What have your boys taught you?

As I wrapped up my year as a den leader, I reflected back on my year and thought about my boys. So in an open to letter to my boys... here is what I have learned from them. I urge you to think back about how each boy is special and let them know how much you have learned from them this year.

What my boys have taught me this year.

I have spent countless hours preparing for den meetings. Making lesson plans, researching activities, gathering supplies… and then there is entering all those advancements into scout track. But while I was busy thinking I was teaching these young men, they in fact, were actually teaching me.

Mr. Loreant and Mr. Gifford have taught me to be the best I can be. These two young men are my over achievers. They have pushed me to be more innovative, more creative and to always bring my A game.

Mr. Reid and Mr. Denson have taught me enthusiasm. They ask more questions and answer more questions than any other boys in my den and they do so with great enthusiasm.

Mr. Sheppard has taught me determination and attitude. He started the year with “I can’t” and “I won’t” and has ended the year with “I can” and “I’ll try.”

Mr. Baker has taught me confidence.

Mr. Morris has taught me humility.

Mr. Waldon has tried to teach me patience, although, I still don’t have any.

Mr. Childress has taught me unconditional love and acceptance.

Mr. Sandlin has taught me the value of friendship.

When we started our year, we made a den flag. Leave no Trace… leave nothing but footprints. I knew I would be awarding it to one of my scouts at the end of the year. I was going to give it to the young man who best embodied what Scouts means. And it was a tough decision. But a couple of weeks ago, while we were preparing to work on our softball belt loop, a couple of the boys were messing around, not listening to me as usual. And one of them fell off the bleachers and landed on his arm. While were waiting on his Mom to come pick him up and take him to the doctor, with tears streaming down his face, he said “But Ms. Jen, I just want to play softball with my scouts.” He hurt his arm, but all he wanted was to play with his scouts. So it my great privilege to present our den flag to Mr. Trey Sandlin.


Leave No Trace Banner

For our Leave No Trace Banner/Poster we decided to let the boys walk through paint with their bare feet. Let me say, the boys LOVED it! The concept behind our banner is that when you leave nothing but footprints, eventually your footprints will fade away, but what you leave behind (such as trash) will not.

The boys will be signing the poster and then we will be taking pictures on our service project tonight... a hike with a trash pick up on a frequented trail.

Also... for additional fun, be sure to check into Geocaching. It's on online "treasure hunt". I happen to know that there are "caches" on the trail, so we'll be introducing the boys to that fun activity as well!

Emergency Preparedness Awareness Award


With Spring weather being so unpredictable this year, I thought now would be a good time to work on the Emergency Preparedness Award.

The requirements are different for each cub scout level, however the guidelines for all scouts can be found at http://www.scouting.org/Media/Publications/EmergencyPreparedness/award.aspx

For Wolf Den:
  1. Complete Wolf Cub Scout Achievement 9*—Be Safe at Home and on the Street. This is a check of your home to keep it safe.
  2. Complete Wolf Cub Scout Elective 16*—Family Alert. This elective is about designing a plan for your home and family in case an emergency takes place.
  3. With your parent or guardian's help, complete one of the following activities that you have not already completed for this award as a Tiger Cub:
    • Take American Red Cross Basic Aid Training (BAT) to learn emergency skills and care for choking, wounds, nose bleeds, falls, and animal bites. This course includes responses for fire safety, poisoning, water accidents, substance abuse, and more.
    • Make a presentation to your family on what you have learned about preparing for emergencies.
    • Join a Safe Kids program such as McGruff Child Identification program. Put on a training program for your family or den on stranger awareness, Internet safety, or safety at home.
I found great resources on the following websites to help with this program:
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If you want to buy kits:
http://www.mcgruff-safe-kids.com/boyscouts/mcgruff-identification-kit.html
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If you want to make your own:
Internet Safety, Stranger Abduction, Gun Safety
http://www.fbi.gov/kids/k5th/safety2.htm
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Finger Print Kits
http://www.fbi.gov/kids/k5th/fingerprintcard.htm
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Emergency Preparedness
http://www.ready.gov/kids/home.html