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 stevettom@yahoo.com
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
September Reading
It is the beginning of another Scouting year and there is a slew of reading material to get you prepared for all the fun ahead! Among everything, here's a couple that worth mentioning ...
- Den & Pack Meeting Resource Guide - New for 2010-2011. A MUST-READ for all leaders and parents who want to understand the meeting and advancement schedule, and expectations of the new program.
- Baloo's Bugle - Published monthly by the US Scouting Service Project, it is loaded with tips, games, and skits etc, all surrounding the Core Value of the month. It is issued a month in advance (ie. The September issue covers October's value), allowing ample time for leaders to incorporate ideas into planning. This is an invaluable reference for Den and Pack leaders.
- Smoke Signals - A monthly newsletter from the Council and District, with information of upcoming events and training opportunities. The September issue is now available.
- Scouting Magazine - Published 5 times a year, covering the coolest and latest news of Scouting. The September/October issue has just come out, and you can read it cover-to-cover online here.
- CubCast - Not exactly "reading material," these are podcast that you can download or listen online. Each monthly cubcast is divided into 2 parts: one on the Core Value of the following month, another on a timely topic. You should find the Cubcast widget on the right sidebar of our website under the title "Cubcast." Feel free to click around it to see the menus and listen to a couple cubcasts. A couple minutes a month, they are the power boost to keep you on top of the most important topic at the time!
Happy Reading (and Listening)!
National Summertime Pack Award
School has started and summer is almost over. Has your scout participated in 3 or more Pack events this summer? If he has, he may qualify for the National Summertime Pack Award pin! Qualifying events include
- USS Pampanito Overnighter
- Cub Scout Day Camp
- Danville 4th of July Parade
- Tahoe Camping
- Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma
Email CC Scott asap with your scout's name, current rank, and den number to secure the award!
USS Pampanito Overnighter
9-11 Remembrance Ceremony
When: Saturday, September 11, 9:15AM
Where:
- Ceremony: Oak Hill Park, next to Monte Vista High School in Danville (map)
- Assembly: The small picnic area midway between the memorial & the clubhouse
- Parking: Monte Vista High School lots on Stone Valley Road
Attire: Class A uniforms
Note: Be prepared for heavy traffic!
Pack 1776 families,
We invite you to join fellow scouts, community leaders, residents, and veterans at the 9-11 Remembrance Ceremony organized by the Exchange Club of San Ramon Valley. This one hour duration event will take place between 9:45 and 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, September 11, 2010 at Oak Hill Park adjacent to Monte Vista High School in Danville.
The Scout Units will parade in and encircle the ceremony with 50 American flags at the All Wars Memorial. A short reflection of the event will be presented by a guest speaker. In addition, patriotic songs and other honors are expected to be part of this brief but meaningful remembrance to the Americans who lost their lives and loved ones at this horrific event. Refer to this document for details.
Position-Specific Training Now Available Online
The long-awaited Position-Specific Training is now available online. That means all four required trainings for Cub Leaders can now be taken at the comfort of your own home. Go to MyScouting.org, log in, and click on "E-Learning" on the left navigation bar.
From there, under the Cub Scout tab you'll find these new courses:
- Tiger Cub position-specific
- Wolf Cub position-specific
- Bear Cub position-specific
- Webelos position-specific
- Cubmaster position-specific
- Pack Trainer position-specific
- Pack Committee position-specific
Take the online courses soon to make sure you're fully prepared to lead your den or pack this fall.
Fall Training
Training news from the district:
To Meridian Scouters,
Fall is in the air... kids are going back to school and stores are stocking up on Halloween stuff... where have the year gone?
With the coming of fall, we have training classes to help TRAIN all our leaders for their various positions:
09/18 - Position Specific Training for Cub Scouts (New Cub scout leaders and returning Den leaders)
10/02 - Position Specific Training for Cub Scouts (New Cub scouts leaders and returning Den leaders)
10/23 - BALOO (Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation) for Cub scout leaders
10/24 - OS4WL (Outdoor Skills for WEBELOS Leaders)
11/08 - Position Specific Training for Cub Scouts (New Cub scout leaders and returning Den Leaders)
01/22 - L.E.A.D (Leader Education and Discovery) 2011 -- Registration coming soon!
Click on the links above to see the flyers. To sign up, please fill out the flyers and send the flyers in, along with payment, to our council office. There is still plenty of room for the courses.
Also, please don't forget, we have our Training Fair coming up October 28th -- tons of training opportunities in 2011 available for you to review and sign up.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions...
Yours In Scouting,
--
Ray Chan
Training Chair
Meridian District
925-548-6179 - Cell