Waltham Pack 250 Winter Newsletter

Cub Scout

Pack 250 WINTER NEWSLETTER 2012-13

W W W . W A L T H A M P A C K 2 5 0 . C O M

Joe Havelick, Tim Maxwell, and David Matayabas all received the

Wood Bridge Badge at the October 2012 Pack meeting.

See page 7.

Popcorn fundraising a huge success, great job!

Congratulations to the Cubs of Pack 250 for raising $2,133.95 through popcorn sales! This money is used to support fun Pack activities such as our Blue and Gold Banquet, the Pinewood Derby, bowling, swimming, camping and more! Our top seller this year was Bear Lane Belliveau who sold $659 worth of popcorn! Way to go, Lane! Lane's Bear Den, led by his mom Margaret, was Pack 250's top selling den this year and earned a pizza party for their hard work! Special thanks to Kristen Marriott, (mother of Bear, Peter, and Tiger, Joshua) for her amazing work and dedication as Pack 250's Popcorn Colonel for the last two years. Kristen's outstanding leadership in heading our main fundraising effort has tremendously benefitted our Pack helped it grow. Money raised from popcorn sales has allowed the Pack to purchase new fishing rods, subsidize overnights and special Pack events and provide scholarship opportunities.

Fall Reflections and Winter Forecast – Looking Ahead to a Great 2013

See page 2

Pack Calendar See page 8

PACK 250 NEWSLETTER WINTER 2012-2013

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Fall Reflections and Winter Forecast – Looking Ahead to a Great 2013

Pack 250 is off to a great year! We have had success and lots of fun with our new fishing poles at the Fishing Derby in September, carved pumpkins and enjoyed a hike and overnight in October, attended a regional Boy Scout adventure day along the Charles River (SOAR), participated in flag retirement and city tree lighting ceremonies and enjoyed a Bentley hockey game. In addition, our scouts have shown compassion and great citizenship by collecting food to benefit a local food pantry as well as contributing to a toy drive for less fortunate children. Our Pack leadership is committed to fostering fun and adventurous programming opportunities for our Cubs and their families with the hope of inspiring our boys to grow to be wise leaders of great character tomorrow. Cub Scouting provides excellent and relevant character based skills and training by encouraging its 12 Core Values of Citizenship, Compassion, Cooperation, Courage, Faith, Health and Fitness, Honesty, Perseverance, Positive Attitude, Resourcefulness, Respect and Responsibility. These core values relevant to equipping boys and will help build character that can positively influence them in their future careers, families and communities. It is an honor to serve with an amazing Pack Committee who have obvious love for Scouting and the families we serve.

By Victoria Landers, Committee Chair


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Some Exciting Winter Pack Forecasts

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January:

Our Cubs will be receiving their Pine Wood Derby Cars to start getting ready for the Big Race Event in March! On Friday, January 25th, Cubs will participate in our Winter Overnight at the Museum of Science. The last chance to sign up is Friday, December 14th. Please email [email protected] if you have questions or would like to sign up. February:

Saturday, February 16th: Pack 250 Blue and Gold Birthday Party Banquet at First Parish, 50 Church Street: Most Cub Scouts celebrate Scouting Anniversary Week in February with a "birthday party" called the Blue and Gold Banquet. In nearly all packs, the Blue and Gold is the highlight of the year. It brings families together for an evening of fun, cheer and celebration and is scheduled as our (Saturday!) Pack Meeting in February. The purpose of the Blue and Gold banquet is to celebrate the pack's anniversary, thank pack leaders and other adults who have helped the pack, recognize any special Cub achievements and inspire the leaders, Scouts and parents. We will also have entertainment the entire family will enjoy. Our Pack will host the event

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at First Parish, our Charter Organization, and is honored to invite community leaders such as the Mayor of Waltham and others to celebrate with us. Dan Taylor (Bear Chris' dad) and Scott Tougas (Webelos Jeremy's Tougas’ dad) will be co-chairing the Blue and Gold for their second year. In order to have a wonderful night, volunteers are needed for help with getting donations, setting up and decor, dinner preparation and clean up crew. Please email [email protected] if you would like to help in any way with the Blue and Gold!


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Events from this Fall…

Fishing Derby Thanks to everyone who participated in this years fishing derby!

October Pack Meeting - Pumpkin Carving

S.O.A.R!

November Pack Meeting – Turkey in a Bag


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Den’s Reporting In

What’s that loud roar you hear? It’s the sound our youngest cubs make when they are together learning, experiencing, and having fun! This fall, Pack 250 welcomed seven Tigers: Sebastian Keleher, Joshua Marriott, Tennyson Parke, Jack Pierrelouis, Matthew Sautter, Michael Spoering, and Max Wozek. The boys are all very excited about scouting, and with their very supportive families reinforcing important lessons at home, have made a lot of progress toward their Tiger badges. In the Den, which meets at Sacred Heart Parish on River Street, the boys learned their Bobcat requirements, heard from Waltham Safety Officer Frassica on personal safety, made healthy food choices, and explored maps. On the go, the boys visited the Waltham Museum and explored what life was like in the past, walked logs and honed their senses twice hiking the Payne Estate, lost their voices cheering on Jack’s older brother playing Waltham Youth Hockey, and had a great play date at Tennyson’s decorating ginger bread and battling with Beyblades. Not only has it been special to watch these young guys build a positive den vibe over the past three months, but also it has been great that so many of their siblings, through Den and Pack meetings or outings, have been a part of the journey so far.

Tiger Cubs

Wolf Den

Wow, Wolves! This year our Pack is home to have 29 (?!) Wolves, many of whom are new to Scouting. With this great growth in Wolf membership, our Dens have expanded. Thanks to the Den leaders Lori and Dan Pasto, Lisa Hemmouda, Danielle Keady and John Piacitelli for stepping up to fill in our Den leadership needs for this great group of Wolves! The Wolves visited the Waltham Police Dept. Safety Officer Ann Frassica led the tour. Nicole Frassica (classmate of Benjamin's) was on the tour and helped out. We brought cookies and some donuts as a thank you to the men and women on the Police Force for all they do everyday to keep Waltham a safe place to live, work, and go to school.

Wolves visiting the Waltham Police Dept.

(Xander Blougouras, Benjamin Pasto, Caleb Prince, Carter Pasto, Joshua Sautter and Omar Hammouda).


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Bear Den

The boys of Bear Den 3, led by Lori Parent (mother of Bear Michael) have been working hard on their

achievements. They had opportunity to have a personal tour of the Watertown Police Department by Officer

Keith Parent, Michael's dad. At the police station they learned about crime prevention, public safety and saw

the internal workings of the station including interrogation rooms, the target-shooting room and sat

on real police motorcycles and in a police car! (photos attached) At a recent Den meeting, led by Bear Liam

Kane, Mr. Bob Norcross, a visiting Eagle Scout and former Cubmaster came and taught the boys several

knots with ropes. They simulated the experience of "falling off a cliff" and learned how to tie an appropriate knot to help lift and rescue their fellow Bears!

Webelos

The Webelos took a field trip to the Harvard Museum of

Natural History to work on their Geologist and Naturalist Badges. They got to see many amazing

examples of rocks and touch meteorites, see the world renowned glass flower

display, learn about how animals and bugs produce color, and see lots of skeletons and

displays of animals from dinosaurs to the

present.

Bears visiting the Waltham Police Dept.

(Connor Kelleher, Michael Walsh, William Landers, Michael Parent, Liam Kane)


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“Are there any Beavers in the house?” Wood Badge Ceremony

About the Wood Badge (courtesy of Wikipedia):

The Wood Badge is a Scouting leadership program and the related award for adult leaders in the programs of Scout associations throughout the world. Wood Badge courses aim to make Scouters better leaders by teaching advanced leadership skills, and by creating a bond and commitment to the Scout movement. Courses generally have a combined classroom and practical outdoors-based phase

followed by a Wood Badge ticket, also known as the project phase. By "working the ticket", participants put their newly gained experience into practice to attain ticket goals aiding the Scouting movement. The first Wood Badge training was organized by Francis "Skipper" Gidney and lectured at by Robert Baden-Powell and others at Gilwell Park (United Kingdom) in September 1919. Wood Badge training has since

spread across the world with international variations.

On completion of the course, participants are awarded the Wood Badge beads to recognize significant achievement in leadership and direct service to young people. The pair of small wooden beads, one on each end of a leather thong (string), is worn around the neck as part of the Scout uniform. The beads are presented together with a

taupe neckerchief bearing a tartan patch of the Maclaren clan, honoring William de Bois Maclaren, who donated the £7000 to purchase Gilwell Park in 1919 plus an additional £3000 for improvements to the house that was on the estate. The neckerchief with the braided leather woggle (neckerchief slide) denotes the membership of the 1st Gilwell Scout Group or Gilwell Troop 1.

Recipients of the Wood Badge are known as Wood Badgers or Gilwellians.

Gilwell Song (sung during ceremony): I used to be a Beaver, and a good old Beaver too. But now I'm finished Beavering, I don't know what to do. I'm growing old and feeble, and I can Beaver no more. So I'm going to work my ticket if I can. Chorus: Back to Gilwell, happy land, I'm going to work my ticket, if I can. (Repeat with other Wood Badge patrol names in Gilwell order: Bobwhite, Eagle, Fox, Owl, Bear, Buffalo, Antelope, Crow and Wolf.)

Congratulations to Joe Havelick, Tim Maxwell, and David Matayabas! All received the Wood Badge at the October 2012 Pack meeting.


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2012-2013 Pack 250 Calendar DECEMBER 2012

Friday, 12/14: Pack Meeting, Toys for Tots – 6:30 pm @ Fitzgerald School

JANUARY 2013

Monday, 1/7: Committee Meeting – 7 pm @ First Parish Church

Friday, 1/18: Pack Meeting - (Pinewood Derby Distribution) – 6:30 pm @ Fitzgerald School

Friday, 1/25: Winter Overnight at Museum of Science

FEBRUARY 2013


Saturday, 2/16: Pack Meeting – Blue and Gold Banquet – 6:30 pm @ First Parish Church

Pack Event, Bowling TBD

MARCH 2013


Saturday, 3/15: Pack Meeting – Pinewood Derby – 6:30 pm @ First Parish Church

Pack Event, Pack Swim TBD

APRIL 2013


Saturday, 4/6-7: Spring Campout

Spring Service Project, TBD

MAY 2013


Friday, 5/17: Pack Meeting, Location and Time, TBD

JUNE 2013

Monday, 6/3: Annual Planning Meeting, Location and Time, TBD

History Highlight – Blue and Gold Banquet

In 1933 "Cub Leaders' Round Table" suggested Parent / Cub dinners. Soon thereafter, Pack 1 of Michigan City started a tradition of pot-lucks where the dads were to bring utensils made of wood; whittled by the Cub with his dad. In the 1930s father / son 'bean dinners' and 'Cub family dinners' began to become commonplace. Finally, in 1943 the name "Blue and Gold Banquet" first appeared in BSA literature, and became synonymous with "celebrating the birthday of Scouting."

Today, the Blue and Gold banquet is one of the highlights of the program year. It brings together your Pack's families for a dinner and an evening of fun. The meal is important, but even more important is the warm, congenial atmosphere created as families.


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Pack 250 Program Leaders Cubmaster: Mike Pereira, Tel: 781-696-0101, Email: [email protected] Pack Chairman: Victoria Landers, Tel: 617-290-5824, Email: [email protected] Assistant Cubmaster:John Piacitelli, Email: [email protected]

Den Leaders: Tiger Den Leader: Jack Wozek Tiger Den Leader: vacant Tiger Den Leader: vacant Assistant Tiger Den Leader: Brian Marriott Assistant Tiger Den Leader: vacant Assistant Tiger Den Leader: vacant Wolf Den Leader: John Piacitelli Wolf Den Leader: Lori Pasto Wolf Den Leader: Dan Pasto Wolf Den Leader: Lisa Hemmouda Assistant Wolf Den Leader: vacant Bear Den Leader: Margaret L. Cross-Beliveau Bear Den Leader: Lori Parent Bear Den Leader: vacant Assistant Bear Den Leader: DeeDee Walsh Assistant Bear Den Leader: vacant Assistant Bear Den Leader: vacant Webelos I Den Leader: Scott Tougas Webelos I Den Leader: Rick Baggio

Pack Committee Chairman: Victoria Landers Treasurers: Brian Marriott Secretary: Rick Baggio Webmaster: Michael Mailman Commissioner: Joe Havelick Outdoor Activity: Philip Storer Popcorn Colonel: Kristen Marriott Membership: Kristen Wilson Pack Trainer: David Matayabas Blue & Gold: Dan Taylor Advancement: Kevin Mitchell Public Relations: vacant Pinewood Derby Chair: vacant Fundraising: vacant Winter Overnight Chair: vacant Summer Events Coordinator: vacant

Charter Organization: First Parish in Waltham Charter Organization Rep: Scott Tougas Please volunteer for any vacant positions – your contributions will really help!

Cub Scout Word Search & Maze

Bentley Hockey Scouts in uniform will be FREE as usual and all others will be $5.00 and any walk ins from the pack are welcome as always.

Contact Phil Storer for more information.


For more information, see our website www.walthampack250.com

Waltham Pack 250 Winter Newsletter

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