September 2009 Cub Leader Newsletter
September 10, 2009
Dear Cub Scout
Leader:
Welcome to another
fantastic year in Cub Scouting!!! We have a year's worth of exciting events
planned--hope you and your Scouts will make every effort to participate in
them!!! Our very first district event of the year is our
BIKE
RODEO, done
with the help of the ever-wonderful Optimist Club of Athens. This
hands-on learning event is set for this Saturday, September 12th at (the back
of) the Athens Junior High from 8:00 to approximately 11:30 a.m. The
Bike Rodeo will be similar to the one done last year, with an inspection
station, safety/riding skills program, police officer present to discuss rules
of the road, and a short street ride. Light refreshments will be served.
Please know that
several rank achievements can be completed at this event. Also, please
instruct your boys that they should bring their bikes and their helmets in
order to participate. Optimist Club members will be present to oversee all
stations, but would appreciate assistance from any adults, especially at the
inspection station. If you can help that day, please let me know ASAP.
Our second major
district event this year is our “CUB SCOUT SKATE NIGHT”, scheduled for
Tuesday, October 6th. Bill Crockett and his Pack 114 of Englewood
is in charge of this event, which will be held at the Athens Skate Center from
5:30 – 8:00 p.m. The cost is only $3.00 per person, which includes the cost of
skating and shoe rental. Please note that if anyone wants to rent speed or
in-line skates or roller blades there will be an additional $3.00 charge; those
wanting to bring their own specialty skates may do so, but still must pay the
$3.00 fee. Family members are invited and encouraged to attend at the same
price. All Scouts should come in uniform. Please know that the concession
stand will be open for those late-night munchies.
Coming up soon
after Skate Night, is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to earn the Boy Scout
100th Anniversary Service Project patch. The patch, shown
here, can be earned by participating in the Great Smoky Mountain and Daniel
Boone Councils’ service project for the Great Smoky Mountains National
Park—aptly being called “100 years, 100 miles”.
I have already arranged for all of our
Unaka Cub Scout packs to participate in this worthwhile project.
In order to do so, each person/pack participating will have to fill out
a VIP Agreement; originally, youth participating required a parental
signature, but I will let you know tonight or tomorrow through an email if
that is still true.
The
VIP Agreements need to be sent to Dana Soehn, Volunteer Coordinator, at 107
Park Headquarters Rd. Gatlinburg, TN 37738, prior to your project. Each
pack must also fill out a TOUR PERMIT through the council, at least 2
weeks prior to the event.
Our
assignment is the CADES COVE AREA; a map of our actual area is
included here. We are asked to concentrate on making sign assessments of all
trails near the road or within a mile of the road (very few), and doing clean-up
of trails and the area around the sign at this time. The assessment will
include making inspections, filling out the inventory sheets (one per sign!),
and taking photographs of all the trail signs in the park. I have included a
copy of the form that will be used by all packs and troops for this service
project. We decided at the last Roundtable to hold this on Saturday, October 10th.
We will meet at the Townsend Welcome Center at 9:30 a.m., as we cannot get into
the Cades Cove loop until 10:00 a.m. We will discuss how to divide this project
up among the packs tonight. Of course, the more people we have participating,
the quicker we will be able to complete this wonderful and meaningful project!!!
Please
be thinking about food for your boys that day. It’s a great time to teach
them about high-energy gorp and using a backpack to carry in food. 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 next major
district event is one of the most popular events of the Cub Scout year!! Our "CUB
SCOUT OLYMPICS" is set for Saturday, October 24th, beginning at
12:30 p.m. This family-oriented event is at Ingleside School in Athens. Please
remind parents and Cub Scouts that they should eat lunch before the Olympics;
the hot dogs and trimmings are for supper! Registration, which includes paying
a $1.00 fee per boy, begins at 12:00 noon, with the Olympics beginning promptly
at 12:30 p.m. Upon registration, each boy and his adult partner will be
assigned a team number, which will be used for identification purposes
throughout the event.
Because that is
national Good Turn Day, I am also asking each boy to bring one
canned food item of his choice, to be donated to a local food
pantry.
Some basic
guidelines for this event are:
l.
ONLY ONE BOY PER FATHER OR MOTHER OR 18 YEAR OLD OR OLDER SIGNIFICANT MALE
OR FEMALE. If there are 2 or 3 boys in a family, each boy must have
one adult. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule.
2. There
will be 8 groups (one group per station), each representing a different
rank, depending on the numbers of boys present from each rank. We shall
attempt to make groups equal in size as much as is possible. Latecomers
will be evenly distributed.
3. Each
Cub/Parent team must stay with their assigned group during all group
activities. Certain individual stations (such as the obstacle course) may
be done individually as time allows.
4. Olympic
gold medals will be presented to ALL participants. (WE NEED
EVERYONE TO DONATE FROZEN JUICE LIDS OR USED CANNING LIDS ASAP IN ORDER FOR
THIS TO HAPPEN!! Ask your parents for help with this!! I NEED THESE
BY OUR NEXT ROUNDTABLE ON OCTOBER 8th) First, second, and
third place Olympic medals will be presented for each rank of each
activity. Trophies will be awarded to the top 3 winners of each rank, as
well as the top 3 overall. The one dollar fee is to pay for all these
awards, and should be remitted either before or the day of the Olympics
PLEASE.
5. Every boy
should wear a Cub Scout T-shirt of some kind,
not
necessarily his uniform, and bring a poncho in case of rain.
6. EVERYONE
HAVE FUN!!
We can teach
our boys valuable lessons in sportsmanship with a positive attitude
throughout this event.
The different
activity stations and their responsible packs, if known at this time, are:
1.
Scouting Skills Contest 5. Penny Toss
2. Potato Relay
(Pack 114) 6. Crab Relay (Pack 615)
3. Timed Obstacle
Course (Pack 616) 7. Gorilla Relay (Pack 177)
4.
Shooting Sports (Pack 117) 8. Ladder Golf
***Please
know that you do not have to do one of these; you may have a better idea!***
Two additional
stations will be:
9.
Registration 10. Food preparation/Serving
(trying to get
Boy Scouts to do
this)
I MUST HAVE A
MINIMUM OF 4 PEOPLE AT EACH ACTIVITY STATION.
Each pack should
provide the necessary staff and materials for their activity. I will assist
you in every way possible if you will let me know that you need help!
Stations should be set up and ready for play no later than 12:00 noon.
Persons working registration should be present no later than 11:45 a.m.
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. WE NEED 2 GAS GRILLS FOR COOKING; please call if you
can help!!! 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. PLEASE BRING AT LEAST DOUBLE
THE AMOUNT OF CUPS YOU NEED. These items will be pooled together at mealtime,
and the pack or Boy Scouts responsible for food preparation will set up the
food and cook the hot dogs. I would suggest that you have every family bring
a 2-liter drink, every other family a pack of hot dogs or hot dog buns, etc.
Each pack is also asked to bring a large cooler of ice (not a bag
of ice!!) in addition to their cooler of ice water.
Medals and
trophies will be awarded at the day's end!! Please let your people know that
this is a very long event lasting several hours. Please plan to stay the
entire time and remember that CLEAN-UP IS EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY!!!
Please let your parents and boys know about this event and encourage their
participation. This is a really fun event, and one of the most popular of the
entire year. Also don’t forget to call our INFOLINE number (745-3100, ext.
2470) in case of inclement or questionable weather!!
Coming up pretty
fast will be our November event, our CUB SCOUT BOWLING DAY set for
Saturday, November 7th. Dotty Herd and Pack 561, from Ten Mile, are
in charge of this fun event. This is their first ever, but hopefully not their
last!! Details re: time, place and cost will be shared at our October
Roundtable.
I need to let you
know:
--that our next
Roundtable will be Thursday, October 8th at 7:00 p.m. at Mars Hill
Presbyterian Church. Please plan to attend these very informative and
helpful sessions. (AND PLEASE BRING YOUR JUICE CAN LIDS/CANNING LIDS TO
THIS MEETING!!!) Christy Seibert is our wonderful Roundtable
Commissioner (THANKS, CHRISTY!!!), and we look forward to her usual energetic
and wonderful job!!! Plus, you’ll get last minute details on our 100th
anniversary service project!!!
--that the
district "Popcorn Sale" begins September 21st! Our very own Phil
Seibert is Popcorn Chairman for McMinn County this year (THANKS SO MUCH,
PHIL!!!); Shelley Calhoun is Chairman for Monroe County; and Brent Tucker is
Chairman for Meigs County. Each pack should select a "popcorn chairman" now
to handle this fund raiser. Packets with all the pertinent information have
been distributed; if you are reading this and have not yet received yours,
please get in touch with Phil at 336-9919 (home), 309-8096 (cell); or Shelley
at 423-351-3158
or Brent Tucker at
423-261-2595 (depending on where your pack is located). Please encourage
everyone to approach all boys to see if they want to sell these items, whether
or not the pack does. A pack can make a lot of money by participating in this
sale—a basic 25% of sales, with up to 35% when certain criteria are met. In
addition, each Scout can earn prizes or cash (5% of their sales), as well as a
patch and a hatpin. There is much discussion about how the boys can work
toward their advancements by participating in this sale. Be sure and talk to
Phil or Mark about this!!! Also, visit the website:
www.trailsend.com.
Please note
the following important dates:
September 17th—Show
& Sell order deadline
September 21st—Popcorn Sale starts
October 2nd—Show
& Sell popcorn delivered
October 3rd
– 11th—Blitz Week
November 13th—Popcorn
Distribution Day
--that the
Great Smoky Mountain Council’s Golf Tournament is scheduled for Monday,
September 21st. If you or some of your parents are interested in
playing, please contact the council at 865-588-6514.
--that
UNAKA UNIVERSITY, a training super day, is scheduled for Saturday,
September 26th, from 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Phil Seibert, our
District Training Chairman, wants me to remind you that you must complete
Youth Protection Guidelines (on-line or video), New Leader Essentials, and
Rank-Specific Training to be considered fully trained. You also MUST
CALL AND SIGN UP with Phil or Mark for this training, preferably by
September 19th. There is a $10 charge, which includes the cost of
lunch, as well as all other trainings. Please wear your uniform and come with
a smile and an open mind!! Old and new leaders would benefit from these
practical sessions!! Let’s make this another great day for Unaka!!!
--that Friday,
October 2nd – Sunday, October 4th are the dates for the
Fall Camporee at Gee Creek. Some Webelos might be interested in observing what
a camporee is all about. Check with the Scoutmaster of one of the troops
for further details.
--that Friday,
October 2nd – Sunday, the 4th is also Scout Maze
Weekend at the Ocoee River Maze. The cost is $6.00 for all Cub Scouts (ages
4 – 12) and $7.00 for adults (13 and older), and includes the maze, bonfire,
farm animals petting zoo, the Goat Walk, cow train ride, and more. If a Scout
or adults brings a canned food item with that fee, they will get an extra cow
train ride or corn cannon shot. A group of 15 or more gets in for $5.50 each,
with one free Scout Leader for each 15 boys. Scouts will also receive a patch
for attending that day!!! Packs are allowed to bring their own lunch and have a
pack-sized picnic, so you could plan to make it a full day!
Additional
events are available for a fee, such as hay rides for the children. For more
information, visit www.therivermaze.com.or call Dianne Fetzer at
338-8314.
--that Sunday,
October 4th from 12:00 noon to 8:00 p.m. is SCOUT DAY at Lake
Winnepasauka!!! All Scouts in their class A uniform receive free
admission and free unlimited ride pass!!!!!!!!!!!!! Adults who just tag
along with their Scout pay $5.00 to enter; another $21.00 ($26.00 total) lets
you ride the rides. Sounds like a real deal to me!!!! Visit www.LakeWinnie.com
for more information.
--that there will
be two Cub Family Camping weekends at Camp Buck Toms, October 17th –
18th and October 24th – 25th 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 October 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 Day Camp
was a wonderful experience for about 35 little Cub Scouts in Athens and Twilight
Camp for 50 boys in Madisonville!!! WAY TO GO!!!! Be thinking now
about next year’s camp and how you can help!!!
--that is looks
like we will be having our Lock-In at the Athens YMCA again this year!!! The
tentative date is Friday, January 22nd from 10:00 p.m. To 6:00 a.m.
Let's be sure to promote this special event
--that I will be
doing a monthly newsletter for Cubmasters, Den Leaders, and their assistants
(and whoever else wants them!) to help keep you informed of upcoming district
events. If you are interested in receiving these letters, I will be emailing
them to everyone who provides me with their email address after each
Roundtable (in case there are corrections or additions made at that meeting), or
any time that you email and request it. These letters will also be posted on
our district website that can be found at
www.unakascouts.com.
Per our
agreement at the last gathering, all leaders agree to send these letters on to
all their parents, so that parents can stay informed about upcoming events, as
well as the leaders. Please call or email me one week before the
Roundtable if you would like something of interest to Scouters added to this
newsletter!!
--that segments
will be available again this year at a cost of 35c apiece. The Bike Rodeo,
Skate Night and Olympics segments will be available for purchase the day of the
events. These segments are meant to represent district events’ participation,
and are used around our beautiful boy-designed district patch.
Hope
to see all of you at our upcoming events!! Let's work hard to make this one
fantastic year for our children!!!
Connie Akers
746-9132
connieakers@hotmail.com
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