On March 17, at 3pm we have our Blue & Gold CUB SCOUT BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION at Ashland Church at 33 E Evesham Rd. This event will include ceremonies for rank advancement, cross-over to Boy Scouts for Webelos II, information about Friends of Scouting (official Scouting charity), Summer Camp, etc.  Come celebrate the birthday of cub scouting and recognize all the hard work the scouts have done this year. Cost is $5 per person and includes light party finger food.  Register for the event at the January or February Pack meeting or RSVP to Lisa at  lisarosewitherspoon@yahoo.com . We will also have sign-up sheets for help to set-up the day of the event. Please help out.

This year's race will be Saturday, February 25 at Ashland Church on Evesham Road with first heat about 3pm. See attached information sheet for all the details. RACE COMMITTEE is forming now, email cubmaster@cubscoutingvoorhees.org if you haven't already to express interest. Every Scout who races receives an award, either Place in their grade level or Participation. There will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards for each Scout rank, plus 1st, 2nd and 3rd for Overall Fastest in the Pack. Also, the Scouts hold a popular vote for cars: Best Design, Scout Spirit, Best Paint Job, and Most Original. The racing fee for a scout is $4 which covers the awards, since the Pack is providing the official car kit this year as the Scouts did well on fundraising this fall. Race fee for adults and siblings is $8, which includes the official car kit.

Our Popcorn Fundraiser was successful this year, and sales this year exceeded last year by $2,044 winning us recognition by the Southern New Jersey Council White Horse District for being the 3rd highest increase among nearby Scout units. All rewards for individual Scouts (patches, gift cards, etc.) will be distributed at the December Pack Meeting. Liz Lowell, our Pack Committee Member in charge of the Popcorn Fundraiser, supplied the following summary of notable Den and Scout achievements. Highest individual sales, Connor Tracey: $468.77; Den that sold the most $ wise: $1205 Bear Den 1; Den with largest number of participants in the sale: 7 scouts Bear Den 1; Den with the highest average sales per scout: $329 Tiger Den (only 2 scouts sold but they totalled $658 between them!); Tiger Den Average sales: $329 with Total Sales: $658 and Scouts participating: 2; Bear Den 1 Average sales: $172 with Total Sales: $1205 and Scouts participating: 7; Bear Den 5 Average sales: $146 with Total Sales: $729 and Scouts participating: 5; Wolf Den Average sales: $121 with Total Sales: $606 and Scouts participating: 5; Webelos 2 Den Average sales: $264 with Total Sales: $1055 and Scouts participating: 4; Total sales by our Cub Scout Pack 127 Scouts totaled $4273.43, out of which about $1500 will fund our Pack Budget at the expected level.

 

You may be wondering the $60 fee covers and why we need fundraising.  Well, here is the answer. There is insurance for events through the Boy Scouts of America and a subscription to a year of Boy’s Life magazine.  Your son is also provided with a Scout manual, Quality Unit Patch, Rank Badges and cards, and up to 5 Belt Loops and Pins. At graduation, he will receive a new neckerchief plus parent and year participation pins.  There are lots of general needs for the Pack program, also. These include training for our Leaders, Den books, charts and Progress Beads, ranks, awards, certificates, belt loops, copying, craft materials for Pack meetings as necessary (glue, glitter, paper, scissors, markers, etc.), supplies for games and ceremonies, ceremonial fixtures, game prizes, paper goods, pencils, pens, and name tags. Fundraising is necessary to cover the balance. Note that special events (Pack or Den) usually have nominal fees which are paid only by those who participate in them. We traditionally have just one Pack fundraiser a year; the Popcorn Sale.  Popcorn is to Cub Scouts as Cookies are to Girl Scouts, and the Scouts are eligible to receive promotional items based on their level of sales. To net about $35 to the Pack, each Scout needs to sell a minimum of $100 of popcorn. Any parent who feels an alternate fundraiser is warranted may volunteer to arrange and conduct one. In the unusual circumstance that a Scout cannot participate in fundraising, it may be necessary to assess the $35 . 

I encourage all Pack 127 parents to attend this training for your own knowledge of “camping the cub scout way.” The Pack will reimburse registration fees, and process your “leader application” as a Committee Member or Assistant Cubmaster so you can help lead our Pack camping program. EVERY Pack camping trip MUST have at least one leader who has attended BALOO. Details: Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO) is a one-day training event that introduces leaders and parents to the skills needed to plan and conduct pack outdoor activities, particularly pack camping. Participants who complete this training course will: Understand the focus of the Cub Scout level of the BSA outdoor program. Gain the skills needed to plan and carry out a successful Cub Scout-level overnight activity. Learn more about the resources available from the BSA for carrying out this activity. This training is required for any adult who is in charge of planning a pack campout.

Check out http://www.ready.gov/kids/step1/index.html for a fun game to get the whole family involved in preparing for a local or national emergency. This website is provided by the US Department of Homeland Security and is very helpful, with checklists and even games for the kids such as an "emergency kit scavenger hunt."