Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Day Camp Scheduled for July 18-22

Cub Scout Day Camp for 2011 is scheduled for the week of July 18. The site is still to be determined but this week is the "north of Boston week" but unfortunately will not be Camp Nihan. An announcement on the site will be made within the next few weeks.

Day Camp is a lot of fun and we urge you to make sure your Cub Scout attends this great event!

Saturday, December 11, 2010

December Pack Meeting

At our December Pack meeting, the boys assembled candy packets for donation to the food pantry. Two Scouts earned their Bobcat badge, and we had a bunch of special guests: tarantulas, skinks, and even a boa constrictor!




Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Pack Meeting Thursday, Caroling next week, Sleepover Money due

Our December Pack meeting will be held this Thursday, December 9, 6:30 pm at the Greenwood Union Church. Please be prompt, as we have a busy - and exciting! - meeting planned. As always, please let your den leader know if you won't be able to attend.

Other important information:

  • Payment for the USS Salem Sleepover in April is due now. Cost is $45 per person. Please see Jeff or Ben Schools at the Pack meeting to make your payment or sign up.
  • Our annual Christmas Caroling outing at the Harborside (a.k.a Sunbridge) nursing home is next week Tuesday, December 14, at 6:30 pm. The nursing home is located on Bathol Street, off Spring Street, in Greenwood. Turn from Spring Street to Bathol and proceed up the hill. Meet in the main lobby off the parking lot. Click here for directions.

See you Thursday!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Cubs help at Christmas Concert

A very enthusiastic group of Cub Scouts from Pack 722 helped to distribute programs at the Air Force Band of Liberty Concert that was recently held at Wakefield's Galvin Middle School.

The boys had a great time and promoted Scouting in Wakefield too! Great job, boys!





Holiday Stroll 2010

Pack 722 had a great time marching in the 2010 Wakefield Holiday Stroll. Check out some pictures from the day by clicking the image below.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Camp Nihan Overnight this weekend!

Here are the details for our fall camping overnight coming up next weekend, Saturday October 16-17. If you need any more information, please call your den leader or respond to this email.

We can also answer any questions you may have at our Pack meeting this Thursday, October 14, from 6:30- 8 pm at the Greenwood Union Church.

Where:


Camp Nihan is located in the Breakheart Reservation and is accessible from Walnut Street in Saugus. Click here for directions.

We have the use of the Lynnfield cabin (younger scouts get first dibs) and a site for tents. Webelos Scouts are required to sleep in tents. If you don't have a tent, the Pack has several that we lend out. If you would like to use one, just ask.

When:

Arrival is between 1 pm and 3 pm on Saturday; come whenever your schedule allows. When you arrive, please check in at the Lynnfield cabin. Unload your car at the top of the hill, then return it to the parking lot by the ranger station. There is no parking in front of the cabin.

You should have lunch before arriving at camp, as it will not be provided.

The schedule for Saturday is as follows:

1 - 3 pm: Arrival, Setup, Fishing
3:00 pm - Pack Hike/Nature Scavenger Hunt
4:30 pm - Group activity/game. We will need parent volunteers to help set up dinner at this time.
5:30 pm - Dinner
7:00 pm - Cleanup, Dens practice skits
8:00 pm - Campfire. Skits, songs, the works.
10:00 pm - Lights out for Cubs. We ask for your cooperation at this time in making sure the boys are in bed. There will likely be other folks using the campground and we must respect the quiet hours.

Sunday morning we'll have a light breakfast and go on a hike. Usually everyone is packed up and on their way home by mid-morning, but we do have use of the campground until 12 noon.

Of course, your Scout doesn't have to sleep over to enjoy the camp experience. We encourage Scouts to sleep over, of course, but we understand that some of the little guys might be overwhelmed. It's OK to come on Saturday for fun and go home to sleep.

Important: BSA regulations mandate that a child can not sleep in a tent with an adult that is not his parent or legal guardian. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed on BSA-sanctioned overnight trips.

What to Bring:

You'll need a sleeping bag, pillow, and pad or air mattress. Don't forget a flashlight, winter hat (it will be cold at night!), and toothbrush. An extra pair of footwear is nice to have. Bring a chair for sitting around the campfire. Check the weather, but since this is Pack 722, be prepared and bring rain gear.

Everyone must be aware of our Pack pocketknife policy. As for toilet facilities, the camp has porta-potties. You may want to bring a small bottle of hand sanitizer.

Given our past experience, the weather often seems to rear its ugly head, but somehow, it usually ends up working out. So unless there's a major flood or blizzard, the overnighter is on, "rain or shine", especially since we have use of the cabin.

We're asking everyone to bring something to contribute for dinner on Saturday. If you haven't signed up for something, please respond to this email with what you will bring. The Pack will be providing drinks, paper goods, etc.

Camp Nihan

Camp Nihan is located in the Breakheart Reservation. Take Water Street (Route 129) from Wakefield center towards Saugus. Turn right at the lights onto Walnut Street. The entrance to the camp in on the left, 2/10ths of a mile after the light; look for a small green sign. If you get to the lights for the Saugus Shopping Plaza (Kohl's, Hannaford's), you've gone too far.

Follow the gravel road into the camp.

Lynnfield Cabin: Take the first right after you pass the ranger station and go up the hill. The Lynnfield cabin is on the right.

Clarke Cabin: Go straight down road and the cabin will in directly ahead.

Tent sites are located up the hill past the Lynnfield cabin.  You can unload your car at the parking lot at the top of the hill but you must return your car to the base parking area by the ranger station.



View Larger Map

Monday, September 13, 2010

Signup Night Thursday 9/16, Uniform Exchange

Just a reminder that our annual Fall Signup is this week, Thursday, September 16. Stop in at the Greenwood Union Church any time between 6:30 and 8 pm to register for this year. The registration fee is $45, or $40 for additional siblings.

Bring any uniform parts that you don't need -- neckerchiefs, slides, hats (if they are in good shape), shirts that don't fit anymore, etc -- to the Signup Night on Thursday. At the first Pack Meeting on September 23rd, we'll have a table from which you can select anything you might need for this coming year.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Fall Registration Night, September 16

Our annual Fall Registration night will be held on Thursday, September 16 from 6:30 to 8 pm at the Greenwood Union Church. Come see what we have planned for the year, meet our leaders and see what Cub Scouting is all about. Registration for the year is $45; additional siblings are $40.

Our first Pack meeting of the year is Thursday, September 23, 6:30 to 8 pm at the Greenwood Union Church.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Program Planning Meeting August 4, 7 pm

Our annual program planning meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 4, 7 pm at the Macdonald's house. Please RSVP to cubscouts (at) pack722wakefield.com if you are planning on attending.

Our Fall Registration night is scheduled for Thursday, September 16.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Pack Meeting, Arrow of Light presentation Thursday, April 8

Our April Pack Meeting will be held next Thursday, April 8, 6:30 pm at the Greenwood Union Church. At this meeting, five of our Scouts will receive the highest award in Cub Scouting, the Arrow of Light. Two special guests will be addressing our Pack, and leaders from the Boy Scouts will be there to welcome our Webelos into the Troop. There will also be refreshments after the ceremony. Please be prompt.

Because this is a special occasion, we are asking your cooperation in bringing your Scouts to the meeting in full uniforms: hat, neckerchief, and shirt. The Pack tee shirts are not appropriate for this occasion. If your Scout is missing any components of his uniform, please contact your Den Leader or respond to this email. Our Webelos have worked very hard for five years to achieve this award, and they are due the proper respect of the Pack. Thank you.

Also of note:
  • The annual Spring Cleanup service project is this weekend, Saturday, April 10. This project is an important part of our Pack's community service component, and all Scouts are asked to attend. We will meet at the Greenwood Union Church at 9 am, pick up around the church and then move to the Greenwood School. Afterwards, we will return to the church for pizza. Please bring a plastic grocery bag or two, and gloves if you have them.
  • The Camp Nihan overnight is comin up on April 24. We will have a signup sheet at the Pack Meeting. Once again, we're asking families to bring something to contribute to the dinner on Saturday night.
  • Lastly, it's hard to believe but the Blue and Gold Banquet is coming up on May 13. For those new to the Pack, we celebrate the Scouting year with a potluck dinner and present the rank achievement awards. This year we will also be presenting the Pinewood Derby trophies at the Banquet. But the real highlight of this year's banquet will be the entertainment - which is so ridiculously awesome that we can barely keep the secret. You definitely will want to be there!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Armory OverKnight is coming!

The long-awaited OverKnight at the Higgins Armory museum is coming fast! The trip is next weekend - Saturday, March 27; the program begins at 5:30 pm.

The Higgins Armory Museum is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, about an hour from Wakefield. Directions to the Armory can be found here.

You should bring a sleeping bag, pillow, toothbrush, PJs, and a change of clothes for Sunday. Air mattresses are OK; tents are not.

Details of the program are below. For more information, including an overview of the museum's collection, you can visit their website. If you have any questions, please call Jeff Crump or your den leader.
  • 5:30-6:00 p.m. Participants arrive and set-up sleeping gear in the Quest Gallery.
  • 6:00-7:00 p.m. The group enjoys dinner, a Medieval-style banquet.
  • 7:00-8:00 p.m. The evening formally begins with a presentation on the Arms and Armor of a Knight, including an extended hands-on section where participants can try on pieces of armor and equipment.
  • 8:00-8:30 p.m. A guided tour of the collection follows.
  • 8:30-9:30 p.m. Participants return to the classroom for a heraldry lesson and shield workshop.
  • 9:30-10:00 p.m. Prior to lights-out, a bedtime snack will be served. Decaffeinated coffee and tea are available for adult guests.
  • 10:00 p.m. Lights out.
  • 6:15 a.m. Wake-up call.
  • 6:30-7:00 a.m. Continental breakfast: assorted baked goods, cereal, yogurt, juice, milk, coffee and tea.
  • 7:00-8:00 a.m. Participants return to the Great Hall for a Quest: a scavenger hunt for the "Elements of the Chivalric Code".
  • 8:00-8:30 a.m. After successfully completing this Quest, a Knighting Ceremony will be conducted by the Nobles of the Realm (Group Leaders).
  • 8:30-9:00 a.m. Visit to the Museum gift store.
  • 9:00 a.m. Departure.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Pinewood Derby this weekend!

The Pinewood Derby is this weekend! The weigh-in is on Friday, March 5, from 6:30-7:30 pm at the Greenwood Union Church. We will have a work area set up where the cars can be adjusted for weight and have their wheels lubricated. Once the cars are checked-in, they stay at the church until Saturday.

The races are on Saturday, March 6th, according to the following schedule:
  • Tigers: 9:30
  • Wolves: 10:30
  • Bears: 11:30
  • Webelos 1: 12:30
  • Webelos 2: 1:30
The winners of each den race will go to the District Finals in Concord on Saturday, March 20.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Pack Meeting this Thursday, Feb 11

Our monthly Pack meeting will be held this Thursday, February 11, 6:30 pm at the Greenwood Union Church. It's Take-It-Apart Day!

The Scouts will be learning how things work by, well, taking them apart. First of all, you'll need something to take apart: small appliance, toaster, tool, anything that doesn't contain hazardous materials. Please no CRTs or anything containing coolants like dehumidifiers or air conditioners. If you don't have anything laying around, perhaps you can share with a friend. If you have anything extra, bring it along to share. We've already had a few things donated, too.

You will need to bring tools: screwdrivers, pliers, etc. Safety goggles are always a good thing. It's a good idea to label your tools with a piece of masking tape so you don't lose them. We discourage the use of hammers because of flying pieces and the general mayhem that hammers provoke.

We'll also have a "creation" table set up with glue guns for Scouts that want to re-assemble pieces into something creative. If you have a glue gun and would like to help out, please bring it (Hint, hint, moms!)
We will also need volunteers to help tote the trash away. If you have the capacity in your vehicle, please let James know.

In short, the goal of this activity is to walk through some "creative destruction" with your Scout to investigate what goes on in the inside. It's a lot of fun.

Finally, please remember that final payment for the Armory sleepover is due at this meeting. To fill the remaining few slots, we are opening up the registration to other siblings and even friends on a first come, first serve basis. See Jeff with your payment or to sign up.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Pack Meeting Thursday, Important Information

Our January Pack Meeting will be held this Thursday, January 14th, 6:30 pm at the Greenwood Union Church. We have a busy meeting planned so please be prompt.

This month is the annual Pack 722 Olympics, and we will be recognizing Wolves, Bears and Webelos for their recent accomplishments. At the end of the meeting we will be distributing the pinewood derby cars along with a special item that we think the boys will like.

If your scout wants to attend the sleepover at the Higgins Armory, there are currently just 9 slots available. You can sign up at the Pack meeting. Payment is due no later than the Feburary Pack Meeting on 2/11.

Other important dates:
  • Scout Day at the Boston Blazers is Saturday, January 30 at 1pm. Tickets are $10. Signup at the Pack Meeting.
  • The Cub Scout Olympics will be held on Sunday, February 7, 12:30- 3 pm at the Minuteman Regional High School in Lexington. More information and directions will be available shortly. This event is always a lot of fun, and don't worry -- you'll be home in plenty of time for the Super Bowl.
  • Our February Pack Meeting on 2/11 is the famous "Take it Apart Day". At this meeting the boys will disassemble whatever items you can bring in. If you're about to throw away something that's broken... don't! Save it for destruction at the hands of a Cub Scout! The only restrictions: no CRTs, no oil (drain it if necessary) or other hazardous materials. Examples of good items to bring are blenders, VCRs, computers, small engines, etc. This is a favorite event of the boys, so save your junk for the February meeting.
  • The Pinewood Derby is the weekend of March 6-7. Look for a separate email with details.