Riverside Pack 24 Cub Scouts

Anyone else trying to focus on WARM thoughts today? Registration for most summer camps will open on Sunday, January 1st. They do not typically fill quickly, but we encourage your family to register as soon as you are ready! Here are the options for summer 2023. We will update this post whenever new information is available (last updated 1/27/23). Feel free to email us with any questions!

***When you register for summer camp, remember that our official Pack number is 3024. You need to mark this properly on your registration so your family will be grouped with our Pack.***

CUB SCOUT DAY CAMP at Keystone Park, River Forest, IL (Saturday, 8/5, 9am – 4pm). This is the day camp hosted by our district, but you can consider other dates/locations at the link. Siblings and friends who are rising 1st-5th graders can also attend. Our Pack will need at least two registered Leaders to attend Day Camp. If you are interested in chaperoning at Day Camp please let the Pack know via email. If we do not find two Leaders, parents will be required to attend camp with their children (note that a parent will need to attend with any rising 1st graders regardless of how many Pack Leaders attend).

FAMILY CAMP at Camp Betz, Berrien Springs, MI (Session III: Fri, 7/21 – Sun, 7/23). There are five sessions of this camp offered. You are welcome to attend any of the sessions, but we are encouraging families from our Pack to attend the third session, if possible. This is a weekend camp in tents.

FAMILY CAMP at Camp Reneker, Twin Lake, MI (Week-long sessions in June & July). Currently we do not know of any Pack 24 families that plan to attend this camp. Let us know if your family registers so we can notify other families about when you will attend. This is a week-long camp in cabins.

WEBELOS CAMP at Camp Wolverine, Twin Lake, MI (Wed, 8/2 – Sat, 8/5). Rising 4th & 5th graders may attend this session with or without a parent (no siblings). Currently we have two Pack 24 Leaders committed to attending this session. There is a separate session on Sun, 7/30 – Wed, 8/2 that any Cub Scout can attend with a parent (but no siblings). This is a three-night camp in tents.

Pack 24,

Our December meeting will be a week earlier this month to leave time closer to the holidays for family activities. 

When: Tuesday 12/13 at 7 PM

Where: Riverside Presbyterian Church, 116 Barrypoint Rd.

Who: All Cub Scouts and their families

What: Fun Holiday Themed activities and a special guest speaker

We will have some fun Holiday themed songs and activities and will have a special guest speaker. A former Pack 24 Scout, an Eagle Scout, and a current Second Lieutenant in the US Air Force will be telling us about his time in Scouting and how it is helping him with his Air Force training.

Scouts and Parents:

The Pinewood Derby is coming up on Saturday, January 28, 2023, at Riverside Presbyterian Church. More details will be shared and cars will be passed out at next week’s Pack Meeting on Tuesday, December 13. You won’t want to miss it. The fee for participation which includes the derby car kit, awards, and event activities is $10. You can pay online here or bring your payment to the Pack Meeting.

There are a few details that we wanted to share this week for your planning for the derby.

The LaGrange Scout Shop (811 W. Hillgrove Ave in LaGrange) offers free derby car cutting help at on certain Saturdays. This year there are only two between now and our derby, December 10 and January 14 from 10:00 AM-1:45 PM. If you would like to pick up your car early to work on it this Saturday, contact George Condes, 312-909-3708 or gcondes@gmail.com.

Our racing rules this year will be the rules used at the All-District Pinewood Derby to be held on April 16, 2023, in Schaumburg. We hope that some of our scouts will be able to participate. There are some important differences between these rules and the ones that the Pack has used in the past. We will hand out copies of the rules with the cars next week. You can download the rules here.

There will be an Akela (Parent) Race again this year on the Friday evening before the derby with awards for the fastest car and “Best in Show” design. Have fun building a car alongside your scout. The entry fee is $20 to cover the cost of the kit/awards. Pay in advance at the link above or bring payment to the Pack meeting next week and pick up your kit. We are limited to 24 entries.

Look for more information about the derby at the Pack meeting next week including ways you can volunteer to help make it a great day for the scouts.

Luke Wetzel
fr.luke.wetzel@gmail.com
2023 Pinewood Derby Coordinator

Join our Pack on a rock climbing adventure!

The indoor climbing walls at Life Time feature a variety of challenges with hand and foothold routes that create appropriate levels of difficulty for all abilities and ages (5+).

All gear will be provided.

When: Saturday, December 3rd

Time: 2:30-4:30 pm

Cost: $10 per climber (no charge for non-climbing parents; as always, Scouts must be accompanied by a parent)

Where:  Life Time Burr Ridge, 601 Burr Ridge Pkwy, Burr Ridge, IL 60527

In order to maintain the $10 per climber cost, we need to have a minimum of 35 climbers. There are 40 climbing spots available — we will keep the sign up open until November 29th for Scouts only. Please sign up and make payment for your Scout by the 29th. If there are open spots remaining, we will then open registration for siblings and parents. If the spots fill up quickly, and there is still interest, we may be able to add additional staff for the rock wall in order to open up more spots.

Update 11/27: We still have 13 climbing spots remaining. If any additional Scouts, parents, or siblings (aged 5+) would like to participate, please email the Pack at pack24riverside@gmail.com for payment information.

When: Tuesday, 11/15 7 pm

Where: Riverside Presbyterian Church, 116 Barrypoint Rd

Who: All Cub Scouts and their Parents

It’s a Popcorn Party!

We will be celebrating the hard work the Scouts have done in having our best popcorn season ever!

We will be passing out all popcorn prizes to the Scouts who earned them. Also, the Pack achieved the goal of selling $30k of popcorn, so the top seller from each den will be shearing the sheep . . . er. . . I mean cutting all the hair off our Cubmaster!

A few additional reminders:

-The Zoo Tree Trim is TODAY (Saturday, 11/12). Click here for details.

-Please be on the lookout for an email from your popcorn kernel, Jenny Hinson from Lotitero1@aol.com, in regards to picking up your popcorn order this weekend! If you don’t receive an email this weekend from her please check your spam. ALL popcorn orders need to be picked up before THANKSGIVING!

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Pack 24 is participating in the Brookfield Zoo’s 2022 Community Tree Trim on Saturday, November 12th. Scouts are asked to meet at Tree #188 (located on the East Mall, between Roosevelt Fountain and BZ Red Hots Restaurant) between 11:00am-12:00pm on Saturday, November 12th to hang the dvd ornament they’ll either receive from their den leader or decorated at a den meeting (Wolves).  If your Scout did not receive a dvd ornament, please reach out to your Den Leader.  

A limited number of free admission tickets and parking passes are available on a first come, first served basis for those who don’t have a zoo membership.  Please reach out to Kelly Rathbun-Hunt at kelly.rathbun27@gmail.com to arrange for pick-up.   

Please note that if Scouts wish to keep their ornaments, they can retrieve them from the tree beginning Wednesday, January 1 through Saturday, January 14, 2023, during regular zoo hours (10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). All remaining ornaments will be removed on Sunday, January 15, 2022 and any ornaments on the trees at that time will not be saved.

Here are a couple links for ideas on how you can decorate the dvd’s

https://www.firstpalette.com/craft/cd-christmas-tree-ornament.html

https://happyhooligans.ca/colourful-cd-sun-catchers /

Our monthly Pack meeting is this Tuesday, October 18th at 7:00PM at RPC. This month is our Bobcat ceremony where we will recognize our new Scouts—from Tiger rank up—and their first achievement.

We will start downstairs in the social hall for any announcements and then will move upstairs into the Sanctuary for the ceremony — Lions, then Tigers, Wolves and so on. Parents follow behind (except for Lion parents who may remain with their Scouts). New Scouts are called up to the front of the church, and then their parents are called to join them. Once the Cubmaster and Den Leaders are done speaking, usually people take pictures for a few minutes. After the ceremony, we’ll head back downstairs for refreshments. 

All Scouts should be dressed in full Class A uniform, scarf and slide included.

The requirements for earning the Bobcat Badge are found in the Cub Scout handbooks, but here is a recap. We know it takes a while to learn all of these things, so please just tell your Scout(s) to do their best. Note: New Scouts will recite as a group, so no need for nerves about any solo performance.

1. Learn and say the Scout Oath, with help if needed.
2. Learn and say the Scout Law, with help if needed.
3. Show the Cub Scout sign. Tell what it means.
4. Show the Cub Scout handshake. Tell what it means.
5. Say the Cub Scout motto. Tell what it means.
6. Show the Cub Scout salute. Tell what it means.
7. With your parent or guardian, complete the exercises in the pamphlet How to Protect Your Children From Child Abuse: A Parent’s Guide.

This is the basic information that all Cub Scouts must know which is why all Scouts must earn the Bobcat badge before any other badge.

Please remember that we are guests in the church and to treat the church, especially the Sanctuary, with reverence. No running, and use quiet voices when traveling to and from the Sanctuary.

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Join us from Saturday, October 22nd at 1:00 pm until Sunday, October 23rd at 9:00 am for camping at Riverside’s own Scout Cabin (417 Fairbank Rd). This is the perfect campout for the whole family, especially those Scouts that are new to the Pack and want to see what camping is all about. Plus, if your Scout gets cold feet, you’re literally right in the neighborhood, so it’s an easy drive home — and you can still join us for breakfast in the morning.

This event is $10 per participant (Scouts, siblings, and parents).

Tons of fun activities are planned:

• Games, crafts, fort building, and more!
• Pizza from 4:30 to 5:30 pm.
• Campfire & s’mores (of course)
• Movie before turning in
• A quick Sunday breakfast

Be sure to pack:

• Tent & tarp
• Sleeping bags & pillows
• Extra blankets and clothing layers
• Lantern, head lamp or flashlight
• Bug Spray — a MUST
• Camp chairs for hanging out and eating meals
• Games or books for any downtime your kids may want to take
• Water bottle
• Any toiletries you may need 
• Earplugs optional since some of our Scout parents have been known to snore

If you have an extra tarp, tent or sleeping bags you’re willing to lend out, please let your Den Leader know. Some of our families are brand new to camping and aren’t yet stocked up on camping essentials.

1. We would love your help!  Please consider volunteering to help or bring supplies: Donate Supplies! Volunteer to Help!
2. Register here by Thurs, 10/20 at 5:00 pm! (don’t forget to submit BOTH the Google Form AND the payment form!)
3. ALL PARTICIPANTS (including Scouts, siblings, & parents) must have an Annual Health & Medical Record on file with the Pack. If you have not submitted yours for 2022-2023, please consider completing the form and bringing it to the Pack Meeting on Tues, 10/18. We will have extra copies available at the Scout Cabin, but it will save us all some time if you have this paperwork completed before Saturday.
4. Finally, please consider signing up your Scout for one of the final popcorn site sales! We have shortened the shifts during the camp out to one hour so they will not miss out on the fun!

We ran out of time for announcements at Tuesday’s Pack Meeting. Fall is such a busy time in Scouting, so I thought it would be helpful to collect announcements into one place. Here they are!

Den Meetings, Dates/times vary: Please communicate with your child’s den leader for information about their den meetings. Your child will complete badge requirements at these fun meetings. If they miss meetings, the den leader will communicate which requirements will need to be completed at home.

Popcorn Sales, Ongoing in Sept & Oct: See this post for more information and to sign up for site sales.

Pack Committee Meeting, 9/27, 7-8 pm: All parents are welcome. Send us an email to request the Zoom link and/or copies of the minutes.

Council Camporee, 10/7-10/9: Registration will close at the end of the day on 9/30/2022. Read about this exciting camping event here. If you would rather not stay overnight, you can also register for the day on 10/8.

Pack Meeting & Bobcat Ceremony, 10/18, 7-8 pm: Watch for more information about this annual pack tradition.

Scout Cabin Campout, 10/22-10/23: Registration information coming soon! This is another annual tradition. It will be our last overnight event for the fall.

What: First Pack Meeting of the Year!

When: Tuesday, 9/20, 7:00-8:00 pm

Where: Social Hall, Riverside Presbyterian Church, 116 Barrypoint Road

Join us for awards, popcorn samples, and an exciting craft! All Scouts should wear their Class A uniforms. Scouts will have the opportunity to decorate their own leather neckerchief slide. Say goodbye to the metal slides that fall off all the time!

The Webelos 2 (5th grade) den will lead the flag ceremony and a skit, so please be on time.

Parents who missed the Parent Meeting will have the opportunity to complete the registration process. If you have not already done so, please bring a check or a credit card to pay the Pack dues as well as completed health forms for your Scout and other members of your family who will participate in Pack activities this year.