2011 Cub Scout Day Camp Wrap Up
Fifteen Pack 1776 scouts had a great week at the 2011 All American Cub Scout Day Camp, held from June 20 - 24th, 2011 at Little Hills in San Ramon from 9 am to 3:30 pm. Once again Brian Wort and his volunteers directed a very well run camp. During the five days, the scouts rotated through various stations:
- Hiking - through Las Trampas hills, learned about poison oak
- Swimming (all 5 days) - if scout wanted to, could earned swimming pin, belt loop, or aquanaut
- Engineering - made a Wooden Basketball Game
- Crafts - made a Leather Bracelet
- Archery (2 days) - 2nd day shot at moving target/balloon, earned Archery Belt Loop
- Sports - Track and Field events such as potato shot put, long jump, hurdles
- Knots - learned square knot, 2 half-hitch, clove hitch, bowline rescue knot, figure eight stopper knot
- Engineering - made Marshmallow Shooters and practiced shooting with them too
- Sports - Water Games
- Unit Group Photos
- BB Guns (2 days) - earned BB Belt Loop
- Crafts - made Friendship bracelets
- Sports - Flag Football
- Engineering - made Wooden Beyblades
- Crafts - made Leather Key Chains
- Knife Safety - earned Whittling Chip
- Soap Carving (for Bears and Wolves) - carved Ivory soap into fish, tree, etc.
- Whittling - Webelos whittled small ax out of pine wood
- Sports - Multiple Obstacle Courses
- Cooking - cooked and ate Cinnamon Sugared Bread on a Stick
- Crafts - decorated picture frame
- Kim's Game - scout memory game
- Sports - Relay Races
- Patch design - Frontier theme for next year
- Skit Practice and tryouts
In addition, the scouts were entertained with four fabulous lunch-time shows:
- Rescue Dogs
- Magic Show
- Wildlife - saw kestrel, golden eagle, serval, porcupine
- Python Ron - saw hissing cockroach, lizards, bearded dragon, various monitor lizards, various snakes (even a 90 lb albino one!)
We had fifteen scouts attending:
- Shanay C
- Nicholas C
- Hayden C
- Joshua D
- Harrison E
- Adam G
- Matthew I
- Joshua K
- Andrew K
- Aidan L
- Emmett L
- Ethan M
- Jack P
- Benjamin R
- Austin S
We also had Jacob L and Nick C (from Montevideo going to Iron Horse) as our awesome and essential Junior Helpers who helped us take care of the boys in our unit. Joshua L assisted in various stations, such as Engineering and Crafts, as a Junior Helper, too.
Joe Ghatta and Ammy Pluth volunteered all day every day. Marianne Ghatta volunteered with the Tags on Monday and Tuesday, Grace Dagen volunteered on Thursday, and Ching Evans volunteered on Friday. I am so thankful to these parents to take time off work and spend their vacation time at Cub Scout Camp.
All of the 15 scouts above earned a All American Sports Patch and the BB Shooting Belt Loop.
Fourteen scouts earned the Archery Belt Loop and the Whittling Chip.
In addition, Joshua K and Jack P earned the Swimming Belt Loop and Harrison E earned both the Swmming Sports Pin and the Aquanaut Award.
It was a great week full of fun learning opportunities and classic scout activities. Looking forward to next year.
Susan Kim
Pack 1776 Day Camp Coordinator
Fall Camping – SAVE THE DATES!
Date: Friday, November 11, 2011 3:00pm - Sunday, November 13, 2011 12:00pm
Location: Camp Herms
SAVE THE DATES!! Camp Herms is located in El Cerrito, California. This camp serves as a year-round camp with a Cub Scout Day Camp during the summer. It is situated atop the El Cerrito Hills and can be used as the hub of local historical site visits to San Francisco and the surrounding area. Historic Camp Herms was originally named Camp Berkeley and opened for use in 1930. The camp was renamed Camp William B. Herms in 1939. Chemical toilets are near the campsite and flush toilets and showers are a short walk away. Hiking trails, including the Fages Historic Trail, are nearby.
Details will follow in an Evite and will be posted here. Stay tuned.
SAVE THE DATES!!
Scott & Scott
Hiking Chairs
MDSC Marksmanship Day
Date: Saturday, October 8, 2011
Time: Choose from:
- AM Session 7:00AM - 12:00PM
- PM Session 11:00AM - 5:00PM
Location: Camp Herms, 1100 James Pl, El Cerritos (map)
Cost: $20 per scout, $5 per adult. Lunch included. $5 late fee per person after September 17th.
Attire: Class A uniform
Awards: Participation patch, Archery or BB Shooting belt loop and pin
Bring: Completed authorization form. Warm clothes.
Must read: Event flyer
Note: This event always fills. Register early.
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 8th. Registration can be made online at the Council website. 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; and part of Bear requirement 23c.
Hoot Owl Night Hike
Update 09/06: Thank you again for the overwhelming response. We have more signed up than we can accommodate at this time. The waiting list is now closed. We will look into running this hike again in the near future.
Update 09/05: Thank you for the quick response. The hike is now full. New sign ups will be placed on the waiting list.
Date/Time: Friday, September 23rd, 6:45pm - 8:45pm
Location: Sycamore Grove Park in Livermore
Cost: $10 per person. Pay by September 9th to hold your spots.
Attire: Class B uniform
Award: Participating scout will receive a Hoot Owl patch, and a Trail Trekkers patch if he doesn't have one already.
Meeting Location: Nature Area Entrance (see directions below)
Note: Scout only, no siblings. One parent per family.
Must read: Hoot Owl Guidelines, Directions, Hike Detail
Pack 1776,
Welcome to the first hike of the new scout year. This is a special hike for a few reasons. It is a night hike. It is a ranger led hike. It is a fee based hike ($10 per person). It is limited to 20 people only (limit is set by hoot owl program).
This hike is limited to scouts only - No siblings are allowed. The parent must accompany their scout(s).
Please reply quickly to the email invitation as seats are limited. (No other evite will be sent.)
The hike lasts one and a half to two hours and begins with a ranger-led introduction to nocturnal animals and adaptations of nighttime critters, followed by an easy hike of one to one and a half miles.
Everyone is expected to use their night vision during the program, so please leave your flashlights at home.
Bernard Kiriakos
Hiking Chair
Tenth Anniversary 9-11 Remembrance Ceremony
Date: Sunday, September 11, 2011
Time: 5:00PM - 6:40PM
Location: All Wars Memorial, Oak Hill Park, 3005 Stone Valley Road, Danville (map)
Cost: Free, with hot dog and ice-cream after the ceremony.
Attire: Class A Uniform
Award: Scout Surge Patch depicted on the right
Parking: Monte Vista High School lots next to the park
Must read: Event flyer, Scout information and timeline
Hello Pack 1776
Next Sunday, the Exchange Club of San Ramon Valley is holding their annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony, and this year marks the 10th anniversary. Every year, the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are invited to participate. Last year, our Pack 1776 boys participated in the Flag Ceremony, for a memorable and moving experience. I will be there and would be honored if any of the Cubs and Leaders would participate in the ceremony.
We will send out an official Evite shortly. Please respond as soon as you can, so that I may give them an approximate head count of 1776 Cubs. Class A uniforms are required. More details here.
Thank you,
Cubmaster John
Popcorn Training
Pack 1776,
The popcorn season has arrived! Our sales goal for this year is $5000. Not only every scout participating in this annual fundraising event receives a patch, more prizes and rewards are available for top selling den and scouts. There are many ways to participate. Besides the upcoming show-and-sell at Safeway and Lucky, scouts can sell door-to-door and online. Learn more about this at our first Pack Meeting on Wednesday, September 9th.
Meanwhile, get a head start and check out the training videos for tips on selling popcorn. Contact our Popcorn Kernal Yuji Yamada if you have questions.
Stella Lei
Webmaster
Smoke Signals – September
Smoke Signals is a monthly newsletter published by the Mount Diablo Silverado Council. The September issue is now available for download.
Learn about leader training opportunities, key popcorn dates, upcoming resident camps and the annual L.E.A.D. event.
Leader Training
Below is all the basics you need to know about getting trained in your position for Cub Scouts. Most of the training can be completed online at the Online Learning Center @ Scouting.org
Cub Scout Leader Training
A direct contact Scout leader is considered fully trained and entitled to wear the Trained leader emblem when he or she has completed the following training courses and the specific training for the position.
Fast Start Training
Fast Start training is the first step for all new leaders and should be taken immediately after they register and before they meet with any youth members. All Fast Start courses are available on DVD, or they can be completed through the Online Learning Center. (If you are new to Scouting, you will be asked to create an account.)
Youth Protection Training
Youth Protection training is required for all registered adults every two years. At all times, youth safety is the number one priority. At the same time, adults need to know the rules for keeping themselves safe, too. Comprehensive Youth Protection training teaches all the do’s and don’ts of working with youth. The training is offered through the Online Learning Center, or it may be taken as part of an district or council training course.
This is Scouting
This Is Scouting is a new online training session. It picks up when Fast Start leaves off with six modules of training: The Mission of Scouting, Programs for All ages, Scouting Is Fun, Scouting in the Community, Keeping Our Youth Safe, and Scouting’s Legacy. The training takes about an hour to complete and can be found on Online Learning Center. (If you are new to Scouting, you will be asked to create an account.)
Position Specific Training
Leader position specific training is “basic training” for each position. The training is offered through the Online Learning Center or it may be taken as part of a district or council training course. Cub Scout Leader Specific training has been developed for the following positions:
- Tiger Cub den leaders and assistants
- Cubmasters and assistants
- Wolf and Bear Den leaders and assistants
- Pack Committee
- Webelos den leaders and assistants
- Pack trainers
In addition to the online training option, there are district level courses available:
Meridian District ADULT TRAINING
Training opportunities:
1. Tour Plan training – Sept. RT
2. “How to Use Den Chiefs and Where to Find Them” training -- future Cub Scout RT
3. BALOO/Outdoor Leader Skills (OLS) for Webelos Leaders - Oct. 22-23
For more information, please see the training page of Smoke Signals or training website (www.3districttraining.org/). Further Q’s contact Meridian district training chair Ray Chan, [email protected]
Out of District ADULT TRAINING
POSITION-SPECIFIC TRAINING (PST):
Cub Scout Leader Forum: Sat, Oct 8, LDS Church, 1590 Denkinger Rd, Concord, CA Contact Tom Santos, [email protected].
Outdoor Leader Skills (OLS) for Webelos Leaders:
Fri-Sat, Oct 21-22, Camp Fetterman, 2755 CRYSTAL LN, BRENTWOOD. Contact Tom Santos, [email protected].
UNIT TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
All registered adults must complete Youth Protection Training every two years. The Top Leader of each unit must be Trained for their position or the unit will not be allowed to recharter for 2012. Top Leader in Cub Scouts, as defined by the national office, is the Cubmaster.
At least one registered leader on every outing requiring a Tour Plan must have completed Youth Protection Training and Hazardous Weather Training. Both of these courses are available online at MyScouting.org. Other training may be required depending on what you are doing, for example, safe swim defense if you are going swimming.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there are any Q’s,
Ed Laubach
Pack 1776 Training Chair
Scout Night With The Sharks vs. Anaheim Ducks
San Jose Sharks has just announced their first Scout Night of the season to be on Friday, September 23rd. Your San Jose Sharks including Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dan Boyle will take on Bobby Ryan and division rival the Anaheim Ducks! So come out and support your San Jose Sharks by taking advantage of this special offer!
- Special preseason discounted ticket to the game!
- Commemorative San Jose Sharks Scout Night patch!
- All seats just $25 (first come, first served)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**
- Discounts taken off of $63, $51 and $43 full price tickets.**
- Groups of 25+ get a video board announcement.
Find out more about this event here.
Pack 1776 Programs
It was nice seeing many of you at school registration last week. If you have not picked up the new Pack calendar and hiking program, they are available here.
Pack 1776 Calendar 2011-2012
Pack 1776 Hiking Program 2011-2013
Enjoy,
Stella