Under the Blackhawk Moon

Pack 282 Cubs enjoyed a family campout at Blackhawk on the evening of April 21. We had den meetings in the afternoon at the park. The boys enjoyed outdoor activities including a woodland scavenger hunt in which the boys had to find one item that started with each letter of the alphabet. There were lots of interesting items found, including an unidentified egg, possibly from an owl or buzzard found on one of the trails. No ornithologists were available to help make the positive identification. There were also a few "cheats" like XMARKX for the letter X and "Zero objects starting with Z."

After the den meetings, we cooked supper on the campfire. The boys made famous foil scout dinners. They were almost universally excellent, with a wide variety of meats used, from good ole burgers to salmon with asparagus tips (Mark). After dinner and some campfire enjoyment, it was time for a night hike. Cubmaster Scott led us out on the trails to a point overlooking the Lake to the north. The hike was made under Scott's Rules, which means no lights except the moon.

C.O.R. Jay gave a short presentation about the International Space Station, and the boys and adults talked about astronomy. At 9:02 p.m. the ISS made a pass to the north of our location. The boys observed the station going over. It appeared as a bright star in the sky that moved across the northern sky for about five minutes. For information about tracking the station from your location, check here: http://www.heavens-above.com/
Please note that registration is free, but to get accurate results you need to enter the closest town to your actual location, in other words, if you live in Chrisman, don't put Paris as your location. Likewise with Vermilion. Be sure to read the informational sections so you understand how to follow the charts.

Afterward, Cubs and adults turned in one by one and the thirteen family tents became the scene of much snoring. We shall not comment on who led the log-sawing brigade. Camp broke beginning at dawn on the 22nd.

Thanks to our scout leaders, parents and scouts for a great first overnighter for families of Pack 282.

National Council

The National Council BSA website has tons of useful information for scouts and parents.
Here is the link directly to the Cub Scouting Section.

CUB SCOUTING
Cub Scouting's volunteer leaders work with boys and their families to improve their communities by enriching the lives of the families who live there. Cub Scout leaders support the family. They take an active part in helping to strengthen families and their boys by providing a fun-filled, worthwhile program that teaches values.

Crossroads of America Council, BSA, has one of the best websites for any council going. There are useful links for training, scouting information, publications, and just about anything else you would want to know about Cub Scouts.

Trax Spreadsheets

For anyone looking for the Trax spreadheets, the tool that helps you track advancement, leadership, popcorn sales, etc. Here is a link: http://trax.boy-scouts.net/

ZIP decompression tool. These spreadsheets are ZIP COMPRESSED to facilitate quicker downloads. After downloading, the resultant file needs to be de-compressed on your workstation. If you do not have a Zip decompression tool available, click here to download WinZip.

Microsoft Excel version: The spreadsheets have been tested on both Macintosh (OS 7.5 and later) and on Windows 95/98/2000, and XP machines. They have been tested with versions of Excel from 5.0 and later. Please note that these spreadsheets are not compatible with Microsoft Works. If you do not have access to Microsoft Excel, OpenOffice contains a free spreadsheet that is about 90% compatible with Microsoft Excel. OpenOffice is a free download from Sun Microsystems on the Internet.

OpenOffice Calc version: If you do not have access to Microsoft Excel, OpenOffice contains a spreadsheet program called Calc that will work with the OpenOffice version of the software. The entire OpenOffice suite is a free download from Sun Microsystems on the Internet. This suite contains not only Calc, but also a word processor, a database, and a graphical presentation program. Click to download either the Windows version and the Mac version. Note: the Mac version of OpenOffice will only run on OS X.

PLEASE NOTE! More specific information on using and customizing the spreadsheet is contained in the spreadsheet's Instructions worksheet. Please read this page before you begin using the spreadsheets!

DISCLAIMER & SUPPORT

Frank Steele of Pack 615 and Troop 615, League City, TX is solely responsible for the CubTrax, ScoutTrax, and VenturingTrax series spreadsheets and their support. The BSA does not endorse, support, or in any way acknowledge them.

Moe Kluksdahl of Pack 696 and Troop 696, Dickinson, TX is solely responsible for TrainingTrax series spreadsheets and their support. The BSA does not endorse, support, or in any way acknowledge them.

Virtual Uniform Handbook

Cub Scouts Pack 215 has an outstanding web page by Don DeYoung which includes one of the best uniform guides I have seen. The following paragraphs are copied from the Uniform Guide posted on the Pack 215 web site, and are posted for the education of our Pack 282 scouts and parents:


Why Do We Wear Uniforms?

The Boy Scouts of America has always been a uniformed body. There are many reasons for this. One reason stands out above all the rest. We wear the uniform because it is a means of identifying ourselves openly with the principles to which we are committed-character development, citizenship training, and physical and mental fitness.

The fact that youth and adult members of Scouting wear a uniform doesn't mean that we're all alike. We come from different ethnic and racial backgrounds. We have our own religious beliefs and political views. We are each individuals with our own family traditions and loyalties. So the uniform is not intended to hide our individuality. But it is a way we give each other strength and support. It is a bond that ties us together in spite of our differences. It is a way of making visible our commitment to a belief in God, loyalty to country, and to helping other people.

The Scouting movement is built on positive values. As we wear the uniform, we are openly identifying ourselves with those values where everyone can see us. We stand together, not alone, in encouraging others to live by those same principles. Boys and adults alike should take pride in belonging to such a movement and wear the uniform as it is intended.

The Uniform Guide can be found here.

Pack Committee Roster

Here is the official committee roster of Pack 282 as it now stands:

Dave Murphy, District Commissioner: (ex-officio member)

Sam Webb, Professional Scouter: (ex-officio member)

Jim Stephens, Commissioner: (ex-officio member)

Mark Anderson, Committee Chairman

Scott Myers, Cubmaster: (nonvoting member)

Holley Myers, Secretary/Day Camp Admin.

Brian Blair, Treasurer

Jay Ping, Charter Org. Rep.

Michelle Huffman, Public Relations: (P.R. Chick)

Nancy Marrs, Advancement

Michelle Huxford, Transportation

Richard Wilkin, Pack Trainer

Michele Creech, Outings

Amy Anderson, Pack Newsletter

Lisa Roush, Committee

Jim Forster, Committee

Jessica Collins, Membership

Wes Jones, Committee Member

Chuck Mullenix, Asst. Den Leader

Boy's Life Online

(photo from Boys Life)

The scouting magazine Boy's Life has its own website: www.boyslife.org features articles, news, photos, cartoons and all of the stuff boys love about the printed magazine. But it also includes online games, projects, e-cards, polls, and lots of other goodies. There's even a "Cub Corner"! And here is a sample:


This month’s other features

WHAT YOU WANT OR WHAT YOU NEED?
Dream big with this drool-worthy stuff or — better yet — suit up with our reliable and affordable gear picks.

MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE
This lucky BL reader took the trip of a lifetime to the 2006 World Cup soccer tournament.

BEND IT — HERE!
Soccer’s biggest star, David Beckham, joins America’s biggest soccer league.

In our Boy Scout edition

STAY RIGHT ONLINE
When you’re chatting or e-mailing, you can never be too sure just who your “friends” are. But get this — it’s not just the bad guys who are finding out who you are.

AMERICA’S UNKNOWN TREASURES
EXPLORING AMERICA’S NATIONAL PARKS, PART 1 OF 3
A little extra research can lead your troop to the trip of a lifetime. Luckily for you, we’ve done that research. Here are some of our country’s best little-known national parks.

OUT IN FRONT
The first step in becoming a good leader is making good decisions. With Scout Program: Leadership.

In our Cub Scout edition

BE RIGHT ONLINE
The Internet has a lot to offer. Log on and learn, have fun and hang out. But be sure to follow the safety rules.

LET’S LOOK AT CARGO SHIPS
Read it! Color it! Get it all in this special Cub Scout section. Click here for answers to the puzzles printed in this month’s issue.

And more!

Look for the regular score of comics, jokes, Scouts in Action, Tradin’ Post and more! Only in the April issue of Boys’ Life!

Ashokan Farewell

Under the moon the mountains lie sleeping
Over the lake the stars shine.
They wonder if you and I will be keeping
The magic and music, or leave them behind...


The Blue and Gold banquet for Pack 8 went pretty well, overall. The split between Pack 8 and Pack 282 was formally announced. I think our new Pack 282 leaders deserve credit for demonstrating themselves to be a class act.

Our former Cubmaster under the old Pack 8 standard deserves some respect, too. He handled the announcement with grace and dignity.

Let's all look forward to next year, when Pack 282 hosts its own Blue and Gold.