Sunday, February 18, 2018

Greatest Hits - The Story of Blue and Gold

University of Scouting is less than one week away and you will have to registration on site for the full $50 (more here: https://www.ncacbsa.org/training/university-of-scouting/).  But that doesn't mean you can't start learning more.  Even if you can't make it to University of Scouting on Saturday we have something for you.

Thanks to our own Cub Scout Roundtable Commissioner, Roger Claff, we can provide you with some great Cub Scouting ideas right here.  In 2014, Roger compiled a "Greatest Hits" for use, sharing, etc.  It's a University class on it's own in Cub Songs and Cubmaster Minutes.  Below is a sample, but the full shareable document is here: https://goo.gl/xLqtT5

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The Story of Blue and Gold
By Roger Claff

The Blue and Gold Banquet is a good time to reflect on the history of Cub Scouting.  The following history could be read in parts by twenty Cub Scouts in your pack.  Add props and arrange the scouts in a human time line.

1. This is the story of how Cub Scouts began.  It is our story - the story of Blue and Gold.
2. The story of Blue and Gold begins in England in 1907.  Older boys are having fun reading a book for soldiers.
3. The book is called, Aids to Scouting.  It is written by a man named General Robert Baden-Powell.
4. The book tells the boys how to go camping and live outdoors.  General Baden-Powell learns of all the boys reading his book and has an idea.
5. He forms the first Boy Scout Troop at a place called Brownsea Island.  The boys go camping, take hikes, and listen to campfire stories.
6. In America, a man named Mr. Ernest Thompson Seton forms a group of boys called the Woodcraft Indians.  These boys form tribes, find out about Indian lore, tell stories, and learn nature skills.
7. It is now 1910.  The Boy Scouts of America is started by three men.  Mr. Seton is one of them.  The Woodcraft Indians become a part of the Boy Scouts.
8. The years go by. It’s 1916. Lots of older boys in England and America are having fun in Boy Scouts.
9. Lots of younger boys want to have fun in scouting too.  Many parents in England ask General Baden-Powell to help.
10. General Baden-Powell has just read a book called The Jungle Book.  It tells the story of a boy raised by a pack of wolves in the jungles of India.
11. General Baden-Powell starts Boy Scouting for younger boys.  He gets his ideas from The Jungle Book and calls this scouting, Wolf Cubbing.
12. The years go by.  It is now 1929.  Lots of younger boys in America want to do Wolf Cubbing.  Many parents ask Mr. Seton to help.
13. Mr. Seton starts Cubbing for younger boys.  He gets some ideas from Wolf Cubbing in England.  He gets other ideas from his Woodcraft Indians.
14. It is now 1930.  Cub Scouting begins.  Cub Scouting is for boys age 9 through 11.  There are five thousand Cub Scouts in America.
15. The years go by.  It is now 1933.  The country is in the Great Depression, and Cub Scout packs hold their first pot-luck dinners.  By 1943, they are called, "Blue and Gold Banquets."
16. The years go by.  It is now 1999.  Cub Scouts is bigger and better than ever.  Cub Scouting is now for boys in first grade through fifth grade.  There are now more than 2 million Cub Scouts.
17. We owe much to General Baden-Powell.  From his Wolf Cubbing we get cubs, packs, dens, Wolf, Bear, Tiger Cub, Akela, Baloo, and the Law of the Pack.
18. We also owe much to Mr. Seton.  From his Woodcraft Indians we get Webelos, arrow points, and the Arrow of Light.
19. From the Woodcraft Indians we also get Blue and Gold.  Blue is for truth, loyalty, belief in God, and the blue sky above.  Gold is for sunlight, happiness, and good cheer.
20. The story of Blue and Gold does not end.  As long as there are boys, there will be Cub Scouts.  And as long as there are Cub Scouts, the story will go on.

Monday, February 12, 2018

Putting U in University of Scouting (Cub College) - Words by Dave and Roger

The deadline to register for University of Scouting is less than a week away. You save $15 by registering in advance (registration closes on Feb 18th).  Sure you can wait and register on site, but classes are filling up.  So why wait?

As Trainers EDGE trained Scouters, Roger and I could tell you a lot about the need for good training. We could hard sell you on the University of Scouting, but that should sell itself.   Let's talk about the why of this key supplemental training.

Being clever times two, we made a poem for you.

Putting U in the University of Scouting (Cub College)  

Training’s not merely about being prepared;
Roundtable only starts the things to be shared.
Akelas will gather from packs all around;
Ideas for all will most surely abound.
New ceremonies, songs, pizzazz await you;
Each of us will leave with new things we can do.
Real fun for our Cubs is the mission and goal,
Scouters most highly trained embracing their role.
 
Earning your degree is just the beginning;
Dazzling smart skills will most surely cause grinning.
Gather for knowledge with fun fellowship too;
Everything's easier with fully trained U!
 


If you are ready to put the U in University of Scouting, sign-up here: https://www.ncacbsa.org/training/university-of-scouting/


Sunday, February 4, 2018

February Cub Chat - It's not too late to plan your 2018 Cub Scout Camping

Winter is firmly upon upon us. And it's a cold one. While it might not feel like the right time to plan camping when it is 23 degrees out, now IS the perfect time to be planning your camping events for the coming year.  Other packs are booking their camping experiences and they are quickly gobbling up spaces at Council owned summer camps, BALOO approved camp grounds and even spaces to camp out on the Potomac Nationals baseball outfield. Snooze too long on Spring, Summer or Fall camping opportunities and you might find your Pack without a place to snooze.  Don't get left out in the cold on camping, join us this Thursday at Roundtable to find out about this year options  including:

  1. Family Camping
  2. Pack Overnight Camping
  3. Den Camping
  4. Day Camping
  5. Cub Resident Camping
  6. Webelos Camping
Roundtable is held at 8 PM the second Thursday of each month at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) - 2727 Centreville Rd, Oak Hill, VA 20171-3509.  Hope to see you at Roundtable.

This year's Cub Camping Opportunities are all listed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0Ez_P0qYmtoNldIZVh1dDBrYkF6VWVnblJqMlY2bFVKQjZF/view?usp=sharing

Commissioner Minute from June13, 2019 - Keep Reaching for the Stars

Now is the twilight of our Scouting year. We will rest and prepare for what is ahead.  As our Scouts transition to the next rank and prepare...