Hello Pack 216!

A Scout is Reverent.

This year Scout Sunday will be held on Feb 12th at the 6pm Mass at St. Michaels.

A few notes:

·         In order to encourage participation, Troop 212, Troop 216, and Pack 216 will be sponsoring a Hamburger/Hot Dog Cook Out at the Kiwanis Shelter at Bond Park across the street from the Church at 5pm.  Then we can all walk over together.

·         All are welcome!  Families, friends, extended families.  Non-Catholics are also encouraged to attend.

·         Our scouts that have been working on their religious emblems will receive their awards at the Mass from Father Doug.

·         Uniform is Class A’s (with religious medals if you have earned one)

·         The two Troops and the Pack have been working closely with Father Doug to make Scouting a bigger priority for the church, and he is in favor of it.  This will be a good opportunity to show our Scout Spirit and to Do our Duty to God at the same time.

You’ve got to go to Mass anyway, why not have some great fellowship and dinner first and then go show your Scout Spirit?!

Thanks.

Mike Lopez

Pack 216, Cary, NC Committee Chair

This is a reminder concerning the Scout Night with the Hurricanes

What
NHL Hockey Game
Come see the Carolina Hurricanes take on the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Where
RBC Center, Raleigh, NC
Everyone attending will also receive a special Hurricanes patch!

When
Saturday, March 3, 7pm
Sign up before Friday, January 27
Payment is due before Sunday, February 5

Cost
Tickets will be in the upper level, normally $45.
Scouts: $15
Siblings and Parents: $21

Other Details

Class A Uniform

Money will be collected at the January Pack Meeting, or by den leaders.

Rock Climbing at Triangle Rock Club 
The Pack 216 activity for February is climbing at Triangle Rock Club (TRC). TRC is the Raleigh area's premier indoor rock climbing center. The state-of-the-art facility offers both lead and top rope climbing and bouldering. With over 9,000 square feet of professionally designed terrain, ranging from easy to extreme, and 60+ climbing stations with more than 100 individual routes. No experience needed. Enjoy the thrill of scaling huge walls and boulders in this safe and comfortable environment. 
 
When 
Saturday, February 11, 2012 
9:00am-11:00am. Yes, it's early in the morning, but we will have the facility completely to ourselves for at least the first hour.  
 
Sign Up
Registration on the Pack website (http://pack216.cary.nc.us/rock-climbing.html) is open until Monday, January 16. After January 16, contact Jamie Isaac at email address below.
 
Cost
Scouts: Free 
Observing Adults and Siblings: Free 
Participating Adults and Siblings (Age 12+): $17 
Participating Siblings (Age 4-11): $10 
Climbing fee includes harness rental. Optional climbing shoe rentals will be available at the club for $4. 
 
Where
Triangle Rock Club
102 Pheasant Wood Court, Morrisville, NC
Phone: 919-463-7625 
 
Other Details
Dress code is Class B Uniform with comfortable pants/shorts and shoes/socks suitable for climbing.
Certified belayers who would like to volunteer to belay, please contact Jamie Isaac at email address below.A signed waiver form is required for all participants. Blank forms will be sent via email, and should be returned with any payments at the January 17 Pack Meeting. Each scout's responsible adult must remain on premise during the activity.

Merry Christmas to Pack 216! 

Hello everyone,

Recharter (rejoin) for Pack 216’s 2012 Scout Year is due this December.  The deadline for recharter is the December 20 Pack meeting.    If you are not going to be at the Pack meeting, then please pay your Den Leader prior to that date.  The Den Leaders will turn in the checks at the December 20 Pack meeting and confirm to the Membership Chair that all Den Members are paid for.

Please make checks out to Pack 216.  No forms need to be filled out as long as you recharter on time.  If the deadline is missed and the Scout is dropped from the pack roster then the membership forms would need to be filled out again.  We want to avoid this so please do not miss the December 20th deadline.

Amount to recharter for 2012 is $51 without Boys Life Magazine and $63 with Boys Life Magazine.



Webelos 2’s will not recharter with Pack 216.  They will join a Boy Scout Troop for the 2012 Scout Year if they wish to continue with Scouting.

If you have questions regarding rechartering costs and options, please consult the Pack 216 Bylaws, Section 6.  Contact me or Rachel Sandman membership@pack216.cary.nc.us if you still have questions after consulting the Bylaws.

Thank you.

Mike Lopez

Pack 216, Cary, NC Committee Chair

Dear Pack 216!  

Hello and Happy Fall!  Apparently fall has arrived with a refreshing blast of cool air!  I don't know about you but our family is enjoying the cooler temps which makes playing outside much more pleasant.....aka NO MOSQUITOES!!!! 

I POP, You POP, we all POP for POPCORN!  Or is that Ice Cream?!  :)  We are hoping that you are encouraging your scout to get out there and SELL, SELL, SELL!  We need all scouts to do their part to make this annual fundraiser a success!  All of the proceeds help our pack directly in one way or another!   Thank you to all of the parents who have pitched in to make this such a success for our pack!  GO SCOUTS!  Don't forget to include those family members far away!  They can always make a donation to the pack or to the military to deliver popcorn to our troops!  By the way, POPCORN makes a GREAT gift for CHRISTMAS!!!  What better way to show you care then to go to a relatives house with some yummy popcorn in hand!  :)    We buy the chocolate lovers collection each year to share with our families at Christmas!  Popcorn sales end on OCT. 29th!!! 

Here's the month of Oct.
Oct. 8th- THIS WEEKEND- all those signed up for the Phillips Corn Maze brought to  us by Den 10!  Thank you for coordinating this fun event!
Oct. 18th-Pack Meeting, 7pm, St Michael Parish Center
Oct. 29th-  Popcorn sales end 

November
Nov. 1- Committee Meeting, Westpark Clubhouse, 7-8pm
Nov. 5-University of Scouting
Nov. 10- Popcorn is in!
Nov. 11- Fall Camping Trip planned by Den 8
Nov. 15- Pack Meeting, St Michael Parish Center, 7pm
Nov. 24- Happy Thanksgiving! 

Is there life after Pack 216?  Yes there is!!!
We  hope all of our Cub Scouts will continue onto Boy Scouts when it is time!  Scouting brings so much to a young man's life and we are truly blessed with great leaders and troops to chose from in this area.  For all of those Webelos II out there....it's time to start looking ahead to BOY SCOUTS!  Please contact your Den Leader to see if they are organizing a visit to a Troop meeting or activity one day soon.  Also, there is information on the web for Troops 212 and 216.   http://bsa212.org/  www.troop216.org    

That's all for now!  If you have any questions at all, please refer to our pack website for further information.  If you can't find your answer, please chat with your den leader.  Den leaders are the best resource for the latest and greatest information regarding the pack!  

God Bless and HAPPY FALL! 
Karen Allen
PR Chickie for Pack 216

Dear Pack 216, 
We are very excited to begin our new PACK year!  Welcome back , welcome back , welcome back!  (For those of you old enough....remember WELCOME BACK KOTTER!!!)WELCOME BACK to those scouts and families who are returning and WELCOME to those of you who are new to the pack!    This is a monthly newsletter type email that will be sent to you to inform you on what is happening in our great, dynamic PACK!  My plan is to send it out within the first few days of each month! (I know....I promise OCT will be better!) 

LOOKING BACK...... 
A fun summer was planned which included a BULLS campout, Scouting for food drive and our annual picnic!  We know the summer time can be difficult to participate...SO, we want to reward those scouts who were able to participate in ALL THREE events this summer!  If your scout went to the Bulls game, helped with the food drive and attended the picnic...THEY ARE ELIGIBLE!!!  Please let your Den Leader know ASAP and he/she will make sure that your scout receives a Summertime Award Pin!!!!  Great job scouts!  

Picnic-  
Whew...we dodged a bullet with Hurricane Irene and fun was had by all at our picnic last month!  A HUGE thank you to Amy Hale and den 12  for coordinating this year's annual picnic at Ritter Park!    Thank you for all of your efforts to kick off our scout year right!  :)  We hope all the scouts and families in attendance had FUN! 

LOOKING AHEAD....... 
Pack Meeting- Our FIRST for this scout year will be........ TUES. Sept. 20th at 7pm in the Parish Center at St. Michael         We hope you can join us for a POPCORN chat complete with info. about selling,  fun and fellowship with your fellow scouts! 

Ever heard of GEOCACHING?!   
Please join us for a new adventure with Boy Scout Troop 212 on Sunday, Sept. 18 from 2-3:30pm. Arrive a few minutes early at the Boathouse in Bond Park.For more information on Geocaching, visit https://www.geocaching.com SIGN UP CLOSES TOMORROW, SEPT. 9TH!!    Want more details on this event?!  Go to our pack websitehttp://pack216.cary.nc.us/geocaching.html  This promises to be a super fun event!  ALSO a great event for our WEBELOS 2 to get to know some of the scouts in Troop 212!!! 

Snap, Crackle, POPCORN!!!!! 
It's that time again!  Our annual POPCORN bonanza fundraiser!  This is our only fundraiser for the year and it really helps the pack out with expenses for various events and activities!  PLEASE help your scout SELL, SELL, SELL!   Popcorn sales begin on Sept. 24th!  Everyone LOVES popcorn!  STAY TUNED for more information during our Sept. pack meeting...in the meantime....chat up the popcorn with your friends, family members and coworkers!  Don't forget the ONLINE sales-great for those out of state relatives!  Need more details?  Go to our pack website: http://pack216.cary.nc.us/ 

OCT. Events...... 
Oct. 8th- Corn Maze Activity- 1-3pm at Phillips Corn Maze in Cary.....more details to follow! 
Oct. 18- Pack meeting- same bat channel, same bat station.....aka St. Michael Parish Center at 7pm!  :)  

LOOKING IN NOV...... 
Mark your calendar for our FALL CAMPOUT at Camp DURANT!
November 11-13, 2011
Location: Camp Durant
Questions: Contact Aric Lambert or Mihai Ibanescu
                    email: campout@pack216.cary.nc.usMore details to follow!  

As always, please refer to our wonderful pack website for further details and sign ups! http://pack216.cary.nc.us/   The complete Scout calendar is also available on our website so you can prepare WAY AHEAD!!!  God Bless you and we look forward to see you on the 18th and 20th of this month! 

Karen Allen 
PR Chickie for the Pack!  :)

Greetings! And welcome to a new Cub Scout year!

My name is Glenn Glass and I am taking on a new responsibility of coordinating the Pack 216 Religious Emblems program. I will also help direct or facilitate other faiths and denominations, but will directly organizing the Catholic program at St. Michael's.

A Scout is reverent. He is faithful in his religious duties and respects the convictions of others in matters of custom and religion.  To encourage members to grow stronger in their faith, religious groups have developed religious emblems programs. The Boy Scouts of America has approved of these programs and allows the emblems to be worn on the official uniform. The various religious groups administer the programs.  Each Cub Scout rank includes a religious component and this program counts toward the rank advancement. Scouts who complete the program get a special on patch they can wear on their uniform even as they advance to Boy Scouts and into Adult Leadership.  Additionally, most Cub Scout religious emblems consist of a bar pin and pendant as well. All are worn above the left pocket

Each faith handles the program differently, but they are a workbook-driven, faith-family based experience intended to broaden and deepen a scouts understanding of his faith, and how he plays an active role in his faith community.

The Catholic program is divided into two parts:

Light of Christ: For Tigers and Wolves (it parallels First Communion faith formation somewhat)

Parvuli Dei: For Bears and Webelos (each rank has a religious requirement)

Your Scout can only earn Light of Christ once (as a Tiger or as a Wolf) and Parvuli Dei once (as a Bear or as a Webelo).  You can earn both Light of Chris and Parvuli Dei or just one of them.

For Catholics, our goal is to have the boys complete the requirements (which include a meeting with a priest from St. Michael's) before Scout Sunday weekend, which is scheduled for the first weekend in February (2/5/2012), so the awards can be offered during Mass that day. 

My intention is to identify those Scouts interested in participating this year, so I may get you the workbooks by the first Pack meeting in September (scheduled for Tuesday, 9/20/2011).  I am also happy to help direct those families of different faiths to appropriate local or national resources and assist in any way I can assist.  Pack 216 will provide the workbooks, but there may be additional coordination needed by the family and their faith provider.

Please let me know if you are interested in participating, if you have questions, or if you are looking for information regarding faith-based religious emblems programs.  Also, be sure to let me know what rank your Scout is working on this year so I can provide the proper workbook.   My family has found working through these programs to be fun and fulfilling for both parent and child.

I would appreciate your response no later than Sunday, September 18th.  Thanks!

Yours In Scouting,
Glenn Glass
Den 10, Pack 216

Family Picnic
Get ready to kick-off the 2011-12 scouting year with our annual family picnic.  We'll enjoy great food, fun games, and each other's company!

When
Sunday, August 28, 3:00-6:00pm

Where
Ritter Park Rotary Shelter
Harold Ritter Park
301 West Lochmere Drive, Cary, NC

Food
The Pack will provide hot dogs, paper products, eating utensils, condiments, and lemonade and water.

Each family should also bring an item to share:
Lions and Tigers:  each family bring bag of chips
Wolves: each family bring a salad with serving spoon
Bears:  each family bring a side with serving spoon
Webelos:  each family bring a dessert (cookies, brownies, cupcakes, etc)

Other Details
Class B Uniform – Pack T Shirt (new Scouts will get theirs there)

The new Pack 216 Neckerchief Slide will be handed out at the Picnic to all Scouts.  Our new design will replace the rank insignia slides and Scouts will all wear the same one throughout their time in Pack 216.

Signup
Please RSVP by filling out the form online at  http://pack216.cary.nc.us/picnic.html before August 24.

1st Pack Meeting
Tuesday, September 20, 7pm at St. Michaels.

September Pack Activity
Get in the Game!  - Geocaching!!!  Geocaching is a super-fun GPS based treasure hunting activity for kids and adults both.  On Sunday, September 20, Boy Scout Troop 212 will be teaching Pack 216 how to Geocache at Bond Park and set up a course to test our skills on.  We will send out more details and have a sign up as we get closer, but please save the date.  For more information on Geocaching, visit https://www.geocaching.com

Online Popcorn Sales!
Get a head start on your popcorn sales by selling Trail's End online! All online sales from August 1 through October 29 count toward your Scout Rewards.   If you are not interested in online sales, out normal sales will begin in September as usual.

When you sell online, you can reach far away friends and family. It's easy and fun!

• Trail's End ships the product directly to your customers
• 70% of every online sale goes back to your unit and our council in your name
• You can create your own Scout image to include in your emails to friends and family

Click here to create your account, send emails and track your online sales. Happy Selling!

Sign Up for Pack 216 Communications
Many of you have not signed up for the Pack 216 Yahoo! Group.  This is our Pack’s primary means of getting information out.  We are copying new members individually on this first email, but in the future you will not be included if you are not in the Yahoo! Group.  Go to:  http://pack216.cary.nc.us/email-list.html to sign up.

Yours in Scouting (YIS),
Mike Lopez
Pack 216, Cary, NC Committee Chair
Troop 212, Cary, NC Assistant Scoutmaster

Hello Pack 216,

I hope you are all enjoying your summer and looking forward to the start of the new scout year at the Kickoff Picnic on Sunday August 28 at HaroldRitter Park from 3pm - 6pm.

I am writing today to ask for some help.

It is the goal of the Pack Committee to hold as few fund-raisers as possible; however it is important that each family supports our fund-raising efforts when they are held. The cost of running the Pack and holding activities is not covered by registration fees- there is a substantial shortfall which must be made up through fund raising.

All of our sons see the benefits of popcorn sales.  Not only do they fund our Pack treasury, but they help to pay for things like the camps that we camp at, the district and council activities like camporees, and the training that our leaders take to ensure we run such a great program.  The Pack spends almost every dime that we make on popcorn on offsetting the cost of activities so that we can make them no cost or almost no cost for the scouts.

That being said, we need help with the Popcorn sales this year, and we need it earlier than normal (now).  I have asked all the Den Leaders to bring on their Den Kernals early and we have only got one volunteer so far.  I know that everyone is busy, but we really need some people to step up and offer to help now.  If a lot of people take on a few small tasks then Popcorn doesn’t have to become this huge deal for one Pack Popcorn Kernal that it has been the past few years.  The first thing we need to do is nail down stores that will let us do show and sells at their locations on weekends in early October- we need to do this now before the stores are all taken.

Please consider volunteering.  The more people that offer to help the less work it will be.  I am not looking for my “regular” volunteers that step up every time we ask for help (you know who you are- thanks!).  We are looking for people who sons have benefitted from the program and would like to give something back to the program, but have not been active participants in the past.  If you can help, even a little, please send me an email.

Thank you!

Mike Lopez
Pack 216, Cary, NC Committee Chair
Troop 212, Cary, NC Assistant Scoutmaster
919-454-3085
mike_lopez_scouting@nc.rr.com