off the trail dust.







Sadly, the fountains were all off. :-(
But that didn't stop us from enjoying the Garden's beauty.







Among other things.

S.W. sure got a kick out of the play area.









While V.Z. enjoyed the lush greenery.











L.W. and J.W. really dug the snake maze.








And what about the Chief?
Well, the Chief enjoyed the cool shade after a job well done.










Everyone was glad to be at the Garden. It served as the finish line for a really great adventure.

From here it was back to the trailhead and onward home.





What about me?

My favorite part of the hike was watching the group mesh together before my eyes and seeing the boys take care of each other. We've got a really great vibe going between the Cubs, the Parents and the Leaders. It's sure to carry us far and help the Den Family teach our guys how to live, learn and grow.

I want to thank everyone who helped plan and execute this hike. I could never have done this without your help. Thanks to all the parents who attended even though we met the adult minimum requirement.
And as always... Great job, Cubs.