The annual Pinewood Derby was a success! Even with some technical difficulties and a last minute room change. A big thank you to all the parents who jumped in to help run the event: Weigh station operators, Graphite application, Start gate, Running back and forth, running the Glitchy computer, Assembly and Disassembly of the track, Transporting everything, Cleanup, and more! Congratulations to all the scouts for their creativity, hard work and great sportsmanship!
March First was our annual Blue and Gold Celebration and AoL Bridging Ceremony. It was a time to get together not just as a pack but as families along with honored guests from the district and Scout BSA Troops. We celebrated with Songs, Skits, Awards, Trophies and Dinner. The evening closed with the AoL graduation and Bridging Ceremonies where we ushered on all 10 AoLs to Troops 379, 2220 and 2273. Our Den meetings are going to be a bit quieter now so it will be up to the Lions, Tigers, Wolves, and Bears to turn up the excitement and keeps things moving because they’re not done yet and the next big event will be their annual Grad Camp in May!
As many of you know, my daughter also left the pack to join her troop which means it is time for me to hand over the keys to a new Cubmaster. Please give our new Cubmaster, Ms. Amanda (Current Tiger Den Lead), all your support and Cooperation!
Finally, it’s important to remember that the usage of the Veterans Memorial Hall is a privilege granted to us by our Chartering organization, American Legion Post 837. We are not paying guests with guaranteed access, so sometimes we have to be flexible and we should always be respectful, clean, <<insert all points of scout law here>>
Hope everyone had a safe and memorable Holiday Break. I know I’m running a bit behind, but here is this month’s update!
Pinewood Derby is Coming!! We will need Volunteers to Help run this even on Feb 8th!!!!! We’ll need help with: Track setup, Car weighing, Running races, Bringing food, Selling food, Cleaning up! Anyone interested in helping other families build their cars, let me know (we have a pack owned tool). Den Leads please take a look at the new Race Time Adventure and let’s all complete an Elective! Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Bear, AoL
Upcoming Activities
Firestation Visit: Reschedule in progress. Keep an eye on Chat for updates.
1/15: Den Meetings for Wolf and Bear Only (Lion, Tiger and AoL are off this week)
1/19 (Sunday): Parent Zoom Meeting – Please attend for important information!!
1/22: Pack Meeting – If all goes well, we’ll hand out Pinewood Derby Kits!!
1/29: AoL Meeting – AoL was rescheduled to this day
(1/8: Den Meeting – Already Happened)
Pinewood Derby Workshops!! Stay tuned for more details!!
I hope everyone had a memorable and safe Thanksgiving. Last month was busy! We had our annual canned food drive where we brought in over 700 food items and logged ~250 hours of community service time. The AoL Den had an overnight campout in preparation for their transition to a Troop in March. AoLs also had an opportunity to visit Troop 112 at their open house event. Finally we had our first formal Pack Meeting where we gave out all the awards for completed Adventures and Newark City Council Member Eve Little helped sew on all of our patches!
Things to know and remember
Scouting is a Parent/Volunteer Run Activity/Organization
We still have a lot of activities to go this year that need volunteers
We need to start thinking about who will fill what role for next year
We need REGISTERED ADULT LEADERS
This means
Registering with Scouting America
Take Youth Protection Training (YPT)
Take CA Mandated Reporter Training (AB506)
Do Background Check
the pack can lose it’s charter if we don’t have enough
It’s up to us to keep the Hall that we use Clean
Chairs, Tables, Trash
If you miss a meeting/event/activity, parents are responsible for makeup
Follow up with Den Lead
Check the Clipboard (tracking sheet) at next meeting
Log into Scoutbook (https://advancements.scouting.org/ or App)
Upcoming Activities
12/4 – Den Meetings: All Dens (Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Bear, AoL)
AoL Den meeting is hosted by Troop 379
12/11 – Den Meetings: Wolf, Bear, AoL
12/14 – Pack Hike
10am at Garin Regional Park
Bring a light Day Pack with 6 Cub Scout Essentials!
Dress Comfortable (no uniform required)
12/18 – Annual Holiday Potluck!!
Please watch for signup sheet in Whatsapp chatgroup
AoL Notes
12/4 – Den Meeting hosted by Troop 379
Last chance to visit a troop with the Den
12/7 – AoLService Project
10:30 am meet at Parkmont Elementary
AoL Citizenship Requirement 2
Wear Uniform!
AoL Families will need to decide what troop they wish to join
Keep an eye out for a sheet for this because we will have to invite the troop to the bridging ceremony and they need time to prepare
This past month the pack had our regular den meetings, Visited the Candle Lighter’s Ghost House, and went on a hike with Troop 112.
AoLs have started looking into what Troops they will be bridging into in March by attending Mission Peak District’s Troop Showcase and also visiting with individual Troops.
All Dens Upcoming Activities
11/6 7pm: All Den Meetings (Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Bear, AoL)
11/9 9am: Scouting for Food door hangar drop off!
Meet at 9am at Parkmont Elementary
Every year Pack 269 participates in BSA’s food drive.
On Saturday we go through the Parkmont neighborhood homes and drop off an informational door hangar.
11/13 7pm: Den Meetings (Wolf, Bear, AoL)
11/16 9am: Scouting for Food Pickup!
Meet at 9am at Parkmont Elementary
This is the time where we go back through the neighborhood to pickup any food the neighbors have put out for donation!
Pizza Lunch will be provided by Pack for Participants!
6:30 pm: Patch Sewing Event! Eve Little from FOS and Newark City Council Candidate will be coming to sew all patches onto Uniforms.
Patch Sewing will begin 30 min before the pack meeting
Please have scouts wear a t-shirt under their uniform shirt so they can take off the uniform shirt.
The Red “269” Patches will be handed out!
This will be our first award ceremony where we will hand out pins and belt loops for any completed adventures this year.
AoL Specific Upcoming Activity
11/6: Troop 379 AoL Meeting
“We from Troop 379 would like to invite you AOLs to our next meeting, next Wednesday, for the entire duration of the meeting. In this meeting, we will be playing some fun games and demonstrating some aspects of scouting, and we would like the AOLs to have fun and to have some experience as well. Parents, if you are with these AOLs you may have to stay until the usual scout meeting end time of 9:00pm. Thanks you, Murari, Den Chief.”
AoL families will need to decide what troop their scout will bridge into
Nov 12th: Troop 112 Open House
Visit the troop for activities and QA
We need to plan the AoL overnight campout.
We’ll update on the AoL chat as we get more details
please plan to attend a weekend (1 night) overnight camp
Uniform patches don’t need to be sewn on yet. Nov 20th we will have Eve Little from FOS and Newark City Council Candidate visit and sew on all patches! For now just use safety pins. ↩︎
On March 24, 2024 we will have our Blue & Gold dinner and Bridging Ceremony.
The dinner is open to all Pack 269 scouts and their families. After the dinner we will have skits performed by each den, give scouts trophies and awards for the 2024 Pinewood Derby. Finally, we will have the ceremony where AOL scouts will bridge to the BSA Troops, where they will continue their paths as scouts.
We will start at 5pm, and plan to end around 8pm. The location is the Veterans Memorial Hall in Niles.
We will order food for the dinner. Please sign up at the link provided on Whatsapp and by email, so that we know how many people will be there.
We wish to see you all there for this important event in the life of our Pack.
On February 10, 2024 we will have our yearly Pinewood Derby race at the Veterans Memorial Hall. Please come by 5:30pm to register. The race will start at 6pm.
Race Rules
We will have different categories:
Scouts – cars have to be made from the kits provided, and cannot weight more than 5oz
Parents / siblings – cars have to be made from the kits provided, and cannot weight more than 5oz
Open category – any car goes (including with engines)!
Rules for cars
Cars cannot weight more than 5oz. We will provide weights to reach that weight at the race
Only graphite powder is allowed to lubricate the wheels. Liquid lubricant is not allowed
Car Distribution, Workshops
We will distribute car kits to scouts at the 1/17 den meeting, and during the Pinewood Derby car workshops. Each scout enrolled for 2023 can have 1 car for free. Siblings and parents participating will have to pay $7 per car
Each scout makes his / her car from a kit. We will have a workshop to help make the cars (especially to cut the wood piece of the kit):
The time and place will be announced soon
Scouts and their parents can come to the workshop, make their car and then leave
Please decide how to make the car, and draw the cuts that you want to make on the wood, ahead of the workshop. Several websites provide ideas for car designs
Please avoid complicated cuts: we expect a high number of scouts at the workshops
Parents need to be present at the workshop with their scout
The Day of the Race
We will have a food stand with pizzas, drinks and snacks
We will need parent volunteers to help set up the track, weight and handle the cars, for the food stand, and to buy food; please sign up here
