Closing Thought

It was the coldest winter ever - many animals died because of the cold. The porcupines, understanding the situation, decided to group together. They covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions even though they gave off heat to each other.

So they began to distance themselves from each other and began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or
disappear from the Earth.

They decided to go back to being together. This way they learned to live with the little wounds that were caused by the close relationship with their companions, and appreciate the warmth; this way they were able to survive.

Moral of the story:
The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people, but the best is when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and can admire the other person's good qualities.

I wish we could all make the same choice as these porcupines. None of us is perfect, we all have flaws or differences but that is what makes the world go round. Instead of all the hate we should make the choice to accept everyone for who they are, there are always lessons to be learned if we only open ourselves to learning them.

See you next month.

Cubmaster Minute

Respect yourself and respect other people. This means that you should realize that everyone is unique, and everyone has his or her own ideas and abilities, and that this is a good thing, rather than a bad thing. Celebrate diversity! The fact that people are different and possess different talents means that when you work as a team, together you can achieve more than any one of you could alone.

2011 Pinewood Derby Build Rules

[Note: these are the rules for participation in the District Super Derby which will take palce on Saturday, March 12, 2011 at Saint Timothy's Church in Walkersville, MD - Stay tuned for more info! Pack 195 will be using the same rules to build, qualify and race our own derby cars at our Pinewood Derby Race which will take place on Saturday, January 29, 2011.]

Derby cars are small pinewood models of specified dimensions, designed and carved by Cub Scouts under parental guidance, and raced by the Cub Scout under Scout Leadership supervision. The pinewood derby cars are gravity powered and run unaided down a regulation racetrack to a finish line. A strip placed down the center of each lane guides the cars in a straight path.

• 1. Pinewood derby cars must be built and qualify at the Pack Derby during the same program year as the Catoctin Mountain District Super Derby race.

• 2. Any Pinewood Derby Kit may be used as long as BSA(Boy Scouts of America) Wheels and Axels are used. (This year there is two different wheel sets from BSA, see attachment for more information.)

• 3. Only the axles (nails) contained in the official pinewood derby kit can be used as the pinewood derby axles. However, the axles can be sanded or polished, and affixed (glued, etc.) to the underside of the pinewood derby car. (How to check BSA nails. Leave Nail tips exposed)

• 4. No magnets are allowed to be used on or in the Pinewood Derby Car.

• 5. You may not change the wheel dimensions. Wheels may not be rounded, pointed, concaved, shaved or otherwise modified. You may, however, sand the tread or tire contact area of the wheel to smooth out the rough spots. Wheel bearings, washers, and bushings are prohibited. The car will not ride on springs of any type. Wheel covers or hub caps are prohibited, the head of the nail must be viewable for inspection. The axels (nails) maybe polished and stamping imperfections removed but the shape and size of the head may not be altered. The recommended wheel and axle lubricant is dry, powdered graphite.

• 6. EXTENDED WHEEL BASE/ CAR BODY:
The axel grooves provided in the block of wood do not have to be used. The wheel base may be altered. The total overall length of the car may not exceed 7 inches.

• 7. The only acceptable lubrication is dry powder lubricants. Oil, grease, silicone spray, or other lubricants are not permitted on the pinewood derby car’s axles or wheels.

• 8. No loose materials or liquid of any kind are permitted on or in the pinewood derby cars. (Loose material used for weights is the most frequent violation of this rule. If the car rattles it fails)

• 9. The overall pinewood derby car width shall not exceed 3 inches. The overall pinewood derby car length shall not exceed 7 inches. The overall pinewood derby car height shall not exceed 4 inches.

• 10. The unobstructed clearance of the pinewood derby car must be 3/8 inch or more from the total underside of the car to the base of the wheels. (This is for track clearance)

• 11. The pinewood derby car shall not exceed the standard 5.00 ounces (Avoirdupois ounces, not troy ounces) or 141.75 grams. The weight of the pinewood derby car should be close to 5.00 ounces prior to coming to the derby; however, the pinewood derby car weight may be adjusted during registration at the Pit Table.

• 12. Direction of Travel will be marked on car and easily identifiable. (On bottom is fine)

• 13. Cars not meeting the official derby rules will be disqualified from racing. Alterations may be attempted during the registration time before the start of the first heat. There will be a workshop area with some tools and supplies to make modifications.

A complete set of rules, build guidelines and open class rules can be found on the District web page: http://www.boyscouts-ncac.org/openrosters/ViewOrgPageLink.asp?LinkKey=20672&orgkey=2009

Thursday, Dec 16, 2010 - Frederick County Schools Closing Two-Hours Early

Schools will dismiss students 2 hours early Thursday, Dec 16 due to the weather. AM pre-k students remain at school for dismissal with full-day students. PM pre-k and Career and Technology Center (CTC) classes are canceled. PM CTC students remain at their home schools. Flexible Evening High, Adult Ed and Heather Ridge Twilight programs are canceled. All FCPS afterschool and evening activities are canceled or postponed. Daycare centers in FCPS schools independently make decisions about their schedules and communicate their decisions directly to the media, principal and families they serve.

~~~

Cubmaster Note: If this weather develops we will reevaluate our options and make a determination on canceling the Pack Meeting, however, at this time we will be holding our Pack Meeting tonight as scheduled.

When: 7:00 PM
Where: St. Paul's Church, Basement Social Hall.

Monthly Theme - Respect

The Core Value highlighted this Month is:

Respect: Showing regard for the worth of someone or something.
Through interacting with pack families, Cub Scouts will develop appreciation and
respect for different families and traditions. Through pack service projects, they will learn to treat the environment with care.

Closing Thought

There once was a Persian named Ali Hafed, who owned a very large farm that included orchards, grain fields, and gardens. One day he heard about diamonds. From then on, dreams of diamonds consumed him. All he could think about was finding diamonds, and becoming even richer. So Ali sold his farm, and went off search for diamonds. He spent many years wandering though Palestine and Europe, but never found any diamonds. Ali died far from home, poor and friendless.

One day the man who bought Ali’s farm was watering his camel in a shallow stream that ran through the farm. The man noticed a curious flash of light. He reached into the stream, and pulled out a shining stone that reflected the colors of the rainbow. He had found a diamond! As he sifted the sands of the brook through his fingers, he found more stones, more beautiful and valuable than the first.

And thus the diamond-mine of Golconda was discovered, one of the richest diamond mines in all history. It produced some of the largest stones ever found, crown jewels for the monarchs of Europe.

There are undiscovered diamonds in our own back yards, hidden in our dens and packs. These diamonds are disguised as boys. It will take a discerning leader to see these diamonds in the rough, and take patience and skill to polish these diamonds.Thank you for caring about your boys, and becoming cub scout leaders.

Thank your for helping these “diamonds in the rough” to reach their potential.

See you next month.

Cubmaster Minute

America promises us freedom to worship, to learn, to assemble, and to debate any issue. It is a land where people from other countries can find a home, where there is work to do, where we can express our opinions, and where we are free to come and go as we please. Our wonderful heritage, earned for us by our forefathers, is sometimes taken for granted. Unless we cherish this legacy and use it wisely, it may be lost to future generations. People working together with imagination, vitality, and persistence, have produced marvelous inventions and wonders of technology beyond anything our forefathers might have dreamed of. Working together, we can preserve and protect our beautiful land for future generations.

Scouting for Food 2010

Thank You to everyone that helped pass out bags and/or collect the food over the past two-weekends.

The Walkersville Food Bank collected over 24,000 pounds of food from the Scout units in the area and Pack 195 collected and delivered an estimated 4000 pounds of that food! Good job! Over all in the Council with 312 units reporting the total amount of food collected is over 400,000 pounds of food, and that number is growing every minute as more and more units report their totals!

Your assistance and desire to live up to the ideals of Scouting has made this possible.

THANK YOU!

Photo by: D Marron

Photo by: D Marron

Photo by: D Marron

Photo by: D Marron

Photo by: D Marron

Photo by: D Marron

Photo by: D Osborne

Photo by: D Osborne

Monthly Theme - Citizenship

The core value highlighted this month is:

Citizenship: Contributing service and showing responsibility to local, state, and national communities. Citizenship is an obligation we all share as Cub Scouts and leaders. One of the key components of being a good citizen is helping others.

Cub Scouts can also learn about Citizenship by learning about respecting the flag and providing service to the community.

Cubmaster Minute

Most of us have seen Canadian Geese heading north for spring. They fly in a V formation. When you see geese flying along in a V formation, you might consider that science has discovered why they fly that way:

As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in V formation, the whole flock creates at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. Each goose in each position in the V has a responsibility to help all the others.

People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going faster and easier because they are traveling on the trust of one another.

When a goose falls out of formation it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power from the bird in front. It’s like riding the draft in NASCAR. If we had as much sense as a goose we would stay in formation with those who are headed in the same direction that we are.

When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back and another goose flies point. We need you all to cooperate and work together. It is your responsibility to help the others in your den and pack. It makes sense to take turns doing demanding jobs whether it’s with people or with geese flying north. No matter if you’re the head goose or one in formation, we’re all going for "True North" together.