SCOUTING FOR FOOD
At the Blue and Gold we handed out some bags to collect non-perishable food items from your friends and family. All food donated from around Atlanta will go to Storehouse Ministries. If you didn’t get one, don’t fret. Just use any old bag you got lying around. When asking for food, please have your Scout dress in uniform as he would when selling popcorn. This is a Council wide event we do every year and we want our boys to shine.
Please count the number of items BEFORE you arrive to the pack meeting. You’re going to put those in a truck BEFORE entering La Salette along with your count. We’ll record that and the den with the highest count (per # of Scouts in the den) will get a monetary prize for them to spend as they wish.

SPRING FAMILY CAMPING
Once again, our last big fling is up north near Blairsville for the District Spring Family Camping at the Woodruff Scout Reservation. The dates are April 16-18. This will be just like Fall Family Camping … except in the mountains, cooler and with fewer people since the Webelos 2 crossed over. We also have enough funds to cover the registration fee for every Scout who attends. (It’s still $10 per person for food.) Our chef will still be … uh … chefing. And if you went to the fall event, you’ll be able to complete your patch collection which will match the Fall one.
There will be a sign up table in the back. Don’t forget your Medical form if you haven’t given it to us, at the last event.

CUB SCOUT DAY CAMP
It’s this June 14-18. For only $85, you son will have a great outdoor time in Marietta having a Party with the Pack. More information at the meeting.

RANK ADVANCEMENT
We’re going to have a lot of boys earn their rank badges this Friday: The Wolves, Den 10 Bears, and a Bobcat and Webelos contingent. Bring your cameras!

APRIL PACK MEETING
Due to Spring Family camping and Spring Break, we’re moving the April pack meeting to Friday, April 23. Same time. Same location.

Mike Menninger

Have you started on your Pinewood Derby car? If not, ask you Den Leader if you can have a workshop for the best ways to go fast (wheel and axle improvements) or woodworking and painting the car.

Our next Pack Meeting is Friday, January 8 at 7:00 pm in La Salette Hall. The Newsletter will have the latest info for the Pinewood Derby later this month as well as upcoming events you might like to get on your calendar. Our Den 10 Bears will receive their Bear patch as well as some more of our Webelos advancements. Kevin will introduce a Code of Conduct for Scouts, Parents and Leaders that you will discuss more in your upcoming Den Meetings.

Speaking of upcoming events, the Cub Scout Day Camp dates have been set: June 14-18. CS Day Camp is a great way for your child to spend a week in the summer. For about $100, the children will do age appropriate activities in an outdoor setting at the First United Methodist Church in downtown Marietta. There’s no better bargain than that price! We could even get a car pool arranged if there’s enough interest.
Many of the activities will apply to their upcoming rank so they can get a jump start on earning their badge. The camp is designed for all ages: from young tots for parents who volunteer to work at the camp, to upcoming Tigers who haven’t had a Pack meeting yet, to Webelos 2s who’ll move on to Boy Scouts the following winter. There will be Archery and BB’s as well. As the Day Camp committee sends out more info we’ll pass it along. But go ahead and get it on your calendar. This summer will be much shorter this year and is sure to be jammed pack with activies.

DECEMBER PACK MEETING

Our next Pack meeting will not be at our usual location. We’ll still meet at 7:00 pm but at the Episcopal Church of St. Peter and Paul. It’s the church on the West side of the intersection at Johnson Ferry and Bishop Lake Rd:

1795 Johnson Ferry Rd, Marietta, 30062

It’ll be held in their meeting room on the right (North) side of the building closest to the stop light.

PINEWOOD DERBY

The website has a new page for the Pinewood Derby. The link is right at the top. At the moment, it only has the rules for the cars. But we’ll also add the Scouts’ car numbers and some more information about procedures when the become available from the Wolves.

In case you didn’t know, each year the major activities are divided up among the dens. The Pinewood Derby is run by the Wolves. So the current Bears (who did it last year) will provide advice for the Wolves and the Tigers should take an interest in what happens to they’ll be prepared for next year. The Bears are in charge of the Blue and Gold Banquet and the Tigers are in charge of the cross-over picnic in May.

If you did not receive your Pinewood Derby car see your Den Leader. He should have them. Adults may also enter an Open race … for money! The Wolf leaders will have a sign up sheet and cars for you to purchase. I think the entrance fee is $20. The winner gets a healthy pot of dough.

POPCORN PRIZES

The prizes for the popcorn have not been shipped yet. (Last year they were unintentionally sent to early). We’ll get them distributed as soon as they arrive.

If you ever have any questions about anything (pertaining to Pack 1776), don’t hesitate to contact the leadership. We’ll always Do Our Best.

Den leaders, you’ll download the other spreadsheet meant for you to group your den’s orders into one file.  You’ll then forward that on to Bill Linehan.

Everyone should have received an email concerning our camping. We emailed two forms to you which covered what our Fall Family camping will be like, some suggested packing information and directions to Bert Adams Scout Reservation.

You can download those files from our Pack Files link: http://www.gapack1776.com/files

If you have not signed up, we need to know ASAP for counting purposes. Please contact David Cox at ufgrads@comcast.net and let him know who is coming. Then make arrangements to get the money to him or Michael Menninger.