This year, my oldest son is now a Wolf scout in our local Cub Scout Pack. I’m moving up along with him. Having guided this den through their Bobcat and Tiger ranks last year, I’m looking forward to another successful year.
I really think that I have a great group of kids and I hope that they all continue on this year. Maybe we can even add a few more. We recently had a pack camp out to finish the summer. While many scouts never even replied to the sign up, I was proud that we had all of the wolves, except for one, and they had tried to rearrange other commitments to be able to make it. With kids and families like that, our den is off to a great start.
New for me this year, I have a uniform. While I have been a den leader for two years now, I hadn’t ever gotten a uniform. The Lion program, especially when it was under pilot, is less formal and a uniform didn’t seem necessary. Last year, I guess I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue as a leader, or if my son would stay interested. However, this year, I’m committed to the den and the pack and wanted to make sure that I was a good representative. The uniform is a symbol both of group membership and personal achievement. It is good for the scouts to see the adult leaders in uniform and wearing the uniform properly.
Just as last year, I will ask each family to make sure to complete the Duty to God Footsteps Adventure on their own. However, after my Baloo training last spring, a duty to God and reverence are essential elements of the scout oath and law and therefore don’t need to be shied away from in the program and in den/pack activities.
While not yet confirmed, I think that I will be assigned a Den Chief from the local Boy Scout Troop. The Den Chief will work as my assistant and will help to plan, organize, and run the meetings. As the scouts get older, there are more requirements for practice, demonstration, and discussion. The extra help will be good in this regard.
The required adventures for the Wolf rank are Call of the Wild, Council Fire, Duty to God Footsteps, Howling at the Moon, Paws on the Path, and Running with the Pack. My plan is to move through these required adventures first, followed by some electives at the end of the year.
October (Call of the Wild)
- Make a list of possible weather changes that could happen when you are outside. Tell how you will be prepared for each one.
- Recite the Outdoor Code, Leave No Trace Principles for Kids and discuss how LNT supports the Outdoor Code.
- Demonstrate what to do in case of an earthquake or flood and to keep from spreading germs.
- Practice and tie an overhand knot and a square knot.
- HOMEWORK – participate in an outdoor activity with your family, den, pack, or council this year.
November (Council Fire)
- Participate in a flag ceremony.
- Learn how to properly care for and fold the flag.
- As a den, we are going to discuss and plan a den service project. We will carry this out on a different night.
- Right now, the pack is planning to have a member of the Armed Services come to speak in November. Afterwards we will write a thank you note.
- HOMEWORK – perform the service project
December (Howling at the Moon)
- Learn about communication in two different ways (verbal, non-verbal, visual)
- Create an original skit (or modify one to make it your own).
- Plan and perform a campfire program. This will give the scouts a preview of a campfire program ahead of the pack campfire planned for January.
- Perform your role the den campfire program
- HOMEWORK – practice your role in the skit for the pack campfire
January (Air of the Wolf)
- Fly paper airplanes, try to alter its shape or construction to make it fly farther.
- Bounce a basketball with and without enough air. Describe how the ball bounces differently under each condition.
- Create a musical wind instrument and play a song as a den. (bottle flutes, and wooden harmonicas)
- Conduct an investigation on how speed affects sound.
February (Running with the Pack)
- Play catch with someone 5 steps away, try to take steps apart to practice.
- Practice balancing to walk forward, backward, and sideways.
- Practice flexibility and balance by doing a front roll, a back roll, and a frog stand.
- Play a game with the den and practice good sportsmanship.
- Practice walking like different animals with at least two of: frog leap, inchworm, kangaroo hop, crab walk.
- HOMEWORK – Plan a healthy meal for your family. Make a shopping list for the ingredients that you need.
March (Motor Away)
- Create and fly three different types of paper airplanes. Before flying them, guess which will fly the farthest and why.
- Make a paper airplane catapult. Before flying, guess how far the airplane will fly. Measure the real distance it flew.
- Make two different model boats and sail them, compare different shapes.
- HOMEWORK – finish and race your pinewood derby car.
April (Germs Alive)
- Practice washing your hands while singing the “Happy Birthday” song.
- Play the Germ Magnet game.
- Conduct the sneeze demonstration.
- Grow mold cultures
- HOMEWORK – make a clean room chart and do your chores for a week.
May (Paws on the Path)
- Show you are prepared by gathering the Six Essentials to take on a hike.
- Tell what the buddy system is and how you use it.
- Choose appropriate clothing to wear on your hike.
- Recite Outdoor Code and the Leave No Trace Principles for Kids. After hiking discuss how you showed respect for wildlife.
- Go on a 1-mile hike. Find two interesting things and discuss them with your den or family.
And there you have it. I like this plan of fun activities for the whole school year, and some great opportunities for learning.