002 – June 2020 Pack Update

An Update on In-Person Meetings

Earlier this month, the Moraine Trails Council has updated their guidance regarding In-Person meetings. Basically, we are permitted to hold limited in-person meetings as long as:

• The meeting is held outside,
• All CDC, State, and local guidance is followed, and
• The three counties served by the council (Armstrong, Butler and Lawrence Counties) are in the State’s GREEN reopening phase. If one or more of these counties change to a YELLOW or RED phase, all in-person meetings must be cancelled, postponed, or held virtually.

Given this guidance, the Pack Leadership has implemented the following guidance:

• We recognize that some of our Scouts and their families may not be willing or able to participate in in-person meetings. We understand that this is a difficult decision and we will to include your Scouts by providing a virtual meeting option for all in-person meeting options as long as necessary and feasible.
• Our June and July Pack meetings will remain virtual. We hope to kick-off our in-person Pack meetings with the Blue and Gold Banquet in August. (More on that later)
• Den Leaders can choose to hold in-person den meetings as long as they follow the Pack’s Pandemic Response guidance which includes, but is not limited to:
  • Holding meetings outdoors and with limited shared supplies.
  • Assuming restroom facilities will not be available.
  • Enforcing physical distancing among attendees from separate households
  • Encouraging the use of face masks in accordance with CDC and State guidelines
  • Taking attendance at all in-person events to aid in contact tracing should the need arise
• All our Leaders and Parents should help our Scouts to understand how following these rules help us to do our duty to our country and demonstrate how we are Trustworthy, Helpful, Courteous, Kind, Obedient and Clean.

This guidance is constantly changing, so we’ve created a page on our Pack website to quickly share the latest details. All of our Leaders and Families should visit COVID.CubScoutPack457.org before each in-person meeting for the latest information.

“At Home” Summer Camp Options

In May, the Council also decided to cancel all of its in-person summer programs, including Cub Scout Day Camp and Resident Camp. Our members who pre-paid for their registration should have already received a check with a full refund. If you have not yet received this check, please contact Mr. Grobe.

But all hope is not lost. This past Friday, the council officially launched its “I Did My Best in Quarantine” Summer Camp in a Box. This awesome program has online and hands-on activities that your Scout can complete in their free time at home. There are two options for participating:

• You can get the base package for $50 which includes:
  • Drawstring Back Pack
  • Water Bottle
  • Compass
  • Neckerchief
  • 6 Essentials
  • Commemorative Patch
  • Boat Raft & Craft Supplies
  • Access to Exclusive Instructional Videos
• For an additional $20, your Scout can purchase a rank add-on kit which includes age appropriate activities that will help your Scout work on their next rank.

Parents who are interested should sign up their Scouts on the Council website by June 29. (You do NOT need to sign up with the Pack.). If you earned Summer Camp credit through this year’s popcorn sale and would like to apply the credit to this program:

• Purchase the Summer Camp package you would like to participate in from the Council website and pay for it yourself.
• Provide a copy of your receipt to Mr. Grobe who will issue you a check up to the value of your credit.

Additionally, please contact me, your Den Leader, or Mr. Grobe if you are experiencing financial hardship and would still like your Scout to participate in this event. We will work with you to find a way for your Scout to participate.

Recruiting & Membership Renewal

We’ll be kicking off our annual recruiting kick in the next couple of weeks and we need your help! We’d like to make a creative recruiting video featuring our Scouts making S’Mores. Participation is optional as the video will be featured on our Pack Website and our Social Media sites on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. If you’re interested in participating, please contact me and I’ll provide you with additional information on what and how to film the segment. We’d like to receive videos in the next week or two so we can launch our video in late June or early July.

Speaking of early July, our streamlined membership renewal process will be kicking off right after the Fourth of July. We’ll share additional information on what is changing at that time.

Upcoming Pack Events for June, July, and August

Finally, I would like to update all of you on our plans for June, July and August.

Our June Pack Meeting is NEXT SATURDAY, June 20. Parents should check their email on Friday night or Saturday morning for a special message from the Pack to kick-off the day’s events. Scouts will be invited to complete some rank-specific activities during the day to get them outside and active (and start working on their next ranks). One of the activities that every rank can work on is creating a solar oven capable of cooking S’Mores! The Pack has purchased the supplies you need for this activity and you can pick them up from Mrs. Cox in the upper loop of Zelie Park this Wednesday from 6 to 8 PM. Please contact Mrs. Cox if you cannot pickup the supplies during that time. We’ll wrap up the evening with a virtual campfire where our Scouts can share their accomplishments from the day, their favorite skit or more!

Our July Pack Meeting will be a geocaching adventure that our Scouting families can complete on their own. We’ll start with a short Pack meeting during the week to explain everything you need to know. Then, families can complete the adventure in their own time before we reconvene as a Pack to see who was able to complete the geocaching course in the fastest time! We’re confirming a time and will share that via Scoutbook soon.

Finally, we hope to have our first in-person Pack meeting on August 22 when we’ll have an outdoor BLUE & GOLD Banquet. This event is when we recognize our Scouts for all their accomplishments from the year, award them with their new Ranks, have our second annual neckerchief exchange and celebrate with food and fun. Look for the save the date invitation from Scoutbook in early July.

That’s it for the June 2020 Pack update and this episode of the Cubmaster Minute. Tune in next week when we answer the question “What do those knots on some leaders’ shirts mean?” See you then!