A typical year with Pack 109

Pack meetings occur on the third Friday of each month (some exceptions) at Bacon Academy Cafeteria.  Here we perform skits, receive awards in cool ceremonies, do fun games, and do fun sing alongs.

Den meetings which consist of smaller groups of scouts (6-8) at the same grade level occur several times a month, usually at someone’s house.  There scouts work on advancement requirements, build stuff, learn about science and nature, and do other fun and interesting things.

The Pack goes on a monthly hike, year round, rain or shine or snow (unless is dangerously slippery).  These rain or shine hikes help them prepare for Boy Scouting.  Patches are presented for reaching hiking milestones (5, 10, 20 miles, etc).  Once a boy reaches the 50-mile mark, a custom hiking stick is made and presented to him at a Pack meeting.

We do two family camp outs a year (one in the fall and one in the early summer) at local youth camp sites, such as Devil’s Hopyard, Hurd Park, Gay City State Park, etc.  Everyone is invited (moms, dads and siblings too).

In January, we have our big pinewood derby where a parent, uncle, or grandparent works with the scout to build a car from a pinewood derby kit (block of pine with wheels and axles) and then race them on our state-of-the-art race track/computer system.  Trophies are awarded to the top three finishers of each rank.  Everyone goes home with a souvenir patch.

February is the time for our Blue & Gold Banquet where we celebrate the anniversary of Boy Scouting in the U.S.A. (February 8, 1910).   The event features a dinner, entertainment (e.g. a magician), Arrow of Light awards (highest rank in Cub Scouting), and cross-over of the older Cub Scouts into Boy Scouts.

At our April Pack meeting, we either have a carnival or a box car rally.   For the carnival, each den provide a game or activity with small favors for participating.  For the box car rally, each den builds a cardboard vehicle that they race around an course stopping to, for example, “fix a flat” (take off shoes and put them back on), “gas up” (drink a cup of water), and “change drivers” (switch positions).

In May we have a fishing derby at Day Pond run by the Boy Scouts of Troop 109.  Prizes are given out for largest fish and most fish catch at each rank.

In Spring, we also do our Big Trip.  Sometimes these are day trips on chartered buses (e.g., we’ve gone to NE Aquarium, NYC Museum of Natural History, NYC Liberty Science Center, Connecticut Science Center, and Statue of Liberty).  We also do sleepovers on the Battleship MA in Fall River and the Intrepid Aircraft Carrier in NYC.  This year we’re planning on another Battleship MA sleepover.

We always honor our fallen soldiers by participating in our Towns Memorial Day Parade, winning one of three awards four consecutive years.

In the summer, many go to Day or Resident camp with their den at Camp Tadma in Bozrah.

We also do two service projects each year (Scouting for Food and a clean up project at Linwood Cemetery) and participate in Mohegan District/Connecticut Rivers Council events, such as District Tiger Safari, Webeloree and Council Jamborees.