The Mile Swim is a tradition at most Boy Scout summer camps. It is a challenge for Scouts to swim this far and is not unusual for them to attempt it the first year or two and not be able to complete it. But when they finally do, it gives them a great sense of accomplishment.

Boy Scouts who complete the Mile Swim receive a patch to wear on their swim trunks. There is also a wallet card available.

Mile Swim BSA Requirements

1. Explain how regular exercise contributes to good health and why swimming is one of the best forms of exercise.
2. Tell what precautions and procedures a swimmer and escort must follow for distance swimming over open water.
3. Under the supervision of a currently qualified certified aquatics instructor, BSA or equivalent, participate in 4 hours of training and preparation for distance swimming (1 hour a day maximum).
4. Swim 1 mile over a measured course that has been approved by the trained instructor who will supervise the swim.

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The Scuba Diving merit badge gives Boy Scouts the opportunity to learn all about scuba. Your local scuba shop might be a good resource. One in our area has chartered a Venture Crew with a scuba specialty.

Start with a dash of swimming skills (the Swimming merit badge). Add equal measures of aquatics first aid, safety, and conservation. Douse liberally with ADVENTURE! That’s what the Scuba Diving merit badge is all about

Scuba Diving Merit Badge Requirements

1. Do the following:
1. Show that you know first aid for injuries or illnesses that could occur while scuba diving, including hypothermia, hyperventilation, squeezes, decompression illness, nitrogen narcosis, motion sickness, fatigue, overexertion, heat reactions, dehydration, injuries by aquatic life, and cuts and scrapes.
2. Identify the conditions that must exist before performing CPR on a person, and explain how to recognize such conditions. Demonstrate the proper technique for performing CPR using a training device approved by your counselor.
2. Before completing requirements 3 through 6, earn the Swimming merit badge.
3. Discuss the Scuba Diver’s Code with your merit badge counselor, and explain the importance of each guideline to a scuba diver’s safety.
4. Earn an Open Water Diver Certification from a scuba organization recognized by the Boy Scouts of America scuba policy.
5. Explain what an ecosystem is, and describe four aquatic ecosystems a diver might experience.
6. Find out about three career opportunities in the scuba industry. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you.

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Today we honor those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. I’d like to share this poem by American author Francis Marion Crawford with you. This would make an excellent reading for any Memorial Day ceremony.

A New National Hymn

By  Francis Marion Crawford

Hail, Freedom ! thy bright crest
And gleaming shield, thrice blest,
Mirror the glories of a world thine own.
Hail, heaven-born Peace ! our sight,
Led by thy gentle light,
Shows us the paths with deathless flowers strewn.
Peace, daughter of a strife sublime,
Abide with us till strife be lost in endless time.

Her one hand seals with gold
The portals of night’s fold,
Her other the broad gates of dawn unbars;
O’er silent wastes of snows,
Crowning her lofty brows,
Gleams high her diadem of northern stars;
While, clothed in garlands of warm flowers,
Round Freedom’s feet the South her wealth of beauty showers.

Sweet is the toil of peace,
Sweet is the year’s increase,
To loyal men who live by Freedom’s laws ;
And in war’s fierce alarms
God gives stout hearts and arms
To freemen sworn to save a rightful cause.
Fear none, trust God, maintain the right,
And triumph in unbroken Union’s might.

Welded in war’s fierce flame,
Forged on the hearth of fame,
The sacred Constitution was ordained ;
Tried in the fire of time,
Tempered in woes sublime,
An age was passed and left it yet unstained.
God grant its glories still may shine,
While ages fade, forgotten, in time’s slow decline !

Honor the few who shared
Freedom’s first fight, and dared
To face war’s desperate tide at the full flood;
Who fell on hard-won ground,
And into Freedom’s wound
Poured the sweet balsam of their brave hearts’ blood.
They fell; but o’er that glorious grave
Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save.

In radiance heavenly fair,
Floats on the peaceful air
That flag that never stooped from Victory’s pride;
Those stars that softly gleam,
Those stripes that o’er us stream,
In war’s grand agony were sanctified ;
A holy standard, pure and free,
To light the home of peace, or blaze in victory.

Father, whose mighty power
Shields us through life’s short hour,
To Thee we pray : Bless us and keep us free ;
All that is past forgive ;
Teach us, henceforth, to live
That, through our country, we may honor Thee ;
And, when this mortal life shall cease,
Take Thou, at last, our souls to Thine eternal peace.

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Rowing merit badge is often completed at Boy Scout summer camp. I always enjoy seeing their skill level improve over the series of days. The first day they are often rowing around in circles, but by the end of the week they have the hang of it.

Rowing is the use of oars as a means of propelling boats, has grown from a basic method of transportation to a competitive sport and an enjoyable method of exercising.

Rowing Merit Badge Requirements

1. Show that you know first aid for injuries or illnesses that could occur while rowing, including cold and heat reactions, dehydration, contusions, lacerations, and blisters.
2. Do the following:
1. Identify the conditions that must exist before performing CPR on a person. Explain how such conditions are recognized.
2. Demonstrate proper technique for performing CPR using a training device approved by your counselor.
3. Before doing the following requirements, successfully complete the BSA swimmer test. Jump feetfirst into water over your head in depth. Level off and swim 75 yards in a strong manner using one or more of the following strokes: sidestroke, breaststroke, trudgen, or crawl; then swim 25 yards using an easy, resting backstroke. The 100 yards must be completed in one swim without stops and must include at least one sharp turn. After completing the swim, rest by floating.
4. Review and discuss Safety Afloat and demonstrate the proper fit and use of personal flotation devices (PFDs).
5. Do ONE of the following:
1. Alone or with a passenger, do the following correctly in either a fixed-seat or sliding-seat rowboat:
1. Launch.
2. Row in a straight line for a quarter mile. Stop, make a pivot turn, and return to the starting point.
3. Backwater in a straight line for 50 yards. Make a turn under way and return to the starting point.
4. Land and moor or rack your craft.
5. Tie the following mooring knots–clove hitch, roundturn with two half-hitches, bowline, Wellman’s knot, and mooring hitch.
2. Participate as a rowing team member in a competitive rowing meet. The team may be sponsored by a school, club, or Scout unit. The meet must include competition between two or more teams with different sponsors. Complete at least 10 hours of team practice prior to the meet.
6. Do one of the following:
1. In a fixed-seat rowboat, come alongside a dock and help a passenger into the boat. Pull away from the dock, change positions with your passenger, and scull in good form over the stern for 10 yards, including at least one 180-degree turn. Resume your rowing position, return alongside the pier, and help your passenger out of the boat.
2. In a sliding-seat rowboat, come alongside a pier and, with your buddy assisting you, get out onto the pier. Help your buddy into the boat. Reverse roles with your buddy and repeat the procedure.
7. Participate in a swamped boat drill including righting and stabilizing the craft, reboarding in deep water, and making headway. Tell why you should stay with a swamped boat.
8. Alone in a rowboat, push off from the shore or a dock. Row 10 yards to a swimmer. While giving instructions to the swimmer, turn the boat so that the swimmer can hold on to the stern. Tow him to shore.
9. Show or explain the proper use of anchors for rowboats.
10. Describe the following:
1. Types of crafts used in commercial, competitive, and recreational rowing.
2. Four common boatbuilding materials. Give some positive and negative points of each.
3. Types of oarlocks used in competitive and recreational rowing.
11. Discuss the following:
1. The advantage of feathering oars while rowing
2. Precautions regarding strong winds and heavy waves, and boat-handling procedures in rough water and windstorms
3. How to properly fit out and maintain a boat in season, and how to prepare and store a boat for winter
4. How to calculate the weight a boat can carry under normal conditions
5. The differences between fixed-seat and sliding-seat rowing
6. The different meanings of the term sculling in fixed- and sliding-seat rowing
7. The health benefits from rowing for exercise

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Cub Scouts who have earned their Swimming belt loop can go a step further and earn the Swimming pin from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program.  By working on the requirements for the pin, Cub Scouts will improve the swimming techniques.

Swimming Pin Requirements

Earn the Swimming belt loop, and complete five of the following requirements:

1. Practice the breathing motion of the crawl stroke while standing in shallow water. Take a breath, place your head in the water, exhale, and turn your head to the side to take a breath. Repeat.
2. Learn and demonstrate two of the following strokes: crawl, backstroke, elementary backstroke, sidestroke, or breaststroke.
3. Learn and demonstrate two of the following floating skills: prone, facedown float, and back float. The purpose of the float is to provide the swimmer the opportunity to rest in the water.
4. Using a kickboard, demonstrate three kinds of kicks.
5. Pass the “beginner” or “swimmer” swim level test.
6. Visit with a lifeguard and talk about swimming safety in various situations (pool, lake, river, ocean). Learn about the training a lifeguard needs for his or her position.
7. Explain the four rescue techniques: Reach, Throw, Row, and Go (with support)
8. Take swimming lessons.
9. Attend a swim meet at a school or community pool.
10. Tread water for 30 seconds.
11. Learn about a U.S. swimmer who has earned a medal in the Olympics. Tell your den or an adult family member what you learned about him or her.
12. Demonstrate the proper use of a mask and snorkel in a swimming area where your feet can touch the bottom

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BSA provides Wolf den meeting plans for Cub Scout den leaders. Today’s plan is a supplemental den meeting plan in which Wolf Cub Scouts go on a picnic and play some games together.  This plan covers part of  Wolf Elective 18 – Outdoor Adventure  and Wolf Elective 4 – Play a Game .

If you don’t already have the BSA den meeting plans, download BSA Supplemental Wolf Den Meeting Plan G to follow along with this article.

Wolf Den Meeting Plans –  Outdoor Adventure

Preparation and Before the Meeting

Find a good location for your picnic and make any reservations which are needed.  Let everyone know what they should bring to the picnic. Don’t forget things like paper plates, charcoal, etc.  You will also need to gather any supplies required for the games.

Gathering, Opening, and Business

See my Gathering Activities page for ideas for the gathering time. Do an opening flag ceremony.

Activities

This meeting is simply a picnic with games. The picnic itself fulfills Wolf Elective 18a

Help plan and hold a picnic with your family or den.

The games will take care of parts of Wolf Elective 4.  Choose whichever games you like:

Elective 4a: Pie-tin Washer Toss

Elective 4b: Marble Sharpshooter

Elective 4c: Ring Toss

Elective 4d: Beanbag Toss

Elective 4f: A wide-area or large group game with your den or pack.

Here are some suggestions for some wide-area games:

• Spud Game
• Steal the Bacon
• Capture the Flag
• Kick the Can
• Red Light Green Light

Closing

Do a closing flag ceremony.

After the Meeting

The Wolves should clean up the picnic area and help you put away the game supplies. And ask the parents who can help at your next meeting.

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Cub Scouts who have earned their Volleyball belt loop from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program can dig into the sport even more by earning the Volleyball pin.  They will work on skills to improve their techniques and increase their knowledge of the game.

Volleyball Pin Requirements

Earn the Volleyball belt loop, and complete five of the following requirements:

1. Compete in a pack, school, or community volleyball tournament.
2. Demonstrate skill in two volleyball passing techniques: forearm pass and overhead pass (setting).
3. Demonstrate skill in two volleyball serving techniques: underhand and overhand.
4. Spend at least 60 minutes in practice over several practice periods to develop individual skills for volleyball. Make a chart to record your practice efforts.
5. Explain how volleyball matches are scored, including the terms side-out and rally scoring.
6. Accurately lay out a volleyball court.
7. Play five games of volleyball.
8. Officiate at least three games of volleyball.
9. Explain the importance of good sportsmanship.
10. Attend a high school, college, or professional volleyball game.

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If you have a Cub Scout who really likes to golf, he can earn the Golf pin from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program.  Maybe he can even share some of his knowledge of the game with the other Scouts in his pack or den and get them interested also.

Golf Pin Requirements

Earn the Golf belt loop, and complete five of the following requirements:

1. Explain the use of woods and irons. Explain their differences.
2. Explain how par is determined for a hole.
3. Demonstrate the proper grip of the club to your leader, adult partner, or instructor.
4. Spend 30 minutes, over one or two practice periods, practicing the swing styles: full swing, approach swing, and putting swing.
5. Spend 30 minutes, over one or two practice periods, practicing aim, stance, and the address position.
6. Draw a diagram of a typical golf hole, from tee to green.
7. Demonstrate your knowledge of the use and care of golf equipment: clubs, ball, tee, bag, shoes, and gloves.
8. Describe the composition of a regulation golf ball.
9. Take golf lessons.
10. Spend 30 minutes, over one or two practice periods, hitting balls on a driving range.
11. Play miniature golf.

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Cub Scouts who like to bowl can earn the Bowling pin  from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program. By earning this recognition, they will practice skills to improve their game and learn more about the sport.

Bowling Pin Requirements

Earn the Bowling belt loop, and complete five of the following requirements:

1. Read about the history of the sport of bowling. Tell your den or an adult family member about what you learned.
2. Explain to your den or an adult family member the meaning of the following terms: strike, spare, split, miss, and foul. Show their symbols for scoring.
3. Demonstrate proper stance, delivery, balance, and follow-through to your leader or adult partner.
4. Try different types of delivery and hand positions and see which work best for you.
5. Score a complete game using a score sheet and the proper symbols, or explain the symbols and scoring on a computer-generated score sheet..
6. Play at least four games and chart your progress. Figure out your average score.
7. Compete in a Scout, family, school, or community bowling tournament.
8. Take bowling lessons.
9. Attend a parent, high school, college, or professional bowling competition.
10. Visit a bowling alley and learn about the care and maintenance of the bowling lanes, pins, and racks.

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Boy Scouts who are interested in history can earn the American Heritage merit badge and learn about our past.

Every Scout swears to an oath that includes duty to his country. A better understanding of American heritage, the ways in which the past has lead to our present nation, is key to truly knowing what it means to be an American.

American Heritage Merit Badge Requirements

1. Read the Declaration of Independence. Pay close attention to the section that begins with “We hold these truths to be self-evident” and ends with “to provide new Guards for their future security.” Rewrite that section in your own words, making it as easy to understand as possible. Then, share your writing with your merit badge counselor and discuss the importance of the Declaration to all Americans.
2. Do TWO of the following:
   1. Select two individuals from American history, one a political leader (a president, senator, etc.) and the other a private citizen (a writer, religious leader, etc.). Find out about each person’s accomplishments and compare the contributions each has made to America’s heritage.
   2. With your counselor’s approval, choose an organization that has promoted some type of positive change in American society. Find out why the organization believed this change was necessary and how it helped to accomplish the change. Discuss how this organization is related to events or situations from America’s past.
   3. With your counselor’s approval, interview two veterans of the U.S. military. Find out what their experiences were like. Ask the veterans what they believe they accomplished.
   4.  With your counselor’s approval, interview three people in your community of different ages and occupations. Ask these people what America means to them, what they think is special about this country, and what American traditions they feel are important to preserve.
3. Do the following:
   1. Select a topic that is currently in the news. Describe to your counselor what is happening. Explain how today’s events are related to or affected by the events and values of America’s past.
   2. For each of the following, describe its adoption, tell about any changes since its adoption, and explain how each one continues to influence Americans today: the flag, the Pledge of Allegiance, the seal, the motto, and the national anthem.
   3. Research your family’s history. Find out how various events and situations in American history affected your family. Share what you find with your counselor. Tell why your family came to America.
4. Do TWO of the following:
   1. Explain what is meant by the National Register of Historic Places. Describe how a property becomes eligible for listing. Make a map of your local area, marking the points of historical interest. Tell about any National Register properties in your area. Share the map with your counselor, and describe the historical points you have indicated.
   2. Research an event of historical importance that took place in or near your area. If possible, visit the place. Tell your counselor about the event and how it affected local history. Describe how the area looked then and what it now looks like.
   3. Find out when, why, and how your town or neighborhood started, and what ethnic, national, or racial groups played a part. Find out how the area has changed over the past 50 years and try to explain why.
   4. Take an active part in a program about an event or person in American history. Report to your counselor about the program, the part you took, and the subject.
   5. Visit a historic trail or walk in your area. After your visit, share with your counselor what you have learned. Discuss the importance of this location and explain why you think it might qualify for National Register listing.
5. Do ONE of the following:
   1. Watch two motion pictures (with the approval and permission of your counselor and parent) that are set in some period of American history. Describe to your counselor how accurate each film is with regard to the historical events depicted and also with regard to the way the characters are portrayed.
   2. Read a biography (with your counselor’s approval) of someone who has made a contribution to America’s heritage. Tell some things you admire about this individual and some things you do not admire. Explain why you think this person has made a positive or a negative contribution to America’s heritage.
   3. Listen to recordings of popular songs from various periods of American history. Share five of these songs with your counselor, and describe how each song reflects the way people felt about the period in which it was popular. If a recording is not available, have a copy of the lyrics available.
6. Discuss with your counselor the career opportunities in American heritage. Pick one that interests you and explain how to prepare for this career. Discuss what education and training are required for this career.

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BSA offers supplemental pack program ideas for each month. One of the Cub Scout themes for the May core value of Health and Fitness is a Destination Parks theme.

Here is what the program helps say about this theme:

Destination Parks is a natural theme partner to health and fitness. May is a great time to get outdoors and explore nature while improving our health by walking, hiking, bicycling, and playing games and sports. Scouts keep fit by doing outdoor activities that keep them physically active as they earn Scouting awards. Local parks provide that opportunity close to home.

So this theme is based on the idea improving fitness by getting involved in some outdoor activity.  Below you’ll find some ways to form your pack and den programs around this theme which can be done at your local park.

Cub Scout Themes – Destination Parks (Health and Fitness)

Tiger Cub Scouts

• Tiger Achievement 5 – Lets Go Outdoors
• Tiger Elective 29 – Safety in the Sun
• Tiger Elective 33 – Cleanup Treasure Hunt
• Tiger Elective 34 – Conservation
• Tiger Elective 35 – Fun Outdoors
• Tiger Elective 37 – Take a Bicycle Ride

Wolf Cub Scouts

• Wolf Achievement 7 – Your Living World
• Wolf Elective 18 – Outdoor Adventure
• Wolf Elective 19 – Fishing
• Wolf Elective 20 – Sports
• Wolf Elective 23 – Lets Go Camping

Bear Cub Scouts

• Bear Achievement 5 – Sharing Your World with Wildlife
• Bear Achievement 6 – Take Care of Your Planet
• Bear Achievement 12 – Family Outdoor Adventure
• Bear Achievement 14 – Ride Right
• Bear Achievement 15 – Games, Games, Games!
• Bear Achievement 16 – Building Muscles
• Bear Achievement 23 – Sports, Sports, Sports
• Bear Elective 14 – Landscaping
• Bear Elective 15 – Water and Soil Conservation
• Bear Elective 18 – Backyard Gym
• Bear Elective 25 – Lets Go Camping

Webelos

• Athlete Activity Badge
• Forester Activity Badge
• Naturalist Activity Badge
• Outdoorsman Activity Badge
• Sportsman Activity Badge
• Arrow of Light Badge

Academics and Sports Program

• Bicycling Belt Loop and Pin
• Fishing Belt Loop and Pin
• Hiking Belt Loop and Pin
• Horseback Riding Belt Loop and Pin
• Map and Compass Belt Loop and Pin
• Wildlife Conservation Belt Loop and Pin

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Cub Scouts who are interested in other parts of the world can earn their Language and Culture pin from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program. Maybe it will even interest them enough to find a Scout in another country who is interested in being a pen pal.

Language and Culture Pin Requirements

Earn the Language and Culture belt loop, and complete seven of the following requirements:

1. Earn the BSA Interpreter Strip.
2. Write the numbers 1-10 in Chinese or another number system other than the one we normally use (we use the Arabic system).
3. Visit an embassy, consulate, or chargé d’affaires for another country.
4. Make a display of stamps or postcards of another country. Explain the importance or symbolism of the things depicted to that country’s culture.
5. Learn 30 words in a language other than your own. Practice saying these words with your den or an adult family member.
6. Learn a song in another country’s language. Sing he song for your den or an adult family member, and then tell what the words mean.
7. Say five words in American Sign Language. One of these words could be your first name.
8. Visit a restaurant that specializes in recipes from another country.
9. Watch a TV show or movie in a foreign language. Tell how easy or difficult it was to understand what was happening.
10. With your parent’s or adult partner’s permission, interview an interpreter. Find out what his or her job is like.
11. Make a list of 30 things around your home that were made in another country.
12. Read a book or story about an immigrant to the United States.

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To earn the Venturing Ranger award, a young man or woman must complete eight core requirements and four electives. One of the electives to meet the Ranger award requirements is Physical Fitness.

To complete the Venturing Ranger Award requirements for Physical Fitness, a Venturer must develop and carry out a physical fitness program.  Then he or she must teach another group how to set up a physical fitness program.

Venturing Ranger Award Requirements - Physical Fitness

1. Make an appointment with your doctor for a complete physical. Explain to your doctor you are preparing to undertake an eight-week physical fitness improvement program.
2. Explain at least six principles that guide you in developing a physical fitness program.
3. Four components of physical fitness are endurance, strength, flexibility, and body composition.
   1. Explain why these components are important to your physical fitness.
   2. Find a physical fitness professional to administer a fitness test based on these four components. Set physical fitness goals with the help of this professional that can be accomplished in eight weeks. The physical education teachers at school should be able to do this test.
4. Develop an eight-week program to accomplish your goals. Use the principles of warm-up, cross-training, cool-down, and regularity.
5. Explain the six elements of a good diet.
6. Using the USDA Food Guide Pyramid, list six foods from each group.
7. Learn to calculate the number of calories you need if you are sedentary, moderately active, or active.
8. Explain the common eating disorders anorexia and bulimia and why they are harmful to athletes.
9. Explain the hazards of performance-enhancing drugs, including the dangers of using each of the following groups of drugs: stimulants, painkillers, anabolic steroids, beta blockers, diuretics, alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine.
10. Prevention of injury is important to achieving peak physical performance. Pain is not a normal part of physical development. Soreness and discomfort may be expected, but not pain. Explain how to prevent injury in your fitness program.
11. Using what you have learned about physical fitness, teach your crew, a Cub or Boy Scout group, or another group about setting up a physical fitness program.

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BSA provides Webelos den meeting ideas for Cub Scout den leaders on the Scouting.org website.  The fourth in the Arrow of Light series of Webelos den meeting plans covers part of the Sportsman Activity Badge.

In order to complete the Sportsman activity badge,  Webelos must earn at least two team sport belt loops and two individual sport belt loops while Webelos. This den meeting plan covers one of the team sport belt loops – the Ultimate Belt Loop.

If you don’t already have the BSA Webelos den meeting plans, download BSA Arrow of Light Meeting Plan 4 to follow along with this article.

Arrow of Light Den Meeting Plans: BSA Plans #4 - Sportsman

Preparation and Before the Meeting

Arrange to meet at a location suitable for playing Ultimate.  Ultimate does not require a lot of equipment but you will need a few discs (frisbees) and some way to mark off the playing area.

Gathering

Let them practice their frisbee tossing skills during the gathering time.

Opening

Say the Scout Law.

Business

Hand out recognitions.

Activities

You will be doing part of Sportsman requirement 4:

 Sportsman requirement 4: While you are a Webelos Scout, earn Cub Scouting Sports belt loops for two team sports (baseball, basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball, flag football, or ultimate).

The requirements for the Ultimate Belt Loop  are:

Explain the rules for ultimate.
Practice ultimate for 30 minutes.
Play a game of ultimate

If you are not sure of the rules, you could invite a local ultimate team to help out. My second oldest, DS, plays on the ultimate team at his high school and they enjoy sharing their knowledge of the sport with others. If you do not have an ultimate team in your area, check out Essential Ultimate: Teaching, Coaching, Playing as a resource.

Closing

Close with the Scout Oath.

After the Meeting

Have the Webelos help clean up the equipment and line up some parents to help out at the next meeting.

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It is basketball season again. If you have a Cub Scout who plays basketball, see if you can interest him in the Basketball pin from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program. If he plays on an organized team he has probably already completed many of the requirements for this recognition.

Basketball Pin Requirements

Earn the Basketball belt loop, and complete five of the following requirements:

1. Compete in a pack or community basketball tournament.
2. Demonstrate effective passing using the chest pass, bounce pass, over-the-head pass, and baseball pass.
3. Successfully demonstrate the set shot and jump shot shooting styles.
4. Demonstrate skill in the following dribbling techniques: high dribble, low dribble, turnable dribble, change-of-pace dribble, and combination dribble.
5. On three different occasions, spend at least 30 minutes developing individual defensive skills.
6. Explain and demonstrate 10 official basketball signals.
7. Play three shot-improving games with a member of your den or team.
8. Play five games of basketball.
9. Participate in a basketball clinic.
10. Attend a high school, college, or professional basketball game.

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BSA provides a set of Tiger den meeting plans for Cub Scout den leaders. There are 16 basic Tiger den meeting plans and then some additional supplemental Tiger den meeting ideas. This den meeting plan covers Tiger Elective 38 – Bicycle Repair and Tiger Elective 37 – Take a Bicycle Ride.

You can download the complete meeting plan from the BSA website: Printable copy of BSA Tiger Den Meeting Supplemental Plan J – Go See It: Visit a Bike Repair Shop and Take a Bike Ride

Tiger Den Meeting Ideas - Go See It: Visit a Bike Repair Shop and Take a Bike Ride

Preparation and Before the Meeting

To prepare for this meeting, contact a local bike shop and see if they will let you visit.  Plan a route for your bicycle ride and get the information out to all of the parents.

Gathering

If space permits, this Bicycle License Plate Craft makes a fun gathering activity for this meeting.

Opening and Business

Keep it simple. You might not have a flag where you are visiting, but you could say the Cub Scout Promise.

Activities

You will be doing two Tiger Cub Scout electives:

Elective 38 : Visit a bike repair shop.

Elective 37:  Take a bike ride with your adult partner.

Here are some other articles which you might find helpful:

• Cycling Safety Crossword Puzzle
• Bicycle Helmet Fitting
• BSA Bike Safety Guidelines
• Bike Inspection Checklist
• Bike Repair Tips

I also recommend you look at the requirements for the Bicycling Belt Loop for Cub Scouts. You are doing most of the beltloop requirements during this meeting, so you can probably help your Tiger Cubs complete this recognition also.

Closing

Keep it simple. Say the Law of the Pack.

After the Meeting

Have the Tigers thank the bicycle shop owners and employees. And don’t forget to inform the parents about the next meeting and how they can help.

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The Game Design merit badge for Boy Scouts was released on March 6, 2013. This badge give Scouts the opportunity to design and prototype a game. The game can be electronic, athletic, tabletop, or a pen and paper game. So this badge will appeal to all sorts of youth – from the one who makes up his own games with a pencil and pad of paper while travelling in a car to the sports nut who wants to make something new by combining three of his favorite sports.

Game Design Merit Badge Requirements

1. Do the following:
   1. Analyze four games you have played, each from a different medium. Identify the medium, player format, objectives, rules, resources, and theme (if relevant). Discuss with your counselor the play experience, what you enjoy in each game, and what you dislike. Make a chart to compare and contrast the games.
   2. Describe four types of play value and provide an example of a game built around each concept. Discuss with your counselor other reasons people play games.
2. Discuss with your counselor five of the following 17 game design terms. For each term that you pick, describe how it relates to a specific game.
   1. Thematic game elements: story, setting, characters
   2. Gameplay elements: play sequence, level design, interface design
   3. Game analysis: difficulty, balance, depth, pace, replay value, age appropriateness
   4. Related terms: single-player vs. multiplayer, cooperative vs. competitive, turn-based vs. real-time, strategy vs. reflex vs. chance, abstract vs. thematic
3. Define the term intellectual property. Describe the types of intellectual property associated with the game design industry. Describe how intellectual property is protected and why protection is necessary. Define and give an example of a licensed property.
4. Do the following:
   1. Pick a game where the players can change the rules or objectives (examples: basketball, hearts, chess, kickball). Briefly summarize the standard rules and objectives and play through the game normally.
   2. Propose changes to several rules or objectives. Predict how each change will affect gameplay.
   3. Play the game with one rule or objective change, observing how the players’ actions and emotional experiences are affected by the rule change. Repeat this process with two other changes.
   4. Explain to your counselor how the changes affected the actions and experience of the players. Discuss the accuracy of your predictions.
5. Design a new game. Any game medium or combination of mediums is acceptable. Record your work in a game design notebook.
   1. Write a vision statement for your game. Identify the medium, player format, objectives, and theme of the game. If suitable, describe the setting, story, and characters.
   2. Describe the play value.
   3. Make a preliminary list of the rules of the game. Define the resources.
   4. Draw the game elements.
6. Do the following:
   1. Prototype your game from requirement 5. If applicable, demonstrate to your counselor that you have addressed player safety through the rules and equipment. You must have your merit badge counselor’s approval of your concept before you begin creating the prototype.
   2. Test your prototype with as many other people as you need to meet the player format. Compare the play experience to your descriptions from requirement 5b. Correct unclear rules, holes in the rules, dead ends, and obvious rule exploits. Change at least one rule, mechanic, or objective from your first version of the game, and describe why you are making the change. Play the game again. Record whether or not your change had the expected effect.
   3. Repeat 6b at least two more times.
7. Blind test your game. Do the following:
   1. Write an instruction sheet that includes all of the information needed to play the game. Clearly describe how to set up the game, play the game, and end the game. List the game objectives.
   2. Share your prototype from requirement 6a with a group of players that has not played it or witnessed a previous playtest. Provide them with your instruction sheet(s) and any physical components. Watch them play the game, but do not provide them with instruction. Record their feedback in your game design notebook.
   3. Share your game design notebook with your counselor. Discuss the player reactions to your project and what you learned about the game design process. Based on your testing, determine what you like most about your game and suggest one or more changes.
8. Do ONE of the following:
   1. With your parent’s permission and your counselor’s approval, visit with a professional in the game development industry and ask him or her about his or her job and how it fits into the overall development process. Alternately, meet with a professional in game development education and discuss the skills he or she emphasizes in the classroom.
   2. List three career opportunities in game development. Pick one and find out about the education, training, and experience required for the profession. Discuss this with your counselor. Explain why this profession might interest you.

Copyright Scouter Mom - A resource for adults and youth involved in Scouting

BSA offers supplemental pack program ideas for each month. One theme for the April core value of  Faith  is a My Family Tree  theme.

Here is what the program helps say about this theme:

Faith means having inner strength and confidence based on trust in a higher power. Understanding one’s family tree, ancestors, and heritage brings stories to life of the strength and confidence of our family members. It also tells of their belief and trust in a higher power to help bring them safely to the United States. In years past, many immigrants traveled by boat. What faith they had in that boat that would change their lives!

So this theme is based on the idea of the faith our ancestors had to set out into the world, especially those who traveled by boat. Below you’ll find some ways to form your pack and den programs around this theme.

One suggestion is to have a Raingutter Regatta. If you have never done a Raingutter Regatta, consider adding it to your pack program. The kits (available at your local Scout shop) are similar to the Pinewood Derby kits, but easier to put together. And the track is simply a raingutter filled with water.

April Cub Scout Theme – My Family Tree (Faith)

Tiger Cub Scouts

• Making My Family Special

Wolf Cub Scouts

•  Wolf Elective 5 – Spare Time Fun

Bear Cub Scouts

•  Bear Achievement 8 – The Past Is Exciting and Important
• Bear Achievement 21 – Build a Model
• Bear Elective 5 – Boats

Webelos

• Craftsman Activity Badge

Academics and Sports Program

• Heritages Belt Loop and Pin

Copyright Scouter Mom - A resource for adults and youth involved in Scouting

If you know a Boy Scout who loves golf, then he is lucky because there is a Golf merit badge just for him.

Golf is unique because the players police themselves. Other sports depend upon referees or umpires to apply penalties when there are infractions of the rules. In golf, every player is expected to act honorably, and the welfare and integrity of the game rely on every player’s honesty. This is why golf often is referred to as a “gentleman’s game.”

Golf Merit Badge Requirements

1. Discuss safety on the golf course. Show that you know first aid for injuries or illnesses that could occur while golfing, including heat reactions, dehydration, blisters, sprains, and strains.
2. Study the USGA “Rules of Golf” now in use.
1. Tell about the three categories of golf etiquette.
2. Demonstrate that you understand the definitions of golf terms.
3. Show that you understand the “Rules of Amateur Status.”
3. Tell about your understanding of the USGA system of handicapping.
4. Do the following:
1. Tell about the early history of golf.
2. Describe golf’s early years in the United States.
3. Tell about the accomplishments of a top golfer of your choice.
5. Discuss with your counselor vocational opportunities related to golf.
6. Do the following:
1. Tell how golf can contribute to a healthy lifestyle, mentally and physically.
2. Tell how a golf exercise plan can help you play better. Show two exercises that would help improve your game.
7. Show the following:
1. The proper grip, stance, posture, and key fundamentals of a good swing
2. The full wood shot, played from a tee
3. The fairway wood shot
4. The long iron shot
5. The short iron shot
6. The approach, chip-and-run, and pitch shots
7. The sand iron shot, bunker, or heavy rough recovery shots
8. A sound putting stroke
8. Play a minimum of two nine-hole rounds or one 18-hole round of golf with another golfer about your age and with your counselor, or an adult approved by your counselor. Do the following:
1. Follow the “Rules of Golf.”
2. Practice good golf etiquette.
3. Show respect to fellow golfers, committee, sponsor, and gallery.

Copyright Scouter Mom - A resource for adults and youth involved in Scouting

Baseball is more popular with boys in our area than softball, but some play the sport. A pack game of softball would be a good way to earn the Softball belt loop  from the Cub Scout Academics and Sports program.

Webelos who earn the Softball Belt Loop while a Webelos also complete part of requirement 4 for the Sportsman activity badge.

Softball Belt Loop Requirements

Complete these three requirements:

1. Explain the rules of softball to your leader or adult partner.
2. Spend at least 30 minutes practicing softball skills.
3. Participate in a softball game.

Copyright Scouter Mom - A resource for adults and youth involved in Scouting