Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, pack 118!!  We hope everyone had a great Christmas and is looking forward to the hope and promise the new year will bring!

We've been busy behind the scenes lately!  2016 is a big year for our pack as it is our 70th year!  There will be lots of surprises and special events to commemorate this epic milestone!  

At our December pack meeting, all the boys received a Raingutter Regatta kit.  (if you didn't attend, we will have extra kits at the next den meetings, starting January 5) These kits are relatively easy to assemble and decorate, but please don't wait until the last minute to do them.  We will hold our Raingutter Regatta pack meeting on Tuesday, January 19th at 6:30.  The boys will bring their completed boats to this pack meeting and will race against other boys in their den.  Why is it called a "Raingutter Regatta"?  The boys' boats will race in actual raingutters!  It's lots of fun to watch!  We will have a special activity for any siblings that want to take part.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact our cubmaster, Ryan LaRoche, at evannpd@charter.net

All that being said, we hope everyone has a happy, healthy, and safe new year!

Celebration of Giving

Everyone should have received our December edition of the Cub Scout Courier by now.  If you have not, please email Ryan at evannpd@charter.net.  They were sent to all families via the USPS, so check your mail box or your PO box.  

We will be having our next pack meeting on Tuesday, December 15 starting at 6:30pm at WBES.  This will be our first annual Celebration of Giving event.  If you took a tag from our giving tree back in November, please bring your donation to this event so we can prepare to present it to the receiving family.  We will have a variety of giving activities for everyone to participate in.  Adults will be wrapping our gifts and organizing all food donations; we'll be making fleece blankets to donate to the local fire department; we'll be making "Angels for Aiden" to help a young boy fighting cancer; we'll be making "Postcards for Paris" to cheer up a young girl from town who is also fighting cancer; we'll be making special gifts for the entire school staff.  There will also be our much anticipated bobcat ceremony for all our new boys who have yet to earn this prestigious award.  (Parents of these boys should be prepared to go up on stage) 

We hope to see everyone next Tuesday!  Enjoy your week!  

Giving Tree Update

As promised (although a little later than advertised), here is the list of numbers and more specific information for our Giving Tree tags.  If the tag you chose does not have a number written on the back, then you don't need to worry about any of this information.  Remember, we'd like all donations back to us at our December pack meeting on December 15.  

#s 1-12 were all for toys

Our family has one young son who is 8 years old.  He enjoys school and doing things outdoors.  Loves to read books as well.  We do have tags that were specifically for books, but you can never have too many books.  He would probably enjoy educational type toys as opposed to say, army men, for example.  Non-violent toys only please!  (no guns, fighting games, etc)

#s 13 & 14 were for slippers

Our young man is a shoe size 1 or 2.  We had originally assumed there'd be more than one child to purchase for, but since there's not, if one of the people that chose this tag wants to buy socks or boots, that'd be great too.  

#s15 & 16 were for pajamas

Our young man is a size 8-10.  Nice warm PJs will help him get through cold winter nights!

If for some reason you have a tag that you cannot purchase the item for, please contact Ryan immediately so that the item may be purchased by someone else.  We're very excited to help this family out and are hoping to make this a yearly tradition for the pack.  We thank you all in advance for your donations! 

Giving Tree

At our pack meeting in November, we put out a Giving Tree. 

 On this tree we hung lots of tags with items listed on them.  Items such as food, toys, and clothing items decorated the boughs.  Families were asked to take a tag from the tree, purchase the item listed, and bring the item back at our next pack meeting on December 15.  All of the items collected will be donated to a local family who needs a little brightening of their holidays this year.  If you took a tag with a number on the back, you need to check back here in the next week to find out what specific information goes with your tag.  This may include sizes, genders, colors, likes, etc.  We are still in contact with folks about getting us this information.  Please stay tuned!

Respect Rally Next Tuesday

Our November pack meeting will take place next Tuesday, November 17 from 6:30-7:30pm at WBES.  This will be our annual Respect Rally.  This year, we have a very special guest coming to give the kids an active, informative, unforgettable demonstration about respect.  If you have not received your November Cub Scout Courier by either mail or email, please contact Amy at 49ALL80@gmail.com so we can make sure we have your correct address.  

Check your mailboxes!

It's that time again!  November Cub Scout Couriers are in the mail, so make sure you check your boxes.  For those of you who receive it by email, you should see it in your inbox.  If you'd prefer to receive our monthly newsletters by email, please let us know by emailing Amy at 49ALL80@gmail.com.  

We hope everyone is enjoying the 2015-2016 scout year so far.  It's only going to get better from here, so tell all your friends!!

Pack Meeting...Next Tuesday!

Don't forget that next Tuesday, October 20, is our next pack meeting!  We will be having some fall fun starting at 6:30pm at WBES.  As of right now, it is planned to be outside, so please dress for the weather.  In the case of rain, we will simply move all the fun indoors.  There will be a variety of games and activities for everyone to enjoy, so bring the whole family!

At this same time, our Tiger den is working on their first service project and they've decided to collect supplies needed for the Second Chance Animal Shelter.  Please bring any donations to this pack meeting so the boys can present them to the shelter the following week.  Everyone should have received a "wish list" for the shelter with their last newsletter, but in case you need a refresher, check out Second Chance's website here:  http://www.secondchanceanimals.org/wish-list.html

Thank you everyone!  See you Tuesday!

Upcoming Committee Meeting

As this is being written, rain is falling outside which should make us all grateful for the beautiful (although chilly) weekend we had for our camp out.  We hope everyone had a great time!  If you have any feedback you'd like to share, please feel free to comment on this post or email our cubmaster at evannpd@charter.net

Our next pack meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 20 from 6:30-7:30 pm at the school.  We will be having a pack committee/leader meeting this coming Friday, October 9 at 6:30 at the school to plan our committee meeting.  Anyone interested in sharing ideas, joining the committee, or just checking out what the pack leadership does behind the scenes, please feel free to join us.  If you'd like more information on joining the pack committee, please email our committee chairperson, Melissa Brown at melissabrownster@gmail.com  We hope to see you there!

Keep your eyes open for the October edition of the Cub Scout Courier which will be in mailboxes this week!!

Family Camp Out

This coming weekend, September 26 & 27 is our first family camp out for the 2015-2016 scout year.  It will be held at Treasure Valley Scout Reservation (394 Pleasantdale Road in Rutland).  Families may arrive any time after 1pm on Saturday.  We should be ready to leave between 9 and 10 am on Sunday morning.  We will have a variety of activities for everyone.  We will have a hike around the camp, songs and skits around the campfire, and individual den activities.  The pack will provide all the food needed for the weekend, but families are asked to bring the following:

Tent

Sleeping Bags

Pillows

Toothbrush/toothpaste

warm clothes and pajamas

Air mattresses & pump (optional, but will be nice to have!)

Bug Spray

Sun block

Shoes appropriate for the woods (no flip flops)

Extra set of clothes  

Recreational stuff (fishing poles, football, etc)

Flashlight 

Waterbottle filled with water

*Please leave video games at home*

As of right now, the weather looks fantastic, although it will be chilly overnight.  Please be prepared for that.  We will be cooking our dinner over the campfire and it will consist of quesadilla/pizza pockets and hot dogs.  There will be marshmallows and maybe a surprise dessert for our evening snack. Breakfast will simply be cereal and fruit.  We will have cocoa, coffee, and tea available as well.  If your son is a picky eater or has special dietary needs, please feel free to bring something that he will eat.  

Remember that every rank has a requirement to camp in order to receive their badge at the end of the year.  This camp out will complete many components of that requirement.  Feel free to bring the whole family!  (A reminder that any scout NOT a webelos must have at least one adult attend.) 
 Please email Ryan LaRoche, our Cubmaster with a headcount for your family so we can appropriately plan for food.  evannpd@charter.net

Registration--ROUND 2

We hope everyone is surviving this hot, humid, September week!  We know the heat probably kept many of you at home in air conditioning so we're holding another registration night!  Next Tuesday, September 15, from 6-7:30 at the WB Elementary School we'll be set up in the hall outside of the cafeteria.  For those of you who can't make it Tuesday, we will be set up at the Open House on the school next Wednesday.  Cub Scout registration is open to any boy who is currently in grades 1-5.  If you have any questions, you can email our cubmaster, Ryan LaRoche, at evannpd@charter.net

Registration Tomorrow Night!

Just a reminder that tomorrow, September 8, is our annual Pack registration night.  This will be held from 6-7:30 at the West Brookfield Elementary School in the cafeteria.  The cost for returning scouts is $30 while the cost for brand new cubs is $45 (but this includes his hat and neckerchief).  We hope to see everyone tomorrow!  Remember, if you have any questions, feel free  to email Ryan LaRoche, our Cub Master, at evannpd@charter.net

It's been a while...

Happy end of summer, everyone!  We know it's been quite a while since our last blog post, but now that school is right around the corner, so are cub scout meetings which means our blog will be updated much more regularly!

We had an astounding 21 boys attend summer camp this year and from what we've heard, they all had a great time!  You can check out this link for all the pictures that were taken of them by the camp staff.  You can also purchase any of the pictures you see.  https://mohegan.smugmug.com/  Again, a huge thank you to all the parents who attended either camp as parent volunteers.  

Our committee will be holding its first meeting of the 2015-2016 scout year this Friday, August 21 at 5pm at Ryan and Amy's house.  We're always open to new members so feel free to stop on by!

Last but certainly not least, we want to mention that our annual registration night will be held on Tuesday, September 8 from 6-7:30 at the West Brookfield Elementary School.  We will also be at the WBES open house on Wednesday, September 16.  

We hope to see you all soon!!

End of the Year Festivities

Hard to believe the end of another scout year is upon us.  We still have a couple of events coming up that we don't want you to miss!

SATURDAY, MAY 30
6PM
Walnut Grove Cemetary in North Brookfield
Walker Memorial Scout Service
**This event is held to commemorate all scouts and leaders that have passed away this past year.  Boys will march in with other scouting units in Mohegan Council to pay their respects.  Lets show the families of the departed that we stand together as family in scouting.

SATURDAY, JUNE 6-SUNDAY JUNE 7
3PM Saturday-9AM Sunday
Treasure Valley Scout Reservation
Graduation/Crossover ceremony and family camp out
**This will be our last event for the 2014-2015 scout year.  Please join us as we celebrate the boys' successes from the year.  After the graduation (which will be at 4pm on Saturday) we will have dinner, play some games, eat yummy dessert, and camp out in the beautiful woods of Treasure Valley. Everyone is invited, so bring the whole family!!  Here's the list of what you'll need to bring...

--tent (believe it or not, this is optional.  The tents used for boy scout camp are up and we are able to use them.  However, they do not zip and are wooden platforms.  If you prefer your own tent, bring it.  If you want to use the camp's tents, that's fine)

--sleeping bags & pillows

--air mattress (if you prefer using one)

--PACK 118 T-Shirt (boys should wear these for graduation.  Uniforms are not necessary as we don't want to lose pieces.  Arrow of Light boys should wear their uniform)

--extra clothes (include long pants in case it's cold)

--pajamas

--sweatshirt/jacket

--bug spray

--sunscreen

--flashlight

--waterbottle filled with water

--toothbrush/toothpaste

--comfy shoes (no sandals, flipflops, or crocs please)

--extra socks

--bathing suit & towel (if you want to do a polar bear plunge Sunday morning)

--rain gear (poncho, umbrella, raincoat--we all know how the weather cooperates with us)

--your contribution to the meal your den has planned

--summer camp forms if you haven't already turned them in

--recreation items (football, frisbee, etc. NO VIDEO GAMES)

As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email Ryan at evannpd@charter.net.  We sincerely thank all volunteers, parents, and scouts for a wonderful scouting year!

Summer Camp Countdown!!

Believe it or not, there's only 51 days until the first day of summer camp for our Webelos Resident Camp week 1 campers!  With that in mind, here are a few summer camp reminders...

All medical forms and authorizations are due to Amy NO LATER THAN JUNE 9!!  This includes:

--BSA medical form parts A, B, and C (or a doctors physical form instead of part C) This is a must for all campers and adults attending camp

--A photo copy of your health insurance card

--Over the Counter medication sign off

--Shooting sports authorization form

--parental authorization form

If you don't have a copy of any of these forms, please email Amy at ALL4980@charter.net

Anyone who ordered T-shirts this year and has not paid for them yet, should make arrangements to do so as soon as possible.  Remember that no shirts were included in the price of camp this year and they cost $10.  You do not have to have a camp t-shirt.  

Here is the link to the "welcome packet" for both day camp and webelos camp.  It's full of information you'll need regarding summer camp.  http://www.mohegancouncilbsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/2015-TVSR-Camp-Guide-CSDC-WRC.pdf

Day camp will be having an open house this coming Saturday, May 9 from 10-2 and 4-6 (at Treasure Valley) for anyone interested in checking out the day camp facilities.  No date has been publicized for webelos camp as of yet.  

If anyone has any questions regarding summer camp, please contact Amy at the email address above.  

Day of Service a HUGE Success!!

We want to send out a huge thank you to everyone who participated in our Day of Service at the elementary school.  During our 6 hours (with 13 scouts and their families) we were able to build 3 picnic tables, clean out the front and side gardens, mulch those gardens, and rake up the back area a bit.  We also collected a shocking 3 trash bags full of trash we found all over the school grounds.  While we haven't yet heard directly from Mrs. Mucha, we know she'll appreciate everyone's hard work to make our school look amazing!

On another note, Tuesday, May 12 will be our next Pack event.  We will be meeting at the Rock House in town at 6:30 pm for a pack hike.  Please be sure to wear your pack 118 hat!!

Watch your mail boxes--Cub Scout Couriers for May will be mailed to everyone this week!

Day Of Service

While we hope to mention this tonight at our pack meeting, we know that some of you may not be there to hear this.  Next week is April vacation, which usually means a break from scout meetings.  However, we will be hosting our second annual Day of Service for Mrs. Mucha and the elementary school.  On Friday, April 24, from 9am-3pm we will be conducting a couple different service projects that will benefit WBES.  We will be building a few picnic tables for the new playground area, we'll be doing a trash sweep of the entire grounds, and we'll be sprucing up the courtyard area.  We need as many volunteers as we can get--boys and adults alike!  Lunch will be served, but we are asking everyone to bring garden gloves, rakes, shovels, buckets, etc. that will help us with our service.  Also bring a water bottle filled with water and pray for a warm, sunny day!  Boys don't need to wear uniforms but should wear their pack 118 hat and Class B t-shirt.  We hope to see everyone there!

Scouting For Food

Don't forget that this Tuesday, April 14 is our April pack meeting.  This is the meeting where we are participating in a BSA program called "Scouting for Food".  Typically this is done in November, right before the holidays, but this is the time of year when food pantries suffer the most.  Every scout has been given some plastic bags and some flyers to hand out to neighbors, family, friends, etc.  It is our hope that these bags will be filled with non-perishable foods that we can pass along to the Sharing Cupboard food pantry here in West Brookfield.  Please plan on collecting your filled bags prior to our pack meeting, which starts at 6:30pm on Tuesday.  Boys will be sorting food and boxing it up for delivery to the pantry.  As a thank you, the pack will host a pizza party for everyone!  (As a heads up, we may ask a couple of you families that have trucks to deliver the boxes down the street if you're willing) Let's all work together to see if we can reach our goal of 150 bags to donate!!

Any questions, please contact Ryan LaRoche at (774)200-1419 or email at evannpd@charter.net

Camp Registrations Due March 31

This is a friendly reminder to everyone that all camp registration forms are due to Amy NO LATER THAN Tuesday, March 31.  This includes the pack registration form, any camp cash certificates your scout has earned, and any payment you owe.  Please remember that if you would like a camp t-shirt for your camper(s), there is an added $10 cost per shirt this year.  Camp will not provide a free one like in years past.  If you choose to pay for camp via check, please make it out to "Pack 118".  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email Amy at ALL4980@charter.net

Also, every scout & adult attending camp will need a BSA medical form filled out.  These will be made available to everyone at our April pack meeting.

**Amy's Tiger den will  not be at the school this coming Tuesday, March 24.  If you would like to turn in paperwork that night, please give it to Ryan or your son's den leader.  Den leaders, if you are given any camp paperwork/payments, please bring them to the committee meeting on the 27th.** 

Pinewood Reminders

Just a reminder that our pinewood derby is quickly approaching!!  Friday, March 13 from 6-7:30 will be our check in night.  Bring your finished car up to the school at some point during that time frame and we'll weight it on our official scale and make sure it's race ready!  (Cars will be held overnight to ensure that they don't break pre-race) The races will commence on Saturday, March 14 from 3:30-6 in the cafeteria.  If you cannot attend the check in on Friday night, it's very important that you arrive prior to 3:30 on Saturday so your car can be checked in and fixed as necessary.  Once the races start, more racers cannot be added.  Make sure all cars are build according to the specs on our Pinewood derby rules and regulations page.  

We will have some light refreshments available for sale as well.  Remember to "do your best" and have fun!  Good luck everyone!!

Campership Applications Due

This is a friendly reminder to everyone that our pack campership forms are due to Amy LaRoche this week.  Anyone who feels that the cost of camp will keep their scout from attending scout camp this summer should feel free to fill out our pack campership form to apply for assistance.  Forms were given to every family at the Blue and Gold Banquet, but if you are in need of another one, or if you have any questions,  please contact Amy at ALL4980@charter.net  Rest assured that all applications will be kept confidential. 

 Don't forget that all camp registration forms and payments are due to Amy by March 31!

Hello Webelos 1 Den

Hi Everyone in the Webelos 1 den, 

I hope you all had a great vacation week. 

Due to Quaboag Middle/High School having an open house for the 6th graders on Tuesday night I will have to cancel our den meeting. My oldest is in the 6th grade and we will be going to the open house. 

Our next meeting is scheduled for March 3rd and we will be finishing the Artist badge. I will also be collecting the handbooks so I can update each of the books. 

Thank you, 

Sheri" 

Becker College Field Trip

This is just an update to everyone that our field trip to Becker College, originally scheduled for February 28, has been postponed.  The college has another event that day and they weren't sure if there'd be enough room for us to join them.  We are working with our contact person on finding a date in March so we will let everyone know when that date becomes available.

Thank you!!

We'd like to send out a huge thank you to everyone who attended our blue and gold banquet last Saturday!  The food was delicious and we're so proud of all the boys on earning so many advancements!  The songs and skits were great too!  A HUGE thank you to committee members Paul, Kelly, Melissa, Tim, and Amy as well as our special guests Ben and Jason for all their help setting up and cleaning up.  

All boys that attended the blue and gold received his pinewood derby kit.  A reminder that our pinewood derby is taking place on Saturday, March 14, with our car check in night on the 13th.  Please refer to our pinewood rules and regulations page on this blog for exact specifications.  If you did not receive a car, you will at your next den meeting.  

Anyone wanting more information on summer camp, please check out our summer camp page on this blog as Amy is updating it with tons of information.  Remember that if you have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to her at ALL4980@charter.net  

Blue and Gold Potluck Dish List

For those of you who follow the blog, here's the most up to date list of dishes that people are bringing to the blue and gold banquet.  Remember that the event is being held Saturday, February 7th at Quaboag High School in Warren (take the road that is just before Northeast Pizza...it'll take you right there).  It starts at 5pm and is scheduled until 8, though it probably won't actually go that long.  If you haven't RSVP'd with your dish and/or headcount, please do so as soon as possible so we can plan for supplies and food.  

Here's what's coming

vegetable platter
fruit salad
chili
chicken casserole
baked ziti
salad
shepards pie
pigs in a blanket
cupcakes 
sweet & sour Kielbasa
tater tot casserole
spanish rice
meatballs
lasagna

**Please note that we will be all set with drinks and desserts.

Thank you to everyone who has already RSVP'd.  We hope to see everyone next weekend!!

Blue and Gold Banquet

Our annual scouting birthday celebration, or Blue and Gold Banquet, is being held on Saturday, February 7th from 5-8pm at Quaboag High School in Warren.  

We will be having a potluck dinner as well as birthday cake for dessert.  Please RSVP to our cubmaster at evannpd@charter.net with what dish your family wishes to bring as well as a headcount for your family.  

Boys will all be performing songs or skits for your entertainment and they will all be receiving advancements they've been working on.  We will also be passing out pinewood derby cars to each boy.  (Pinewood is being held on March 14).  We'll also be handing out the much anticipated summer camp information.

Bring the whole family!!  It's an event not to miss!!

Happy 2015 Pack 118!!

We hope everyone is looking forward yet another great year in scouting.  May you all stay safe, healthy, and happy in the new year!