The Cub Scout core value for the month of April is Faith. BSA has a Cub Scout pack meeting plan called My Family Tree related to this core value. The My Family Tree meeting plan features ideas for the core value of faith- games, group activities, songs, and more includes a Raingutter Regatta as the featured activity. There are instructions for making Raingutter Regatta boats from household items in the pack meeting plan (link below).

For more ideas for use with this program theme, see the My Family Tree page.

The core value of Faith should still be the focus for the month.  Here is how the BSA plan suggests tying together this theme with April’s core value of  Faith:

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!

Cub Scout Pack Meeting Plan for April - My Family Tree (Faith)

This Cub Scout pack meeting plan includes the following – all within a faith theme. See the meeting plan for details.

• Gathering activity – Map activity and Passport Game, Around the World in Five Minutes, work on Raingutter Regatta boats
• Opening ceremony – “Family” Opening Ceremony
• Family Tree Prayer
• Wind in the Trees Cheer, Den Number Cheer, Family cheer
• How Did You Get Here? Skit and The True Hardship of Our Ancestors Skit
• Fan applause, Holland Windmill applause, and Round of Applause applause
• Finger Food Run On
• Greece joke, Noise joke, Library joke, and Smile joke
• Song – It’s a Cub World (to the tune of It’s a Small World) and Family Trees (to the tune of Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes)
• Activity – Den Demonstrations, Raingutter Regatta, and Faith and Our Ancestors Interviews
• Family Tree Recognition Ceremony
• “The Family Tree” Poem Cubmaster Minute
• Circle of Hands Closing Ceremony

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BSA provides Cub Scout Pack meeting plans for each month’s core value. The core value for the month of February is Resourcefulness. A February supplemental meeting plan theme called Turn Back the Clock has recently been posted to the BSA website. For more ideas for use with this theme, see my Turn Back the Clock Program Theme for Cub Scouts page.

The core value should still be the focus for the month, but the new theme based Pack meetings provide a new ways to present the ideas. Here is how the BSA plan suggests tying together this history based theme with February’s core value of Resourcefulness.

When you look back in time, it is easy to find many examples of resourcefulness, using human and other resources to their fullest. Whether it is the Ice Age, the Wild West, the Space Age, or the 1950s, each time period had people with goals who used the resources available to them to make their lives better.

Since this is the February theme, it assumes that your Pack meeting will be your annual Pack Blue and Gold banquet.

This meeting plan includes the following – all within a resourcefulness theme. See the meeting plan for details.

• Gathering activities - A word search which can also double as a place mat
• Opening ceremony - Resourcefulness
• A prayer for your banquet
• Song - We Are a Cub Scout Pack (To the tune of Hickory Dickory Dock)
• Ideas for den skits
• Audience participation – putting together phrases to make up a story, a little bit like Mad Libs
• A Turn Back the Clock recognition ceremony
• A Resourcefulness Cubmaster Minute
• A simple closing ceremony

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As I mentioned last month, BSA is providing some supplemental theme based Pack meeting plans. This makes sense, because you can’t run the same Pack meeting plan in February year after year. I’ve heard it through the grapevine that one of the supplemental plans for February will be a Turn Back the Clock theme. This one was the program theme at least a couple of times in the past. So I’ll be adding some ideas related to the theme this month.

Here is what the old program helps said about this theme:

“Turn Back the Clock” and see what the world was like in the past. Learn about an era of your choice with songs, games, and transportation from the time that you choose. Whether it is the Space Age, the Wild West, rock-n-roll, or the Ice Age, each time period had something special about it. Construct a pack “time machine” to help introduce the den’s era skits or demonstrations at the blue and gold banquet. Whatever you choose, find the “best” in your time period and share it with others. The boys can work on the Heritages belt loop and pin this month.

The helps specifically mention the Heritages Belt Loop and Pin, but this history based theme also fits in well with a number of Cub Scout achievements and electives:

• Tiger Achievement 1 – Making My Family Special
• 1G (Go See It): Go to a library, historical society, museum, old farm, or historical building, or visit an older person in your community.  Discover how family life was the same and how it was different many years ago.
• Wolf Achievement 4 – Know Your Home and Community
• 4F: Visit an important place in your community, such as a historic or government location. Explain why it is important.
•  Bear Achievement 3 – What Makes America Special?
• 3C: Find out something about the old homes near where you live. Go and see two of them.
• 3D: Find out where places of historical interest are located in or near your town or city. Go and visit one of them with your family or den.
• Bear Achievement 8 – The Past Is Exciting and Important
• 8A: Visit your library or newspaper office. Ask to see back issues of newspapers or an almanac.
• 8B: Find someone who was a Cub Scout a long time ago. Talk with him about what Cub Scouting was like then.
• 8C: Start or add to an existing den or pack scrapbook.
• 8D: Trace your family back through your grandparents or great-grandparents; or, talk to a grandparent about what it was like when he or she was younger.
• 8E: Find out some history about your community.
• 8F: Start your own history: keep a journal for 2 weeks.
• 8G: Complete the Character Connection for Respect.
  • Know. As you learn about how Cub Scout-age life was like for adults you know, does what you learn change what you think about them. Tell how it might help you respect or value them more.
  • Commit. Can you think of reasons others might be disrespectful to people or things you value? Name one new way you will show respect for a person or thing someone else values.
  • Practice. List some ways you can show respect for people and events in the past.
• Webelos Family Member Activity Badge
• 12: While you are a Webelos Scout, earn the Academics belt loop for Heritages

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Helping Scouts look back at their family heritage fits in with February’s Turn Back the Clock Theme program theme. Scouts can download this Family Tree Template to write in their family back to their great grandparents.

When doing this activity, I always told Scouts to feel free to write other names on the paper outside the boxes. They put siblings next to their own names, cousins and aunts and uncles around the edges. This is their story. The template is just to help them get started. Every family is unique and they should make this activity their own.

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The My Story Mystery Game is a great way to get to know some “history” about a group of individuals. It makes a great icebreaker. It can also serve as an introduction to a discussion about oral history and storytelling.

My Story Mystery Game

Materials

• Small slips of paper or index cards (one per player)
• Pencils (one per player)
• Container

Instructions

1. Give each player a pencil and a piece of paper.
2. Have them write a few sentences about something which actually happened to them recently. Explain that the others will have to guess who wrote it, so they should not use their name or write something the others already know about in the story.
3. They must also write their name on the paper, so the leader will know whose story it is.
4. Put all of the stories in the container and mix.
5. The leader selects three of the stories from the container and those three people go to the front of the group.
6. The leader tells the three stories which were selected.
7. Each of the people in the front of the room tells two more stories (limit the length), so they audience can hear their story telling style.
8. The members of the audience get together and try to decide which story belongs to which person.

Notes
This game will be more fun if played multiple times. That way your Scouts will understand the game better.
Make sure each Scout gets at least one turn to be one of the three people standing in front.

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The Junior Assistant Scoutmaster is a youth member of a Boy Scout troop who serves in the capacity of an Assistant Scoutmaster except where legal age and maturity are required. He must be at least 16 years old and not yet 18. He is appointed by the Scoutmaster because of his demonstrated leadership ability.

In our troop, this position is reserved for Eagle Scouts, although this is not a BSA requirement. We have enough other open positions for those who need leadership positions for advancement.  We often are struggling to get enough Scouts to be SPL, ASPL, patrol leaders, troop guides, and instructors. JD has served as a JASM since he turned 16, although he is finishing up his final six months as a Boy Scout as SPL.

The description and requirements below are an example. Adjust them as necessary to meet the needs of your troop. The printable copy also includes a self evaluation form for the position.

Printable copy of Junior Assistant Scoutmaster Description and Self Evaluation

Junior Assistant Scoutmaster

Qualifications:

• Appointed by Scoutmaster
• At least 16 years old
• Eagle Scout

Reports to: Scoutmaster

Trained by: Scoutmaster

Junior Assistant Scoutmaster Duties:

• Function as an Assistant Scoutmaster (except for leadership responsibilities reserved for adults 18 years of age or older).
• Accomplish any duties assigned by the Scoutmaster.
• Arrive 5 minutes before the start of troop meetings.
• Participate in outings, service projects, events, etc. Attendance expectation 50%
• Attend troop meetings. Attendance expectation 50%
• Set a good example.
• Wear the field uniform (class A) correctly to all regular troop meetings and religious services.
• Wear the activity uniform (class B t-shirt) to all outings and other troop activities.
• Live by the Scout Oath and Law.
• Show Scout spirit.

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My Webelos had a great weekend at our district Spring Camporee.  Three of my four Webelos attended. Fortunately the severe weather which had been predicted earlier for late Saturday afternoon passed to the south of us, so we did not have to bug out early. The field was wet and muddy and there was some rain, but that didn’t dampen their spirits.

In the past, Webelos and Boy Scouts have usually camped separately at our district camporees. When I got there, I asked which area was for Webelos, and they said we could camp anywhere. I asked “So we can camp with our troop?” and staff said “Yes, we encourage it.”  Yeah!

The Webelos stuck together for the most part, but did interact with the older scouts hanging around the campfire. Plus my son DS, who is a Webelos den chief, was camping with the troop, so he was available a little bit to help instruct them with camp skills. And by camping with them we fulfilled part of Arrow of Light Requirement 4. We will camp again with them sometime before they cross over, but that will probably be cabin camping in December.

The Webelos really enjoyed the camporee games. Their favorite was the fire building. The troop had participated in a fire building competition for Boy Scouts earlier in the day. They had prepared quite a few “snot balls” (cotton balls with petroleum jelly). They gave their leftover snot balls to the Webelos to use at their fire building activity and the Webelos really had fun using them.

Overall, my Webelos den really had a great time. And now all four of them have signed up for summer camp in June. It is fun to take them camping when they are so enthusiastic.

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For most Cub Scouts, this will be an easy achievement to do at home with their families. Our family has “game night” once every weekend where we sit down and play a board game together. So requirement 10g was always a piece of cake.  And we like to go hiking, so 10c also comes naturally. And the other options are very reasonalbel also. That just leaves the Character Connection, which just takes a few minutes.

But what if you are the den leader and you have one of those families in your den which never seems to be able to complete the requirements at home? Try planning a family day at a local park for your den. Every Wolf should be asked to bring at least one family member, but more could participate. It doesn’t have to be long – an hour will work. Go for a walk together, play Eagle Golf (see the book), and do the Character Connection.  Done! Yes, it would be nice if all of the families would do some of the work on their own, but sometimes you have some in a den who just need a little help.

Requirements for Wolf Achievement 10 – Family Fun

Complete this:

10a. Complete the Character Connection for Cooperation.

• Know . Discuss these questions with your family: What is “cooperation”? Why do people need to cooperate when they are doing things together? Name some ways that you can be helpful and cooperate with others.
• Commit. Discuss with your family what makes it hard to cooperate. How do listening, sharing, and persuading help us cooperate?
• Practice. Practice being cooperative while doing the requirements for “Family Fun.”

And do two of these
10b. Make a game like one of the ones shown in the handbook. Play it with your family. (Eagle Golf, Bean Bag Archery, see Scouter Mom’s site for more games you can make.)
10c. Plan a walk. Go to a park or a wooded area, or visit a zoo or museum with your family.
1od. Read a book or Boys’ Life magazine with your family. Take turns reading aloud.
10e. Decide with Akela. what you will watch on television or listen to on the radio.
10f. Attend a concert, a play, or other live program with your family.
10g. Have a family Board Game night at home with members of your family.

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My son JD is the new Senior Patrol Leader for our troop. He is currently putting his leadership team together. Then they will have to dive right into program planning. One thing which can help with this is the BSA troop program features.

If the youth leadership for your Boy Scout troop hasn’t looked into these, I suggest you make them aware of them. You can find the program helps for these features on the BSA website.

Volume 1 starts out with a section about program planning which is very helpful and is geared to the Scoutmaster and the youth leadership, to teach them how the planning process is supposed to work. I think some people might say that Step 1 should be more carried out by the SPL than the Scoutmaster, but this is straight from BSA.

This first section breaks the planning process into several steps :

Do your homework – The Scoutmaster finds out about important council and district calendar dates, making a list of available resources, reviewing scout advancement,  making a list of possible goals, and thinking about what program features the troop could feasibly do. The Scoutmaster is then supposed to go to the troop committee to review what he or she has put together.  Then the Scoutmaster meets with the SPL and ASPL to communicate the information he or she has gathered.

Get Patrol Input – The SPL and ASPL take charge of planning with the patrol leaders.

Annual Program Planning Conference – The SPL and ASPL, under the guidance of the Scoutmaster, lay out a long term plan for the troop. The BSA document includes a sample agenda and some forms to help out. So if the Scouters and youth leadership in your troop are not familiar with these documents, I suggest you check them out.

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During our recent spring break road trip, we camped at the New Orleans West KOA Campground. KOA campgrounds tend to be a little more expensive than camping in state parks, but you get some nice perks for your extra dollars.

First of all, the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Our van broke down while we were pulling in to the campground and they were very nice. One of the gentlemen who wasn’t even on duty got a golf cart and helped us get all our our gear to our campsite. And the others helped us call a tow truck and get assistance for us. And the staff was very knowledgeable about driving around the area and the best way to get from here to there, which is important in New Orleans which isn’t always easy to navigate.

Our campsite was a little cramped for tent camping, but we managed to pitch two tents. All of the sites are water/electric sites. Free wi-fi was available. They also run a shuttle to the French Quarter every day.

The office/store had a pot of coffee available, which my husband appreciated. We also purchased our ice there. And they were handing out Mardi Gras beads which my little guys liked. The bathrooms and showers were well kept and spotless.

They had a small playground. My boys made good use of the tether ball. They also have a pool.

There are no grills here, so bring your stove or grill. Or just find a local park if you want to cook something.

I would definitely recommend this campground. The neighborhood felt very safe and it was definitely a more economical way for the six of us to visit New Orleans than staying in a hotel.

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This is LC’s favorite skit. I hope you’ve seen it. If not, I’ll describe it below. I’ll try to do it justice.

One of the great things about this skit is that the characters can be changed around a little to make it more fun. I’ve seen a very funny Star Wars version. And I remember one with the Kool Aid man in it from a while back. I can’t remember exactly how he fit in, but I remember he kept saying “Oh Yeah…”.

Most of the time, I’ve seen this done with just two people. They just keep moving down the line, switching characters. I have seen larger groups do it also though, with each person just playing one of the characters, but it is really funny with just two.

I’ve Come to Marry the Princess Skit

A prop or piece of costume for each character helps to distinguish them. Also, it might be helpful to have a line of chairs or milk crates to designate a “place” for each separate character.

Scout 1 knocks on a “door”. Scout 2 opens it.
Scout 1 (in the part of the suitor): “I’ve come to marry the princess.”
Scout 2 (in the part of the doorman): “The princess?”
Scout 1: “Yes, the princess.”
Scout 2. “Wait here. I’ll ask the king.”

Scout 1 now runs around to the other side of  Scout 2 to play the part of the king.
Scout 2: “King, there is a man here who wants to marry the princess.”
Scout 1 (as the King) : “The princess?”
Scout 2: “Yes the princess.”
Scout 1: “I’ll have to ask the queen”.

Scout 2 now goes around to the other side of Scout 1 to play the part of the Queen.
Scout 1: “Queen, there is a man here who wants to marry the princess.”
Scout 2 (as the Queen in his most hammed up older lady voice): “The princess?”
Scout 1: “Yes, the princess.”
Scout 2: “I’ll have to ask the princess.”

Scout 1 now runs to the other side of Scout 2 to play the part of the Princess.
Scout 2: “Princess, there is a man here who wants to marry you.”
Scout 1 (as the Princess in a very hammed up young lady voice): “The answer is no!”

Scout 1 now runs back to the King’s place.
Scout 2 (turning to the King) : ”The answer is no!”

Scout 2 now runs back to the doorman’s place
Scout 1 (turning to the doorman): ”The answer is no!”

Scout 1 now goes back to the suitor’s place.
Scout 2 (turning to the suitor) : ”The answer is no!”

Scout 1 (as the suitor): “Then die!”
Scout 1 (the suitor) kills Scout 2 (the doorman).

Now it starts all over. This time Scout 2 answers the door as the king. The message and the answer go back up and down the row, and in the end, the suitor kills the king.

Start over again, with Scout 2 answering the door as the queen. The message and answer go back up and down the row, and the suitor kills the queen.

Finally, Scout 1 knocks at the door as the suitor and Scout 2 answers as the princess.
Scout 1: “Princess, I’ve come to marry you!”
Scout 2: “Are you rich?”
Scout 1: “Yes!”
Scout 2: “OK!” and they walk off together hand in hand.

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My Webelos den is going to district camporee at the end of the month. So at last night’s Outdoorsman focused meeting, we did some menu planning.

If this were a Boy Scout troop, the youth members would sit down with the grubmaster and do their menu planning without any adult interference. But since these are Webelos and this is only their third campout, I did it with them. I only have four in my den and one was at opening night of a high school play he is in and the other was sick. So with just two – ZM and one of his friends – it went pretty quickly.

Camp is about 90 minutes away, so we decided they would eat before leaving and then we would have a good snack after we setup our campsite. So they picked Walking Tacos and fruit. We will also toast some Peeps. Breakfast will be sausage and pancakes. For lunch, we will head over to the Boy Scout side of the camporee and the troop will provide lunch for us. Dinner will be Pizza Quesadillas, salad, raw broccoli  and carrots with ranch dressing, and more fruit. ZD’s friend is going to bring some brownies.  Breakfast on Sunday morning has to be quick, so we are just doing donuts and more fruit.

It was fun to see them discussing all of their options. The two of them both tend to have strong opinions and there was a lot of give and take before they came up with a menu they were both happy with.

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Today, I am continuing my review of A Scout Leader’s Guide to Youth Leadership Training: Working the Patrol Method. This book really addresses some of the challenges of having a boy lead troop. You can see the previous parts  of this review at

Review: General Format, Introduction, and Section 1

Review: Sections 2 and 3

Today I am reviewing Sections 4 and 5. I don’t want to give the impression that this is a difficult read. I have actually finished the book. But with trying to write a blog post every day, I have to keep the posts short and focused. And since the concepts in this book are important, I want to let you know about all of the information you will find in it.

Section 4: The Patrol Method – Building the Team

This section goes into detail about how a patrol goes from just being a group of guys to a unit which works together.  It gives a lot of real world examples which would make great Scoutmaster minutes and would capture the youth leaders attention during training sessions.

Mentioned in this section are “forming”, “storming”, “norming”, and “performing” which describe how teamwork develops. When JD came home from NYLT, this was one of the concepts he mentioned. The book gives a good explanation of the process and how it can be encouraged or disrupted.

Also in this section is advice about teaching leaders to utilize the individual strengths of the members of their patrol. Dealing with difficult Scouts – which can be very problematic – is also touched upon.

Section 5: Striving for Excellence – Doing Your Best

Section 5 is really brief. It almost seemed like an intermission in the book. Basically, it is a group of stories about motivating youth to do their personal best. The authors emphasize that what is the best effort might vary from Scout to Scout, but we should always encourage them to really get them to reach beyond what is natural or easy.

If you are interested in this book but you don’t have a copy yet, it is available on Amazon.  If you have read the book and have some thoughts on it, feel free to comment below.

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During our recent spring break road trip, we camped at the  Davis Bayou campground in Ocean Springs Mississippi. This campground is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore which is managed by the National Park Service.

The park had alligator viewing areas and a lot of places for birdwatching. And the lady at the visitor center was very nice and had lots of information and brochures about what to do in the area. You probably won’t run out of activities here.

We tent camped at a water and electric site. The site was in the middle of the loop and was extremely spacious. We had plenty of room for our two tents. We could have easily pitched two more. The site had a fire pit with a grill and a picnic table.

The shower house was old, but was kept clean.  This was a very quite campsite.

BUGS! This campsite was full of bugs. Not just a few bugs. We couldn’t be out our tents even a minute or two before the biting started.  Even the bug spray didn’t seem to deter them.  We weren’t that low, but the dense woods surrounding us seemed to keep the breeze from blowing them away.

So overall, this was a good campground because of the location and all of the attractions in the area, but the bugs were a real annoyance.

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During our recent spring break road trip, we stayed two nights at Buccaneer State Park in Mississippi.

Buccaneer was completely wiped out by Hurricane Katrina. So all of the facilities were nice and new. Only two of the campground loops were open, but the staff indicated that the other loops would be open soon.

There was easy access to a small sandy beach, with longer stretches of beaches just a short drive away. Beaches were what we drove south from Missouri for, so we were very happy with the location. The water park, which includes a slide and wave pool, were still being rebuilt. Once open again, these will make this park a great summer attraction. There was also a disc golf course on the property.

Our campsite had enough grassy area to pitch two tents. We had water and electric. We also had a picnic table, a BBQ pit, and a fire pit for a campfire.

Now for the downsides of this park. We had some problems locating the park. There was a lot of road construction in the area and the signage was not very helpful. It was also slightly buggy during the day and evening, with a lot of no-see-ums.

The biggest problem however in my mind was the train. The tracks were just north of the park and it came through several times each night, blowing it’s horn loudly. We were tent camping in the RV area. They also have a primative tent camping area, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It was even closer to the tracks and a good walk to the shower house.

Overall, I’d recommend this park, but you might want to bring some earplugs and bug spray.

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Cub Scouts love to get their pocketknives out and strip bark from fallen sticks. Why not make it into a project? They can strip the bark from a large sturdy stick and then sand it to make a hiking stick.

Make sure they have their Whttlin’ Chip cards handy and are following the rules when they do that.

You will have to do some work ahead of time to find some sticks which are appropriate for this project.

When the den JD was a Den Chief for crossed over to Boy Scouts, they presented him with a hiking stick they had all burned their names on. It is still one of his favorite Scouting mementos.

Hiking Stick Project

Materials

• Sturdy stick, about 4 feet in length – oak works well
• Pocketknife
• Sandpaper

Instructions

1. Use your pocketknife to strip the bark from the stick.
2. Sand the stick until smooth.

At this point, your stick is ready, but you might want to add some additional details:

If you have a woodburning tool, you can burn your name on to the stick.

Make a leather handgrip by cutting a piece of leather so it just barely wraps around the stick. Punch some holes into the ends of the leather piece with a leather punch. Then use leather lacing to lace the ends together while it is wrapped around the stick.

Drill a hole into the end and thread a shoelace through it and knot it. Now you have a way to hang it up when you are not using it.

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Easter is almost here, and that means there are plenty of Peeps on the store shelves. Our boys like to eat Peeps “as is”, but they also like to toast them, like marshmallows.

When perfectly toasted, the sugar coating on the Peep caramelizes.  And the marshmallow insides becomes really gooey, just like in a regular toasted marshmallow.

JD is the best Peep toaster in our family. He can roast a Peep to perfection every time. He treats it like an art form.

Slightly stale Peeps work as well as, if not better than, fresh ones. So stock up on a few boxes when they go on sale and take them on your next campout. Scouts of all ages enjoy them.

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This is a fun, simple snack for Cub Scouts. It can be a little messy, so when I did this with ZM’s den we went outside.

This makes a great snack for any space themed meeting. We used it when ZM’s den worked on Bear Elective 1 – Space.

Astronaut Pudding

Materials

• Ziploc bags
• scissors
• spoon

Ingredients

• instant pudding mix
• milk

Instructions

1. Make the pudding according to package instructions.
2. Distribute evenly among bags.
3. Seal bags tightly.
4. Chill
5. When ready to serve, snip a small corner off of one of the bags.
6. Eat like the astronauts do – by squeezing it into your mouth!

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LC is currently working on the Personal Fitness merit badge. Springtime is a great time to work on this badge. JD made the mistake of starting this badge in November when he did it. He ended up running in some miserable weather to complete the requirements.

For you Scouts getting ready to start this badge, it is important to really understand your counselor’s expectations before you start. JD, DS, and LC had different counselors for this badge and their expectations for the 12 week fitness plan were all different. That is why the meeting with the counselor before you start the badge is essential.

Personal Fitness Merit Badge Requirements

If meeting any of the requirements for this merit badge is against the Scout’s religious convictions, the requirement does not have to be done if the Scout’s parents and the proper religious advisers state in writing that to do so would be against religious convictions. The Scout’s parents must also accept full responsibility for anything that might happen because of this exemption.

1. 1. Do the following:
   1. 
      Before completing requirements 2 through 9, have your health-care practitioner give you a physical examination, using the Scout medical examination form. Describe the examination. Tell what questions you were asked about your health. Tell what health or medical recommendations were made and report what you have done in response to the recommendations. Explain the following:
      1. 
         Why physical exams are important
         Why preventive habits are important in maintaining good health, and how the use of tobacco products, alcohol, and other harmful substances can negatively affect your personal fitness
      2. 
         Diseases that can be prevented and how
      3. 
         The seven warning signs of cancer
      4. 
         The youth risk factors that affect cardiovascular fitness in adulthood
   2. 
      Have a dental examination. Get a statement saying that your teeth have been checked and cared for. Tell how to care for your teeth.
2. Explain to your merit badge counselor verbally or in writing what personal fitness means to you, including
   1. 
      Components of personal fitness.
   2. 
      Reasons for being fit in all components.
   3. 
      What it means to be mentally healthy.
   4. 
      What it means to be physically healthy and fit.
   5. 
      What it means to be socially healthy. Discuss your activity in the areas of healthy social fitness.
   6. 
      What you can do to prevent social, emotional, or mental problems.
3. With your counselor, answer and discuss the following questions:
   1. 
      Are you free from all curable diseases? Are you living in such a way that your risk of preventable diseases is minimized?
   2. 
      Are you immunized and vaccinated according to the advice of your health-care provider?
   3. 
      Do you understand the meaning of a nutritious diet and know why it is important for you? Does your diet include foods from all food groups?
   4. 
      Are your body weight and composition what you would like them to be, and do you know how to modify them safely through exercise, diet, and behavior modification?
   5. 
      Do you carry out daily activities without noticeable effort? Do you have extra energy for other activities?
   6. 
      Are you free from habits relating to poor nutrition and the use of alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and other practices that could be harmful to your health?
   7. 
      Do you participate in a regular exercise program or recreational activities?
   8. 
      Do you sleep well at night and wake up feeling refreshed and energized for the new day?
   9. 
      Are you actively involved in the religious organization of your choice, and do you participate in their youth activities?
   10. 
       Do you spend quality time with your family and friends in social and recreational activities?
   11. 
       Do you support family activities and efforts to maintain a good home life?
4. Explain the following about physical fitness:
   1. 
      The components of physical fitness
   2. 
      Your weakest and strongest component of physical fitness
   3. 
      The need to have a balance in all four components of physical fitness
   4. 
      How the components of personal fitness relate to the Scout Law and Scout Oath
5. Explain the following about nutrition:
   1. 
      The importance of good nutrition
   2. 
      What good nutrition means to you
   3. 
      How good nutrition is related to the other components of personal fitness
   4. 
      The three components of a sound weight (fat) control program
6. Before doing requirements 7 and 8, complete the aerobic fitness, flexibility, muscular strength, and body composition tests as described in the Personal Fitness merit badge pamphlet. Record your results and identify those areas where you feel you need to improve.
   1. Aerobic Fitness Test
      1. Record your performance on ONE of the following tests:
         1. 
            Run/walk as far as you can in nine minutes.
         2. 
            Run/walk 1 mile as fast as you can.
   2. Flexibility Test
      1. Using a sit-and-reach box constructed according to specifications in the Personal Fitness merit badge pamphlet, make four repetitions and record the fourth reach. This last reach must be held steady for 15 seconds to qualify. (Remember to keep your knees down.)
   3. Strength Tests
      1. Record your performance on all three tests.
         1. 
            Sit-Ups. Record the number of sit-ups done correctly in 60 seconds. The sit-ups must be done in the form explained and illustrated in the Personal Fitness merit badge pamphlet.
         2. 
            Pull-Ups. Record the total number of pull-ups completed correctly in 60 seconds. Be consistent with the procedures presented in the Personal Fitness merit badge pamphlet.
         3. 
            Push-Ups. Record the total number of push-ups completed correctly in 60 seconds. Be consistent with the procedures presented in the Personal Fitness merit badge pamphlet.
   4. Body Composition Test
      1. Have your parent, counselor, or other adult take and record the following measurements:
         1. 
            Circumference of the right upper arm, midway between the shoulder and the elbow, with the arm hanging naturally and not flexed.
         2. 
            Shoulders, with arms hanging by placing the tape measure 2 inches below the top of the shoulders around the arms, chest, and back after breath expiration.
         3. 
            Chest, by placing the tape under the arms and around the chest and back at the nipple line after breath expiration.
         4. 
            Abdomen circumference at the navel level (relaxed).
         5. 
            Circumference of the right thigh, midway between the hip and knee, and not flexed. If possible, have the same person take the measurements whenever they are recorded.
7. Outline a comprehensive 12-week physical fitness program using the results of your fitness tests. Be sure your program incorporates the endurance, intensity, and warm-up guidelines discussed in the Personal Fitness merit badge pamphlet. Before beginning your exercises, have the program approved by your counselor and parents.
8. Complete the physical fitness program you outlined in requirement 7. Complete the physical fitness program you outlined in requirement 7. Keep a log of your fitness program activity (how long you exercised; how far you ran, swam, or biked; how many exercise repetitions you completed; your exercise heart rate; etc.). Repeat the aerobic fitness, muscular strength, and flexibility tests every two weeks and record your results. After the 12th week, repeat the three tests, record your results, and show improvement in each one. For the body composition test, compare and analyze your preprogram and postprogram body composition measurements. Discuss the meaning and benefit of your experience, and describe your long-term plans regarding your personal fitness.
9. Find out about three career opportunities in personal fitness. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss what you learned with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest you.

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

Pack Trainer is a position which you will find filled on some, but not all, Pack Committees. The main responsibility of the Pack Trainer is to ensure that the adults involved in the Pack are trained for their positions and are aware of supplemental training opportunities.

A secondary role for many Pack Trainers is to help the Cubmaster and Den Leaders learn of resources which are available and to help ensure that they have all of the information they need to plan an effective program.

ZM will be crossing over to Boy Scouts next February, but I am considering staying involved with the Pack in the Pack Trainer position. We haven’t had a Pack Trainer for about three year now and I think I could lend a hand.

A typical list of the responsibilities for the position of Pack Trainer is given below. Adjust them to meet the needs of your Pack.

Pack Trainer

Qualifications

• At least 21 years old
• A registered BSA member
• Youth protection trained

Responsibilities

• Know the training requirements for Den Leaders, Cubmasters, and Pack Committee positions
• Be familiar with BSA training materials and policies
• Ensure that all adults registered with the Pack have met youth protection training requirements
• Make sure that all adults are aware of online and district training events
• Remind untrained adults to complete their training
• Make adults aware of special training opportunities, such as Pow Wows and BALOO training
• Assist the Cubmaster and Den Leaders with program planning
• Make Cubmaster and Den Leaders aware of resources which are available to help them with their programs
• Publicize district roundtables and encourage registered adults to attend
• Encourage Den Chiefs to attend Den Chief training
• Keep Pack training records

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