Cub Scout Pack 1776
28Feb/11

March Hike – Pleasanton Ridge

Date: Saturday, March 5, 2011
Time: 1:30pm - 4:00pm (Meet in the Parking lot at 1:30 PM sharp.)
Location: Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park
Note: Large parking lots, with a few additional spaces before the gate. No entrance or parking fees.

This 5.9 mile loop climbs through oaks and grassland to a series of bare rolling hills, then drops back to the trailhead. Trailhead elevation is about 260 feet. The featured hike climbs to about 1430 feet. Most of the trails are moderate, although there's a bit of steep up and down on the ridgeline -- total elevation change is about 1200 feet.
[stextbox id="info" caption="Hike Statistics" align="center"]Distance: 5.9 miles
Time: 2.5 hours
Trail surfaces: Dirt fire roads and trails.
Be sure to read: Hike info and area info[/stextbox] [stextbox id="info" caption="What to Bring" align="center"]Wear Boots. Bring water and snacks. Dress in layers.
[/stextbox] [stextbox id="info" caption="Directions" align="center"]From Interstate 680 exit Sunol Boulevard/Castlewood Drive (exit 25).
Head west on Castlewood Drive and where the road splits stay to the right on Castlewood.
At the stop sign, turn left onto Foothill Road and drive about 1.6 miles to the trailhead on the right side of the road.
GPS Coordinates for trailhead:Latitude 37°36'52.83"N, Longitude 121°52'54.88"W


View Larger Map[/stextbox]

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24Feb/11

REI Concord’s Scout Night this weekend

Date: Saturday, February 26, 2011
Time: 7pm - 9pm
Location: REI Concord
Cost: Free
Pre-registration required online

From REI Concord:

Join us for a special evening of fun and educational activities planned for Scouts of all ages and gender. Perfect for leaders and parents of younger Scouts who will soon begin camping and backpacking and for older Scouts who want to take it to the next level.

Learn what gear to choose (and avoid!) in our various gear, clothing and footwear mini-clinics. Find out about outdoor recreational and conservation project opportunities in 2011 from East Bay Regional Park District and Save Mount Diablo representatives.  Activities for kids will include climbing on our indoor wall and zany contests like mini geo-caching, tent building and sleeping bag stuffing.

We'll have lots of prizes and a raffle for some great gear any Scout would love to own. Younger Scouts will enjoy meeting Chipper and learning Leave No Trace principles in a fun, interactive way. All Scouts who arrive in uniform will receive a 15% off coupon for one full-priced item, with limited exclusions.

Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or Scout leader and adequate adult supervision must be provided for each Scout group that attends. Pre-registration is required. Find out more online.

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24Feb/11

Oakland A’s Scout Day

Date: Sunday, May 1st, 2011
Time: 1:05pm
Location: Oakland Coliseum

Join the A's for their annual Scout Day. The event includes a pregame, on-field parade for uniformed Scouts and leaders, a commemorative patch for all participating Scouts, a special A's Magnet Set for kids 14 and under, and a discounted game ticket:

Lower Box: $25 (normally $30)
Field Level: $20 (normally $26)
Plaza Level: $16 (normally $24)

Detail and purchase information at A's website. Use password SCOUT when ordering online.

Following is a list of upcoming Scout Days/Nights:
02/26 (Sat): Monster Jam
02/26 (Sat): REI Concord Scout Night
03/05 (Sat): San Jose Sharks final Scout Night
05/01 (Sun): Oakland A's Scout Day
08/28 (Fri): BSA Motorsports at Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma

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24Feb/11

Coyote Creek Lost and Found

Pack 1776,

The sorting of the Lost & Found items yesterday was a success! Six scouts showed up to help out:

  • Alexander B
  • Brandon B
  • Gavin R
  • Jacob L
  • Marc R
  • Nolan R

The other two leaders besides myself that helped were

  • Harry Beck
  • Marco Rico

YiS,
CME Ed

24Feb/11

Recap of the Celebration of Scouting at Oakland

Pack 1776,

We would like to acknowledge the following scouts:

Jack P – Bear (received the Parvuli Dei Emblem -“Children of God”)
Adam G – Tiger

for their participation at the special prayer service at the Cathedral of Christ the Light on February 12, honoring all the scouts and their adult leaders in Scouting. Pictures of the event is available on SmugMug.

If your scout is interested in earning the religious award or emblems of faith, please inform your den leaders.  More information of the BSA Religious Emblems Program can be found on the BSA website.  Remember, “a Scout is Reverent…”

John & Ammy Pluth

15Feb/11

Scout Discounts


The following events are offering scout discounts.  Click on the links for detail.

02/17: Cal Men's Basketball vs. USC - Flying Dubs at Halftime (Use promotional code: HONOR)
02/18: Smucker's Star On Ice at HP Pavilion
02/23-27: Disney On Ice presents Let's Celebrate at HP Pavilion
02/26: Monster Jam at Oakland Coliseum
03/02-06: Disney On Ice presents Let's Celebrate at Oracle Arena
03/24-27: Quidam by Cirque Du Soleil at HP Pavilion

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14Feb/11

Forest Conservation Days

Update 3/26/2011: This event is ON, rain or shine, today and tomorrow at 1:30pm.

Some parents inquired about the event on Thursday during our pack meeting. It is definitely on. It is not often that we can hike and learn from a forester. The Scout will earn a pin and I think that this event will help them with Science at school.

Bernard

Date: Two sessions to choose from:
----- Saturday March 26, 2011 1:30-3:30pm
----- Sunday, March 27, 2011 1:30-3:30pm
Location: Sanborn Park, Saratoga, CA (directions)
Cost: Free, except for a $6 park entrance fee
RSVP: Indicate your session selection on evite by this Thursday February 17, 2011

Pack 1776 will be joining the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department and the Northern California Society of American Foresters in the 2011 Forest Conservation Days (FCD) celebration to be held on March 26 and 27.

We will go on a 2-3 hour interactive, hands-on hike with a forester through the redwood forest and the oak woodlands of Sanborn Park. Included will be tree identification, and instruction/activities on geology, soils, wildlife biology, native culture, fire fighting, forest products, demonstration of a vintage 1882 Steam Donkey, and more!

This is a great opportunity to fulfill requirements of the Webelos forester and geologist activity pins, Bear elective #15 (water & soil conservation), Wolf elective #18 (outdoor adventure), belt loops and pins for geology and wildlife conservation, etc.  Cloth patches commemorating FCD 2011 will be available for participating scouts. More information on FCD in this flyer and at this website.

Siblings welcome.  Reserve your spots via evite by 2/17/2011, that is this Thursday!!  Send inquiries to Hiking Chair Bernard Kiriakos.

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12Feb/11

Blue and Gold Pictures

What a night! I hope everyone enjoyed the dinner and entertainment last night and that the B&G committee can finally take a break. Plenty of pictures are already available.  Head over to SmugMug to check them out!

10Feb/11

Reminder: Blue and Gold Tomorrow

Doors open at 5:30 with the ceremony starting at 5:45.
See you all tomorrow!
10Feb/11

Mt Diablo Silverado Council Friends of Scouting Campaign

Hi Pack 1776,

Every February our Pack participates in the annual Friends of Scouting fundraising campaign for the Mt Diablo Silverado Council, and I’m writing to ask you to join my family in supporting this effort for the Council. I will be giving a brief Friends of Scouting presentation at the Blue & Gold dinner this Friday, and I put together the information below to hopefully answer some questions you may have.

Why support the Council?

The Mt Diablo Silverado Council serves over 14,000 scouts in Contra Costa, Solano, Napa, Lake, and northern Alameda counties. The Council’s 2011 annual budget is $2,984,598 and 29% of those funds come from the Friends of Scouting campaign. Here is how the Council spends the $2,984,598…85% on programs and activities, 9% on fundraising, and 6% on administration. So you can be assured your contribution will be used wisely for programs and activities. The activities and services provided by the Council are training, camp Herms and Wolfeboro, recruiting materials, administrative services, professional services, insurance, and most everything we need to run Pack 1776.

How do I donate?

Pledge cards and envelopes will be passed out by the Den leaders to the families in their dens at the Blue & Gold dinner Friday. Families are asked to complete the pledge card, and then return the pledge card and their donation or pledge to their Den leader Friday night. I need to turn in the pledge cards and donations next week.

What are my options for donating?

Cash, check, or credit cards are accepted, and should be collected the night of the Blue & Gold dinner. Donating Friday may not be convenient for some, so pledges are another convenient option and can be spread out over time. Pledges for $25 can be taken and reminders mailed. Pledges can be annually, semi-annually, quarterly, or monthly.

How much should I donate?

The Council estimates it costs approximately $185 annually to support each scout, and this is the amount Council hopes each family will contribute. Pack 1776 families have been very generous in the past…some families give more than the recommended amount, some give the recommended amount, some give less. At the end of the day, this is a personal decision, and all contributions regardless of amount are appreciated.

Is my donation tax deductable?

Yes!!!

Want to supersize your donation?

Check with your employer to see if they have a matching gift program.

View the presentation by Lynne Leach, Mt Diablo Silverado Council President, former member of the California State Assembly.  The presentation is only 4 minutes long, and provides additional information.

On a personal note, fundraising is not something I gravitate to, but I sincerely believe in the Boy Scouts of America and support the Mt Diablo Silverado Council Friends of Scouting campaign with all my heart. As a boy growing up, I was both a Cub Scout and Boy Scout in the Mt Diablo Silverado Council, and I was fortunate enough to attend many of the events and camps supported by the Council. As a Boy Scout, I went to Camp Wolfeboro 4 consecutive years and had the time of my life. In scouting I established friendships with guys that are still great friends to this day. I could not have experienced all that I did if it weren’t for the generous folks that supported the Council then. Now it’s time for me to give back, and I hope you will join me and support the Council’s Friends of Scouting campaign.

Please contact me directly with any questions or comments.

Sincerely,

Steve Jackson
Committee Chairperson, Pack 1776
Friends of Scouting Chairperson, Pack 1776