Den 7 Update: Septmeber 26 Den Meeting

Dear Den 7 Community:

All messages archieved at: http://pack108.blogspot.com/

This week the school is booked. We will meet at the King's house at 6:30 for an outdoor games/campfire themed den meeting on Tuesday, 26 Septmember.

Address:
1401 South Seventh Street
St. Charles, IL 60174
630.513.0494

Reminder to keep working on your animal project...we will display those at the Pack Meeting on Friday September 29.

Looking ahead for the next few weeks, Micky's family signed up for the treat for this meeting, and Peter's family for the following week. I will bring the updated treat/help list to the den meeting on Tuesday.

As I noted in one of the last messages, Mr. Mikleson has agreed to serve as an official assistant den leader, but with 13 boys (and his schedule for the fire department), having an extra adult is essential. My thanks in advance for your help.

When planning for treats, again note that we are at 13 boys now...a 30% increase over last year. If only my bank account did so well.

Best regards,

Ken

--
Ken King
1401 South Seventh Street
St. Charles, IL 60174
630.513.0494
http://faculty.roosevelt.edu/King/

http://faculty.nmu.edu/kenking/nmu/

Den 7 Updates: September 18

Dear Den 7 Community:

Reminders and updates, as usual.

1. Reminder that we will not meet tomorrow evening (Tuesday) in deference to having had our kickoff meeting this week.

2. We will meet again next week (Tuesday 26 September) at the usual time--6:30 PM.

3. The school was not available, so I will provide an alternative meeting location--I plan on having the location to you by Sunday afternoon.

4. Three new boys (Jeff, Josh, and Jack) attended the kickoff meeting and are interested in becoming cub scouts. We welcome them to our den community.

5. Hopefully this made it home via your son over one of the last weeks--in support of our "animal" theme this month, each cub scout needs to learn about an animal and bring a display to the pack meeting on the 29th. This will complete one of the advancement requirements for the Bear award.

Thanks to those of you who stepped up for a job with the pack for the coming year. Closer to "home," Cy has agreed to serve as assistant den leader--my thanks. If our den does go up to 13 boys (and it looks like it will), we will need three adults in attendance at all meetings to ensure a positive experience for everyone.

All messages preserved at: http://pack108.blogspot.com/

Best regards,

Ken

Den 7 Update...NO MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 19 (It's school curriculum night for grade 3)

Dear Den 7 Community:

Surprise, surprise--there is a curriculum night for grade 3 next Tuesday. It seems that I was the last to know about the change in dates. It also means the the community room has probably been scheduled "out from under us," so to speak. Result: NO DEN MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 19.

Since Monday 18 September is the parent/son meeting, I think we'll be OK if we take a pass on the meeting orignially planned for the 19th.

The den is responsible for a skit/song for the pack meeting...we practiced it this evening, and it seemed to go reasonably well. We should be able to pull it off at the pack meeting in a couple of weeks.

More soon--

Best regards,

Ken

September 11 Posts

Dear Den 7 Community:

Our Den Campout is scheduled for

5:00 PM, 27 October - 12:00 noon 28 October
Blackwell Forest Preserve Youth Camping Area
Site 1

Link to Blackwell Forest Preserve

1:1 ratio between youth and adults is required
all non-camping vistors must leave the campsite by 10:00 PM on Friday.

Each child-son pair will need to provided their own camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, etc.)

My suggestion is that we plan on having a series of activities planned and alternate them with "free" time that the cub scouts come up with.

My second suggestion is that everyone bring their own (bag) dinner on Friday and that we help the cub scouts prepare breakfast on Saturday morning.

I'll organize more as we get closers, but I wanted to get this on everyone's calendar before we get ourselves booked.

I'd like to have firm numbers of particpants 2 weeks before the campout.

Now...I really am going to get back to work.

Ken

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Dear Den 7 Community:

I wanted to pass on a "heads up" regarding the parent meeting scheduled for next Monday. (I came home from work an hour ago, and see that some blue flyers went out. This is good)

(1) Cub Scouts are invited. They will be playing Boy Scout-led games while the adults are meeting

(2) The intention is to have an orientation for new and continuing parents with the cub scout pack. I've worked this summer to produce some helpful parent orientation materials so everyone knows what they are getting into.

(3) Continuing parents--that's all of you, and me, too--will be approached to take on a job to support the pack's program, which is to say, our sons' program. I've been pushing to create numerous smallish jobs that any of us can take on, and add new people to a small committee to attend to these jobs. Things like the pinewood derby, the blue and gold banquet, coordinating popcorn sales, and such are ultimately the responsibility of the parents in the den. Most of the current pack leadership will be departing in February, as their children complete the cub scout part of scouting, and move onto boy scouting. We have an opportunity now to move ahead and move forward with what has already been started. A number of folks from the den (Bryan Ferry has consented to be the popcorn chairman, Jane Siarny has agreed to take work with the advancement committee) have already been approached and committed to a job with the pack. I just want you to be alert to the request that will be made of you, and want you to think about what you might be willing to do to support your son's experiences in cub scouting. I'm looking forward to continuing as a den leader--perhaps one of you would care to be officially anointed as the assistant den leader? Other opportunities:

* Community service coordinator?
* Outings coordinator?
* Day Camp Coordinator?
* Resident Camp Coordinator?
* Treasurer?
* Pack Secretary?
* Community Events Coordinator?

I'm here to help anyone who takes on a job meet with complete success in any of those jobs--and there is training (both in-person and written) to help cultivate success.

Thanks for reading...I try only to be long-winded in my teaching.

Time now for me to get back to work. Really.

For a better program for our sons,

Ken

Scouting Video from the World Organization of the Scout Movement

This is a great video...it really captures what Scouting--starting with Cub Scouts--is all about.

September Update

Dear Den 7 Community:

Update--our den meetings this month will take place on:

9/5--Tuesday (Davis School Gym) 6:30 - 7:30 PM
9/10--Sunday (Red Oak Forest Preserve, Batavia) 1:00 - 3:00 PM
9/12--Tuesday (Davis School Community Room) 6:30-7:30 PM
9/11--Monday (Davis School Community Room) PARENT MEETING (Per Dave and Chrissy)
9/19--Tuesday (Davis School Community Room) 6:30-7:30 PM
9/29--Friday (Davis School Community Room) PACK MEETING (Per Dave and Chrissy)

I'm looking forward to a good year. If you would be so kind as to respond by email to let me know you received this, I would appreciate it. Please call by Saturday--I will telephone Saturday evening/Sunday to make certain everyone is apprised of our program and schedule this year.

I will take care of treats for the first week.

I will also (I'm learning to be better organized) share a sign up sheet for treats and a helper for each week.

Please note above that the 9/10 meeting is a field trip to Red Oak Nature Center in Batavia. Please let me know if you can lend a hand with transportation--I can transport 5 in Tina's minivan.

Best regards,

Ken