Pinewood Derby Time!

The Pinewood Derby is coming!  It's time to get ready to race.

The rules we'll be using are can be found here.  They are the same rules used by the District, please read them.  Your input on changes for next year is most welcome but we ask all to Do Your Best to abide by these rules for this year.

Weigh-In is on Friday, March 4, from 6:30 - 8:00 pm at the Greenwood Union Church.   The Scouts' cars are checked for weight and size according to the rules, and kept overnight at the church.   Some tools, graphite and other tune-up items will be available but if you have your own you are encouraged to bring them.

The Race will be held on Saturday, March 5.   Each den will race amongst themselves according the following schedule:

• Tigers: 9:00 am
• Wolves: 9:30 am
• Bears: 10:00 am
• Webelos 1: 11:00 am
• Webelos 2: 11:30am
• Family Race: 12:00 noon

The winner of each Den's race will represent our Pack at the Flintlock District Finals, which are to be held on Saturday, March 19 at the Concord Scout House in Concord, Mass.  The Finals are really a lot of fun - last year, some 35 Packs were represented.

If you're not sure about what to do, or if you're lacking tools, please contact your den leader.  Scouts can "buddy up" to work on their cars together and your den leader can match you up.

Here are some templates that you can use to inspire your Scout's design. Simply trace the forms onto the wood and you're on your way.

Some other great resources for ideas, tips or tricks are:

• http://www.dremelderby.com
• http://www.boyscouttrail.com/library/pinewood-derby.asp
• http://home.simplyweb.net/bosworth/template.htm

Have fun with your Scout as he makes his car!

Sunday, February 6: Scout Sunday, Cub Olympics

Sunday, February 6^th  is Scout Sunday.  The Boy Scouts of America annually celebrates its founding on February 8, 1910;  Scout Sunday was added to celebration in the 1940s.   The Scout Sunday tradition was started to make people in houses of worship aware of Scouting, and to allow Scouts to live out their "Duty to God".  These values strengthen youth character in their family, community and faith.

This year all three Catholic churches in Wakefield will be participating in the tradition:

• St. Florence Parish: Scouts will attend the 10AM Mass and sit together. The Scouts will be sponsoring coffee/pastries afterwards.
  
• Most Blessed Sacrament Parish: Scouts will attend the 9AM Mass, and will serve coffee, etc. afterwards.
• St. Joseph’s Parish: Scouts will attend the 11AM Mass.
• First Parish Congregational will be celebrating Scout Sunday the following week, February 13th, at the 10:30 am service.

If your family attends Mass at any of these churches, please have your Scout in full uniform (but no hats) at church at least 5-10 minutes before Mass.  Scouts will be processing in and sitting together.

Also...  this Sunday, February 6 is the annual Cub Scout Olympics at the Minuteman Regional High School in Lexington.  The boys always have a great time and it's a lot of fun for everyone.   The games start with opening ceremonies at 12:30 and will be over by 3 pm (so you'll be home in time for the Super Bowl).  Scouts should wear their Pack 722 tee shirt or their uniform shirt -- no hats or neckerchiefs, please.  Please check with your den leader to arrange car pools.

Directions can be found on our website:  http://www.pack722wakefield.com/2010/11/cub-scout-olympics-at-minuteman.html

Pack Olympics

Our annual Pack Olympics was held at our January Pack meeting. Check out these great pictures! The boys had a great time and we're all ready for the District Olympics in February. Game on!

Pack Meeting tonight is on

Despite the snow day,  our Pack Meeting tonight is not canceled.   We're still on for 6:30 pm at the Greenwood Union Church.

At this meeting, we will be having our annual Pack Olympics, in preparation for the Cub Scout Olympics in February.  Because the boys will be quite active this time, uniforms are not required -- there's no sense in losing hats and neckerchief slides if you can avoid it!

We will be distributing the Pinewood Derby cars and popcorn prizes at this meeting.   This year's Pinewood Derby will have a new feature -- an "open" division where each family can, if they wish, race a car against other (non-Scout) cars.  We'll have more details at the Pack Meeting.

Finally, as mentioned earlier, we will be collecting donations to the Pack's contribution to the Tom Nestor scholarship fund. We will also have a card for all Pack families to sign.  


See you there

Tom Nestor Scholarship

Tom Nestor, an Eagle Scout from Wakefield's Troop 701, tragically passed away last month in a skiing accident.  Many of our boys met him last year when he came to a Pack Meeting to teach the boys about proper handling of the American flag.   Tom was an exemplary Scout and a terrific young man.  In his memory, the Tom Nestor Scholarship has been started has been started under the auspices of the Wakefield Citizen's Scholarship Foundation (CSF). 

Our Pack will be making a donation and we ask all of you to consider donating as well.  We will be collecting donations at our Pack Meeting next week -- no amount is too small.  We will also have a sympathy card available for all Cub Scout families to sign.

There will also be a fundraiser for Tom's Scholarship at Kelly's Roast Beef in Saugus (Route 1 at Lynn Fells Parkway) on Monday of next week, January 10. With the attached coupon, 25 percent of your purchase will be donated to the Scholarship fund.  Please consider attending -- it's a "dinner out" for a good cause.