December Pack Newsletter

Giving Thanks
General George Washington issued general orders including the following during the Revolutionary War: "Tomorrow being the day set apart by the Honorable Congress for public thanksgiving and Praise; and duty calling us devoutly to express our gratefulacknowledgements to God for the manifold blessings he has granted us, the General directs that the army remain in its present quarters, and that the Chaplains perform divine service with their several Corps and Brigades. And earnestly exhorts, all officers and soldiers, whose absence is not indispensably necessary, to attend with reverence the solemnities of the day."

On behalf of all of our Cubs, thanks to our parents and leaders for all that they do to support the boys in our Pack. May you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with family and joy.


Scouting for Food- Still Collecting at Dec Den Meetings!
Last Wed, Cubmaster Chuck brought a car load of food that our Cubs had collected to St. Mark's Episcopal Church Food Bank. They were excited and very grateful for the help from our Cubs. At our Den Meetings in December, keep bringing in canned food items, boxed items, cleaning supplies, baby food, and other non-perishible food items and we will keep bringing those items to the food bank. A recent report showed that more and more families are turning to the food banks in Maine for assistance and donations are going down. Our boys are making a significant difference for local families in need. Thanks for giving them the opportunity to show they can make a positive difference in town!
Bring Food Items to the Dec Den Meetings



Christmas Pack Meeting -Dec 16- American Legion- 6 PM
At our Christmas Pack meeting, we will have the following:
Games- We are asking each den to run one Christmas-themed game station
Songs & Skits- Each den should come with their boys ready to entertain with either a holiday song or skit
Displays- Tables will be set up for each den to display things that the boys have been working on all Fall in their den meetings or at home.
Snacks- Bring in some treats to share!
Gifts- Our pack will again be giving our boys gifts this year to keep them "rolling" into 2009 (hint)
Fun- Bring the family!
Awards- Any awards that the boys earned but have not received will be presented.
Welcome- We need boys for our Tiger and Bear Dens. If you know boys in grades 1 and 3- a great gift is the gift of Scouting!

Cub Leader Roundtable December 10

Dec. 10 at Blessed Hope Advent Church, 10 Pleasant St. in Waterville at 7pm. Please note that there will be no roundtable in Strong in December.In addition to the monthly OA chapter meeting, Cub Leader and Boy Scout Leader sessions, Cub Scout Leader Specific Training will be presented.Cub Scout Topic: "A-MAXE-ing" Games and discussion on What do you do with THAT parent? Leaders This is a Great Training Opportunity!



Neat Things to Do With Your Son or Den
-Every Saturday 10 AM to 1 PM there is a different arts and crafts project at Michaels in Augusta. Cost $5 per child. 623-3832 for details.
-Lowe's Augusta- Dec 13 building Gingerbread House. No Cost. 10 AM.
-Home Depot Augusta- 1st Saturday of every month. Dec is "art easle" on Dec 6 from 9 to noon. No cost.

Klondike Derby- January 31, 2009 - China Elementary School!
Keep the Date Free. More Details at the December Pack Meeting

Boys' Life Reading Contest
Write a one-page report titled "The Best Book I Read This Year" and enter it in the Boys' Life 2008 "Say Yes to Reading!" contest. The book can be fiction or nonfiction. But the report has to be in your own words - 500 words tops. Enter in one of these three age categories:
8 years old and younger
9 and 10 years old
11 years old and older First-place winners in each age category will receive a $100 gift certificate good for any product in the Boy Scouts official retail catalog. Second-place winners will receive a $75 gift certificate, and third-place winners a $50 certificate.Everyone who enters will get a free patch. The contest is open to all Boys' Life readers. Be sure to include your name, address, age and grade in school on the entry.Send your report, along with a business-size, self-addressed, stamped envelope, to:Boys' Life Reading ContestS306P.O. Box 152079Irving, TX 75015-2079Entries must be postmarked by Dec. 31, 2008 and must include entry information and a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Dear Parents and Leaders- The holiday season is coming on fast. The Scouting for Food Drive was a great way to teach our boys that they have a duty to help other people at all times. I am encouraging our Dens to do an additional service project this Winter to help reinforce this message in our boys. Some ideas are caroling at a nursing home or veterans' home; making cards to send to our servicemembers overseas; or ask them what they would like to do. The boys are usually creative. Thanks for keeping the goodness of Scouting alive in our Cubs.

Sincerely,
Chuck Mahalers, CubmasterCub Scout Pack 603