Fall Campout

November 10, 2008 9:24 am

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We had our fall Pack 19 campout this weekend.  I think it went very well.  We stayed at Devil’s Den State Park.  This was our third pack overnighter, and it was our largest camping group yet.  We had about 20 Cub Scout families camping with us Friday night.

We had three eating groups:  the Webelos families, the Bear families, and the Tiger and Wolf families.  This was our first campout in which we ate together by dens.  Previously, most people on our pack campouts would cook their own food, but I think having group meals made the experience much more enjoyable.

Saturday, we woke up to a chilly fall morning.  After breakfast, we hiked the Yellow Rock Trail (about 3 miles).  We had 26 Cub Scouts on that hike as well as lots of parents and siblings.  Saturday afternoon, we hiked the Devil’s Den Trail (about 1.5 miles) which has a lot of cool-looking cave and rock formations.

Saturday evening after supper, we had a 30-minute informal campfire program which was nice.

Everybody seemed to have a good time on the campout.

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Leave a Comment » | Camping, CUB SCOUTS, Hiking | Permalink
Posted by Mike Newman

BALOO Training

August 25, 2008 5:12 am

When your pack has an overnight campout, at least one of the leaders in charge must have completed Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO) training (No. 34162).

BALOO training includes an introduction to outdoor camping skills as well as important BSA rules and policies to be followed on any Cub Scout campout.

Contact your local council office to find out when the next BALOO training will be held in your area.

For more info on BALOO and Cub Scout camping, visit the BSA links below.

- Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation
- Cub Scout Outdoor Program Guidelines
- Guide to Safe Scouting – Camping
- “Follow BALOO for Cub Scout Camping” (Scouting Mag. March 2001)

Leave a Comment » | A Camping We Will Go, Camping, CUB SCOUTS, Safe Scouting, Training | Permalink
Posted by Mike Newman

New-Boy Outdoor Event

August 14, 2008 5:51 am

Packs are encouraged to have a new-boy outdoor event soon after their fall recruiting has been completed.

Most boys who join Cub Scouts are expecting to get to do cool stuff in the outdoors like hiking and camping. Don’t disappoint them. Be sure your pack has a fun Cub Scout hike or campout shortly after your recruiting is done.

The flyer below from BSA National has more suggestions on planning a fun new-boy outdoor event.

Link (pdf)  [Via wiki.ironhorsebsa.org]

Leave a Comment » | Camping, CUB SCOUTS, Hiking, Recruiting, Retention | Permalink
Posted by Mike Newman

Buddy System

July 23, 2008 5:54 am

It is important that Cub Scouts be aware of and follow the Buddy System during outdoor scouting activities (including at camp or hiking).

Each Cub Scout should have a “buddy” with him who is aware of his circumstances at all times.

Theme: New Buddies

Link

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Posted by Mike Newman

S’mores

June 24, 2008 5:13 am

A s’more is a tasty combination of graham crackers, milk chocolate, and melted marshmallow. S’mores are a popular treat at Cub Scout campouts.

Basically, you just melt a marshmallow, then put it between two graham crackers with part of a milk chocolate bar.

You can get more information on making s’mores at the WikiHow link below.

Theme: S’More Summer Fun

Link (Photo: Wikihow).

Leave a Comment » | A Camping We Will Go, Camping, Cooking, CUB SCOUTS, S'More Summer Fun | Permalink
Posted by Mike Newman

Monthly Weekend Outing

June 19, 2008 5:40 am


Since January of this year, our pack has made a point of having either a campout or Saturday hike every month. So far it has worked out great for us. The boys and families are very excited about it, and they are getting a lot of experience with trails and being in nature.

It has been a lot of fun for us, and it has helped with recruiting and retention.

Leave a Comment » | Camping, CUB SCOUTS, Hiking, Nature, Recruiting, Retention | Permalink
Posted by Mike Newman

“Camp Out” Patch

May 19, 2008 5:21 am

Here is a “Camp Out” stock patch from Advantage Emblem which you can use to reward participation in a Webelos den or a pack campout.

They are $2.00 each (discounts for quantity) plus shipping. Link

Leave a Comment » | Camping, CUB SCOUTS, Patches | Permalink
Posted by Mike Newman

LED Flashlights

April 27, 2008 2:33 pm

LED flashlights are great for camping. You can use them for 100 hours without having to change batteries.

When camping, my favorite kind of flashlight is a small one with a lanyard that I won’t drop if I need to do something with both hands.

I was very excited when I first saw these inexpensive Rayovac Brilliant Solutions LED flashlights available at our local Wal-Mart. They are about $5 each in the store. The package includes the required three AAA batteries.

Before a camping trip, I used to spend a lot of time making sure that all my flashlights had working batteries. Since I have started using these LED flashlights, I spend a lot less time thinking about batteries.

If you want to order these online, you can get a package of two for $9.84 plus shipping from Flashlightz.com.

Link

Leave a Comment » | Camping, CUB SCOUTS, Gear | Permalink
Posted by Mike Newman

Webelos Transition – Cub Scout/Boy Scout Differences

January 30, 2008 6:27 am

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In discussing the transition from Cub Scouting to Boy Scouting, it helps to be aware of some of the key differences between the two programs:

Age. Cub Scouts is for 6-11 year old boys. Boy Scouts is for 11-17 year old boys.

Organization/Leadership. A Cub Scout Pack is led by an adult Cubmaster. The Pack is made up of dens which are each led by adult den leaders. Many of the activities in Cub Scouts are organized at the den level. In Boy Scouts, the Troop is led by an adult Scoutmaster. The Troop has groups of boys called patrols which each have a patrol leader who is one of the boys in the patrol. The patrol leader is elected by the patrol members. The troop also has a Senior Patrol Leader who is a boy in the troop elected by the entire troop. Patrol activities are usually lead by the Patrol Leaders. Many of the troop’s activities are led by the Senior Patrol Leader.

Activity Focus. The aim in Cub Scout activities is to try a variety of new things, including crafts, games, and songs, many of which follow the monthly theme. The activity focus in Boy Scouts tends to be on outdoor skills, first aid, knots, and citizenship.

Parental/Adult Role. Parents are a key part of Cub Scouting and should be present at many of the events and activities. Cub Scouts cannot camp without their parent (or a designated parental stand-in). Parents play a smaller role in Boy Scouts. At Boy Scout campouts, many (or most) of the activities will be lead by the boys themselves with adults only in a supervisory and advisory role. Boy Scouts do not need to have their parents present for camping.

Advancement. Webelos earn Webelos activity badges on a variety of subjects while working toward the Webelos rank and the Arrow of Light rank. Boy Scouting also has a rank system: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, Eagle. Boy Scout merit badges are required for the higher ranks but not for the early ranks. Most of the requirements for the early ranks involve outdoor skills, knots, first aid, and citizenship.

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    Leave a Comment » | Camping, CUB SCOUTS, WEBELOS, Webelos Transition | Permalink
    Posted by Mike Newman

    Retention Tip #3 – Outdoor Focus.

    January 18, 2008 6:44 am

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    Spending time outdoors doing stuff like hiking and camping are what boys are really looking forward to when they join Cub Scouts. Make sure that hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities are a central part of your program.

    If your Pack does not have regular Cub Scout hikes, I would encourage you to start. A good article on this subject is “Let’s Hit the Trail” from the October 2007 Scouting. It discusses how regular hikes can create a lot of excitement for a Cub Scout Pack. In my Pack, hikes are a big hit with the boys and parents. Link

    Of course, any outdoor Cub Scout activities need to be done in accordance with the Guide to Safe Scouting including the Age-Appropriate Guidelines for Scouting Activities.

    Be sure your Pack promotes your Council-organized Cub family camps and day camps. Boys who get to camp are the ones who are most excited about Cub Scouting.

    Unfortunately, we live in a day and age when most kids are not getting to spend much time outside at all. Whether it’s due to playing video games and watching TV or concerns about possible child abductors, kids today are spending a lot less time outdoors than kids did a generation ago. The May 2006 Scouting magazine article “Wonder of the Woods” has a very good discussion of this subject with Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder. Link

    Doing outdoor hikes, games, and other activities with your Cub Scouts is not only what your boys would like to do, it’s also what’s good for them.

    (Photo: Scouting magazine.)

    1 Comment | Camping, CUB SCOUTS, Environment, Hiking, Nature, Retention | Permalink
    Posted by Mike Newman

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