Cub Scout Pack 11 finishes first year with a bang
June 5, 2011
SPARTANBURG, SC – June 3, 2011 – Cub Scout Pack 11 has finished their first year with a bang, with the 29 first through fourth grade boys earning well over 300 awards throughout the year.
“For a scouting pack established not quite a year, I think our boys have set some kind of record,” said Cubmaster, Michael Wiggins.
By the numbers, the boys have earned 45 rank awards (Bobcat, Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelo). Cub Scouts enter a den based on their age then work to achieve rank throughout the year. The first rank to earn is the Bobcat, followed by the den specific ranks. Weekly den meetings and family activities help each Cub achieve their goal.
Beyond rank, scouts work individually, with their families, and/or dens to earn additional awards based on their interests in various academic, sports, and outdoorsman areas. In total, 232 academic/sports belt loops and 56 academic/sports pins were awarded to Pack 11 Cubs by the end of May. In addition, Cubs earned 24 special awards in the areas of Basic Aid, and Outdoorsmanship (Leave No Trace, Outdoor Activity Award). Many pack members also earned 100 Year Celebration of Scouting award, commemorating 2010 as the 100th anniversary of Scouting in America.
“What made this even more special is that these boys only had August through December to meet all the requirements for the award that many scouts had been working on for a full year. We had 22 earn the award and a total of 96 ribbons recognizing the five focus areas. Three of our cubs, coming to us from other packs had already received the award,” explained Pack Committee member, Kathy Lynch.
Awards were made at Pack meetings held monthly through the fall, the Blue & Gold Banquet in February and at the May Pack meetings. Den meetings were held weekly throughout the academic year timeframe with highlights of the Pinewood Derby, hikes at the Musgrove Mill Historic site, Moore’s Cove in the Pisgah National Forest, and camping at Optimist Acres, Chimney Rock, and Croft State Park. At the end of July, the boys and family members will visit The Yorktown for a two-night military style adventure aboard the USS Yorktown at Patriot’s Point in Charleston, SC.
Dr. Kirk H. Neely, Senior Pastor at Morningside Baptist Church, the sponsoring institution for Pack 11 said, “Scouting provides the kind of moral training and leadership development every young person needs. The keys to a strong Scouting program are dedicated, well-trained adult leaders and parents that are willing to get involved. Pack 11 is strong because we are fortunate to have those kinds of committed adults.” Dr. Neely, a long-time Scout Leader and Past President of the Palmetto Council, was recently Awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award by the National Boy Scouts of America.
“There is no doubt that this has been a very active group of boys with strong leadership in the dens. We are looking forward to our summer activities and to our second year as a Pack. We’ll be recruiting new members throughout the summer and start the new scouting year off with our Raingutter Regatta in August.” Wiggins added.
For more information about Pack 11, contact Morningside Baptist Church at (864) 585-5457, [email protected] or visit www.msidescouts.org.
