|
October 8, 2009
Dear Cub Scout Leader:
Hope everyone is enjoying this gorgeous fall weather!!! I love this time of
year! Our recent BIKE RODEO was a huge success!!! Thanks to all who attended and
to Steve Cartwright and the Athens Optimist Club members who supervised this
much-loved event!!
Also kudos to Phil Seibert for coordinating our district’s second-ever Unaka
University, a recent all-day training event for Cub Scout and Boy Scout leaders.
It was, of course, well-attended and well-done!
Our next major district event is two days from now!! Unaka Cub Scouts will
have their once-in-a-lifetime chance to earn the Boy Scout 100th Anniversary
Service Project patch, called “100 years, 100 miles”; our chosen date is
Saturday, October 10th. I hope each person/pack participating has filled out
your VIP Agreement and sent them to Dana Soehn, the Volunteer Coordinator for
the national parks.
You should also have sent in your TOUR PERMIT to the council. Be sure and
take a copy of the VIP agreement and tour permit with you when you travel
Saturday; MOST IMPORTANT ARE THE BACKCOUNTRY SIGN INVENTORY FORMS AND A CAMERA
TO PHOTOGRAPH THE SIGNS. Also, don’t forget that part of the service project is
to clean up around the trail sign you are assigned. You will need to carry
garbage bags and probably gloves with you. Our assignment is the CADES COVE
AREA; we will meet at the Townsend Welcome Center (7908 East Lamar Alexander
Parkway) at 9:30 a.m. and dispense from there with specific assignments. Be sure
you know your assignment before going into the park!!! We do not need signs to
be done 2 or 3 times!!! Also, I need to let you know that there is a slight
possibility that a local writer who is doing an article for Boys’ Life may be
with us to record our activities. She contacted me recently and is waiting to
hear from the magazine’s editors before making that decision. Because of that,
be sure that your boys are in class A (uniform shirt) or class B (Cub Scout
t-shirt) that day. I hope you have thought about food for your boys that day. It
would a great time for some gorp carried in with a backpack. A cook-out at the
end of the day’s work would be a memory-filled time for all!!! Next spring will
be phase 2 of the project, when signs will actually be painted or replaced,
depending on what this fall assessment shows.
Our "CUB SCOUT OLYMPICS" is set for Saturday, October 24th, beginning
with registration ($1.00 per Scout! and a canned food item for local food banks)
at 12:00 noon, and the event itself at 12:30 p.m., at Ingleside School in
Athens. Please don’t forget that each pack has an assigned duty, whether a
station, registration, or food preparation; please, please make sure that you
have enough staff ahead of time!!!!
The eight activity and 2 other stations, and the packs responsible for them,
will be:
- 1. Nail-Driving Contest (Pack 114)
- 2. Potato Relay (Pack 116)
- 3. Timed Obstacle Course (Pack 616)
- 4. Shooting Sports (Pack 117)
- 5. Penny Toss ( Pack 410)
- 6. Crab Relay (Pack 615)
- 7. Gorilla Relay (Pack 177)
- 8. Ladder Golf (Pack 275)
Two additional stations will be:
- 9. Registration (Packs 177 & others)
- 10. Food preparation/Serving (Troop 624 is again going to help us--YAY!)
Don’t forget that stations should be set up and ready for play no later than
12:00 noon. Persons working registration should be present and ready for
registration no later than 11:45 a.m. All registration materials will be
provided.
PLEASE REVIEW ALL RULES FROM OUR LAST NEWSLETTER, especially the one about
one adult for each boy, with everyone in your den or pack.
After all the preliminaries, there will be play-offs at each station for each
rank, and for overall standings. When all competition is completed, we will have
a family hot dog supper. Each pack is responsible for providing enough hot dogs,
buns, condiments, chips, cookies, drinks, ICE WATER, cups, plates, napkins, and
garbage bags for their numbers. These items will be pooled together at mealtime,
and the persons responsible for food preparation will cook the hot dogs and
generally prepare the food tables. Each pack is also asked to bring a large
cooler of ice (not a bag of ice!!).
Medals and trophies will be awarded at the evening's end!! Please let your
people know that this is a long event, sometimes lasting until dusk. Please plan
to stay the entire time and remember that CLEAN-UP IS EVERYONE'S
RESPONSIBILITY!!! This is a really fun activity that makes for some great
quality time for Scouts and their adult partners--and is one of the most popular
of the entire Scouting year.
Don’t forget to call our INFOLINE number (745-3100, ext. 2470) in case of
inclement or questionable weather on that day!! A little rain simply means that
you don a poncho and enjoy the wet outdoors! A lot of rain or a storm means the
event is re-scheduled for Sunday, October 25th, starting at 1:00 p.m. Please
don’t forget to wear Cub Scout T-shirts regardless of when this all takes
place!!
Our November event is the ever-popular CUB SCOUT BOWLING DAY, set for
Saturday, November 7th at Classic Lanes Bowling Lane from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. They
have promised us all 16 lanes, which will make for a much better time!!! The
price is $5.00 (a dollar less than last year!) per Cub Scout or adult, which
includes shoe rental and all games that can be played during that 2 hour
time-slot. Thanks to Dotty Herd and Pack 561 for taking care of this event.
Sounds like a fun afternoon to me!
December is Good Turn month, and participation in local Christmas parades,
rather than an organized event. Each pack is asked to do a good turn of some
kind in their community as a sort of Christmas gift to the community. We’ll
discuss this more next month. As far as the parades, I encourage all packs to be
involved, if only to march or decorate a pick-up truck and ride. Several packs
have earned extra money doing floats, something the boys really enjoy. I’m
listing here the parades I have information about now, so that you have time to
at least consider doing this:
- Monday, December 7th—Athens Parade; Parade starts at 7:00 p.m.; contact the
Athens Chamber of Commerce at 745-0334 for entry forms and info. .
- Tuesday,
December 1st--Sweetwater Parade, with no particular theme. Parade starts at .
7:00 p.m., judging at 5:00 p.m. Contact Harris Lovingood at 337-3740 or Charles
Ridenour at 337-6123 for more information.
- Thursday, December 3rd—Etowah Parade; parade starts at 7:00 p.m.; contact
the Etowah Chamber of Commerce at 263-2228 for entry forms and info.
If you have details on other parades, please let me know as soon as possible
and I will include them in our next newsletter.
I need to let you know:
- --that our next Roundtable will be Thursday, November 12th at 7:00 p.m. in
the fellowship hall of Mars Hill Presbyterian Church. Please plan to attend
these very informative, helpful and FUN sessions led by our wonderful Roundtable
Commissioner, Christy Seibert.
- --that the district "Popcorn Sale" is in full progress, with order-taking or
simply selling the products in progress! November 5th is the absolute deadline
to turn in your show and sell money or return unsold popcorn, as well as to turn
in your popcorn order forms and prize order forms. You may fax in your orders to
the council at 865-588-3728. Pick-up of the products will be at H. T. Hackney's
in Athens on Saturday, November 14th . Your pack’s popcorn chairman should be in
contact with your county’s district popcorn chairman re: the specific schedule
for pick-up and delivery of the product. All monies must be turned in by
December 10th, at our December Christmas Dinner Roundtable. Please be reminded
that there are extra incentives for packs ordering in full cases only (an extra
15 cents to go into the pack’s council account!). Remember, Phil Seibert is
popcorn chairman for Minn County; Shelley Calhoun is Chairman for Monroe County;
and Brent Tucker is Chairman for Meigs County. You can reach your chairmen
thusly: Phil at 336-9919 (home), 309-8096 (cell) or phil@safetyvet.com ; or
Shelley at 423-351-3158 or shelleycalhoun@hotmail.com; or Brent Tucker at
423-261-2595 or cherokeescout@gmail.com (depending on where your pack is
located). Also, visit the website: www.trailsend.com for lots of information and
sale ideas.
- --that there will be a Cub Family Camping weekend at Camp Buck Toms the
weekend of October 17th – 18th , and again October 24th and 25th, both dubbed
the Fall Festival This is a family activity, for everyone in the family, ages 3
and older. Fees paid by October 3rd are $30.00 per person, and $10.00 for
children aged 3 to 5 years old; after October 3rd add a $10 per person or child
late fee. After the 3rd, the price is $40 per person; and after October 12th,
$50 per person. Price includes a full day of program activities, 3 meals, and a
patch. Remember, everyone must bring their own tents or make arrangements with
the council. Please contact the council website for details and applications
forms!
- -that you need to contact me one week before any Roundtable if you would like
something of interest to Scouters added to our monthly newsletter!!
- --that we are looking for uniforms for our local Uniform Bank. They have some
Boy Scout uniforms, but very few Cub Scout uniforms. If you have access to any
uniforms that some little boys in the area could use, please let me or Robert
Randolph know. Also, if you have Cubs that could use uniforms, please let us
know. We will try to match up uniforms available to boys really needing them.
- --that ALL leaders MUST complete Youth Protection Training at least every 3
years. That's a BSA policy AND a Tennessee State Law. YPT is available on the
internet at www.olc.scouting.org. Speaking of internet training, the new Cub
Scout Leader award knots all require the completion of Fast Start Training in
addition to the "in-person" Leader Specific training. That is also available on
that same website.
- --that there will be a council-wide Webelos Camporee done by the Order of the
Arrow the weekend of October 24th – 25th at the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in
Vonore. Webelos should take a tent, uniform and a parent. What a great
introduction to Boy Scouts this should be!!! Registration is $35; early bird
cost is $30; walk ons are $40. For more information contact Jennifer Ussery at
jussery@knoxarc.org.
- --that Steve Neill with “Woodmen of the World” insurance agency will provide
your pack with an American flag upon request. If you are interested, please call
Steve at 745-5743 and simply request this service. Steve is most generous with
these flags, and has been supportive of our efforts for many years!!
- --that the Council Silver Beaver Banquet will be Tuesday, December 1st at
Crown College in Knoxville, starting at 6:30 p.m. This banquet is to honor the
work of long-time local volunteers who have gone above and beyond the call of
duty.
- --that there will be a Native American Seminar at Powell Presbyterian Church
on Saturday, December 5th, starting at 8:30 a.m. and going throughout the day.
Pre-registration (by 11/27) is $10; late registration (11/28 – 12/5) is $15, and
walk-ons will be $20. The beautiful part is that Cub Scouts aged 10 and younger
are $5.00, 5 years old and younger are free!!! They will have classes all day;
lunch for $3.00 a plate; dinner for $5.00 a plate; and a PowWow that night at
7:30 p.m. Anyone may participate in this powwow, but you must have regalia to do
so.
- --that our December Roundtable will be a potluck dinner with local Boy Scout
leaders! This fun evening is set for Thursday, December 10th at the Allen
Memorial Methodist Church fellowship hall. You don’t want to miss this fun
one!!! Be prepared to bring a covered dish and a gift of no more than $5.00 to
swap “Yankee style”. . . . . . .
.
- ---that I am working on details for our CUB SCOUT LOCK-IN on January 22nd at
the Athens YMCA. I am in the process of gathering the necessary prices and
working on the schedule. Please give this date to your parents and know that the
site will definitely be the Athens Y. I will have prices and final information
at the November Roundtable.
- --that our local Eagle Scout and Volunteer Recognition Banquet will be
Monday, February 8th at The Elks Lodge in Athens, starting at 6:30 p.m. The
theme of this year’s awards banquet will be the 100th Anniversary of Boy Scouts
in America. I will be asking each pack’s Cub Scouts to do their usual wonderful
job of making placemats and wall decorations. We’ll talk a lot about this at the
next few Roundtables. This is an especially important banquet, as we are
inviting every Eagle from our Unaka troops to attend, and are hoping for a huge
crowd. We really need our Cub Scouts to show off for this one!!!
Hope to see all of you at the Olympics!! This is a great way to spend a
lovely fall afternoon with your family!!! Get out your sneakers and start
stretching those muscles!! Encourage everyone to wear Cub Scout-related
T-shirts!!
Connie Akers
746-9132 connieakers@hotmail.com
|
