About Our Pack
|
 |
Pack 817 has served the youth of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania for 15 years. We are chartered by St. Gerard Majella Church. Boys in our Pack are students primarily from Forbes Elementary School, and Shenandoah Elementary School.
Pack 817 is part of the Tecumsa District
of the
Greater Pittsburgh Council.
The Greater Pittsburgh Council serves Allegheny, Beaver, Washington, Greene and portions of Westmoreland and
Fayette counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania
|
Greater Pittsburgh Council has a membership of over 47,000 young people
participating in all phases of the Scouting program: Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts,
Boy Scouts and Venturing.
There are approximately 10,000 adult volunteer leaders serving in various
capacities to assure that the youth members of the Greater Pittsburgh Council
receive the highest quality program experience possible. The council provides
many resources and training opportunities, including youth protection training.
Please see the Training section for more information.
The Greater Pittsburgh Council maintains five scout camps --
- Heritage Reservation:
This reservation is the crowning
jewel of Boy Scout facilities in the northeast section of the United States.
Within Heritage there are three camps and several wilderness areas for use by
all scouts. During the summer months, the camps are put into use as summer
camps, offering two Boy Scout camp programs, and a nationally renowned Cub Scout
program at the third camp. Heritage Reservation also has a conference center and
nine modern style houses available for rent by groups and scout units alike. The
reservation's centerpiece attraction is it's 270 plus acre lake, providing
plenty of room for boating, fishing, sailing, water-skiing, swimming, and scuba
diving. During the fall, winter and spring months, several pavilions and
shelters area available for traditional camping, all reachable by vehicle.
Located close to Nemacolin Woodlands ski slopes, Laurel Caverns, and Ohiopyle.
Heritage is a centrally located camp, with plenty to keep any unit or group busy
for a weekend, or a week at summer camp.
- Camp Twin Echo: Camp Twin Echo, located just outside of the
town of Ligonier, PA, offers all of the accommodations of a modern camp, but has
the allure and mystique of a camp deeply entrenched in tradition an past. The
camp offers several modern and well equipped cabins, pavilion shelters, and
Adirondack shelters for scout units, groups, or even family use. A small lake
provides an opportunity for some fishing, and the camp has several hiking
trails. One of the biggest attractions during the winter months is the camps
almost famous inner tubing and sled riding hill. Located near several ski
slopes, Camp Twin Echo is a great place to stay for your Troop or Crew Winter
skiing weekend.
- Camp Anawanna:This camp, located in Washington County, is
only 1 hour and 20 minutes fro Flag Plaza. Anawanna offers some weekend cabins
and is a great place for tent camping. Fully equipped with pavilion shelters,
running water, several cabins, and latrines, Camp Anawanna provides plenty of
activities for even the largest of troops. Fish the pond while you're enjoying
a nice facility for your weekend unit event.
- Camp Baker:Situated 1 hour north of Pittsburgh, Camp
Baker is a perfect place for a quiet weekend. Close to Raccoon Park, this
facility offers great tent camping, tow lean-to sites and stream fishing. A
perfect place for a Pack or Troop Picnic.
- Camp Guyasuta:Located just outside of the city of Pittsburgh,
Camp Guyasuta is a little bit of the country in the city. This 168-acre
facility is the place for day and overnight activities. Several cabins and
shelters area available for rental, as well as a lean-to site. A perfect place
for a special Pack meeting or Troop Ceremony. Camp Guyasuta is a great place
for picnics, Courts of Honor, a pool in summer season for BSA swim tests prior
to camp and a convenient place to camp if you want to visit the city for a day.
Our Pack has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years. Parents are looking for activities that Cub Scouts can offer. We are proud to be able to give them such a program.
There are currently over 41 Scouts from five different schools registered in Pack 817.
Currently we have
(Currently recruiting Tigers)
1 Wolf den with 14 Scouts
1 Bear den with 10 Scouts
1 1st year Webelos dens with 12 Scouts
1 2nd year Webelos den with 5 Scouts
Check out our Pack Calendar to see what we have planned for the Cub Scouts this year! Our Pack committee meeting dates are also listed here.
To find out about the Pack and what we ask of the leaders and parents, go to the Cub
Scout Handbook.
To find out more about joining Cub Scout Pack 817, drop the cubmaster a line with any questions you may have or fill out our contact form.
Welcome letter to New Parents.
WELCOME NEW PARENTS
Pack 817 would like to welcome you and your family to Cub Scouting. We would like to inform you of a few things about Pack 817. The Pack is run
locally by adults who have volunteered their time and energy to bring the Cub Scouting program to the boys involved in Scouts. The Boy Scouts of America have
trained us in how they expect the program to be handled. The rules governing us are followed by all Scout Packs and Troops. We work towards teaching the boys
about the surrounding world through activity badges and Achievements that are listed in the different books of ranks. First graders are Tiger Cub Scouts. They explore 17 Big Ideas with their adult
partner to Search, Discover, and Share what they learn through the Tiger book. The 2nd graders are exploring the world and earning their rank as a Wolf in the Cub Scouting program. The Bear rank is earned by 3rd graders. Boys in the 4th and 5th grade are being prepared for Boy Scouts through the Webelos program.
Dens consist of boys of the same age. All the different age group dens comprise the Pack. Most dens meet every other week for 1 to 1 ˝ hours. Once a month all
the dens and their families get together at a Pack meeting to receive the awards
they have been working on. The Pack meetings have different activities going on that promote good sportsmanship and are loaded with fun.
The uniform requirement for Tiger Cubs is an orange t-shirt. They will be able to iron on Paw prints for every Big Idea they complete. Wolf and Bear Cub Scouts
need to have the blue uniform shirt with the appropriate insignia sewn on. Webelos Scouts can wear either the blue or tan uniform shirt. We suggest the tan
shirt as they can wear it in Boy Scouts. All boys should have their own book in the rank they are working on as some things need to be completed at home. The
boys need to bring these books to every den meeting. The proper insignias to purchase, where to place them on the uniform, and where to purchase these
supplies is listed on the uniform sheet.
To make the program run smoothly, we have expectations of everyone involved.
Leaders
-
To follow through on your commitment to become a leader to guide the boys through the ranks of Cub Scouts.
- To keep communications open between yourself and the parents of the boys in your den with notes sent home or phone calls.
- To plan out a program for the Scouts using the resources given to you by the Pack Committee.
- To explore and learn and have fun with the Scouts as they earn their rank.
- To have den meetings at least every other week where the boys learn and explore and earn Achievements.
- To attend monthly Pack meetings to hand out the awards the boys have earned.
- To attend monthly Pack Committee meetings to keep abreast of what is going on in the Pack.
- To ask parents of your boys to help out in the den with projects, supplies, field trips, etc.
PARENTS
- To have your son wear the appropriate uniform to all den and Pack meetings or Scout activities.
- To make sure your son attends den meetings – contact your den leader if the boys will miss a meeting so they know if they are coming or not.
- To attend Pack meetings with your Scout so they have family there to cheer them on as they earn their awards they have worked so hard on. The entire family is invited to all Pack meetings.
- To offer assistance to the den leader. There are countless ways that everyone can lend a hand to keep the dens running smoothly. The den leaders will let the parents know what they can do to help out.
- To work with your son on any achievements that the den leader asks you to complete at home. Your support of the program is essential to keeping the boys interested in Cub Scouts.
-
To bring a dozen cookies or such to each Pack meeting. The Pack supplies everything else, except for the Blue & Gold Banquet, which will be explained later in the year.
- To encourage the Scouts to stay with the Pack for the full year. It builds good character to finish what you started.
Pack 817
- To follow the Boy Scouts of America’s policies and rules governing the Cub Scouting program.
- To train the leaders according to BSA policies and keep them informed as to what the objectives of the Pack are.
- To hold monthly Pack meetings containing different activities to stimulate and challenge the Scouts to explore numerous experiences.
- To hold monthly Committee meetings to keep all leaders and parents informed of the Pack’s activities that are planned for the families and Scouts.
- To send out monthly newsletters to all parents of the Scouts of Pack 817.
- To be available to answer all questions and concerns of anyone involved in the Pack. We are always looking for new ideas and activities to explore with the Scouts.
Pack 817 is self-supporting. We hold a fund- raiser in the fall to cover expenses of running the Pack.
We encourage the Scouts to participate in the fund- raiser. We sell Christmas wreaths and Boy Scout popcorn. The profits generated from this sale provide the
money necessary to run the Pack. The Pack schedules the meeting room, purchases awards and pins, Pinewood derby
kits, trophies, Blue & Gold supplies, training aides for leaders, and countless other supplies for the
running of the Pack.
The Pinewood Derby races are a yearly event. The boys construct the cars with the help of their parents.
There are trophies for the final 4 winners as well as awards for each of the top
three finishers in each den. The Pinewood Derby is held in January.
The Blue & Gold Banquet is held in February. This is when the boys receive their
rank badges that they have been working on. We would like everyone to attend this special banquet in February.
The Pack Committee consists of all leaders and any interested parents who work together to plan out the activities of the Pack. All interested parents are invited to attend any of these meetings anytime.
We keep bringing up the fact of volunteers. The only reason we have the program that we have is because of volunteers caring enough to make everything work. We
rely on everyone pitching in to keep everything going strong. If you can volunteer as a leader or co-leader, that would be great! If not, there are a lot
of other ways to help out in the Pack. Just let us know what you can do, and we’ll gladly use the help you can give. We all want the best for the boys in the
Pack. Thanks for helping us make Pack 817 the best that it can be for the boys in Midland! We’re glad to have you join us. Get involved and find out how much
fun you will have learning and exploring the world with your son in Cub Scouting!
|
