Trout Farm Outing

On August 8th Pack 324 went to the Rushing Waters Trout Farm in Palmyra and what a blast we had.

First Terry gave us all tour of the farm and showed us what it takes to grow a rainbow trout to a size we can eat. (18 months from egg to plate)

We saw the hatchery where the eggs and fry (baby fish) are kept. Then we saw some of the ponds that the fish are growing up in.

He showed us the mesh boxes the trout are kept in and the nets they use to catch fish.

Then we went to the picnic area by the Fishing pond and had dinner. Hot dogs, chips and bug juice.

Of course after dinner we all got to catch a trout. I made sure all the fish went home ready to eat.

What a great time we all had. Thanks to Peter and Terry and the rest of the staff at Rushing Waters for a great time

Joe

Camp RoKiLiO

Wow.

WOW!

What an amazing week we just spent at Camp RoKiLiO / Cub Scout World near Kiel, WI. (RoKiLiO is so named for Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions and Optimist Clubs.)

In addition to summer Day Camp in SEWISBSA, we wanted to do an additional week of camp. Last year, we tried a local YMCA program which was nice, but very different from the kind of program we run in Scouting. This year, we decided to check out Bay Lakes Council’s main Cub Scout Camp.

Last year I took my Woodbadge course with Bay Lakes, and we stayed at RoKiLiO for our first session. I was really impressed by the facility, and what I heard about the program. Additionally, this was an overnight program, something that really appealed to my son ~ getting to stay overnight at camp. Joining Graeme and me were Bowsers and Obermeyers: 4 kids and 3 adults.

Each of the buildings at RoKiLiO has a theme, and we stayed in the Space Station with three other Packs. There was also a cool castle, a fort, a Viking ship, a train station, and the Gold Miner’s Village, a Webelos themed tent camping area. Three Scout guides were assigned to us. Two were already Eagle Scouts! They met us in Space Suits on the first day, and were with us in costume or uniform almost every waking hour!

Like most Scout camps, we went into a rotation with shooting sports (Bb Guns and Archery), swimming, nature and the like. But this camp also offered paddle boats, which the boys found really fun. Armed with buckets and squirt guns, they were able to have water wars in the boating area. Our craft time was also tied to our theme area, so in our building the boys worked on projects like space helmets, an egg drop and rocketry. This only encourages us even more to go back next year and stay in a different themed building so we can try more new things!

As a parent as well as a leader, I really appreciated all of the supervision and activities! The boys had lots of choices, and were able to try new things. Adults were even able to rotate in and out of activities, choosing to stay behind when we needed to rest, and being welcome to participate in ALL of the activities with the boys! When we first showed up at the waterfront, I was caught off guard when the guards asked if I was going to take the swimming test!

I thought that was really great!

Another really cool idea came up in the evaluation process. We were asked if new leader training was offered for adults during camp, would we take it? Moreover, we talked about programs like First Aid and CPR, or possibly more fun things like Dutch Oven cooking.

Another opportunity we signed up for was to help the Order of the Arrow AWASE Lodge 61 to do a service project in camp. We were asked to pick up firewood for use in the fire bowl. In return for our service, we attended an OA Award Ceremony where we were all presented with special patches for helping, and because we tied other packs for the highest percentage of our Pack helping with the project, we also received a great ribbon for our flag! The final requirement was to attend a Scout’s Own ceremony, which was really nicely done and talked about a commitment to service as well as the three pillars of Scouting: Duty to God, Duty to Country (Others), and Duty to Self.

Perhaps next year more of our good friends from Pack 324 will be able to join us! This was a great compliment to our summer Scouting program and TONS of fun for the boys.

Now if you need me, I’ll just be over here taking a little nap…

July 4th Parade

Wow what another successful Parade this 4th of July.

My Hats off to all of you!

First off we all need to thank the parade committee for all of their hard work! Renae, Tiffany and Dan did an awesome job making sure we had frozen iccee pops and that the float would be cool and easy for the boys to help with.

If you didn’t see it, it was a 30 foot by 6 foot “Uncle Sam” hat that started with a frame made up of PVC piping covered with chicken wire. We the stuffed each hole in the Chicken wire with 4×4 squares of red, white and blue tissue paper, that they hand cut. I still can’t believe it only took two nights to build. (well three Dan built the frame ahead of time). Sticking out of the Hat were 4 flags. 3 historical (a Union Jack, A Betsy Ross, a 15 stars and 15 stripes, and a current 50 star flag.

We had about 30 boys and 12 leaders march in the Parade this year (I wish we could have had more boys but I understand some parents have other committments). Along the route we passed out 4700 ICCEE pops and I know this is hard to believe but we ran out about 4 blocks before the end.

At the Second Street judging table we stopped the Float and we all stood behind it, went to attention, Scout Saluted and said the Pledge of Allegience. The Judges were Impressed.

I was impressed too, because I heard a lot of comments along the route like “Oh Look here comes the Cub Scouts”, ”Yeah Popsicles”, “Look it’s Pack 324, What did they do this Year?”, “These Cub Scouts are Cool”  along with all kinds of positives for our boys. Most people in the crowd on Second street applauded or said that was neat as we passed. I even had a few people waiting to say a few things at my drive way when I got home.

By the Way we must have done a really good job this year Because we won 1st Place for our float!

To all of you who helped and to all of you who marched My hat is off to you!

Joe

Pack Picnic/ Water Bottle Rockets

Well we did it again, another fun outing where the boys had fun while learning. We have turned a simple idea of making and launching Water Bottle Rockets into a Picnic and now an annual event for all to enjoy.

Today we all met at Whitford Park (which no one has re vandalized since we painted over the grafitti)for our annual Pack Picnic and rocket launch. We were greeted by some wonderful weather (which turned ugly by the end but that’s later in this story).

We opened with the Pledge (thank you Mr. Gross for the flag) and grace. We then feasted on Hot Dogs and a picnic pot luck of side dishes that made this a meal fit for royalty. Three types of baked beans (whoever had the long bacon strips in it I want to know what you did) Tuna noodle salad, pasta salads, fruit and much, much, more.

For Dessert there was my famous cobblers and Brownies and rice crispie treats and fruit. We had cookies and chips to snack on and so much food. Special thanks to our local McDonalds for the orange drink everyone seemed to enjoy.

During lunch there was plenty of conversations about svouting and life. The boys were well entertained while we adults ate with a Kid Wash Mr. Gross brought with him, squirt guns and of course baseball.

We then moved on to the rockets. I think this year they flew higher and soared longer then last year. Just about every kid built one (or if your like Lauren two). Mr Gross made two launcher this year and some how I got talked into running one and so did Mr. Guynn, we got soaked from all the water being propelled out of the rockets at launch, but we had a great time doing it.

After a while mother nature came in and the thunder and lightning started so we had to call it quits and go home. I look forward to seeing you again Next June for the next Annual Picnic and Water Bottle Rocket Launch.

Special Thanks go out to Mrs. Huckstorf, Mrs. Dexter, Mrs. Parajecki, and Mr. Gross for making this year a great experience for all.

Joe

Pack Overnighter

I forgot to post this last monthso I am doing it this month

On May 17th we had Our First Pack Overnighter at Camp Wadewitz. We began with setting up our camp site with a kitchen, tent sites and the Adirondacks that most of us slept in. We then had a opening flag ceremony followed with the camp rules, being that this was just about everyones first Scout Camping trip.

We then went on hike, Played Kim’s game  with 100 fake snakes that Mrs. Nowacki hid all over the campsite (not every snake was found). We then made our own dinners of a Hamburger pack with tater tots and corn and followed that with my famous Peach Cobbler.

After Dinner we played Red Light/ Green Light, had a Campfire ceremony complete with Smores and went on a flashlight hike. Some of us then turned in for the night well the rest of us stayed around the Campfire talking and roasting hot dogs before we called it a night.

On Sunday we awoke to a french toast and sausage breakfast with hot chocolate for the kids and coffee for the adults. We then had a great Scouts Own Service and broke camp.

This was a very emotional weekend for me on two fronts. One was that it was the first event with me as Cubmaster and the other as it was the completion of my Wood Badge Ticket.

I was sad because our other Wood Badger, Mr Gross, was not going to be there for this but then God smiled on me and Mr, Obermeyer’s Dad brought Chase with him. He was a pre 21st century Wood Badger but I didn’t care it was another Wood Badger. We talked a little about Scouting and WB and I thought to myself isn’t it great that he was there with me.

This ended up being a great weeked with the boys acting like Scouts and the Adults pitching in where ever they could. 2009’s is already in the works

Joe Parajecki/ Cubmaster

 

Pack 324 Waterford Park Service Project

This month we noticed a lot of Graffiti on the Pavilion and Picnic Tables at Whitford Park, after contacting the Village about having this taken care of, I was told that they did not have the labor to do it. I then had an idea of using our Scouts and their families to do this.

Over the course of a couple of days we cleaned and primed everything, Painted the Picnic Tables and then the Pavilion. The boys even had their pictures taken by our local newspaper.

This is not only will teach the boys about not doing Graffiti but the importance of their Duty to the Community.

We had several people comment as to how neat it was to see the boys doing this service and I must say I am especially proud of all who helped out

 

Joe Parajecki

Cubmaster

Summer Events Flier

We have lots of great events planned for this summer! Bigger and wetter than last year we’ll be doing our Rocket Derby again, there are very hungry fish at the Trout Farm, and we’ll even be camping out close to home in the old boy scout camp in Waterford! If that wasn’t enough, join us for the 4th of July Parade, or summer camp! There is lots to do!

All boys who will be entering 1st through 5th grades in the fall are invited to join us!

Check out some of the fun by clicking here!

Cub Master Awarded Plaque

Earlier this Year Dave Zuelke our Cub Master suprised us by letting us know that he will be leaving us as Cub Master in July. Dave work has become more difficult ans he is traveling all arround the World, so he thought it would be good for the Boys if stepped aside until things calmed down.

Cyndy and I thought it would be a good idea to award Dave with something for all the Hard Work he has done over the years as Cub Master for Pack 324. At our Pine Wood Derby, Dave’s last event with us as CM, the boys presented him with a plague that says thank you. Dave is pictures with his two sons and two other scouts who collectivly represent each rank.

Pinewood Derby 08

This Years Pine Wood Derby was really exciting. We had over 70 boys compete in the Scout Race and 11 Parents and Siblings compete in the Open Division. The Boys designed and built some really cool Cars this year.

We had some technical issues that forced an almost one hour delay in the start of the race but we should have those bugs worked out before next year. Thanks to Rich, the Cub Master or Pack 325, for helping us out.

The Winners this year were 1st Place Brandon Hess, 2nd Place Mason Albright and 3rd place Andrew Yoder

Ancient Indian Artifacts

On Pinewoods Campout (which turned out to be a Freeze Out!) with Scout Troop 324 the Webelos II fellows discovered that others had blazed these trails before them. It was 5 miles, but Webelos are a tough bunch. At a halfway point, Den 18 ventured off the beaten path. Alex Hauler unearthed an artifact which appeared to be a head of slain indian. (There is just no nice comfortable way to say this!). Looks like the poor indian caught a hatchet with the top of his head. At least that’s how we figured it at first. Either that or it’s some kind of nutcracker. “Kind of feels like the skull petrified. Hard to tell with these gloves on!”, says Alex.

Indian_Head on Flickr - Photo Sharing!