Pack Planning Meeting, 3 August

Dear Pack Leaders, Parents, and anyone else on my mailing list:

Our pack planning meeting will take place on Sunday, August 3, 1:30 - 3:30 PM at the Colonial Cafe on W Rt. 38.

Scott and I are producing an agenda in preparation for the meeting. If you would be so kind as to confirm your participation, I will ensure that sufficient copies are available in advance.

Best always,

Ken

Pack Planning Meeting

Dear Pack Leaders:

Thanks for the replies. Based on feedback, the best date is the afternoon of August 3. If you could block out 1:30-3:30 on that day, I will come up with a location for us to meet.

Scott and I will compose an agenda in advance, but the goal for the meeting is to map out our pack's program for the coming year.

Some items to think about as we prepare for the meeting:

• Many boys are eager to become cub scouts because they have an interest in camping. I would advocate having a campout in the spring and in the fall each year.
• Related to camping, as a pack we have historically (since my involvement with the pack started three years ago, had minimal participation in council- and district-sponsored day camps and resident camps.
• Ideas to improve the pack meetings
• What are resources that you have access to, and how might your skills and interests be used to create an even better experience for the boys in the pack?

Big Events:

• Does it make sense to hold the Blue and Gold banquet on an evening during the week (as a normal pack meeting), or should we continue with the current approach?
• Brian Kerner has raised the implementation of the Pinewood Derby to an art form--we completed the event within 90 minutes. Would this be an event that could be scheduled during the week, as a pack meeting (this is probably a function of how set-up for the track goes). Or--given the success we experienced--should we keep things as they are?

I've emailed a schedule of assignments for the pack meetings. I made a few adjustments since the one I published last year:

• I've added a "treat" to the pack meeting, so that the meeting can close with a snack and a cup of punch
• I'm assuming that we will have two Tiger Dens this year. We have approximately ten boys who have expressed interest in joining the pack starting in September. Given that Tiger Dens normally acquire a few new boys as wolves the following year, it is easier to form two dens now, than to split a too-large den next year.

Coming up:

• Pack Swim event
• August event (I am organizing it, and putting the pieces together....expect a scavenger hunt type of event)
• Table at school registration time in August. Michele has managed this well in the past, and while I assume she will probably do this for the pack again, how can we help out?

Thanks, as always, for your interest in creating a great scouting experience for our sons.

Best always,

Ken

Webelos Camping and Activities -:- Fall 2008

Dear Webelos Parents:

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. I spent some time involved with some adult leader scouting experiences (National Camping School and a Cub Scout Leader training course at the national training center in New Mexico). The highlight, for me at least, was the Webelos Resident Camp experience at Camp Mak Ka Ja Wan. (Pictures are here: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=bkztcv79.brjs4iex&x=0&y=l09vdp&localeid=en_US )

I know that the Kampen boys are heading to Indian Mound Reservation later this week--I hope they have as good a time as we did during our time at camp.

I send this note to remind you that the 16th of July is the RSVP deadline to Michele Fata for participation in the Pack Swim on July 20.

I am still planning for an activity just for the Webelos Den later this summer, and will come back shortly with information in that regard.

Looking ahead to fall adventures, I would ask you to mark two dates at this point:

• September 26-27. Webelos Campout, sponsored by the local Fox Valley District
• October 23-26. Mammoth Cave adventure. Like the winter adventure, this would require missing a day of school, but we will do our best to make it educational. We will share this event with Webelos from Carmel, Indiana. Garrett Ferry, whom you will recall from his time with our den prior to his moving, is a member of the den in Carmel. Garrett and his dad were able to attend Webelos resident camp with us, which is where this idea germinated.

A note about our den meetings this fall: I will schedule our meetings for Tuesdays, as in the past, but we will meet on Mondays during some weeks as we visit various Boy Scout troops in the community. Part of our goal in Webelos is to make a transition to Boy Scouting, and we will look for opportunities to find a troop (or troops) that fit the interest and personality of the boys in our Webelos Den. In all cases, I will try to give notice as far in advance as possible.

Best always,

Ken

Pack Swim Event: -:- July 20

Date: Sunday July 20, 2008

Time: 12:30 p.m. - ?

Place: Hall Quarry Beach
Batavia, IL
Fee: $4.00/per person ages 4 & up.
We must have a minimum of 10 people to get this discount and payment must be paid up front.

If you have any questions you can contact me or go to the website www.bataviaparks.org


Please RSVP with your payment by July 16th.

Thanks,

Michele Fata
1011 Elm St.
630-587-8342
boyoboyoboy@sbcglobal.net