Pack 39 meeting Tuesday evening

Hi Tiger Cub parents,

It's time our first Pack meeting of 2010. The meeting is tomorrow night (Tuesday) and we have a lot of big plans on the calendar in the next 30 days, so be sure to attend and get all the info. The meeting is in the usual place (UUMC Fellowship Hall) at 7:00 PM. Gathering and set-up begins at 6:45.

As an extra incentive, we will be handing out the popcorn prizes and patches tomorrow night as well.

If you cannot make it tomorrow night, be sure to note that our check in for the Pinewood Derby will be this Friday from 5pm to 7pm in the UUMC Fellowship Hall. We will be impounding cars at that time. As we are expecting up to 50 racers this year, we will need to do everything we can to speed up the racing process on Saturday.

Scott Singleton

REMINDER: Tiger Cub Go See It this Thursday evening

Hi Tiger Cub parents,

I hope that many of you were able to attend last Saturday's pinewood workshop. This message should serve as a reminder of our upcoming Go See It! activity for Tiger Cub Achievement 4.

Steve Price (aka Daniel's dad) has graciously offered to lead a tour of UNC TV studios!

The Den will convene at UNC TV studios in RTP (see directions below) at 7:00 PM on Thursday, January 14. We will not organize transportation, but please do take advantage of carpooling opportunities! Mr. Price says that there are some pretty cool sets in place, so there will be some interesting things to check out. He will lead a tour of the broadcasting sets and explain the cameras, lights, etc.

May I please ask that you reply with your attendance plans?

While we're there, we'll have a brief Den meeting where we'll complete Tiger Cub Requirement 4D -- which is simply playing the game "Tell It Like It Isn't" (form a line, whisper something in the first scout's ear, then have each scout whisper in the next scout in turn, and talk about how the initial statement changed as it progressed). I thought that it would also be a good time to catch up on achievement record-keeping and handbook signing for those who have updated achievements.

DIRECTIONS: UNC TV is located in RTP and has ample FREE parking. It takes about 20 minutes to get there from campus. The address is 10 TW Alexander Dr, RTP 27709. Take I-40 to the Durham Freeway, go north. Second exit is Alexander. Exit and go left over the bridge. First right is the entrance to GSK, take the second right entrance (not well marked due to construction). Once you turn off Alexander, take the next right and follow the long drive. UNCTV is a large white building, park in front and enter the main lobby (Mr. Price will be there to let everyone in). Lost? Call Mr. Price's cell 919-218-6108.

FINAL PINEWOOD DERBY WORKSHOP

The Pack will hold one more Pinewood Derby Workshops at Fitch Lumber in Carrboro this Saturday, January 16, from 9 to 12.

SIBERIAN TIGER TEAM MEETING

There will be a Siberian Tiger Team meeting on Saturday, January 16 at 11:30 AM. Kim and Steve Price (aka Daniel's parents) will officially be in charge. In large part, this meeting will focus on Requirement 4D as well as achievement record-keeping and handbook signing. Because we will have done much of this at the Thursday Go See It activity, only those scouts/families that could not attend the UNC TV event need attend this "make up" session.

May we please ask you to reply IF YOU PLAN ON ATTENDING?

Kim and Steve will send out details as necessary to those planning to attend.

Thanks -- we hope to see you Thursday night!

Scott Singleton

Info about this Saturday's Pinewood Derby workshop

Pack 39 parents,

It's that time of year again... Time to pull on the firesuit, don the helmet, and hit the track. OK, well, it's not quite like THAT. But it IS Pinewood Derby time!

We know there are a lot of scouts (and parents) that are entering their very first Pinewood Derby. So we thought we'd do something new this year to give the rookies a nice head-start. At the first workshop this Saturday at Fitch Lumber we'll have two separate Pinewood Derby 101 sessions, at 9:00 and 10:00, led by Brian Norris. Brian will explain how everything works, walk you through the basic car construction process, and give you a variety of tips and tricks. Then you'll be able to get to work with the help of Brian and several other experienced parents. And while this is mostly geared toward the first-time contestants, Bears and Wolves are all welcome, too.

The two sessions will be identical, so you only need to attend one to get all of the information. Whichever session you choose, please try to be on time so that we can have a great session and move quickly into construction. After the session you'll be able to work on the car at your leisure for as long as you want until they kick us out at 12:00.

For those of you that have tools (coping saws, clamps, files, etc.) please bring whatever you can. (Labeling might be a good idea.) For those of you that do now have tools, we will have several sets of tools available for your use, and you should be able to borrow some from other parents, too. The only thing you'll absolutely need is your car kit. You may also want to purchase some items at Fitch Lumber (weights, sandpaper, paint, etc.) so bring some cash or cards for that. Brian will bring some car design templates that your scout can use to draw his car shape and use to trace the design onto his block of wood.

Also... A big thanks to the folks at Fitch Lumber who provide such a great environment for our workshops.

See you there!

-Brian Norris

Tiger Cub update -- Jan 7 2010

Hi Tiger Cub parents,

Happy new year! We hope that your holidays were wonderful. Our holidays certainly were -- but it's still hard to believe that we're all back at work, school, etc...

There are lots of wonderful activities and opportunities coming up of which we wanted to remind you.

PINEWOOD DERBY AND WORKSHOPS

The Pack will hold two Pinewood Derby Workshops at Fitch Lumber in Carrboro. These are a great opportunity to get started, learn from experienced derby designers, and use tools that you may not have. The workshops are scheduled for Saturday, January 9, and Saturday, January 16, from 9 to 12.

These workshops are NOT mandatory. In general, attending either one of these events is sufficient, but everyone can attend as much as they like.

The Pinewood Derby itself will be held on Saturday morning, January 30. The time is TBD, but it usually starts early and lasts until lunch time. The Pack Committee will be sending out more info in the coming weeks.

For better and worse, the Derby has rules that govern the construction of the cars. Please see the appended message from the District Pinewood Derby chair and the attached rules (DOC). While I was put off by the rules our first time through, I've learned that the rules do ensure fair competition. Please do let us know if you have any questions or need some hints. There are lots of good, experienced derby car engineers in the Pack (not us) and there's a ton of information available via Google : )

(In the appended message, the District Derby on March 6 is mentioned. For now, you don't need to worry about this event. However, the three fastest, most beautiful, or most original cars will be invited to participate. In other words, nine scouts from our Pack will participate in the District-wide Derby.)

In addition to the race itself, there will be a set up and weigh-in time on afternoon/evening of the Friday before (January 29). Look for more information -- as well as opportunities to volunteer to help -- in the coming days.

TIGER CUB DEN AND TEAM ACTIVITIES

Our activities this month focus on Tiger Cub Achievement 4 -- How I Tell It. For the Go See It, Steve Price (aka Daniel's dad) has graciously offered to lead a tour of UNC TV studios!

The Den will convene at UNC TV studios in RTP (see directions below) at 7:00 PM on Thursday, January 14. We will not organize transportation, but please do take advantage of carpooling opportunities! Mr. Price says that there are some pretty cool sets in place, so there will be some interesting things to check out. He will lead a tour of the broadcasting sets and explain the cameras, lights, etc.

While we're there, we'll have a brief Den meeting where we'll complete Tiger Cub Requirement 4D -- which is simply playing the game "Tell It Like It Isn't" (form a line, whisper something in the first scout's ear, then have each scout whisper in the next scout in turn, and talk about how the initial statement changed as it progressed). I thought that it would also be a good time to catch up on achievement record-keeping and handbook signing for those who have updated achievements.

DIRECTIONS: UNC TV is located in RTP and has ample FREE parking. It takes about 20 minutes to get there from campus. The address is 10 TW Alexander Dr, RTP 27709. Take I-40 to the Durham Freeway, go north. Second exit is Alexander. Exit and go left over the bridge. First right is the entrance to GSK, take the second right entrance (not well marked due to construction). Once you turn off Alexander, take the next right and follow the long drive. UNCTV is a large white building, park in front and enter the main lobby (Mr. Price will be there to let everyone in). Lost? Call Mr. Price's cell 919-218-6108.

We had tentatively planned to hold our January Tiger Team meetings immediately after the Pinewood Derby workshops. (In past years, my older son's den has met at Weaver Street Market or Armadillo Grill for an early lunch. This has worked well and is convenient.)

UNFORTUNATELY, none of the Team coordinators are available this Saturday, January 9. Thus, there will be no official Tiger event this Saturday, UNLESS someone would volunteer to lead the meeting.

There WILL be a Tiger "make up" meeting on Saturday, January 16 at 11:30 AM. Kim and Steve Price (aka Daniel's parents) will officially be in charge. In large part, this meeting will focus on Requirement 4D as well as achievement record-keeping and handbook signing. Because we will have done much of this at the Thursday Go See It activity, only those scouts/families that could not attend the UNC TV event need attend this "make up" session. We'll send out more details about this meeting next week.

FRANKIE'S

Thanks to your scouts' hard work selling popcorn this year, the Pack will be treating itself to a party at Frankie's Fun Park on Sunday, February 14, at 1:00 PM. More details will be forthcoming, but you can expect each scout to receive entrance (that includes several Attraction Tickets as well as some Arcade Credit for games. You can find out more about the venue at:

http://www.frankiesfunpark.com/raleigh/

PACK 39 BLUE AND GOLD BANQUET

In February, our usual Pack Meeting will be replaced by our annual Blue and Gold Banquet. This will be held from 5:00 - 7:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall of University United Methodist Church (i.e., the usual Pack meeting place) on Saturday, February 20. This event involves a dinner for the families as well as a special time of scouting achievement recognition. For example, we expect that several of the Webelos scouts will be awarded the Arrow of Light. In addition, all our boys who have completed their achievements will be awarded their Tiger Cub Badges at this event.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Jen and Scott Singleton

++++ message about Pinewood Derby rules follows ++++

Dear Scouters,

Attached please find the 2009-10 District Pinewood Derby Rules. All packs are responsible for distributing the rules to their scouts.

There are two important changes to the rules this year which appear in bold in the attachment.

1) Cars competing in the Speed category can be no taller than 5". This limitation is due to the height of the electronic timer at the finish line. If needed, the timing gate could be removed for the Beauty and Originality categories as these cars merely have to cross the finish line but are not timed.

2) No weights can be added to the wheels.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns, and I look forward to seeing you at Districts on Saturday, March 6.

Best regards, Margaret Pendzich, Pack 845 Committee Chair.

Tiger Cub update -- Dec 15 2009

Hi Tiger Cub parents,

We had a MAGICAL Pack Meeting tonight! It was great to see so many of you and your sons out. We missed those who couldn't attend -- it's a busy time and lots of illnesses seem to be circulating.

This message is just to provide a status update -- where we are as 2009 comes to a close and where we'll be going in 2010.

TIGER CUB BADGE PROGRESS

So far, we've worked on four (and completed three) of the Achievements required for our scouts to earn their Tiger Cub Badges. We've completed (1) Making My Family Special, (2) Where I Live, and (5) Let's Go Outdoors.

We're working on Achievement (3) Keeping Myself Healthy and Safe. We've done the Den Go See It! by attending the UNC women's basketball game.

You can work on planning and practicing a fire drill at home to complete the Family Requirement.

For the Den Activity Requirement, each Tiger should make and decorate a Food Guide Pyramid (see pp 58-59 in the Tiger Cub Handbook). I have attached a simple outline of the food pyramid that you could print and let your scout color it. Have him find a few example pictures of healthy foods and glue them to the sheet.

Here's a fun web-based game that you may play with your Tiger to learn about the food pyramid:

http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/kids_game.html

ACHIEVEMENTS UPDATE

You and your boys have done LOTS of work already this year. We've tried to keep up and provide lots of recognition, but I fear that I dropped the ball this month and didn't provide Ed Billings with the information for all our boys to be recognized. I apologize for that and we'll get back on track for January.

As a quick check, here are the boys who have earned but not yet received various achievement recognitions. For the BOBCAT BADGE: Aidan Crosby. For the TIGER IMMEDIATE RECOGNITION EMBLEM (totem with beads): Robert Allen, Griffin Edwards, Connor Haygood, Daniel Price, and Lucas Zinn. If these are not correct, or if I've missed anyone, please do let me know. We'll plan on awarding Aidan's Bobcat Badge at the January Pack Meeting, and the Tiger Totems and Beads at the first Den (or Team) meeting in January.

REMINDER ABOUT ACHIEVEMENT RECORD-KEEPING

As a general rule, we don't accept email status reports as "official" notification.

I do want to look at each Tiger's book with the scout when the advancements are recorded. (For our Den, the Siberian Tiger team coordinators can also fulfill this role.) At that point, I initial the "Recorded by Den Leader" space. This serves two purposes: (1) it rewards (and thereby encourages) participation in Den and Team meetings; and (2) it reinforces the impression that this is a collective endeavor rather than simply a parent-child endeavor.

We'll typically do this at Den and/or Team meetings. So, missing Den and/or Team activities will impact the schedule of a Tiger Cub's recognition at Pack meetings. The order for advancement awards are placed and the meeting agenda is drafted the week BEFORE the Pack meeting. (Advancement awards have to be picked up in person by a registered adult leader from the Pack.)

I will try to come prepared to Pack meetings with a sheet to record achievements, but I have to apologize in advance: Pack meetings are a terrible time for me to juggle handbooks and personal interaction with 20 Tigers ; ) I will try to set aside a few minutes to look with a scout at his handbook AFTER the meeting. Obviously, time doesn't permit doing this for all 20 Tiger Cubs at every Pack meeting.

We actually want the Tiger Cubs to see other scouts getting rewarded for completing requirements and participating. We want them to want to achieve in scouting. That being said, the timing isn't crucial in any way to me or the other leaders. I understand that it may be important to scouts and parents -- that's OK.

WHAT WE'LL DO IN JANUARY

As a Tiger Cub Den, our January focus will be on Tiger Cub Achievement (4) How I Tell It. I hope to have a special Den (or Team) Go See It activity lined up. Once that Achievement is completed, the boys will have completed all the requirements for their Tiger Cub Badges! I expect that many (if not all) of our scouts will be awarded their Tiger Cub Badges at the Pack's Blue and Gold Banquet in late February.

In addition, we'll all be working on the Pinewood Derby (see below).

PINEWOOD DERBY

The big Pack event for January is the Pinewood Derby. Scouts and their families carve pinewood racing cars using the kits that were provided at tonight's meeting. I did pick up several extras, so if you weren't there or left without one, please let me know and we'll work out details to get the kit to you ASAP.

The Pinewood Derby itself will be held on Saturday morning, January 30. The time is TBD, but it usually starts early and lasts until lunch time. The Pack Committee will be sending out more info in the coming weeks.

The Pack will hold two Pinewood Derby Workshops at Fitch Lumber in Carrboro. These are a great opportunity to get started, learn from experienced derby designers, and use tools that you may not have. The workshops are scheduled for Saturday, January 9, and Saturday, January 16, from 9 to 12.

For better and worse, the Derby has rules that govern the construction of the cars. Ed Billings or Win Shaw (the Derby Coordinator) will send out a rules sheet. While I was put off by the rules our first time through, I've learned that the rules do ensure fair competition. Once you've received the rules sheet, please let us know if you have any questions or need some hints. There are lots of good, experienced derby car engineers in the Pack (not us) and there's a ton of information available via Google : )

In addition to the race itself, there is a set up a weigh-in time on afternoon/evening of the Friday before (January 29). Look for more information -- as well as opportunities to volunteer to help -- in the coming weeks.

FRANKIE'S

Thanks to your scouts' hard work selling popcorn this year, the Pack will be treating itself to a party at Frankie's Fun Park on Sunday, February 14, at 1:00 PM. More details will be forthcoming, but you can expect each scout to receive entrance (that includes several Attraction Tickets as well as some Arcade Credit for games. You can find out more about the venue at:

http://www.frankiesfunpark.com/raleigh/

For now, enjoy your families and (hopefully) time away from routine. We'll be back in touch after Christmas with more information.

Stay well and have a wonderful holiday season!
Jen and Scott Singleton

Holiday Celebration Pack Meeting tomorrow night

Attention Pack 39,

I wanted to send just a brief reminder that we will be having a holiday celebration Pack Meeting tomorrow night, at the usual place and the usual time (University Methodist Church, gathering at 6:45pm).

Beyond our normal business, we will be having some holiday treats, and passing out the pinewood derby car kits for all the boys. I've also heard we may be experiencing some holiday magic from our resident magician, Laney Dale. Don't miss out!

See you tomorrow night,

Ed Billings, GRI
Broker
The Home Team
919 423-6627 (m)
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ed.billings
Website: www.buychapelhill.com

Holiday Parade for Pack 39

Cobra Den parents,

Here are the details for our participation in the Chapel Hill - Carrboro Holiday Parade from Lorenzo Mejia.

1 - Meet at Morehead Planetarium
2 - Floats line up at 8AM, scouts should be present no later than 9AM. Parade will begin at 10AM.
3 - All Scouts should wear Class A uniforms. If possible, wear lots of layers underneath the uniforms so they can be seen.
4 - Do not forget hats and gloves if required!
5 - Bring candy that the Cubs can hand out to children along the parade route
6 - Hot cocoa and donuts will be provided!

Please call me or email if questions.

Lorenzo Mejia
119 Summergate Circle
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Daytime: 919-338-2183
Cell: 973-722-2804
lorenzo@the-mejias.com

Our Cub Master, Ed Billings, asked the Den Leaders to remind everyone that the parade is a rain-or-shine event. Right now, the forecast looks like cloudy and cold (near freezing) with a high probability of snow. The parade will go on, but feel free to use your best judgement in deciding you and your son's participation : )

We will NOT be meeting as a Den or as Tiger Teams after the event. I will send more details on completing Tiger Cub Requirement 3.

Hope your week goes well!

Scott Singleton

sfsingleton@me.com

919.619.4337