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News

March 2002    

Den Meeting Report: During our February meetings, the scouts worked on their COMMUNICATOR badges. The body language game was lots of fun as was playing "name that sound!." We made up messages using a variety of "secret codes" and some of the boys made up their own. We surfed the net, checking out St. Patrick's site, Westchester-Putnam Council's site and Pack 173's site, as well as our own Den 3 site. Although most of the boys completed the requirements, others need to complete one or two additional items. If you have not already done so, speak to Sonny or me about completing the requirements. Go to our Crafts/Games pages to work through some secret and not-so-secret codes.

Scout Sunday: Scout Sunday was a great success, as usual. Thanks to all that helped make it happen, including our tireless cubmaster, et al. who worked on the hospitality gathering after Mass.

March Den Meetings: Our meetings this month will be on the 16th and the 23rd. We plan to finish the WEBELOS badge requirement number 7 - Show that you know and understand the requirements to be a Boy Scout (WEBELOS book, pages 419-425] and work on the SCHOLAR badge (Webelos book, page 108). Please ask your son to read and learn the Boy Scout requirements and the chapter on SCHOLAR in preparation for our March meetings. The Den Calendar is the place to look for upcoming meeting dates and times.

Klondike Derby: The Klondike Derby was held at FDR Park on February 23 and all had wonderful time although the weather did not cooperate -- it was sunny and warm. The Boy Scouts of Troop 174 did a great job hosting the event. Some highlights: each boy in our den was able to start a fire using flint & steel; group snowshoeing was quite fun with the boys using teamwork to get across the field; the knot challenge showed us that we can always use more work on our knots; during ice rescue everyone wanted to be the victim! Pictures will be posted on our site.

WEBELOS Advancent:By the end of March, all the boys will have completed the WEBELOS Badge requirement within the den meetings. As we discussed at our parents' meeting in September, requirement 8 must be done by the parent with the scout. If the scout is completing work on his religious emblem, I strongly suggest that the work be completed, approved, and submitted to the appropriate religious council no later than the end of March. If you are seeking to complete requirement 8 through one of the alternative activities, please do so as soon as possible. Call or e-mail us with any questions. Our advancement ceremony is scheduled for the May Pack Meeting! See below for important information regarding Advancement!

Working on WEBELOS Badges: A number of the boys have been saying that they have completed work on a number of badges. Please remember that WEBELOS work towards badges is suppose to approximate the Boy Scout patrol method, where the scouts work on the badges together within the Den format. We alert you when one or more of the requirements should be done at home. There are a number of badges that we have identified as being appropriate to work on at home as well as at Den meetings (TRAVELER, FAMILY MEMBER, ARTIST, SHOWMAN & HANDYMAN). The Belt loops needed for the SPORTSMAN badge should also be worked on at home. Please note that in keeping with the patrol method, the Den leaders are required to validate the completion of badge requirements for all badges, similar to the work of the merit badge counselors at the Boy Scout level. For the remainder of this year we do plan on working on at least SCHOLAR, FORESTER, NATURALIST & SPORTSMAN. It is likely we will do ENGINEER this year, time permitting. If not, we will work on it next year, along with SCIENTIST and READYMAN.

WEBELOS Advancent II:As indicated in a recent e-mail, BSA has made some changes in the Cub Scout program. Those changes now mandate what we were considering to do in any event -- have the scouts switch from the Cub Scout blue to the Boy Scout Khaki uniform for next year. We plan on making this switch at the WEBELOS advancement ceremony in May. Carry over items from the blue uniform include the knecherchief, slide, belt (keep the blue belt if you want to show the belt loos -- belt loops don't fit on the khaki belt) World Scout crest emblem, council shoulder patch, unit numerals and WEBELOS colors. NEW ITEMS:shirt, cap and blue shoulder loops. Khaki pants and boy scout socks are optional. To see the WEBELOS Kkaki Uniform and price list, go to our uniform inspection page. Also, look for an e-mail regarding a group purchase option.

CUB PIX:Photos have (finally!) been posted on out site. Click on the icon on our home page. It is password protected. Passwords will be given out at an upcoming den meeting or by e-mail. If you have any photos you's like to add to our site, please forward them to me for scanning or e-mail them to JoJoWeb using the link on the navigation column to the left.