Scout Orienteering Championships
Date: Sunday, October 17, 2010
Time: 10 am
Location: Briones Regional Park, Martinez, west entrance off Bear Creek Road (map)
Cost: $5 parking, $5 per scout, $5 per adult
Attire: Class B t-shirt, strong trail shoes, long pants (Briones has stickers!)
Bring: A compass, a watch, a pen or pencil. Lunch and water. Sunscreen or rain gear.
RSVP via evite by October 7th
The Bay Area Orienteering Club is pleased to offer the eighteenth annual Scout-O, a cross country map and compass adventure designed to test the map reading ability, compass skills and woodsman savvy regardless of experience.
Cub Scouts of all ages are welcome. No prior experience needed. Instruction will be offered prior to the event so that all Scouts, regardless of prior experience, will be able to take part in the actual competition. There will be courses of four distinct levels of difficulty, so that no Scout should encounter a challenge beyond his capabilities. Be prepared and head over to BAOC's website for printable maps and instructions.
Important information can be found in this document. Here are the important points:
- Scouts will run the course in teams of two, shadowed by an adult, $5 each.
- First team of all the scouts attending will run at 10 am. Start times are spaced 2 minutes apart and by course. Start times are set by event organizer.
- There is a slightly different additional event at 1:30 that is optional. Scouts do not have to stay for that but they can.
- Every participating scout will earn a patch.
- We need to pre-register with names and how teams will be paired up.
An evite will be coming to you. Sign up by October 7th and contact event coordinator Susan Kim if you have any questions.
Outdoor October Pack Meeting & Overnight Stay
Oct 9 - Last minute reminders: Bring flashlight, chairs, warm clothes. Print placard for your car. Here's the campfire program. See you all there.
Sep 29 Update: Conditions have changed. We will have the outdoor Pack Meeting but won't stay overnight. The hike on the next morning will be rescheduled. Check with your den leaders for detail.
Date: Saturday, October 9, 2010
Time: See agenda below
Location: Bort Meadow at Anthony Chabot Regional Park (map)
Attire: Class A uniforms for all scouts for the Campfire Program
Pack 1776 Scout Families,
One of the highlights of our scouting year is celebrating our third annual outdoor pack meeting at Bort Meadow Group Camp just north of Anthony Chabot Campground in Castro Valley. All scouts & families are welcome! Details below. Please RSVP via evite, so we can plan accordingly.
We look forward to seeing everyone!!
Yours in Scouting,
Assistant Cubmaster & Master of Ceremonies
John Pluth
[stextbox id="info" caption="Schedule" align="center" collapsed="true"]Saturday, Oct 9:
2:00pm Set up time. Scouts & families start arriving.
2:30-4:00pm Den time. Have a den meeting and practice your skits.
3:30pm Burgers, gourmet sausages & hot dogs will start to be served.
4:30pm Campfire program will promptly start. We are planning on a campfire, s'mores, dens skits and lots of fun! Each den is to perform a skit, lead a song, have some “cheers” & perform some run-ons.
5:30pm Overnight stay is optional.
Sunday, Oct 10:
9:00am Breakfast will be served - Pancakes, juice & coffee.
10:00am Pack hike (whether you camped or not) from Bort Meadow. You can come back for the hike even if you can’t camp overnight.[/stextbox] [stextbox id="info" caption="What to Bring" align="center" collapsed="true"]For pack meeting: Print this car placard and place it on the dashboard of your car, chairs, warm clothes, and a flashlight.
For camping: Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad / air mattress, pillow, extra clothes, sundries, etc.
For hiking: Long pants, sun screen, water, snacks, binoculars, camera, etc.[/stextbox] [stextbox id="info" caption="Related Awards and Achievements" align="center" collapsed="true"]All: Year of celebration award Outdoors #4; Outdoor activity award #1, 4, 10; Hiking belt loop #2, 3
Tiger: Achievement 5g
Wolf: Achievement 2f; Elective 11f, 18g, 23a & b
Bear: Achievement 3i, 9e; Elective 25b & c & d
Webelos: Outdoorsman 1, 2, 3[/stextbox] [stextbox id="info" caption="Directions" align="center"]From San Ramon,
· Take Crow Canyon West (past the 680, approx 7.5 miles)
· Turn Right onto Cull Canyon (go .2 miles)
· Turn Left onto Heyer Ave (go 1 mile)
· Turn Right onto Redwood Rd (go 7.3 miles)
· Turn Left into Bort Meadow Campground
· Pass through gate & follow dirt road to Bort Meadow staging area
View Larger Map[/stextbox]
Marksmanship Day
Date: Saturday, October 2nd, 2010
Time: 8:00AM - 1:00PM and/or 12:00PM - 5:00PM
Location: Camp Herms, 1100 James Place, El Cerrito, CA 94530 (map)
Registration deadline: Sunday, September 26, 2010
The Cub Scout Academics and Sports Program is an optional program for all Cub Scouts. Its purpose is to encourage the Scouts in learning new skills, or improving one they already posses. Cub Scouts can earn belt loops and pins in 25 academic areas and 28 different sports. Among them, the shooting sports loops and pins (Archery and BB-gun Shooting) can only be earned through Council-led events, under BSA trained supervision, and at a BSA facility range.
Marksmanship Day is one of such Council events and the next one is coming up on October 2nd. Registration can be made online at the Council website until September 26th (this Sunday). Go to the website for detail. Make sure to wear your Class A and fill out the authorization form before you go.
Note: Shooting sports belt loops can be used toward Wolf electives 20c and 20n.
An Eventful Day
This Saturday, September 25th, is the 17th National Public Lands Day. It is also the 26th California Coastal Cleanup Day! Traditionally, volunteers and conservationists get together on this day to improve the outdoors across the country. Our Pack has no servicing event scheduled on this day, but it doesn't mean you cannot go out and show some Scouting spirit! Look up the two websites and sign up to volunteer in an event. Besides making a difference in the environment, your contribution will also satisfy one of the requirements for the Cub Scout World Conservation Award and Year of Celebration Award.
Not ready for such heavy duty work? How about taking a leisure hike (hiking belt loop, Year of Celebration Award) at one of the nearby national parks and historic sites? On Saturday, National Park Service will be offering free admission to all national park lands. It is a great time to go on a hike, practice leave no trace (Leave No Trace Award), and earn the Scout Ranger patch!
Having one of the rare weekends that you would rather be indoor instead? You are in luck! Smithsonian Museum Day also falls on the same day. A printable ticket entitles you and a guest free admission to one participating museum (Collecting belt loop). There are many museums to choose from, but if you are working on this Museum Tour patch, you may want to consider visiting Hiller Aviation Museum, which is one of the required museums, and check out the Scouting in Aviation display.
With so much going on this Saturday, where should I start?
Fall Camping
Some people think Scouting means camping. While Scouting is not just camping, it never seems complete without it. If you have never been camping before you may want to know "what do you need to take camping?", well fear not, you can find all you need to by looking on websites such as activeprod.net, so you are prepared to take on the outdoors. As the best season for camping starts, there is camping ALMOST every weekend! (woo-hoo!) So it is well worth looking at somewhere like outdoorcommand.com to stock up on your camping essentials for the season! One night or two nights, near or far, causal or structured, you are guaranteed to find something that suits you. So get your pen or PDA or phone out and start marking your calendar!
Oct 9-10: A Pack overnighter at Bort Meadow, Castro Valley - It's a Pack meeting in the outdoors! Besides the usual ceremonies and skits, there will be campfire, smores, flag retirement, and group games. Your boys are gonna like it, so are you. Stay tuned for more detail.
Oct 16-17: MDSC Webeloree at Camp Herms - Exclusive to the Webelos and their parents, this overnighter is a lot of fun and the Scouts will earn 4 pins in one weekend! It is so popular that the event is already full. Still interested? Check with the Council on waiting list.
Oct 22-24: MDSC Cub Family Camp at Camp Lindblad - It won't be fair if only the Webelos have fun, will it? This camp is open to all Cub Scouts and family. Activities are pre-planned, and the boys will learn something new while having tons of fun. Find detail in this booklet and go here for registration. Besides fun, participation in this camp fulfill requirements of Outdoor Activity Award, Year of Celebration Award, requirements of various belt loops and achievements/electives of your rank. Why would you think twice?!
Nov 5-7: Pack camping at Mt. Diablo State Park - It's our annual Fall camping trip, and this time it is so conveniently located at our own backyard! You got to meet friends, have fun, and enjoy the great outdoors. Can you really say no to it? More detail to come.
Happy first day of Fall!
Sunol Regional Wilderness Hike Wrap-up
I want to recognize and congratulate the following scouts:
* Jack P
* Jacob K
* Ethan M
* Jared O
for finishing a very arduous four mile hike. The hike took more than 3 hours to complete. We climbed to an altitude of 1360 feet and had to go down on relatively steep slopes.
Special thanks for all the parents who participated in this hike and assisted me in finding our way down.
Bernard Kiriakos
Hiking Chair
Magic of the Den Box
Message from Meridian District ...
Magic of the Den Box
Presented by Julie Graham
Are you a new Den Leader?
Want to learn some tricks for getting your Den off to a good start?
Are you a returning Den Leader?
Not sure why it's not going how you would like with your Den?
Join us for some tips to using a Den Box to help you build a better Den!
Topics covered
1. Being an effective Leader
2. The importance of building your Den's identity with your den box
3. Rewards and Consequences
4. How to plan a Den Meeting
Date, time, & Location:
September 23rd - 8 pm - 8:45 pm
Crow Canyon LDS Church
5025 Crow Canyon Rd, San Ramon, CA 94582-5547 (map)
This is a training not to be missed!
RSVP to [email protected]
Recruiter Strip
It was great seeing returning families and meeting new faces at the Cub Scout Welcome Kickoff on Sunday. Did your Scout recruit anyone to join our Pack? If he did, he can wear this Recruiter strip below the right pocket of his uniform. Don't worry if you haven't. Your Scout can still get his friends, classmates, and relatives to sign up at the Pack meeting on Thursday. See you in two more days.
September Hike – Sunol
Date: Sunday, September 19, 2010
Time: 1:45pm - 4:15pm
Location: Sunol Regional Wilderness (map)
This 4 mile loop hike is moderately easy, although there are a few steep stretches. Trailhead elevation is about 410 feet. The park's highest trail reaches about 2300 feet. The featured hike climbs to about 1360 feet, then descends back to the trailhead. Total elevation change is about 1000 feet.
[stextbox id="info" caption="Hike Statistics" align="center"]Distance: 4 miles
Time: 2.5 hours
Trail surfaces: Dirt trails and fire roads.
Be sure to read: Hike info and map[/stextbox] [stextbox id="info" caption="Directions" align="center"]From Interstate 680 in Alameda County, exit Calaveras (exit 21a). Follow the brown "parks" signs. (If you've exited southbound, stay in the left lane of the exit ramp, turn left, drive under the freeway and then stay in the left lane through a stop sign, to remain on Calaveras.) Drive south on Calaveras about 4 miles to the junction with Geary, and turn left. Continue on Geary almost 2 miles to the park entrance kiosk, then continue past the visitor center to an unmarked dirt lot on the left. Park at Visitor Center.[/stextbox] [stextbox id="info" caption="What to Bring" align="center"]Water, snack (granola bars, trail mix, fruit), sun screen, entrance fees.
Binoculars, camera, layer your clothes.[/stextbox] [stextbox id="alert" caption="Note" align="center"]Please arrive at 1:45 PM as the hike starts promptly at 2 PM![/stextbox]
More on training …
Every Scout deserves a trained leader. And it is why we come back to training again after we have already covered this a few times. This time, a message from our Training Chair of the Meridian district:
To Meridian Scouters,
I hope all of you are enjoying your Labor Day Weekend!!! -- May you all take a break with your families and have a wonderful weekend full of rest and fun with those you love...
Training for the Cub Scout program has changed in terms of accessibility. Starting this month (September) all Cub Scout Position Specific training is NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE!!!
So, a quick refresher -- To be considered TRAINED in Cub Scouts you need the following:
1. Youth Protection (YPT) - Online
2. Fast Start (Den Leader, Cubmaster, or Committee) (FS) - Online
3. This is Scouting (TIS) - Online
4. Position Specific (PS) - ONLINE starting September 1st, 2010
The new ONLINE Cub Scout Position Specific training is broken out in SEVEN tracks:
1. PS - Specific Tiger
2. PS - Specific Wolf Cub
3. PS - Specific Bear Cub
4. PS - Specific Webelos
5. PS - Specific Cubmaster
6. PS - Specific Pack Trainer
7. PS - Specific Pack Committee
Each track will have 15 minutes of Introduction to Cub Scouting (this will be a repeat for most of you). After the 15 minutes, you will then spend 10-15 minutes on the Position Specific area (e.g. Tiger or Wolf, or Bear, or Webelos etc.). The total online training time is around 30 minutes.
To access this, please login to www.Myscouting.org --> Click on Training --> E-Learning --> Cub Scout tab -- Leader Position - Specific Training.
So starting this FALL, if you have CHANGED positions (i.e. Tiger to Wolf den leader), you will need to take the Online PS course. You DO NOT need to retake past positions (i.e. PS Tiger Online) if you have already taken, for example, Tiger PS LIVE training last year. This rule holds true for all positions. You only need to take the new online PS course if you are taking on a new position or are brand new to Cub Scouting.
Once you have completed the online training, your training records on Myscouting.org is updated. You will be prompted to print out a training card at the end of the course. Please follow the instructions and print the training card and keep that for your records.
WHAT ABOUT LIVE TRAINING?
We will continue to offer LIVE Position Specific Training for all tracks (Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos, Cubmaster, Pack Trainer, and Pack Committee). We have live training sessions on September 18th, October 2nd, and November 8th. You are encouraged to attend LIVE training, if time permits, because it offer more interactive discussions and Q&A verses the online training. At this point, it is your choice - it is VERY important that your leaders are trained (LIVE or Online -- they're BOTH GOOD!!!) You just need to take one OR the other.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Yours In Scouting,
--
Ray Chan
Training Chair
Meridian District
925-548-6179 - Cell
