Pack Meeting :: Tuesday Night

Dear Pack 108 Parents:

Our first pack meeting for the 2008-2009 program year will take place in the Davis School Community Room on Tuesday, September 30.

Please arrive in time for a 6:30 PM start.

What is a pack meeting?
The monthly pack meeting brings together boys from every den, their leaders, and their families, to participate in a large-scale event that serves as a showcase for everything the boys have learned and done in their individual den meetings. The pack meeting gives the boys a larger experience beyond their own den, and helps them to connect their individual activities to the entire Cub Scouting program.

Cub Scouting is a family program. Pack meetings are for families—parents or guardians, brothers, sisters, and other family members—as well as all the Cub Scouts, den leaders, and pack leaders. Visitors from another pack, a boy scout troop, or a venturing crew may also be present.

The program consists of skits, songs, games, displays of projects the cub scouts have been working on, and of course, recognition of their accomplishments during the previous month.

You will note when you arrive that the chairs are arranged in a semi-circle. The cub scouts will sit in the first row by dens; family members will sit behind the cub scouts and cheer them on. I will do my best to keep the meeting moving, and hope to have you on your way home by 7:30 PM.

Pack 108 Information:
Please note that all messages are archived here.

Please note the calendar with upcoming events recorded here.

Upcoming events:
The popcorn sale is in full swing!

The pack's fall camp out is scheduled for next weekend, October 3-4.

I look forward to seeing you, your sons, and family members at the meeting on Tuesday.

Best always,

Ken

Webelos Den Updates: Den Meeting, Pack Meeting, Webelos Camp-O-Ree, Mammoth Cave Adventure

Dear Webelos Parents:

My messages grow longer and more detailed....find below some short-term and long-term information to get you ready for the next week and beyond.

This week:

• Our den meeting will take place EARLY again this week, due to Davis School being in use for a curriculum night. We will leave the Davis School parking lot at 5:30 and prepare a meal as part of our evening's activities. The Kampen family is helping with the meeting and the Komarek family is providing the treat. I'd suggest for a treat that it consist largely of bottled water (or cups, since water is available at the shelter) and fruit to finish off the meal that we will prepare. As with our previous outdoor meeting, we will meet at Duerr Forest Preserve, and drivers will drop the boys off at their respective homes, rather than returning to the Davis Parking lot.
  

I noted two weeks back that one of our scouts has adopted what he stated was a vegetarian lifestyle, and therefore was not interested in our cheeseburger pie. In the interest of full disclosure, our meal will be made in a dutch oven, a deep-dish, pizza-like concoction, with sausage and pepperoni in it. If anyone has a problem with that--based on anything from an aversion to sausage to a commitment to vegetarianism, I would encouraging a big snack before the meeting. :-)

• Webelos Camp-O-Ree at Camp Big Timber, September 26-27 : Sponsored by the Fox Valley District, there is a $14 fee for each participant (youth and accompanying adult) which covers program materials and food. I sent home information two weeks ago via hard copy, so hopefully you have had a chance to look at it. We had a great time with this last year, and look forward to repeating our fun. Payment is due to me by our den meeting this week, so that I can drop it off at the scout office by their deadline on Wednesday, September 24. Please note that checks should be made out to "Three Fires Council."

Please note among the materials that each scout and attending parent needs to complete a health history form.

I would encourage participation by parent-son pairs. Please arrive in time at Camp Big Timber to have your tent set up by the time the evening program starts at 8:00 PM. Camp Big Timber is located one mile west of the intersection of Randall Road and Big Timber Road in Elgin. The program runs through Saturday afternoon at 4:30.

Next week:

• We will have our first pack meeting next week at Davis School, with awards, recognitions, etc.
• Our first-ever all-pack campout will take place October 3-4 at Tomo-Chi-Ch-Knolls Forest Preserve. As this is a family campout, siblings are welcome and encouraged to attend. Mike and Michelle K. will ask for final commitments to attend at our September 30 pack meeting.

Long-range:

• 13-14 October: Troop 46 has invited our Webelos to an open house campout/campfire. More information is forthcoming, but they are hosting a weekend campout and inviting Webelos to attend to learn about their troop and the program they offer. As a part of the campout, they will host an outdoor potluck feast, campfire, and slide show of their summer adventures (among which were a trip to the Grand Tetons Mountain Range in Wyoming, backpacking at Isle Royale in Lake Superior, and Boy Scout Summer Camp). Boys can attend for the entire weekend or just the dinner/campfire....more details will be forthcoming, but I did want this opportunity on your calendar.

• 23-26 October: Webelos Autumn Adventure at Mammoth Cave. The Webelos put together the agenda and estimated the costs of the Webelos Adventure at Mammoth Cave during our last den meeting. I will have the information assembled in the next week or two, but basic costs are along these lines (gas: $50/person; food: $40/person; camping: $4/person; admission to cave and Corvette Museum ($17/boy, $26/adult). We will leave Thursday after school and spend Thursday evening with the Ferry family (camping in their basement), where we will connect with the Webelos II den from Pack 105, Carmel, IN. Friday morning, we will depart for Bowling Green, KY and the Corvette Museum. We will spend Friday and Saturday night at Rotary Scout Reservation in Temple Hill, KY, as the guests of Brian Shields and the B-P Rover Scout Crew, staying in the upper cabin. Saturday morning, we will leave for the cave, take the tour, and then head back to camp for some other adventures. We will take off first thing Sunday morning, and head back to IL.

IMPORTANT: When the final agenda is published, each family will need to reserve a space in the tour via credit card. This will ensure that we get the tour we want--and are all able to attend together. I will look for your commitment to participate at our first October den meeting.

• November during the District 303 Holiday: Train trip into Chicago. We will take a trip to Chicago as part of our Traveler Activity Badge and our Art Activity Badge. Since the boys will be off from school that week, we can make the day an adventure instead of a day spent in day care.

* * *

The boys are getting more proficient at reciting the scout oath and scout law. If you're looking for something to talk about at dinner, please encourage them to practice it until it becomes memorized. I expect that most of them will complete the requirements for the Arrow of Light award by December.

I think that is more than enough for what was supposed to be a brief note. Have a good weekend, and I will see you and your sons next Tuesday in time for our 5:30 PM departure from Davis.

Best regards,

Ken

Webelos Den Weekly Update (September 14)

Dear Webelos Parents (and Bear and Tiger den leaders, since we are sharing the meeting space):

Near Term

• Our meeting will take place at Davis School this week, starting promptly at 6:30 PM, so a 6:25 PM arrival time would be good. We will share the gym with three other dens, and we will all use the flag at the start of the meeting. Alex should have a game ready to go for early arrivals.
  
• We will continue work on the Traveler Activity Badge, practice for closing the pack meeting in two weeks, and continue work on Boy Scout joining requirements
• Treats this week are from the Kampen Family; Meeting help from the Dwyer Family.

Upcoming

• Pack Service activity, September 20. Sponsored by Troop 13 and Friends of the Fox River. By happy circumstances, this event coincides with the annual Clean up the World Day, an annual event endorsed by many national scouting organizations
  
• Webelos-only Campout at Camp Big Timber, September 26-27 : Sponsored by the Fox Valley District, there $14 fee for each participant (youth and accompanying adult) which covers program materials and food. I sent home information last week via hard copy, so hopefully you have had a chance to look at it. We had a great time with this last year, and look forward to repeating our fun. Payment is due to me by the September 23 den meeting (next week!), so that I can drop it off at the scout office by their deadline on September 24. Please note that checks should be made out to "Three Fires Council." I would encourage participation by parent-son pairs.
• Pack Camp Out, Tomo-Chi-Chil Knolls Forest preserve, 3-4 October. More information is available here.
• Mid-October: Train Trip to Chicago. We will put our planning for the Traveler Activity Badge to work by taking a trip to Chicago via Metra...and hike to the Art Institute of Chicago for work on our Art Activity Badge. I'm shooting for the Columbus Day weekend, which would make our trip on October 11 (cheap Metra fares all day and free admission to the Art Institute for youth under 11). This is a good time to volunteer for an adventure, so that we have more than two adults supporting this adventure)
  
• Mammoth Cave Adventure, October 23-25. The scouts will assist in planning this event as part of our work on a number of Activity Badges.

It looks like we have a busy fall...!

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

That seems to cover it for this week...I look forward to seeing your sons and you on Tuesday.

Best regards,

Ken

Parent + Pack Committee Meeting Minutes

Dear Pack 108 Parents:

Minutes from this evening's parent/pack committee meeting are available online here.

I look forward to seeing you at tomorrow evening's program kickoff meeting. Details are posted here.

Best regards,

Ken

Webelos Den Weekly Update

Dear Webelos Parents:

Near Term

• Our meeting will take place at Davis School this week, starting promptly at 6:30 PM.
• We will continue work on the Traveler Activity Badge, preparation for Boy Scouting, and practice the games the boys and Den Chief Alex will lead during the parent meeting following our pack meeting.
• Please plan on sticking around for the meeting at 7:30 PM....I will likely ask a few of you to share with new parents, why you have encouraged your son to be a scout, and what you think it has done for him.
• Treats this week are from the Mikelson Family; Meeting help from the Corvino/Gannet Family.

Upcoming

• Pack Service activity, September 20. Sponsored by Troop 13 and Friends of the Fox River.
• Webelos-only Campout at Camp Big Timber, September 26-27 : Sponsored by the Fox Valley District, there $14 fee for each participant (youth and accompanying adult) which covers program materials and food. I sent home information last week via hard copy, so hopefully you have had a chance to look at it. We had a great time with this last year, and look forward to repeating our fun. Payment is due to me by the September 23 den meeting, so that I can drop it off at the scout office by their deadline on September 24. Please note that checks should be made out to "Three Fires Council." I would encourage participation by parent-son pairs.
• Pack Camp Out, Tomo-Chi-Chil Knolls Forest preserve, 3-4 October. More information will be presented at the Parent Meeting on Tuesday.
• Mid-October: Train Trip to Chicago. We will put our planning for the Traveler Activity Badge to work by taking a trip to Chicago via Metra...and hike to the Field Museum for work on our Art Activity Badge.
• Mammoth Cave Adventure, October 23-25. The scouts will assist in planning this event as part of our work on a number of Activity Badges.

That seems to cover it for this week...I look forward to seeing your sons and you on Tuesday.

Best regards,

Ken

Parent Meeting, September 9

Dear Pack 108 Parents:

We will have a pack program kickoff on Tuesday, September 9, 7:30 PM in the Davis School Community Room. Parents will meet for about 45 minutes; youth will take part in games led by our Webelos II Den.

While this meeting is especially helpful for the new Tiger Cubs and their parents, we will also cover program information for the new year.

Information regarding the pack's budget will be shared, so bring a checkbook if you need to. Participation costs are outlined here.

I hope to see you all on Tuesday.

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

Best regards,

Ken

Parent Planning Meeting, September 8

Dear Pack Leaders:

Thank you for feedback on the flyer for the parent orientation meeting next week.

Our next pack leader meeting will take place at Colonial Ice Cream, Rt. 38/Randall Road, Monday September 8, at 6:30 PM.

Scott will have his usual agenda for us, including popcorn and such....

I want to make sure we confirm the following program topics:

• Parent Orientation on September 9
• Pack Meeting assignments
• Pack camp out in October

Best regards,

Ken