Friday, March 23, 2012

Cub Scout Song Cards

Are you missing some song cards because you are new to Roundtable?  Or, do you need some replacement cards?  Or, do you just want to print some extras for you pack?  Well, you are in luck! 
Here are the songs (and a bonus song) typed up and ready for you to print a whole new set!


And another sheet of song cards (from Roundtable 2018)


Still another sheet of song cards (from University of Scouting 2018)



Thursday, March 22, 2012

Order of the Arrow - Arrow of Light Ceremonies

  The UNPC Pony Express District OA just did their Arrow of Light Ceremony for our pack, and it was awesome!  They guide the audience outside near a small campfire, they wear costumes as they tell (and briefly act out) a story, and they give the recipients an authentic handmade arrow!  It was 10-15 minutes long and, even though several people were cold (having not brought their jackets), they said it was sooooo worth it! We WILL be using them again! -Angela

The Order of the Arrow is a chapter of Boy Scouts in your home BSA district who spend their time serving the community.  Each member has been nominated by their home unit to serve in the Order of the Arrow because of their zeal for scouting.  The Order of the Arrow is run as an ideal Boy Scout unit ought to be - Scout-led with adult supervision.

Special to Cub Scout units, the Order of the Arrow district chapters often prepare special Arrow of Light Ceremonies.  (For Boy Scouts, they often prepare special Eagle Court of Honor ceremonies.) Traditionally, the OA focuses on Native American-type ceremonies.  The ceremonies are very respectful, tasteful, and entertaining.  Perfect for an outdoor meeting or a great addition to a meeting in a multi-purpose room.


If your unit is in the UNPC Pony Express District, you may find the contact information on our Parking Lot (Q&A) page.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Scout Mom

Found a site that has some more resources to help you in the Cub Scouting Program. It's called Scout Mom Click here

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

February - Resourcefulness

Resourcefulness can be defined as "doing with what you have on hand", "recycling", or "respecting and preserving our resources".  Here are some games, activities, and field trips that support the value Resourcefulness, but it's up to you to "teach" it to the cub scouts by having a short discussion before, during, or after the activity, connecting the activity and their experience with Resourcefulness in their own lives.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Low Budget Raingutter Regatta

First you need to secure 2 aluminum raingutters with end caps. This will cost you around $10 per raingutter, and when you add the end caps the set of complete raingutters will cost about $25. Do NOT get vinyl raingutters, because they bow out terribly when filled with water if they're not being secured to a house, and you could lose all your water to the ground, which is especially sad if you are doing this inside due to inclement weather.

Our BSA Scout Shop sells inflatable raingutters.  Both raingutter lanes in one unit and much easier to store all for the same price - $25!  (Invest in your choice of raingutter with another Pack or two.)

Boats:  There are now two BSA kits:  The traditional one for $3.99 (soon to be discontinued) and the new Trimaran kit for $4.99.

BUDGET IDEAS: 
1. foam meat trays for the bottom, bamboo kabob skewers for the poles, and copy paper for the sails
2. Have you tried a Vegetable Regatta? Slice the top off of a bell pepper, gourd, zucchini, or other vegetable. Hollow the middle with a spoon. Add a shishkabob skewer or two and a piece of paper for a mast. Test the floatability and mobility in a sink or tub of water.
3. Pool Noodles cut in sections, add bamboo kabob skewers and paper sails

You can keep the spread of germs down by having the boys blow their boats through a straw.

You might like to know that blowing the bottom of the sail (fashion the sails like the original kit's and have the bottom edge of the sail touching the boat) will make the boat more stable.  Ultimate Racer will show what the original kit and sail dimentions look like.  (Don't worry about putting holes in the sails ahead of time.  Just have the boys poke the skewers through the paper they decorate.)

These budget boats are so inexpensive, you could use this at the local Scout Expo (or Scout-A-Rama)! It would be a hit!

*If you use a traditional kit, the instructions at Ultimate Racer (from BSA's Boy's Life Magazine) really does make the fastest boats. Particularly take note of the placement of the rutters!

Career Arrow

Career Arrows are Graduation Gifts.  Some packs give it as an Arrow of Light gift, but my plug is to wait until graduation for these reasons:

1) It hold the history of the boy's personal Cub Scouting career - a symbol for each badge, arrowpoint, and rank achieved.  It is possible to earn more Webelos badges after earning the Arrow of Light. Many boys go on to earn All 20 Webelos Badges.

2) Arrow of Light ceremonies don't always happen at the same time as Graduation; sometimes the Arrow of Light is earned several months before Graduation.  A Webelos should be awarded his Arrow of Light soon after he earns it, rather than waiting until graduation.

3) It's a little more convenient to plan around graduation, because graduation month is predictable and is less likely to sneak up without warning.


I have heard of three different ways to make a Career Arrow.

The one above is made wrapping colored embroidery floss around an arrow.  Here are INSTRUCTIONS for the colors you could use to symbolize certain awards earned. There are no official rules for the colors, though.  These are just ideas.


 Some people are handy with a paintbrush and paint the stripes on the arrow shaft.

 
If you have an affinity with your printer, a pair of scissors, and glue, you could print tiny images of all the awards the Webelos had earned in his career, cut each out, and glue them in order on the arrow.  You can find every Webelos badge, even, on the internet.  This makes a visual that's immediately understandable to the observer, and has its own decorative look.

Health & Fitness Pack Meeting Ideas

This was in a handout provided by the hosting units (stake).

These activities can be fun for the boys during summer, but they can all be done in the gym during the cold moths of the year. They are a good way to keep an aspect of fitness in pack meetings.  These activities are fun but have enough structure to not get out of hand. They are also good activities for team building. many of them can be used as an object lesson to discuss unity in the pack.

Relay Races:
have the boys separate into two teams. Have each team separate into two sections, one on either side of the set distance. When the race starts have one of the boys from each team race to the other side of distance and touch the hand of a teammate. The relay continues until the last boy's hand is touched and he finishes his leg of the race.
Variations: Crab walk, Bear Walk, Run backwards, skip, hop on one leg, when tagged to five pushups or sit-ups and then run to the other side, whatever else you can dream up.

Tennis Ball Relay: Same format as above, have each boy run to his waiting teammate with a ball under their chin. They have to pass the ball without dropping it to under the chin of a teammate.

Partner Relays:
Same format as above, but complete in airs.
Variations: Three legged race. Tennis Ball Races: Each pair has a tennis ball, they have to make it from one side of the distance to the other while keeping it held between their foreheads, held between their backs. If it drops they have to go back and restart.

Balloon War: This is a good activity for the gym. Give each boy a balloon and length of yarn. have each boy blow up the balloon and tie one end of the yarn to their ankle and other end to the balloon. At go all of the boys try to pop eachother's balloons while keeping their balloon safe. The boy with the last surviving balloon wins.

Sentry: blindfold two boys and have them "stand as sentries" in the middle of the playing field. Divide the rest of the boys into two teams. Send two boys, one from each team, through the sentries. The object is to sneak by them without getting detected. The team that has the most boys make it through the sentries undetected wins.

Team Ball Carry:  Get a ring and tie several lengths of yarn to it. It's okay if they are varied lengths. Have one boy for every piece of yarn. Have each boy hold their piece of yarn and fan out from the ring holding it up off the ground. Place a ball in the ring and have the boys practice holding their yarn and keeping the ball steady, not dropping it. When they get the hang of it have them move from one point to another. Each boy has to keep his string taut so the ball doesn't drop. If they drop the ball, they have o restart. If they can master this then make them go through an obstacle course, around chair, under tables, etc. This activity is a good one for illustrating the importance of teamwork in the pack.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Candy Bar Ceremony

Arrow of Light 7 Virtues Candy Bar Ceremony

Props: An Arrow, 7 Candy Bars—Twix, 3 Musketeers, Snickers, Skor, Milky Way, Peppermint Patty, Hershey’s Hugs

Tonight one of our Webelos Scouts has achieved the highest honor given in Cub Scouting, The Arrow of Light.

Will_______and his parents please come forward.

______tonight we honor your achievement and admonish you to remember the meaning of the Arrow of Light Award. Tonight you will receive an arrow, but before you can receive it you must know the seven virtues that are represented by the rays of the sun and the Arrow of Light Award.

Purple—Wisdom.

This does not mean you are smarter than others, but that you will use what you know to become a better person. You will seek the Lord’s help in making choices.

You can learn to make a correct choice be-TWIX two things.

Red-Courage

This does not mean that you have no fear of danger. It means that you will face danger in spite of fear. You will be valiant in standing up for the right.

3 MUSKETEERS- You can show courage like brave men in past times.

Orange- Self Control

This means that you will control yourself and understand that there is an appropriate time for everything: a time to work and a time to play, a time to learn and a time to teach.

SNICKERS_you know there is a time to laugh and a time to learn.

Blue-Justice

This means that you will be fair to all men. You will deal honestly with others and find no fault toward another because of the color of his skin or the beliefs in his heart.

Keeping a fair SKOR shows you respect the rights of others.

Yellow--Faith

This means that you have a belief in God and you trust in things that you cannot see, but which you know are true. Y our faith is your compass in life.

When you look at all the stars in the MILKY WAY you can see what God has made and it builds your faith in Him.

Green- Hope

This means that you hope for great things today and greater things tomorrow. You are willing to work to make your future become all you hope for.

You have hope for things that are MINT to be.

White-Love

This means that you see love in all the world around you. You are loved by others and you love others and show that love through service.

HUGS represent our brother hood with mankind.

______now you are ready to receive your arrow. Remember that the shaft of the arrow is straight and true to remind you to be true to yourself and to God. The feathers on the arrow guide it in a straight course and should remind you to maintain a righteous course throughout your life. The arrow is blue to remind you of your days as a cub scout and the things you learned. The seven stripes represent the seven virtues of wisdom, courage, self control, justice, faith, hope and love. Applying these virtues will lead o happiness.

Face Painting Ceremony

Arrow of Light Face Painting Ceremony
Props: Graduation Bridge, face paints: yellow, blue, purple, white, green, orange and red
Prepare a table ahead of time with paper plates, ½” paint brushes, and paper towels to wipe paint off the brushes. Just before starting the presentation, place several drops of each color paint onto the paper plates.
Will [candidate’s names] and their parents please come up. These boys have finished the requirements for the Arrow of Light. However, before receiving the highest honor in Cub Scouting, these candidates must show to the world that they follow the seven great virtues of life. These seven virtues are symbolized by the seven rays on the Arrow of Light award.
[Candidate’s names], I want you to know how proud your parents and your scout leaders are that you have chosen to work hard and earn this important Cub Scout award. Please sit down in these chairs, and parents, if you will help us now...
Take yellow from the sun and place the mark of WISDOM on your son’s forehead. This mark stands for his desire to learn wisdom and with it make a better life for himself and his family.
Take blue from the summer sky and place the mark of COURAGE on his chin, just under his lip, to show that he will stand up to any task asked of him.
Take purple from the lilac flower and place the mark of SELF-CONTROL on his chin, below the other mark. This shows that he knows his limits and when to say no.
Take green from the tall mountain trees and place the mark of JUSTICE high on his right cheek to show that he deals fairly and honestly with everyone.
Take white from the winter snow and place the mark of FAITH high on his left cheek. This shows that he has a deep faith in God and acknowledges His hand in all things.
Take orange from a brilliant sunset and place the mark of HOPE lower on his right cheek. With every sunset, we have hope for better things to come.
Take red from the wild rose and place the mark of LOVE lower on his left cheek to show that he loves his family, his friends, his country and Heavenly Father.
As you cross the bridge into Boy Scouting I will give you the cub Scout handshake one last time. (shake the boys hand and help him take off his Cub Scout neckerchief—he then crosses the bridge and gives receives Boy Scout neckerchief. Do this slowly, one boy at a time, so the proud parents can take pictures. After this is completed you might want to give special recognition to the Webelos leader which his is as proud of the boys as their parents are.)

Monday, March 5, 2012

The Easy Peasy Workout Game

So it's that time of year again. You know. When the boys start getting very ansy to be outside doing their running and jumping and goofing around. But it's still so cold. Maybe rainy and snowy. As a leader, I bet there are some den meetings that you just want to pull your hair out because they're so keyed up. Today, I have a solution for you. 

I was taught this in a P.E. class a couple of weeks ago. It's a great workout. It takes a deck of cards and some space. That's it. Each suit in the deck is a different exercise. Hearts = squats, Diamonds = push ups, Clubs = sit ups, Spades = jumping jacks, Jokers = running to the corner, running up and down stairs twice, running around the gym, anything to get the heart rate up. If you use cards other than face cards, just assign by color. You can choose whatever exercises you want. There are so many to choose from. Then, shuffle the deck and start with the top card. 2-10 = face value, J = 11, Q = 12, K = 13, A = 14. Pick a card and do the exercise that many times. Jack of Hearts would be 11 squats. 2 of Diamonds would be 2 push ups. It's constantly changing and it's a very good and fun workout. And you learn really quick that you want the face cards and aces first. . .

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Walk In My Shoes

A disability becomes a handicap, when it limits a person's potential. Many people with disabilities can lead full and active lives, if they are provided with essential support. 

Here are some ideas for a Pack Disabilities Awareness Night. For the full instructions of these activities, refer to the two sites I have included at the top of the page.  

I have tweaked an idea or two to fit the activity as I had experienced it at my local Cub Leader Pow Wow or what my pack has done in the past.  These ideas are to spark your own imagination on how to have the Cubs and Webelos experience a bit and learn compassion for kids in their classes or in their scouting units.  

Follow up with a discussion on specific ideas how to support someone who has an impairment or disability in Cub Scouting/Scouting or at their school/neighborhood.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Painted Paw Ceremonies



Here is a link to painted paw ceremonies specified for the ranks of Tiger, Wolf, and Bear -- separately.

Food Drive Scavenger Hunt


 Things you will need:
 * a limit of your choice:  time limit, neighborhood/street limit, # bags limit,       1 per item limit
 * boxes or strong bags for food
 * list of items to collect:    filled form 1 (page 2)  or  filled form 2 (page 3)  Or, make your own list.  Call the local food bank to see what they are most in need of, and give those items the most points on the list
 * pencils for groups and stations
 * maps of the neighborhood streets (highlight ahead of time which streets each car will cover)
 * enough vehicles to carry participants (3-4 boys + 2 adults, one of whom is Child Protection trained)
 * methods and items to weigh & measure
 * certificates or awards for: heaviest, bulkiest, most items, most points
 * return stations: 1) Record number items, 2) measure bulk, 3) weigh, 4) record points, 5) leave for item separation
 * 2 volunteers per station:  one to gather info (weigh, measure, etc.) and one for recording results
 * A truck, trailer, or empty van that will take all the food items to the local food bank


Instructions:
*  Explain the rules of the game, as well as what categories will be awarded
*  Separate cubs or kids into groups of 3-4 (or if you have all vans, 5-6)*   Give each group the items they need: 2 adults (one Child Protection trained) w/car, map, bags/boxes, scavenger list, pencil
*  Remind them of their limit and send them out
*  When they return with the collected, have them rotate through the stations, then help at the end with separating
*  Gather for awards
*  Refreshments! for a job well done