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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

One week later, on Thursday, September 24, we will have our first Pack meeting of the year, from 6:30 to 8 pm at the Greenwood Union Church.

Check out two new galleries of Bear Den activities: their visit to the Bunker Hill Monument and their den meeting where the boys earned their Whittling Chip Badges!

And last but not least, our Tiger Den paid a visit to the Baseball Card Clubhouse to get ready for baseball season!

In early November, Cub Scouts from Pack 722 visited the seniors at the Dutton Center for an afternoon of fun. We played balloon volleyball and bean-bag toss with them, sang some campfire songs and served up a yummy snack. The bean-bag toss game was built by the Webelos Den in a recent den meeting. Yay for power tools! They also tried their hands at sewing while making the beanbags.

Also in November, the Tiger Den paid a visit to the Wakefield fire station. At our den meeting beforehand, we learned what makes a town into a community and had some hot chocolate to get us started! On our visit with the firefighters we talked about fire safety (and even got to practice stop-drop-and-roll!), inspected the trucks up close and saw all the "back room" operations that help keep our community safe.

You can see pictures from the Dutton Center and the Fire Station in our photo gallery.

Our October Pack Meeting was wrapped in fun! Check out some pictures in our photo gallery.

The Pack is getting ready to go camping at Camp Nihan and an adventure to Wolf Hollow. See you there!

I’m really looking forward to an exciting and memorable year for the boys! We’re recruiting a Den Chief (Boy Scout) to work again with the den since this was such a success last year. Final year before the boys move on to the Boy Scout ranks. Buckle your seat belts and get ready for an awesome grand finale year!

As a transition between Cubs and Boy Scouts, the Webelos program gives the boys more reponsibility and helps them develop a sense of leadership. Before you know it, we'll be ready for even more adventures as Boy Scouts.

Thanks to all our parents for their support!

Neil Williams and Jeff Crump Webelos 1 Den Leaders

To earn the Bear Badge, a Cub Scout must complete 12 achievements out of a possible 24 that are offered in the book.

Much of the advancement for the Bear rank is done by the scout with his family outside of the den, similarly to the Wolf rank. The parent signs off in the scout's handbook and the Den Leader records the advancements from the handbook to tracking chart. The Bear program relies heavily on family involvement, but you will see this gradually change with the scout doing more with his den and more individual direction as he reaches Webelos and Boy Scouts.

James Macdonald Den Leader

Tiger Cubs is a family-oriented program where boys and their families begin the adventure of Scouting together. From month-to-month each family takes a turn planning the outing and den meeting, so there's always something new to do around the next corner.

Welcome to our Pack!

Jeff Crump Tiger Den Coordinator

If you won't be able to make it on the 16th, please contact your den leader or send us mail through our contact form.

On Friday, May 23 we will be placing flags on veteran's graves at the Forest Glen Cemetery on Lowell Street. Meet right inside the front gate of the cemetery at 3:50 so we can start decorating right at 4 pm. Take Vernon Street to Lowell; the Dolbeare school is across the intersection. Turn RIGHT on Lowell ; the cemetery is on the left.

On Monday, May 26 we will be participating in the Memorial Day parade and ceremony on the Common. We will be meeting in the Galvin Middle School parking lot at 12:45; the parade starts promptly at 1 pm. The observance on the Common starts at approximately 1:30 and is done by 2 pm.

Ceremonial arrows will be presented to them to commemorate their achievement:

The colored bands honor their individual ranks and achievements. Orange is for Tiger, Black for Bobcat, Red for Wolf, Green for Bear, Silver and Gold for Arrow Points, Blue for Webelos, White is for the Webelos achievements; Tan for the Religious Emblem of their Faith; and the band of Yellow represents the Arrow of Light Award.

The parts of the arrow itself hold special significance.

The three feathers symbolize the family, the pack leadership and the scout. We have all worked together to help the scouts grow into fine young men. May they always fly straight and true to the mark.

These feathers in turn are joined by the blue and gold crests of Cub Scouting.

The blue crest stands for faith and loyalty, as deep and true as the vast expanse of the sky above us. May they always be faithful and loyal.

The gold crest stands for warmth and good cheer, like the golden rays of the sun. May they always be of good cheer.

The arrowhead represents courage and strength, like the stone from which it is crafted. May they always be courageous and strong.

The shaft of the arrow, fashioned from the hardest wood, stands for honesty and fairness. May they always be truthful, and straight as the arrow.

The lashing that holds the arrowhead to the shaft represents the friendship that has bound us together in scouting and will bind us together in memory.

Alex joined Cub Scouts in 2003 as a Tiger Cub. As a Bear Cub he received the religious emblem of his faith - the Parvuli Dei Medal. Alex earned his Webelos Badge and Compass Emblem in May, 2007. He also earned the Aquanaut, Athlete, Fitness, Sportsman, Artist, Scholar, Showman, Traveller, Citizen, Communicator, Family Member, Readyman, Craftsman, Handyman, Scientist, Naturalist and Outdoorsman Activity Pins. Alex's favorite experience in Scouting was the Great North Woods Challenge, camping at Webelos Woods and visiting the Ecotarium.

Connor joined Cub Scouts in 2003 as a Tiger Cub. As a Bear Cub he received the religious emblem of his faith - the Parvuli Dei Medal. Connor earned his Webelos Badge and Compass Emblem in May, 2007. Connor is a Super Acheiver - he has earned all 20 activity pins: Aquanaut, Athlete, Fitness, Sportsman, Artist, Scholar, Showman, Traveller, Citizen, Communicator, Family Member, Readyman, Craftsman, Engineer, Handyman, Scientist, Forester, Geologist, Naturalist and Outdoorsman. Connor's favorite experience in Scouting was camping at Webelos Woods and attending the Lowell Devil's hockey game.

Dan joined Cub Scouts in 2003 as a Tiger Cub. If we ever had a question about the Scouts, Dan was always ready with an answer! Dan earned his Webelos Badge and Compass Emblem in May, 2007. Dan is a Super Acheiver - he has earned all 20 activity pins: Aquanaut, Athlete, Fitness, Sportsman, Artist, Scholar, Showman, Traveller, Citizen, Communicator, Family Member, Readyman, Craftsman, Engineer, Handyman, Scientist, Forester, Geologist, Naturalist and Outdoorsman. Dan's favorite experience in Scouting was camping at Camp Nihan and the sleepover at the Museum of Science.

Liam joined Cub Scouts in 2003 as a Tiger Cub. He took a short break from Bears and returned for Webelos. Liam earned his Webelos Badge and Compass Emblem in May, 2007. He also earned the Aquanaut, Athlete, Fitness, Sportsman, Artist, Scholar, Showman, Citizen, Communicator, Readyman, Craftsman, Handyman, Naturalist and Outdoorsman Activity Pins. Liam's favorite experience in Scouting was camping at Webelos Woods.

Nick B. joined Cub Scouts in 2006 as a Webelos. For some strange reason he wanted to sell popcorn! Nick earned his Webelos Badge and Compass Emblem in May, 2007. He also earned the Athlete, Fitness, Sportsman, Artist, Scholar, Showman, Citizen, Communicator, Readyman, Handyman, Naturalist and Outdoorsman Activity Pins. Nick's favorite experience in Scouting was camping at Webelos Woods with his friends.

Nick W. joined Cub Scouts in 2003 as a Tiger Cub. He has been an enthusiastic member ever since. Nick earned his Webelos Badge and Compass Emblem in May, 2007. He also earned the Athlete, Fitness, Sportsman, Artist, Scholar, Showman, Traveller, Citizen, Communicator, Family Member, Readyman, Handyman, Naturalist and Outdoorsman Activity Pins. Nick's favorite experience in Scouting was the Ecotarium sleepover.

Nico joined Cub Scouts in 2003 as a Tiger Cub. As a Bear Cub he received the religious emblem of his faith - the Parvuli Dei Medal. Nico earned his Webelos Badge and Compass Emblem in May, 2007. He also earned the Aquanaut, Fitness, Sportsman, Artist, Scholar, Showman, Traveller, Citizen, Communicator, Readyman, Handyman, and Outdoorsman Activity Pins. Nico's favorite experience in Scouting was camping at Webelos Woods.

You can see pictures from our visit in the photo gallery, here.

Special congratulations to our Den winners, who will represent our pack at the District Finals on March 15:

Tigers: Jacob Bassett

Wolves: Robert Guida

Bears: William Shea

Webelos 1: Kannon Romano

Webelos 2: Nicholas Basset

Good luck and have fun!

This is a really fun event, the boys have a blast. Please let your den leader know if your Scout will be attending.

You can see some pictures from last year's event in our photo gallery.

WHEN: Saturday May 17th, 2008

WHERE: Battleship Cove, Fall River MA

We’ve reserved 45 bunks on the USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. DD850

COST: $25.00 for Scouts who participated in the Popcorn fund-raiser, and $55.00 for all others (prices may decrease if the pack is able to raise additional funds before the outing). Checks should be made out to Pack 722, and mailed to or dropped off at my address 122 Kendrick Rd. The deadline for payment is April 10th.

WHAT’S INCLUDED: The price includes Dinner, breakfast and lunch, access to all of the ships and museums within the cove, and lodging aboard the USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. DD850.

WHAT TO BRING: Here are some suggested items for the trip

• Sleeping Bag
• Pillow
• Personal Toiletry items (soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc…)
• Spending money
• Towel

SCHEDULE: We’ll arrive Saturday afternoon around 1:00pm visit some of the ships, museums and try our hand at knot tying and then have supper in the battleships main dining room. Reveille sounds at 6:30 Sunday morning, followed by breakfast, tours of the ship, lunch in the wardroom and departure around 12:30AM. See the Plan of the Day for details.

The Kennedy is an example of a Gearing class destroyer, which were built during WW2 and became the workhorses of the Cold War destroyer navy. The JP Kennedy served with great distinction during the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and America's space program to name just a few. DD850 is now a museum ship to educate the public and serve as a memorial to those who sailed aboard destroyers. Below is an example of the berthing areas that we’ll “bunk” in over night.

Please use the following links to obtain detailed information about:

• Battleship Cove ships and Museums
• The USS Joseph P Kennedy
• Directions to BSC
• General Camping Information
• Food and Dining Services

Stay tuned for more information at the date draws closer. Please call (617-512-7762) or email (woneschuk@comcast.net) me if you have any question.

Regards
Walt Oneschuk

The day started with a train ride into the city. Thanks to a friendly commuter rail conductor, the boys rode the train in style, in their own private coach! But then she invited the boys to come to come to the front of the train, two at a time, to experience the trip from the point of view of the engineer. It's cool to see the train tracks laid out in front as you cruise down the line. The boys had a real "blast" when they blew the train horn, too! And when we pulled in to North Station, the Scouts got a private tour of the engine car.

A quick walk later, we were at the Navy Yard and exploring the U.S.S Constitution. We heard the story of "Old Ironsides" from a sailor, and toured three decks of the ship. The boys could just picture the excitement and the adventure aboard the ship... but they learned of the cold reality, too: the noise, the dirt, the crowded conditions and the poor excuses for food. All in all, the boys had a great time exploring the ship and learned about an important part of American history.

Before we headed home, we made a quick trip to the World War II destroyer, the U.S.S Cassin Young, that is also docked at the Navy yards. We can't wait for Battleship Cove!

At our most recent den meeting, we made custom, Christmas-themed neckerchief slides and practiced three of the important Cub Scout knots - the square knot, the bowline and the two-half hitches. When do we go camping again?

For details, see the calendar of events page.