Webelos Den Weekly Update

Dear Webelos Den Parents:

Based on some of our upcoming activities, I wanted to give some advance notice for our den meetings, as we will have some adjustments to our normal routine.

5 February, 6:30 PM (Tuesday): Den Meeting at the King's house. We will complete our bridges and some of the remaining activities for the Engineering Activity Badge.

11 February, 6:30 PM (Monday). Visit to Boy Scout Troop 14. This will be our second visit to a Boy Scout troop. We will meet at the King's house at 6:40 and depart at 6:45 for our meeting with the members of Troop 14. I will, of course, drive--but a second driver would be helpful, to get all the boys there safely.

Boy Scout troops, like cub scout packs, all have a different "personality," even though they all make the same scouting program available. My hope is that visiting a number of troops will help you and your sons make an informed decision as to how to best continue the scouting experience.

A few words about Troop 14:

Troop 14 is sponsored by Baker Methodist Church in downtown St. Charles. Most of our Scouts came from Cub Scout Packs in St. Charles (Munhall 154 and Lincoln 113), but we also have boys from West Chicago and Elburn. Our Troop is relatively small (average ~20 Boy Scouts) and we are very active in our monthly camping, rank advancement and merit badge activities. We currently have 6 boys who are Life Scouts and we hope that each of them will become Eagle Scouts in 2008 or 2009. This is a great accomplishment for each of these young men.

[W]e would like to invite you to our Troop Meeting on Monday February 11^th. Attending the Troop Meeting will allow for you and your Cub Scouts to experience what it is like during our weekly Troop Meetings. All of our Troop Meetings are on Mondays from 7:00pm to ~8:15pm and are held in the basement of the Baker Methodist Church. During our Troop Meeting on February 11^th we will have informal meeting with the parents of the Cub Scouts to provide you with a better understanding of our Troop leadership and to answer any of your questions.

12 February, 3:15 PM (Tuesday). We will take a field trip to a construction site as part of our work on the Engineering Activity Badge. The school is located at the corner of Ketchum and Big Timber road in Hampshire (1/2 mile west of Route 20, on Big Timber Road). We will meet at the King's house and depart from there at 3:30 PM. As with the Monday visit, help with transportation is appreciated. In preparation for the visit, I received this from our host, Mr. Kerner, emphasizing the very serious nature of this visit:

My Disclaimer:

I must tell you this is an active job site and safety is the utmost concern. The Scouts must wear proper foot protection (no sandals) and need to be on their best behavior. We typically travel in a pack as we tour so different elements, systems and materials can be discussed. I don't mean to be harsh, but if there is any Scout who will not be able to behave, I would suggest they not take the tour.

While the boys' behavior is consistently good, please speak to them about this in advance: no running, no shoving, no inappropriate talking, etc. as safety is critical here.

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If you can help with transportation on either the 11th or 12th, please let me know.

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Please look for contact soon from Jane Siarny, regarding a pack swim event at the Norris Center on 16 February. Members of the Webelos Den will be able to work on the Aquanaut swimming award.

Best regards,

Ken

Webelos Den Weekly Update

Dear Den Parents:

Reminder that this week is our pack meeting (6:30 PM at Davis School)--a number of the boys will be demonstrating the catapults they constructed. We will conduct the opening ceremony. so a 6:25 PM arrival so that we can be in place at the start will serve us well.

Please note also that the floor plans of their house should be brought to the pack meeting as well, so that we can share those projects.

Next week, we will finish our bridges we started at a previous meeting .

Later this month, we will take an engineering-based field trip; I am presently making arrangements.

Thanks to all those who contributed to so well to the pinewood derby--feedback from a parent in another den (their family worked with a different pack last year) reported that our event was fast, fun, and really celebrated the boys' good work--and that it didn't take four hours to make it happen.

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Long range--we will plan on another den campout later this spring when the weather turns warmer. We went to Blackwell forest preserve last year--we can either return to Blackwell or locate a new camp site, depending on the scout's (and parents) preferences.

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Longer range: Please mark your calendars for 29 June - 2 July for our Webelos Resident Camp. I carried out their camp inspection over the last two years, and they have one of the better (fun, opportunities for fun and adventure) cub scout camping programs in the upper Midwest.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend--

Ken

Webelos Den Weekly Update: Week of 20 January

Dear Webelos Parents:

Our meeting this week will take place on Tuesday, 6:30 PM at Davis School. We will continue working on the engineering badge, and do further construction on our bridges, learn a little about pulleys, and have our usual sort of fun.

Please note the helper/treat list from before...and sent out via email.

Reminder also that the pinewood derby is this Saturday at Davis School. Hopefully you and your sons are all farther along on your cars than I am on Marshall's and Harrison's cars.

Best always,

Ken

Webelos Den Update (Week of January 13)

Dear Webelos Den Parents:

This week's activities:

Monday, 14 January. One of the program elements of Webelos is to make the transition into Boy Scouting. We've been invited by Troop 46 to attend a presentation their scouts are putting on for cold weather camping. For those who are planning to make the trip to MI, this will be very valuable, but as a good set of skills for general camping, it will be helpful to all the boys. This will serve as our "official" meeting for the week.

We will gather at the Davis School parking lot at 6:30 and depart by 6:40. Troop 46 meets at Grace Lutheran Church, 5N600 Hanson Road, in Lily Lake. I will have room for 6 cub scouts, so if someone would be willing to drive two more, we will be covered. The Boy Scout meeting runs from 7:00 until 8:30, but I assume that we will leave before the meeting is over, so we should be back at Davis School by 8:30.

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Tuesday, 15 January. Kane County Sheriff Tour.
We will leave from my house at 4:15 PM. As with the meeting on Monday, a driver with a minivan would help. I have four spaces committed already, so if you can take off early and help with transportation, that would be helpful.

The cubs scouts are welcome to gather at my house anytime after the end of the school day, but if they are heading home or to after-school care as normal, please help them get to my house by 4:00 for our departure at 4:15.

The tour should last approximately one hour, so we will be back at my house by 5:45. PM.

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I hope everyone is making good progress on their Pinewood Derby cars--the big race is on January 26.

Best,

Ken

Webelos Den Weekly Update -:- Meeting for January 8, 2008

Dear Webelos Parents:

Updates for this week's webelos den meeting on January 8.

Tuesday, January 8: Dem Meeting at King's house. We will continue working on our engineering badge.

For those who are considering taking part in the winter adventure in February, my request was to make a reservation for the nights of 21-22-23 February at

Days Inn Marquette
2403 US-41 West
Marquette, MI, 49855 US
Phone: 906-225-1393
Fax: 906-225-9845
E-Mail: daysinn@superioroasis.com

If you would let me know your decision on Tuesday, I will being making arrangements for the event, based on those who are able/willing/interested in taking part.

* * *

Monday, 14 January. One of the program elements of Webelos is to make the transition into Boy Scouting. We've been invited by Troop 46 to attend a presentation their scouts are putting on for cold weather camping. For those who are planning to make the trip to MI, this will be very valuable, but as a good set of skills for general camping, it will be helpful to all the boys. This will serve as our "official" meeting for the week.

Tuesday, 15 January. This is our usual meeting day, but Carolyn Shannon, a parent with the pack and community activist, has arranged for a visit to the Kane County Sheriff's office on the 15th, from 4:30 - 5:30. I will be happy to have the den come to my house after school for a snack and such, and we will need to depart for the Sheriff's office by 4:10.

Carolyn sent out an email on this, and all you need to do is confirm to her that you are attending. I will be able to transport some cub scouts (4 seats out of 6 are currently booked), so if you are available to move boys on that date, that would be helpful and appreciated.

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We had a nice experience with Operation Cubsicle yesterday, with real, actual, genuine snow on the ground.

Have a good week,

Ken