Newcomers Invited to Pack 78 Science Night Wednesday

By Bryan Corrigan

Could over 100 years of having fun be a good reason? Scouting is alive and well at Pack 78 in North Framingham.

Our scouts go to the same schools and neighbor as your son; Hemingway, Dunning, Potter and Stapleton. It’s a great environment for all kinds of families, single moms, fathers who want to spend time with their sons. The whole family can be involved in our activities.

Last years family events includes sleeping on the USS Massachusetts, overnight sleep over at the Roger Williams Zoo with tours during the night to see animals, went snow tubing, practiced session with the Pawtucket Pawsox and sleepover in the outfield. The 2011 scout season for our scouts will be equally exciting.

However, scouting may not be for every child.

Within the Cub Scout network, your son will have both a den and a pack.  The den is a small group of boys who are of the same age and rank.  The den typically has between 5-10 members, though it can certainly be larger or smaller.  The pack contains all the dens, from the 5-year-old Tiger Cubs to the 10-year-old Senior Webelos. Because of this infrastructure, boys not only get to know members of their den closely, they also meet boys who are younger and older than them.  There are many social events to bring the group closer together, such as the Raingutter Regatta, snow tubing or visiting a WWII reenactment with real tanks and airplanes in action.

Let's face it: clubs are cool. Cub Scouts have a secret handshake.  They must learn oaths, salutes, and mottos.  They have a special uniform to wear.  They go to meetings.  These things may seem trivial to an adult, but are very exciting to a young boy.  More importantly, the boys gain a sense of pride and recognition for this.

The main idea of scouting is that, every year, the boys work through their rank's book, completing tasks (which are held accountable to an adult) in order to progress to the next rank.  They also achieve goals, do research, and complete assignments to acquire badges, belt loops, pins, and even prizes.  Throughout the year, the den (and sometimes the pack) helps the boys reach these goals.  By the time he reaches the next rank, a young Scout will have a stack of badges and at least one or two pieces of flair to add to his uniform.

School projects are not always known for being exciting.  With Cub Scouts, the boys get to build and racecars, sail boats, and bake cakes.  They learn sign language, met police officers, visit museums, play games, and try new things. In Pack 78 we focus on using “fun” to teach our scouts how to be the best person they can be.

While every pack is different, they all promote the same concept: do your best.  Furthermore, they encourage the boys to clean up their communities, to spend time with their family, and to help others. Pack 78 of North Framingham, has picked up trash in Framingham parks, donated food to local pantries, and raised money for charities.

We work hard to teach the values of Scouting and your family. So please come check us out and join the fun.

Our first meeting is Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the , 360 Water St.

The opening meeting is “Science Night” this years theme is found in the clue “Luke us the force” and maybe electric glowing pickles (very popular at MIT). The science and experiment will be even bigger than last year!

For additional information visit www.framinghampack78.org.

For a more personal touch Ken Ross of our recruiting team is available, email: pack78@ix.netcom.com or by phone 508-654-2728.