December 14, 2006

Dear Cub Scout Leader:

Merry Christmas to everyone!!! Hope you are enjoying this wonderful holiday season with the ones you love most!!! Our Bowling Day was a big success, with about 40 Scouts and a number of adults bowling the afternoon away. Thanks to Angie and Pack 613 for taking care of this event!!! Also, congratulations to Pack 613 for their second prize-winning float in the Athens Christmas parade!! Way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope you haven’t forgotten that December is Good Turn Month. Please remember that each pack is asked to do a good turn of some kind in their community as a sort of Christmas gift to the community. By doing this, the boys will earn the good feeling of helping others, as well as the respect of our community. Be proud to be a Scout, and convey that to your boys!! Don’t forget to call about media coverage for your activities!!!

Our January district event will be CUB SCOUT LOCK-IN, set for Friday, January 26th, from 10:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m., starting at Athens Junior High School. This will be a sports-centered night, with basketball, bowling, and skating going on The boys will need to bring their own basketballs, clearly labeled with their names. The price for the event will be determined by the numbers coming (and hopefully will be about $10 per Scout and $5 per adult), but once set will include use of the school gym, bowling, skating, pizza, and the lock-in segment. Deadline for payment will be Friday, January 19th. We’ll have more details and be able to discuss this more at our January Roundtable. Please encourage everyone’s participation in this super fun event!!

I need to let you know:

--that our popcorn sale is now officially over! Don’t forget that all monies to the council are due now!!!!!

--that Robert Randolph, Unit Commissioner, wants to let us know that Boy Scout Troop 624 is having an open house on Tuesday, December 19th at Trinity Church at 6:30 p.m.. All Webelos are welcome, and are encouraged to attend. If anyone has any questions, please call Scoutmaster Mike McPhail at 745-5593 (you can usually can catch him between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m.)

--that UT Basketball Scout Night is set for Saturday, December 16th at 4:00 p.m. Tennessee will play Western Kentucky at the Thompson-Boling Arena with all Scouts as their guests!! Please call the council office (865-588-6514) for your FREE tickets. All Scouts attending should wear their Scout shirts; extra parents and friends are $5.00 each.

--that our next Roundtable will be Thursday, January 11th at 7:00 p.m. at Mars Hill Presbyterian Church. Final plans for our Lock-In will be discussed, as well as plans for our District Awards Banquet. Also, that would be a good night for Cubmasters to turn in a list of the trainings that the leaders in their Pack need at this point. When our District Training Chairman Phil Seibert sees what is needed, he can schedule more trainings to meet the specific needs.

--that the Harlem Globetrotters are coming to the Knoxville Thompson-Boling Arena on Friday, January 12th at 7:00 p.m. Tickets for Scouts are $12.50 each, and include a Scout patch. Tickets can be ordered by mail, phone or email to: Thompson-Boling Arena Ticket Office 1600 Phillip Fulmer Way, Suite 202, Knoxville, TN 37996; 865-656-444 or 877-995-9961; or knoxgroups@aol.com. The deadline for orders is Monday, January 8, 2007.

--that there will be a Trainer Development Course at the Council on January 27, 2007. If you are interested in being a trainer for any BSA courses, this BSA Trainer Development Conference is for you! You will learn of the latest training methods, principles and technologies that are necessary to conduct an effective training program. There is no cost, but you must register no later than Monday, January 22, 2007. Again, contact Phil or click here for registration form.

--that Wood Badge Training is coming up fast. If you have not sent in your deposit yet, now is the time to do so! Time is getting short and space is limited. Unaka District needs to have more people involved in this high-level training event! Click here for a flyer and registration form.

--that the next Boy Scout Hockey Night is set for Friday, February 2nd at 7:30 p.m. at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. Tickets are $7.00 for all youth (3 – 14), and $8.00 for adults. Call Michael Keeney at 865-525-PUCK for your tickets!!! This is always a fun night for the boys!!! All Scouts and families are welcome, but Boy Scouts 11 and up are invited to experience winter camping on the ice and earn a Polar Bear Patch. Again, contact the above number for more details.

--that “Scouting for Food” dates are set for Saturdays February 3rd (for bag distribution) and 10th (for food pick-up and delivery). We will have bags again this year; they will be passed out at the January Roundtable. This is a very worthwhile activity for all Scouts, as they collect canned food items for local food pantries. More details will come at the next Roundtable.  Click here for an information sheet and Council reporting instructions.

--that Tuesday, February 6th is the date of our second Scout Skate Night at the Athens Skate Center, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. All Scouts, from Tigers to Webelos, and their families are invited to participate in this fun event. Tonya Moore and Pack 275 of Niota are again in charge of this always-well-attended event. The cost is only $3.00 per person, which includes the cost of skating and shoe rental. Please note that if anyone wants to rent speed skates or roller blades there will be an additional $2.50 charge; those wanting to bring their own specialty skates may do so, but still must pay the $3.00 fee. Family members are invited and encouraged to attend at the same price.

--that Thursday, February 8th, is the date of our local Eagle Scout and Volunteer Recognition Banquet at Allen Memorial United Methodist Church in Athens, starting at 6:30 p.m. The theme of this year’s awards banquet will be a medieval one. Historically, the Cub Scouts have helped with decorations for this banquet by making placemats for all the adults. Please encourage your boys to be as creative and colorful as possible with these original pieces of art!! Some lovely wall decorations would be extra nice. . . . . Please don’t forget the theme and try to use it in a Cub Scout way. Everyone looks forward to seeing what our Cubs can come up with!!!! Also, this is the night of the presentation of the District Award of Merit, the highest award given at the district level. If you know of anyone deserving of this award (who has gone above and beyond the call of duty on the district level), you can nominate them by getting the award form off of our district website and getting it to me by our December Roundtable. Please call me if you have any questions about this award!   Click here for the invitation and registration form.

--that Scout Sunday is set for Sunday, February 11th. This is a day to have the boys in your pack or den recognized in church, in uniform, usually sitting in a group. Individual churches handle this day differently; you can make it as special as you want, just contact your pastor early.

--that the University of Scouting is scheduled for Saturday, March 3rd at the Pellissippi State College campus. Please put this date on your calendar and plan to attend this information-packed, daylong council training, from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. For more details, please call the council or click here for the flyer.

--that our District Pinewood Derby will be Saturday, March 10th, at the Calhoun school gymnasium. Weigh-in and registration begins at 7:30 a.m., with the derby set to begin around 9:30 a.m. Please try to schedule your pack’s derby before this date to encourage more participation at the district level. Pack 616 is in charge of the derby, so we can all look forward to a well-organized event!!

--that another March event will be Cub Scouts helping with the River Clean-up event on either Saturday March 10th on the Tellico River or March 17th on the Hiwassee River. Details will be forthcoming.

--that our April event will be our District Hike on Saturday, April 21st. Pack 117 is in charge of this event; details are to be announced later.

--that our May event will be our fun-filled Gold Rush (and Fishing Derby, if possible!), at the site of the Spring Camporee, on Saturday May 5th. Pack 614 will once again take care of this much-loved event.

--that our District Twilight Camp in Madisonville will be the week of June 18th – 22nd, and our District Day Camp, the week of June 25th – 29th, 2007!! Please make your parents aware of these date NOW so that they can work and/or send their boys. Please know that boys can attend either or both camps. What a way to spend their summer days!!!!!!!!!!

That’s it for now! Please enjoy the holidays with the ones you cherish the most!! MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Connie Akers Unaka Cub Scout Program Chairman 746-9132 connieakers@hotmail.com

***PLEASE NOTE***

Mark Janeway has asked me to remind everyone to turn in their recharter as soon as possible. Any questions, please contact Mark at 745-4944.

Phil Seibert send me this little ditty—hope you enjoy it and cannot relate too much. . . . . . . .

• You might be taking your scouting too seriously if:
• You buy that '89 Chevy Caprice because you really like that fleur-delis hood ornament.
• Your favorite color is "olive drab".
• You decide to lash together the new deck on the back of your house.
• You plan to serve foil meals at your next dinner party.
• You walk the streets in broad daylight with a coffee cup and flashlight hanging from your belt.
• You raise your hand in the scout sign at a heated business meeting.
• You were arrested by airport security because you wouldn't give up your official BSA pocket knife until the cop said "thank you".
• You didn't mind losing power to your house for three days. Your son hides his copy of Boy's life from you.
• Your plans for remodeling the bathroom include digging the hole deeper.
• You trade your 25-foot center console fishing boat in on that great little 15 foot canoe.
• Your favorite movie is "Follow Me Boys" staring Fred MacMurry, and you spent months trying to convince Disney to release it on home video.
• You managed to find that 8th day in the week.
• Your patron saint is Ward Cleaver.
• You disconnect the automatic dishwasher in favor of the "3 pot method."
• You sneak a cup of "bug juice" after the troop turns in for the night.
• You can start a fire by rubbing two sticks together.
• Latrines at camp start becoming comfortable.
• You felt you won a moral victory when BSA brought back knee socks.
• You think campaign hats are cool.
• You gave your wife a mummy bag rated for -15 deg F for Christmas.
• You name one of your kids Baden.
• Your favorite tune is "Camp Granada" (hello mudda..... hello fadda) by Allen Sherman.
• You can recite the 12 points of the Scout Law backwards, in order, in 3 seconds flat.
• You bought 10,000 shares of Coleman stock on an inside tip they were about to release a microwave accessory for their camp stove line.
• You can't eat eggs anymore unless they are cooked in a zip-locked bag.
• You plan to get rich by writing a best selling Dutch oven cookbook.
• You took a chemistry course at the local college to help you develop a better fire starter.
• You actually own a left-handed smoke shifter.
• The height of your social season is the district recognition dinner.
• A trip to Philmont is a pilgrimage.
• You are convinced the center of the universe is Irving, Texas.
• The sales operators at the BSA distribution Center's 800 number recognize your voice.
• Singing "Scout Vespers" makes you cry uncontrollably.
• You were disappointed when Scouting magazine didn't win the Pulitzer Prize last year.
• The Scouts in your troop chipped in to have you abducted by a professional cult de-programmer.

Key Contacts: District Executive | District Chairman | District Commissioner | Pack Webmaster | Troop Webmaster

Last modified: 11/11/08