Pack 320's Webelos I Den Page
have the best time of his life will be posted here!
Despite the Christmas holiday, many of the Goombas have been hard at work. Michael Nimitz went ice skating and completed the requirements for the Ice Skating Belt Loop and Pin, and working towards activity badge requirements to complete two Individual Sports. Way to go, Michael! Shawn O’Keefe worked over the holiday, too, developing and completing a list of household chores to round out his Citizen Belt Loop and Citizen Activity Badge. Nick Boinay picked up trash at a local church to Do A Good Turn, and made the place shine!
After the holiday, the Goombas spent their Den meetings “learning the ropes”…literally! They worked with ropes and lines made from synthetic materials like nylon and polypropylene and natural fibers such as manila and sisal, and learned how to fuse and whip the ends to keep them from fraying. It was so exciting, many of them got all tied up in knots (well, maybe not) when they used their ropes to tie square knots, overhand knots, and taut-line hitches, then got to use their new-found talents to erect a mock shelter (which they quickly turned into a limbo line…Limbo, Limbo, LIMBO! It looked just like this photo, minus the fire and the crowd).
As we look to the future, the boys of Den 10 continue to work on the requirements of the Webelos Badge and Arrow of Light, learning about all things Boy Scout. Hopefully, we will all “Be Prepared” for an exciting campout next month! – Paul Boinay
What a busy month! This month, we were able to do many different and fun activities. We had full Den 10 attendance at the Activity Badge Day sponsored by Troop 901, and thanks to the Boy Scouts who taught us, we learned almost all of the information required to earn both the Citizen and Scientist Activity Badges. A great time was had by all, and we especially enjoyed using atmospheric pressure to push an egg into a bottle, then using air pressure to remove the egg by blowing into the bottle! Now, how did that work? I am very proud to say that some of the Boy Scout teachers were once Pack 320 Webelos Scouts! Who knows, in a couple of years, it might just be a former Goomba doing the teaching! During the follow-up Den time, we experimented with depth perception, using the scientific method to test our hypothesis, and completing most of the Scientist Belt Loop, the final requirement of the Scientist Activity Badge. All that is left now is to talk to a local scientist about their work…maybe at the Chesapeake Planetarium?
We were able to visit the Norfolk Botanical Garden twice to learn about local trees, plants, and animals. We learned about their habitats and what they eat (Goombas are, in fact, indigenous to Virginia , and will eat virtually anything). With a little bit of follow-up Den time, we finished the requirements of the Forester and Naturalist Activity Badges by sharing our experiences and learning more about some local plants, including Honeysuckle and our least favorite, Poison Ivy. Some of the older scouts may remember a compass course at Northwest River Park were the final flag marker was tied to a hairy, climbing vine with branches ending in three leaves and white berries—do “Danger sign”, “Warning sign”, “Let It Be”, and “Don’t Take a Bite” sound familiar? Special thanks to Mrs. Shands and Sean Phillips that arranged it and to the Web I adults for enabling the two events to be a big success and for giving us so many opportunities to “learn and earn!”
In addition to the awesome work getting to know our natural environment, we also worked on the Citizen Belt Loop, the final requirement for earning the Citizen Activity Badge, helping out around the house, taking part in service projects, and learning what it takes to be a good citizen.
With all the activity, the Den 10 Goombas still found time to take part in the float construction and Chesapeake Christmas Parade, including donating toys to the needy, and some were able to also earn their Ice Skating Belt Loop!
In all, the Goombas earned parts or all of the following awards, (Ice Skating Beltloop, Science Beltloop, Citizenship Beltloop, Naturalist Activity Pin, Forester Activity Pin, Citizen Activity Pin, Scientist Activity Pin) and all in just one short month! Way to go guys (and don’t forget to thank the adults that made it all possible)!
such as those in our local area. We spent time learning about the various jobs that engineers might do, and discovered that many of our Den and Pack leaders are different types of engineers! A reminder to all Webelos: Saturday, November 19th is Webelos Badge Day, and Boy Scouts will be on hand to provide demonstrations and assistance towards obtaining the Scientist and Citizen Activity Badges, as well as the Ultimate and Soccer Belt Loops. It will run 8:30 am to 1:15 pm at the Heritage Church on Johnstown Road (about a half mild from S. Battlefield Blvd). Hope to see all you Web II’s and Goombas there!
Lastly, the Den 10 Webelos discussed how one’s character should grow with time--from the time of being a selfcentered infant (“I’m hungry! I’m wet! I’m tired! I’m bored”) to a time when each scout will be focused on serving others in the way parents and adult leaders do (“help other people at all times”). Our bodies are growing every day, and it is important that our character keeps up!
In
addition to the pack-wide activities at Family Camp, the Mighty Goombas learned the ins and outs of fire building, culminating
with each scout building several small fires of their own. They learned about tinder, kinder, and
fuel, the fire triangle (oxygen, heat, and fuel), and many ways to
light a fire, incuding steel wool and a battery. They even learned that it is possible
to burn macaroni! Thanks
for the lesson, Bobby!
They’ve
also begun learning about what it means to be a Boy Scout, and have
started memorizing the Scout Law, Oath, Motto, and other new things
that will be required of them in the years that follow. Way to go, Goombas!
The Webelos I’s would like to welcome Paul Boinay back this
year as our new leader. He energized the Phoenix Webelos den over the last
two years, and we are all looking forward to the benefits of his enthusiasm
and leadership skills for the coming year…
Wait a minute…Did I say Paul was our new leader? Well, that’s
only partially true. This year, the Den 10 Webelos Scouts will take on
more responsibilities to act as their own leaders, starting with the
opening and closing ceremonies and other activities as the year progresses.
This is all in preparation for their eventual graduation to Boy Scouting
where the Scouts virtually run the entire show.
We have an ambitious plan to have the scouts complete their Webelos
badge by midyear, and give them the opportunity to earn their Arrow-of-Light
by year-end.
This will be my last report as I turn Den 10 over to our new master.
I will stay on as Assistant.
-Tom Nimitz
************
This month,
the Webelos I’s were shocked…literally!...to learn how fun
Engineering can be. They learned how electricity and magnetism are related,
using a wire and a battery to change the direction of a compass needle.
They saw how a motor could be used as a generator. Moving on to discussions
of how electricity is distributed, they were energized by the “hands
on” discussion of transformers, and how they are used to change
high voltage electricity into the kind we use in our homes. They then
tried it in reverse, using a small transformer to turn an AA battery
into 50 volts, enough to tingle your finger! They learned about electrical “circuits”,
and saw first-hand how a circuit can be formed out of people, not just
wire. This lesson will be used during our discussion of electrical dangers
during the upcoming Readyman Badge. Lastly, they earned a little bit
about blue prints and surveying. We’re all looking forward to the
next den meeting, where the boys decided to discuss Thermodynamics and
Multivariable Calculus (not…Just checking to make sure you’re
reading this!). See you all in a couple weeks!
-Paul Boinay