Pack Meeting Tomorrow Night

This is just a reminder to everyone that tomorrow, December 16, is our monthly pack meeting from 6:30-7:30 at the school.  With the help of our pack committee, we will be celebrating Christmas traditions from around the world.  We'll have games, activities, yes, even Santa!  We will have a special bobcat ceremony for those boys that have earned this rank.  We will also be collecting toys for the local Toys for Joy collection, so if you are in a position to do so, please bring in a new, unwrapped toy to donate.  Bring the whole family to join in the fun and don't forget your camera!!

 

Merry Christmas, Pack 118!!

 

We're on Facebook!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving (despite the snow).  It's always nice to spend time with family, eating delicious food, and enjoying time off. 

 

Cub Scout couriers for december will be mailed out on Tuesday, so be sure to watch your emails/mailboxes!  Also, Pack 118 is now on Facebook!  For those of you that enjoy this social media site, this is an easy way for you to stay in contact with us.  You can follow this link https://www.facebook.com/wbcubscoutpack118?ref=hl  or you can search "Cub Scout Pack 118" in the Facebook search engine and look for our neckerchief as the profile picture.  Feel free to "Like" us so you'll continuously in the loop and also feel free to add any pictures you take at den meetings or pack events. 

 

More information will be coming soon, but our next pack meeting will be on Tuesday, December 16 and we have received word that a certain North Pole resident will be visiting...

Respect Rally tomorrow night!

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow night, November 18, will be our monthly pack meeting from 6:30-7:30 at WBES.  This will be our "Respect Rally" so everyone is encouraged to attend.  While we did promote a special guest attending, unfortunately he had to back out at the last minute.  We will substitute his presentation by working on a special belt loop.  We will also give out all the advancements our summer campers earned this past season.  Don't forget your pennies!!  All dens will have their penny wars containers present so let the wars continue!!

 

 

Happy Veteran's Day

Pack 118 would like to wish all veteran's a very happy Veteran's Day!  Without the bravery of all the men and women who have fought for our freedom, we wouldn't be here.  For those that gave the the ultimate gift, we could never be grateful enough.  If you know a veteran, thank him/her today and every day. 

 

 

 

Penny Wars and Vendor Fair

Don't forget that this coming Saturday is the WBES Vendor Fair and Pack 118 has a table to help raise money for camp!!  We'll be at the school (in the hallway) from 9-2 selling our bird feeders as well as some other items we have left over from previous years.  Boys that come to help us sell will be rewarded with "camp cash" that they can put toward their summer camp tuition.  There are plenty of spots left for volunteers, so please email Amy at ALL4980@charter.net if you'd like to sign up your scout.  The sign up sheet will also be at den meetings tomorrow night if anyone would like to sign up then.  Volunteering scouts should wear their scout uniform to the event. 

Also, our penny wars are heating up!  Check out the wolf den's bucket!!

Remember to only put pennies in your den's bucket.  Save your silver to sabotage the other dens.  Each den brings their bucket to den meetings, so bring your change!  The den with the highest penny total will be the winner of the penny wars!  (again, all money raised gets put toward camperships for summer camp)

Spook O Ree This Weekend

This is an update for any families that have signed up to attend this weekend's Spook O Ree event at Treasure Valley.  The event takes place on Saturday, October 25 and will run from 3pm-8pm at Treasure Valley Scout Reservation (394 Pleasantdale Rd, Rutland).  You do not have to be there the entire time.  It's a drop in type of event.  You arrive when you can and leave when you want to.  When you first drive into the valley, there is a big white farm house in front of you and a small road to the right.  You will be directed to drive that way and park in the big field.  From there, a shuttle will take you to the East Lodge building where you will have to check in.  Last year, they had sheets with pack number on them (remember we are Pack 118!) and you just had to write the scout's name on the sheet.  We assume it will be a similar process this year.  Boys should wear their Halloween costume, but don't have to.  The event staff is asking that boys do not wear masks or bring weapons.  Boys should also bring a bag or bucket to collect treats in.  If you plan on being there after dark, make sure you bring a flashlight as it gets very dark.  There are tons of games and other activities set up down the hill from where you check in, so its important that you have fun!  When you're ready to leave, the shuttle will take you from East Lodge back to the parking lot, or if you're super brave, you can hike back up the hill.  Ryan and I will be camp masters for the weekend and are stationed at the brown Magee Visitor Center so if you do walk up the hill, make sure you stop in to visit!  (we'll have treats to give out!!)  If you have any questions, please make sure you contact Ryan at evannpd@charter.net

Pack Meeting this Tuesday!

Because so many families signed up for our campout and because only half of them actually came, we've decided that the boys shouldn't miss out on some October Cub Scout fun!  We will be having our first Pack meeting this coming Tuesday, October 21 from 6:30-7:30 at the elementary school. (For those of you new to cub scouting, a Pack meeting is where ALL the scouts in all the dens get together for a meeting instead of just each individual age group, or den.) We will have autumn themed games and activities as well as some preparation for our vendor fair sale coming up in November.  If kids (or adults!) would like to wear costumes, please feel free to do so.  Originally, this was planned for the art room in the school, but we are now able to use the cafeteria.  Spread the word! Bring the whole family! 

 

 

Camp out Canceled, Sort of...

A HUGE thank you to all the families that attended our rainy day fun at Treasure Valley last weekend.  Every boy that attended will earn his fishing belt loop if he hasn't already done so. Of course it rained, but the boys and parents had some great spirit!  Here are some pictures from our afternoon...

We will be having a "regular" pack meeting this month as well on Tuesday, October 21 from 6:30-7:30.  There is a town meeting that night, so we will be meeting in the front of the school outside the art room.  We will have some games and activities for the kids as well as putting together some bird feeders for our upcoming vendor fair camp fundraiser. 

Tomorrow's Camp Out

So, the moment we've all been waiting for...

 

THE CAMP OUT IS ON!!!

 

After watching the weather all week, yes, it's going to rain.  However, it looks like it will be mostly later in the evening into overnight.  That probably won't be the case, but we've spent a lot of time looking at different weather stations and watching radar.  It wasn't an easy decision.  The biggest deciding factor is that we have 50 people signed up to come!!!  We've never had that many for a Pack 118 camp out!  That being said, if you decide to not join us due to the rain, we totally understand.  If you're not coming and you read this before 2pm on Saturday, please email Ryan at evannpd@charter.net or text/call him at (774)200-1418 so we can adjust our roster.  Likewise, if you haven't signed up yet, we're happy to add you on!  It's going to be an awesome time!! (just remember to pack extra socks!!)

 

Camp Out Schedule of Events

Good afternoon everyone!  As promised last week, here's our rough schedule of events for our camp out this weekend.  Keep in mind that rain is in the forecast.  We will be watching the weather tonight to make our final call.  Please check back tomorrow morning for our final ruling on whether or not the camp out will go on.  (It does look like we will still have it though, since we have so many boys signed up!)

Saturday, October 4, 2014

2:00pm--everyone can arrive after this time.  We are using the campsite "Evergreen".  Once you drive into Treasure Valley, follow the road until you come to a fork with a brown visitor center in front of you.  Bear to the left.  Down the hill there will be a driveway on your right with another brown building in front of you (don't take the dirt road in front of the building.  The driveway is  the right before that) You will see an opening on the right hand side of the parking lot.  This is our campsite.  You are welcome to park in site or in the parking lot.  Once you get into site, find a spot and set up your area.  You may use the wooden platforms or the ground. 

3:00pm--we will head everyone down to our sports field, Boonesville, for our mystery belt loop as well as some teamwork activities. 

4:30pm--there will be some free time before dinner.  This would be the time for boys to go fishing (bring your own gear!), take a hike, play in the site, etc.  We will be getting the fire ready as well as prepping our meal. 

5:30pm--we will begin making dinner and eating too!

7:00pm--we have a special teamwork project to work on that will help us at an upcoming event

8:00pm--we'll have a campfire with songs and skits as well as some dessert.  Families are welcome to head to bed at any time. 

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Rise and shine anytime!  We will serve a simple breakfast, probably just cereal and fruit.  Families will pack their gear.  Everyone will depart by 9am. 

Camp Out Supply List

Our first pack camp out of the year is coming up on the weekend of October 4th.  If you'd like to join us, please make sure you email Ryan at evannpd@charter.net as soon as possible.  We are planning lots of fun events including a "mystery belt loop" for boys to work on.  The camp out will take place at our scout camp at Treasure Valley (394 Pleasantdale Rd, Rutland, MA) starting at 2pm on Saturday the 4th.  We will depart on Sunday the 5th by 9am.  We realize that many of our boys play soccer and baseball, which is why you can attend any time on Saturday after 2.  Don't want to stay overnight?  That's ok too.  Come for the fun during the day and leave when you'd like.  We will be supplying dinner, an evening snack, and breakfast.  We are asking families to supply their own waterbottles (preferably reusable ones) filled with water or any other drinks for your family to enjoy (no alcohol please!).  See below for our complete list of what to bring:

A tent
Sleeping bag or blankets
Pillow
Warm clothes (it will get cool after the sun goes down)
Rain gear (just in case)
Air Mattress (optional)
Flashlight
Extra batteries
Sturdy shoes (NO FLIPFLOPS)
Bug spray
Waterbottle with water
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Extra socks
Fishing gear (if you'd like to fish)
Camp chair
Stuff to play with (football, playing cards, etc)
Scout uniforms are not necessary, but boys can wear their hats. 

Check back early next week when we will post a rough schedule of events for the camp out. 

Welcome Back everyone!

Welcome back, Pack 118!!  Most of you had your first meeting last night--hopefully they went great!  We have a lot of new faces this year which is always great to see! 

 

Our tiger and bear dens went home with their October Cub Scout Courier last night.  Everyone else will have them either emailed or snail mailed today.  There is important information on our very first "scouting outing" coming up on October 4th, as well as some other upcoming events.  If you'd prefer to receive your newsletter via email, please let us know by emailing Ryan LaRoche at evannpd@charter.net and we'll add you to our courier group. 

 

Tomorrow night is WBES open house night.  Pack 118 will have a table set up in the cafeteria so stop by to say hi!  If you have any friends interested in joining our group, feel free to send them our way so they can get more information or even sign up!  Any registered cub scout that gets a buddy to sign up (any time during the year) will receive a very special "Recruiter" patch.  We will accept scouts any time--not just at the beginning of the year. 

 

For all the new families that have questions on the placement of uniform patches, follow this link:  http://www.scoutstuff.org/retail/docs/uniform-inspection-sheets and feel free to email Ryan if you still have questions. 

Thank you!!

Thank you all for coming out to our annual registration night yesterday!  We had 21 boys register, including 7 brand new pack 118 boys and 3 new adult volunteers!  Welcome everyone!!  For those of you that missed registration, we will have a table at the WBES open house next Thursday, September 18 from 6-8pm.  If you are a returning scout, you may also register at your den's first meeting. 

 

 

Save the Date!!!

We will have our first pack outing the weekend of October 4th & 5th.  We will be taking the pack camping at Treasure Valley Scout Reservation in Rutland.  Keep an eye on your mailboxes as you will start receiving monthly "Cub Scout Couriers", our pack newsletter, that will have more information on this fun event!  These will be out early next week at the latest. 

 

If you have questions regarding your den, please check out our rank pages on the right.  Each den has it's own information page.  Contact info for each leader is also available here. 

 

Thank you all for joining Pack 118!!  We know you'll have a GREAT year!!  (PS--tell your friends!)

Ready for Another Year?!

The air is crisper.  The apples riper.  The kids are back to school.  That can only mean 1 thing...SCOUTS IS STARTING!!!  Please see our registration day info below.  The cost for all our returning scouts is $30.  For brand new 118 boys, the cost is $45 (but includes the pack hat and neckercchief).  If you cannot make our registration date or if you have any questions, please let Ryan know at evannpd@charter.net

 

Pack 118 Registration

Tuesday, September 9

5pm-8pm

WBrookfield Elementary School

 

 

Thanks everyone!

A huge thank you to everyone with pack 118 for making our 2013-2014 cub scout year a success!!  We saw a lot of new boys join this year and we truly hope they had a great time and will be back next year.  It was nice to see everyone at graduation this weekend--the first time we've camped out and had awesome weather!!  Congratulations to all the boys on all the awards they've earned.  Thank you to all our leaders and all our committee members for making this year great. 

 

With our scout year over, it's time to think summer camp!  We received a bunch of medical forms this weekend, but there are still some missing.  If you haven't turned in your camp medical form, please do your best to get it to Amy by Monday, June 16 if you can.  If not, you MUST have it ready for the start of camp and send it with your scout on day 1.  Remember that you have to have all 3 parts of the form, A, B, and C as well as a copy of your health insurance card and the parent/guardian authorization form.  If you need any of these forms, please email Amy at ALL4980@charter.net

 

While we won't post too much over the summer, we will post summer camp pictures of our guys in action.  Check back to see how much fun they're having!

 

Have a great summer everyone!  We'll see you all in September!!

IMPORTANT UPDATE!!!

Due to issues beyond our control, our beach campout scheduled for May 31st has been canceled.  Cub scout couriers will be going out today via email with new information regarding a campout at Treasure Valley as well as our graduation ceremony plans. 

 

Pack 118 Graduation/Family Campout

Saturday, June 7-Sunday, June 8

Treasure Valley Scout Reservation

394 Pleasantdale Rd, Rutland

Graduation begins at 4pm

Campout ends at 9am Sunday

 

What to bring...

Sleeping bag

Pillow

Waterbottle

Bug Spray

Pajamas

Sweatshirt

Flashlight

Camp chair

Recreational stuff (football, frisbee, etc)

Sturdy shoes (NO SANDALS!!)

Toothbrush/toothpaste

Raingear (poncho, umbrella, extra clothes)

 

**We should have the camp's canvas tents available, but if you'd rather bring your own tent, please feel free to do so**

Congratulations Den 3!!

Congratulations are in order for the 11 boys that crossed over at last night's crossover ceremony.  Den 3 has worked really hard to complete all the requirements for their Arrow of Light.  While it's sad to see them leave our pack, it's exciting to think of all the fun that awaits them on their new journey.  Congratulations, Nathen, Josh, Matt C, Matt G, Daniel M, Daniel S, Jack, Tommy, Mikey, Hunter, and Chris on your achievement!!

 

The rest of Pack 118 wishes you all well as you continue on your scouting journey in your Boy Scout Troops!

Arrow of Light Crossover Ceremony

Please join us this Saturday, May 3, at 4pm

for Arrow of Light Crossover Ceremony

at West Brookfield Elementary School

 

We will congratulate Den 3 and their leaders

on their hard work these past 5 years 

 

The boys will earn their Arrow of Light

and cross the bridge to Boy Scouts

 

See you there!

Day of Service

This Friday, April 25 from 10am-2pm Pack 118 will be hosting a day of service for our Elementary School as a way to say thanks for supporting our pack.  Any interested scouts and adults may join our Arrow of Light den in this wonderful service project.  We are asking for donations of rakes, clippers, handsaws, wheelbarrows, gardening gloves, etc if you are planning on attending.  (of course we'll give them all back!) Please wear grubby clothes as you will most definitely be getting messy!  Thus far, the day is looking to be beautiful so wear hats, sunglasses, bugspray, and sunblock.   Don't forget your water bottle!!  Pack 118 will supply lunch as a thank you to all our helpers.  Please join us!!

Camp Registrations Due

This is just a reminder that all yellow camp registration forms are due to Amy by Friday, April 18th.  Please make sure to include your registration fee and any Mohegan Council Campership letters you may have received.  If paying by check, you can make the check out to "Pack 118".  Remember that all boys and adults attending camp must have a BSA medical form filled out and returned to Amy by Tuesday, June 10 (the pack's graduation ceremony)  If you have any questions, please contact Amy at ALL4980@charter.net

Scouting For Food

We all know that little boys eat--ALOT!!  Unfortunately, some families have to choose between food and other necessities.  Pack 118 is going to help.  We are holding our first annual Scouting For Food food drive.  From now until our April 15th pack meeting, boys are asked to distribute the specially marked bags (these were given to everyone this past week, except for the Tigers who will get them Tuesday) to family, friends, neighbors, parents coworkers, teachers, etc.  Our hope is that these people will fill these bags with foods we can donate to the Sharing Cupboard food pantry right here in West Brookfield.  Boys should collect the filled bags back before the 15th and bring them to our pack meeting that night.  At the meeting the boys will sort the food and box it up for delivery to the food pantry.  Our goal is 200 bags!  We will have a pizza party for the boys in celebration of a job well done.  

 

The pantry is in great need of:

Cans of Coffee

bottles of juice

any kind of crackers

any flavor of jelly

boxed pasta other than elbows and spaghetti

Please remember that all donations must be non perishable and should not be expired.  We will have to throw away any expired donations.  

Let's all work together to help those in our community!

Great Job Racers!!

Congratulations on a job well done!!  All the racers at last night's pinewood derby did a great job building cars and cheering on friends!  We had some great sportsmanship and some great fun!  If anyone has pictures they'd like to share, send them to ALL4980@charter.net and we'll post them.

 

We would like to thank everyone who helped set up, clean up, and plan our event.  Super special thanks go out to Roland Sickenberger and Karen Nicholas for donating their popcorn machine and supplies.  We were able to raise $128 for summer camp!!  THANK YOU!!!

 

A reminder that the pack campership deadline is coming up on April 3rd.  If you'd like to send your son to camp but the camp fee might be a financial burden, please feel free to apply for a campership thru the pack.  If you need more information, contact Amy at the email address above.  All camp registration forms and payments are due by Friday, April 18th. 

Gentlemen...start your engines!!

Who out there has completed their pinewood derby car???  Who out there has started their pinewood derby car???  Many of us are guilty of still having the kit sealed in the box, but our event is coming up FAST!!  Pinewood cars take a lot more designing and take a lot more time to cut out, sand, paint and perfect.  It is strongly recommended that cars get started soon!!

Our pinewood derby is being held on:

Saturday, March 22

3:30-6:00pm

WBES Cafeteria

R E M E M B E R

All cars should be checked in the previous night, March 21st sometime between 6 and 7:30pm in the science lab.  (Across the hall from the caf) Once cars have been checked in on Friday, we will "garage" them overnight so they don't get broken and they'll be ready to go on Saturday.  If you absolutely cannot make it on Friday, plan on arriving at 3pm on Saturday to go through the check in process.  ALL CARS MUST MEET THE PACK 118 DERBY REQUIREMENTS in order to receive trophies.  Requirements can be found to the right on our pinewood derby page.  (The only exception to this is our Arrow of Light Den who will be allowed to "jack up" their cars this year) 

We will be selling refreshments during the derby to help raise some extra money for our campership program and we'll have the den jars out for our penny wars!!  

Please keep in mind that this is a race for the boys and a chance for them to be creative and build something they can be proud of.  How much pride is there when a boy races a car that was bought off of eBay?  How much pride is there when a boy races a car he watched an adult build?  We will have an adult race as well as a sibling race for those of you who just can't stand to be onlookers!  If you need a car, please contact Ryan at evannpd@charter.net

Thank you!!

A belated thank you to everyone who attended our Blue and Gold Banquet!!  This was one of our best turnouts in a long time and we appreciate everyone coming out.  The food was delicious!!  Congratulations to all the boys on the advancements that they earned!!  It's obvious that everyone has been working hard!

Every boy by now should have received his pinewood derby car.  If he has not, please let his den leader know as he/she should have one reserved for him.  Every boy should also have an official Pack 118 T-shirt.  Again, if not, please see his den leader. 

Our pinewood derby will be taking place on Saturday, March 22.  We will have car check in night the Friday before.  Please remember that all cars MUST meet the official derby rules that can be found by clicking here.  This is also the link that can be found to the right.  If you have any questions or concerns or your kit is missing parts, please contact Ryan LaRoche at evannpd@charter.net 

 

Remember that the pinewood derby is a great way to spend time with your son, but building his car for him teaches him nothing.  Please work WITH your son to HELP him build his car.  You will both find it much more rewarding!  For those parents (and siblings!) that just can't stand by and watch, we will have an adult race as well as a sibling race.  Car kits can be purchased from Ryan for $5.  Please email him if you'd like a kit.  All cars entered in either of those races must also meet the official rules of the race. 

 

Each den will have trophies awarded: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.  We will have a trophy for the fastest adult, one for the fastest sibling/child (non-scout) and one for the crowd favorite scout car.  If your son has a hard time not winning, please prep him ahead of time so maybe the tears can be limited on race day.  Every racer will receive a pinewood derby medal and certificate. 

 

New this year, our Arrow of Light Den 3 will be "jacking up" cars!  Be sure to check them out!!

Blue and Gold Banquet Food List

Blue and Gold Banquet

Saturday, February 8, 2014
5-8pm
Quaboag High School

With our Blue and Gold banquet only a couple weeks away, we are still waiting to get RSVPs from most of the families in the pack.  If you haven't already emailed Ryan or Amy your headcount and potluck dish, please do so as soon as you can so we can plan for supplies.  Below you will find a list of what families have already RSVP'd and what dishes they are bringing. Please email Ryan to RSVP at evannpd@charter.net

The Swallow Family                        Chili

The LaRoche Family                        Taco Salad

The Pease Family                            Chicken and rice casserole

The Osborne Family                        Sweet & Sour Kielbasa

The Brown Family                           Potatoes Au Gratin

The Bousquet Family                       American Chop suey

Daniel Mazzarese                            Corn Bread

Kristofer McDaniel                         Fruit platter

Dominick Chaplin                            chop Suey

Cameron Juaridez                           pork shoulder & rice

Kyle Magnan                                  spaghetti & meatballs

The Para Family                              macaroni and cheese

The Churchill Family                        turkey and potatoes

The Czaja Family                            garden salad

The Gravel Family                           ???

The Gray Family                             ???
Adrik Matys                                   BBQ Lil Smokies
The Tracy Family                            ???
The Allen Family                             Meatballs
The Nason Family                           ???
The Moran Family                          Chicken Pot Pie

Raingutter Regatta

Just a reminder that our Raingutter Regatta race will be our January pack event.  This is being held next Tuesday, January 14th at 6:30 in the WBES cafeteria.  Every boy should have received a boat kit by now.  If you still haven't received one, please email Ryan at evannpd@charter.net so one can be given to you ASAP.  Please construct the boats according to the directions in the box.  

Don't forget that our Blue and Gold Banquet is coming up on February 8th.  It will be a potluck meal so we would like everyone to RSVP with how many people will be attending with your family and what dish you will be bringing (no desserts please).  Will will have a list if you'd like to rsvp there, you can email Ryan at the above address, or you can comment on this post by clicking on the "comment" button below.  In the next week or so we will post the dish list here so everyone can see what dishes are being made.  

Tuesday also kick starts our penny wars and can drive to help raise money for camp.  We will also be accepting Sharks ticket order forms (remember the deadline for that is Feb 8) and payment.  

Mill Town District Cub Olympics

As promised in the January Courier, here's the information regarding the district event for the winter.  If you are interested in signing up, you must do so before or at the Raingutter Regatta next Tuesday, January 14th.  

The event is being called the Mill Town Cub Olympics and it is taking place on Saturday, February 1st at Treasure Valley Scout Reservation in Rutland.  The event takes place from 9am until 2pm on the West (day camp) side of the valley.  Lunch will be served and every participant will receive a patch.  The cost to attend is $9 for kids and $7 for adults.  The day will consist of boys going around to different activities including games, scout skills, and other projects.  Please dress appropriately for the weather since it will be outside. 

If you want to see the ad on the Mohegan Council website, here's the link: http://mohegancouncilbsa.doubleknot.com/events-activities/52119  The pack needs to register as a pack and not individuals, so we need all registration fees by January 14th (the Raingutter pack event) so we can turn them in on time.  You can pay with either cash or checks made payable to "Mohegan Council".  If you want to attend, please email Ryan at evannpd@charter.net and let him know how many people will be attending.  No one will be officially registered for this event until the fees are paid.