Important Dates at a Glance
- Venturing Scavenger Hunt..............................February 23
- College of Commissioner Science..................March 2
- Roundtable......................................................March 4
- Camporee scout training at Beaumont............March 9
- Radical Robotics.............................................March 9
- Commissioner Meeting...................................March 11
- Boy Scout NOVA day......................................March 16
- Committee meeting.........................................March 18
- Eagle Board of Review.....................................March 19
- District Pinewood Derby.................................March 23
- OA American Indian Seminar.........................March 22-24
- Taste of Venturing...........................................March 29-31
- Roundtable.......................................................April 1
- Spring Conclave...............................................April 5-7
- Camporee scout training at Beaumont.............April 13
District News:
Next Roundtable - Monday March 4th. Topic will be "Making the Order of the Arrow Meaningful for your Scouts"
Congratulations to our 2019 Spark Plug Awardees:
- Wayne Karcher -Troop 181, Matt Sisul -Troop 62, Shelley Tuter -Troop 6
Camp Card Sales
Camp cards help scouts earn money for summer camp, program equipment, registration, or any other scouting program.
Camp cards sell for $10, no out-of-pocket cost to the scout. 50% of the commission goes to the scouts and their unit.
Sign up for the sale at www.campcard.stlbsa.org
Sales run from February 1 - April 5th.
Pack 108 Box Car Derby
If you have never held a box car derby, here is how it is done.
All the Scouts were told to design and make a "car" from a box. They were to paint and decorate their cars as they saw fit. The race was in the parking lot of the school and the course was marked with traffic cones.
Scouts had to wear the cars they made because the Scouts were the cars "engines". Wearing their own car, groups of four Scouts had to run around the course two times then stop for fuel (a cup of water).
Scouts then had to continue for two more laps when they had to make a "pit stop" and have their pit crew (their parent) make necessary repairs (untie, then retie the Scouts shoes). Race continued for two more laps until the fastest of the group was determined. The fastest of the "groups of four" then ran a race to determine the fastest in the Pack.
ALL cars showed great design imagination. One of the cars was a "tank", one had wings, a few had lights that really worked, one had a "spoiler" just like some real race cars.
Two people from other units were designated "judges" to avoid partiality. There were trophies for speed (1st , 2nd, 3rd), best design, best paint, biggest car, smallest car, and more.
Judges had a VERY difficult time making a decision because ALL the cars showed the Scouts put in a LOT of effort.
Pack 4 PWD winner!
Pack 4 held their Pinewood Derby onSaturday, January 26th in the school cafeteria at St. Gabriel's.
72 Scouts and 13 siblings enter the Derby, for a total of 85 cars.
Andrew Wolf, a Webelos II Scout, won the overall speed award for the Pack.
As overall Speed winner, Andrew was presented our oversized Pack 4 Pinewood Derby "Bragging Belt". He gets to show off the belt from January Pinewood Derby until Blue & Gold on February 23rd. At Blue & Gold, Andrew turns in his on-loan "Bragging Belt" in exchange for his First Place Trophy, which he gets to keep.
If you were a sibling of a Pack 4 Scout you were allowed to enter. Age was not a factor. Some siblings entered were older than our Webelos II Scouts, others were younger than our Lion Scouts. We had 13 siblings enter the race and were very pleased to see there were girl siblings racing cars.
Troop 104 Dog Sledding Trip
Troop 104 went on a dog sledding trip to Ely, Minnesota from January 31st to February 4th. This was done in the BWCAW (Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness) which borders Canada in Northern Minnesota. They were out on the trail for three days and camped out two nights on the trail. They had six sleds, two guides, seven Scouts, and three adults on the trip. This was their sixth dog sledding trip in northern Minnesota.
Activities and Camping
Lead Needed for Spring Camporee
A Unit needs to take the lead on the Spring Camporee at Shippey. The date is set for April 26-28. If no one takes lead, we will need to combine with Illini District. In that case, one Scout from each troop will be needed to attend training on March 9th and April 13th at Beaumont. Contact Matt Meyer if you are willing to take this on OR if you have any questions about the combined camporee at 314-295-4777 or mmeyer6724@gmail.com
Cub Scout Overnight Camp Registration is OPEN for 2019
Summer camp is fun with a purpose, and Scouts will find adventure in the outdoors while learning and advancing through the Cub Scout program. Click here for more information and to register
Summer Evening Camp Directors Step Up!
Big shout out to Angie Blumenthal and Linda Criss, both of Pack 100 (Mason School), who are filling the positions of Camp Director and Program Director respectively.
Twilight Camp does not run itself. Angie and Linda need support STAFF. We were told some other Leaders from Pack 100 will be helping but it takes a LOT more than Pack 100 Leadership to get the job done.
PLEASE! Contact Angie Blumenthal ablumenthal13@gmail.com or Linda Criss criss.linda@att.net to VOLUNTEER to help staff Twilight Camp. Astronomy is the basic camp theme, so be a "star" and become a staff member.
Ozark Adventure Trek
Back by popular demand, GSLAC will offer a 9-day Ozark Adventure Trek in 2019. Explore S bar F Scout Ranch and the nearby Ozark Trail over the course of this backpacking adventure. The Ozark Adventure includes support services such as logistics, crew gear, food, staffed program, and more. This program requires similar preparation to a Philmont trek, so please plan and train accordingly. Click here for more information.
District Pinewood Derby
Please send information and pictures from your local Pinewood Derby events. The District Pinewood Derby is scheduled for March 23rd at St. Gabriel's. For more information, go to the District Website and download the flyer: https://stlbsa.org/thunderbird/district-pinewood-derby/
Advancement and Recognition
Eagle Project in Troop 51
Marshall Farmer and troop 51 completed Marshall’s Eagle Scout project for the APA on Saturday, January 26th. It was a good project for a well-liked charity.
Marshall's Eagle Scout Project was to make a playset for the dogs at the APA (Animal Protective Association). The playset was made out of plywood and PVC piping. It included a slide, a sets of stairs, and a ball pit for the dogs to play in. Before this project, the dogs only had a stack of old wooden pallets, a bench, and a plastic kiddie pool to play around with. Not only was this not enough for the dogs to play around on, but it was quite dangerous as well: Multiple times smaller dogs had gotten stuck in the pallets, and one of the older dogs kept falling off of the bench and hurting himself. As you can see, the dogs are having a great time now - and much safer! Great job, Marshall and Troop 51!
Zachary Mueller Eagle Ceremony
On Saturday, February 9th, Troop 104 presented Zachary Mueller with his Eagle Scout Award at an impressive ceremony at St. Stephen's. They explained the path to Eagle, presented his award, gave a humorous history of his scouting career, and ended with some words from Zach. Well done, Troop 104 and Zach!
Upcoming Badge Workshops:
Merit Badge Skill Centers
| Horsemanship March 7 -23 (4 sessions total) | Reptiles and Amphibians Feb. 23 and April 27| Personal Fitness - March 2 | Environmental Science - March 3 | Gardening - March 9 | Plant Science - March 9 | Genealogy - March 23 | Go to the Merit Badge Skills Center page: for all listings: https://stlbsa.org/achievement/advancement/merit-badge-skill-centers/
The Missouri Botanical Garden is offering a series of Merit Badge workshops over the year. Go to mobot.org\scouts
Radical Robotics - Saturday, March 9th
Bring all Scouts -- boys and girls, siblings and friends -- to a morning of fast-paced, engaging technology and engineering. Scouts will learn basic robotics by building and testing their own robot that they get to take home!
Scouts will get to build the Captain ROAM-E-O robot!
Check it out here: https://youtu.be/S9aZZB95KME
Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm (sign-ins 8:30 am - 9:00 am)
Where: Webster University, East Academic Building (545 Garden Ave). Parking is in the garage across the street (568 Garden Ave)
Supervision: At least 1 adult who knows your Scouts should attend, but they do not need to register. Please bring camp chairs. We will be limited on chairs at this event and appreciate the adults bringing their own.
For registration information go to https://scoutingevent.com/312-radical2019
OA Report
Spring Conclave dates set
- 04/05/2019-04/07/2019, Beaumont Scout Reservation
- More info to come later
OA American Indian Seminar
Focusing on key aspects of American Indian culture such as dance, singing and crafting, this program offers a wide variety of training and programs. This event is open to all registered BSA members and includes a Cub Scout program.
This will be held at Beaumont Scout Reservation March 22-24, 2019. For more information, go to the link: https://stlbsa.org/thunderbird/news/
Venturing
- Scavenger Hunt 2/23/2019, Saturday.
- Venture Crews will be on a scavenger hunt riding Metro and going around the city hunting for listed items.
- Cost INCLUDES a metro pass for the day: $16 early bird price $20 the day of the event.
- Go to website to download the flyer: https://stlbsa.org/thunderbird/venturing/
Taste of Venturing March 29-31
Do you know older Scouts who may be interested in Venturing? Bring a friend and enjoy a weekend of fellowship and activities. Taste of venturing is a weekend full of activities and fellowship at Camp Warren Levis, March 29-31, 2019. Learn what Venturing has to offer while enjoying activities such as:
- Leathercrafting
- Crate Stacking
- Skeet, Rifle and handgun shooting
- 3D archery
- Boating and More
To learn more about Taste of Venturing, Sign up online: scoutingevent.com/312-Taste
STEM
Cub Scout STEM Day
With the help of Mad Science staff, Cubs will get to earn rank specific advancements geared towards STEM topics. Scouts can attend STEM Day East at Lewis and Clark Community College on March 23rd or STEM Day West at St. Charles Community College on April 6th. Cub Scout STEM Day is an event you will not want to miss!
For more information on STEM, go to the GSLAC website: https://stlbsa.org/activities/other-activities/stem/stem-university/
Boy Scout NOVA day - Saturday, March 16th
Earn the brand new Splash! NOVA!!!
Join the experts at the Saint Louis Science Center to earn the Splash! NOVA Award! Scouts will spend the day working, creating, and problem solving as they earn the NOVA Award. NOVA cards will be distributed. Attending the event does not guarantee that the Scouts will earn the awards.
SPACE IS LIMITED TO 60 SCOUTS - REGISTRATION CLOSES ON March 10th. Unfortunately we cannot accept late registrations or day of event walk-ins. Get your information here: https://scoutingevent.com/312-bsanovaday
Training
University of Scouting
Congratulations to Tim Redmond who completed the Advanced leadership training for Scouting programs at the University of Scouting last month at SIU Edwardsville. Here he is receiving the Wood Badge bead.
2019 Wilderness Remote First Aid Spring
Beaumont Scout Reservation February 15-17 and April 5-7
The American Red Cross Wilderness and Remote First Aid 16-hour course is consistent with guidelines established for and by the Boy Scouts of America and is adaptable to meet needs for such training for youth-serving organizations and adult participants in outdoor recreational activities as well as employees working in various wilderness and remote settings where EMS response to the site of an incident is more than 60 minutes. These courses are designed to meet the needs of those who go into areas that are beyond the reach of urban EMS. It is required for those units going to Philmont, Sea Base or Northern Tier and is recommended for back country camping, hiking, canoeing, or other high adventure. The certification is good for two years. You must be certified in CPR and AED before taking the course, if you need this certification please sign up for the CPR class on Friday night.
Please bring equipment and first aid supplies that you would need to bring on a trek. Also needed is overnight gear to sleep in the dining hall. Tent camping available, please see the camp ranger for the assigned camp site.
- CPR-Friday 6:30pm-10:30pm
- WRFA- Saturday 8:00am-9:00pm and Sunday 7:00am-noon
- Click here to register: https://scoutingevent.com/312-2019wildernessremotefirstaidspring
College of Commissioner Science - March 2nd
Want to learn how to be a better commissioner? There is training for YOU!! The college of Commissioner Science will be offered on Saturday, March 2nd from 8:30am - 4:30pm in Edwardsville, IL. Go to the training website to download the flyer: https://stlbsa.org/thunderbird/training/