A Night to Remember...(2-22-08)

The Blue and Gold Banquet was a complete success.

The guys really put their best feet forward.
There was plenty of food, plenty of awards and plenty of laughs thanks to the skits put on by both dens.

Take a look!

The Sunnyside Gym was a great venue for the banquet.
We had a great parental turnout, too!







After dinner came the entertainment.
Our guys were great on stage, if I do say so myself!











Our Den performed the "J.C. Penney" skit.
I think we'll start doing more of these. The boys really ate the whole acting experience up!






There were plenty of awards that went out for both dens.
But as usual, advancements are King! Here's our very own J.W. being inducted into the Order of the Wolf,









Don't forget the proud papa!








Finally, one of the West Village Cubs had the honor of receiving the Arrow of Light award. This was a great Cub milestone, so he deserves an honorable mention. Congratulations!






In the end, all the boys and their families had a great time and enjoyed the fellowship that comes with scouting. But now the bar's been raised and it's up to us to make next year's Blue and Gold better than ever!

Blue & Gold Banquet!!!

Hello to all!

Our annual Blue & Gold Banquet is scheduled for this Friday (02-22-08) at 6:00 pm.
We'll be meeting at the LDS 3rd Stake Building on Sunnyside Drive in between Sunnyside Park and University West Village. (Call me if you need more details on directions.)

All families and friends of Pack 4684 are invited to attend in celebration of Cub Scouting. This year's theme is "Fun in the Sun." (Time to break out those summer clothes!)

Dinner will be provided. However, the planning committee has assigned our Den with providing potato chips for the meal. That being the case, I ask that each scout family bring a big bag of chips to donate to the meal effort.

ALSO... Our Den is scheduled to perform a skit for the party, so I ask that all our Cubs be at the building no later than 5:30 pm so we can rehearse and help the Cubmaster set up.



Let's do our part to make this the best Blue & Gold Banquet ever!!!

Into the Wild Blue Yonder!!! (02-16 08)

Wow. What a trip.

This past weekend, the Den family traveled to the Hill Air Force Base Aerospace Museum in Roy, Utah.
It was an awesome trip. The boys got to immerse themselves in the rich history of American / Utah aviation and I got to watch my guys daydream about being ace pilots or paratroopers.
It was a very uplifting experience.

And sure, the Den leadership did a lot of the trip planning.
But this trip could not have been possible without some dedicated parents and friends of our Den. I'd like to offer my thanks to those individuals that hauled us North.
(...along with my apologies to all the Den parents for underestimating our time of return. Yeah, I kinda blew that one.)

Anyhow, onto the pics!!!

It took about 45 minutes for us to get to the base.
Here's a photo of the group just before entering the museum.







Once inside, the boys took in the wonderful exhibits.
M.S. didn't waist any time getting started.










The B-17 Flying Fortress was a big hit.
How did the belly gunner fit in that tight little ball?







The B-25 got the boys talking about Doolittle's Raiders and what it meant to be brave.







There were plenty of TV's in the museum providing extra information for visitors.
They were also a great place to take a break, too!






Inside the fighter hangar, the guys stopped off at the educational center for a little more hands-on experience.







D.S. and S.W. got to sit in a real military flight simulator.








V.Z. tried on a genuine pilot's helmet.








J.W. and J.W. II tested their skills on a computer flight simulator.








And even the ADL got a free lesson in physics.











Lunch time!
A Cub's favorite time of the day!







After grub, we took a tour of the aircraft park.
This was a real treat. We got to get up close to some great old planes.






Even with all the fighters, it was the big birds who were the MVP's.
It's just amazing to think that something that big can fly.







This was a plane close to my heart. I told the Cubs about my days in the Army Airborne and how many times I jumped out of a plane just like this one.






Like I said; what a trip.
I know there are plenty of other great photos I missed, so I'm calling on any of the adults who also snapped some pics to send them to the Den email so I can add them to this post!


That's all for now, folks. See you next Friday for the Blue and Gold Banquet!

Next Den Meeting

Hello to all!

Our next Den Meeting will be this Saturday, February 2nd at 10:00 am.
The location will be at the LDS Church building on Wasatch Drive.

This meeting will be especially important for our LDS Cubs.
In keeping with the requirements of our sponsor, the ADL will be conducting a lesson on a Cub's "Faith in God." This is a very important step for an LDS Scout.
As such, the ADL has asked for at least one parent to attend this lecture with his or her son.
I hope this isn't too much of a request.

Our non-LDS Cubs should come as well!
We'll be working Achievement #11 (WHB p.94) until the LDS lesson is over.
Afterwards, we'll all come together to play games in the gym.

It's sure to be a lot of fun.
I hope to see everyone there.

Day Camp 2008!!!

***ANNOUNCEMENT***

The time has come. The time is now!
The Pack Leadership is looking to reserve our slots for Cub Scout Day Camp 2008.
(The dates have been set for June 20th and 21st.)

In the upcoming days, I will be contacting the Den Parents to inquire whether or not their son will be attending Day Camp.

We're on a tight schedule for reservations. So if you already know, please e-mail me immediately.
There are no costs for Cubs to attend.

This is a great opportunity, so be sure to take advantage of it!

Thanks!

Start Your Engines!!! (1-26-08)

This past Saturday, the Den got together for some creative crafts!
Using common household items, craft supplies and a little imagination, the boys made their very own Star Wars podracers. It was a really good time. We even got to sneak in some learning, too. While they were busy at work nurturing their creative wiggles, the guys were secretly fulfilling the requirements for their Art Belt Loop. Oh, how I love sneaking in a little learning now and then!

Take a look:


The Cubs really enjoyed the challenge of creating something from nothing.
In fact, the only required item for their racer were three little Hot Wheels which were used for rollers for the racer. Everything else was left entirely to their imagination.




Wouldn't you know it?
Once they were done, no two racers looked alike.










S.W. put a lot of detail into his engines by using egg carton bases for engine cowlings.










J.W. stabilized his racer with popsicle sticks to ensure straight and long-distance rolling.










His little brother, J.W. II, preferred a more compact model for better agility.







A.H. went for a wide solid engine to help clear obstacles from his path.







And C.L. put his trust in thrust by sporting two big-bore juice concentrate cans for engines.










M.D. made sure his racer has some fly decor with his monkey air spoiler.







D.S. thought out of the box, as usual. His racer endured one of the hardest test runs, even surviving a flight test! (Sort of...)







M.S. put a lot of work into his racer's cockpit, making sure the pilot had two ways to exit the pod and he also had a seat cushion for comfort!










Finally, V.Z. gave his pod vectored thrusters for increased maneuverability.










Even the Chief got in on the action!








Yes, the podracer building and testing was a real treat for the boys.
Unfortunately, our meeting had to end on a sad note.
This gathering turned out to be the last meeting for our good friend and fellow Cub, A.H.
He will be moving to Korea at the beginning of February.
We sent him off in good form, with treats, drinks and a gift to remember us by.










Thanks for all your hard work and dedication, A.H.
You'll be missed.

Pack Meeting 1-18-08

This past Friday, the pack got together for its monthly meeting.
It was great fun.
The boys got to practice their flag ceremony skills, learn about the Utah flag and we even inducted two new boys into the Order of the Wolf!

Take a look!
V.Z. and I got there early to help the Cubmaster set up for the meeting.
Well, I helped at least.










Here's our Pack Family.
Compare the pics from past meetings.
We're getting bigger!






Here's the West Village Den Leader schooling the guys on the Utah state flag.








And here's the Cubmaster guiding the boys through the folding of the US flag.






After all the instruction was complete, the Pack participated in their own flag ceremony to show what they've learned.








They did a terrific job!
And a few of our guys even got to check off the "Our Flag" requirement in the WHB!






Ok, back on task.

For our next meeting, we'll be working on an art project to earn our Art Belt Loop.
We'll be meeting this Saturday (1-26-08) at the LDS building on Wasatch Drive. Time will be 10 am.

Here's the cool part.
Using common household items and craft supplies, the Cubs are going to build and race their very own Star Wars Podracers!!!
All the supplies will be provided, but I do need each Cub to bring three Hot Wheels / Matchbox cars to give their racer some wheels to roll on. It should be a great creative experience!

I hope to see everyone there!