Join Pack 43 at the Scout Carnival!

Mark your calendars! The Threshers Boy Scout Carnival takes place on Saturday, July 14th at the Clearwater Threshers vs Ft Myers Twins baseball game at Bright House Field.

The entire concourse will be surrounded with activities, games, challenges, information, demonstrations and fun, fun, fun!

The carnival begins when the gates open at 5pm and continues until the fireworks are over at the end of the ballgame (around 9:15pm).

Be sure your scouts wear their uniforms to get these goodies*: Free patch, Free BSA Physical, Free guitar lesson, Free food from 5-8pm at Hot Corner Cafe. Cub Scouts in uniform who bring a Pinewood Derby car and sign up at main gate get to sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" at 7th inning stretch, shown on the big scoreboard.

Some of the fun activities that will be there include:

• See Order of the Arrow Lodge Chief Jacob Fritz throw out the first pitch, flanked by his Vice-Chiefs, all decked out in ceremonial regalia
• Try out the all new, newly invented Gator Bridge.
• Test your balance skills on the Monkey Bridge.
• Test you Pinewood Derby car on the track to race against your friends.
• Race a Raingutter Regatta boat
• Check out our Model Campsite and learn how to strum a chord around the campfire 
• See a demonstration of how branding irons work 
• Get a Shark-Do hair gel style 
• Try out a Space Derby Race 
• Learn or show off your knot tying skills 
• Stroll into a Dance Zumba Class
• Draw sharks and scouting symbols on a big mural 
• Win a prize for completing a stamp pad booklet(by visiting each exhibit) 
• See three showcased Eagle Scout Projects 
• Get latest leader training opportunities list of dates 
• Participate in Hula Hoop games 
• Show off your throwing accuracy at the Corn Hole game 
• Visit the Patch Trader Tables
• Take aim at the Shooting Sports Area
• Buy Camp Cards!

Tickets are $14 at the door, which includes the all you can eat food if your scout is in uniform. Seats will be unassigned, so we can all sit together once we get inside.

*some restrictions apply, subject to availability

Get Ready for Scout Day with the Rays

May Newsletter

The May pack meeting was great! The Bears kicked off the meeting with a solemn flag ceremony, then the Tigers showed us the food pyramid poster they had made in their Den Meeting. The WEBELOS 1 gave us a skit on just saying no, and the WEBELOS 2 gave us a hilarious show for their Showman badge. A great time was had by all!

Read this month's news in the May Newsletter

SCOUT STORIES: From Tiger to Boy Scouts

 by Hunter Wurtz, WEBELOS 2, Arrow of Light

When I joined Cub Scouts as a Tiger, I made a lot of new friends. I also built things, like my first derby car. It was a little blue car that I named Speedier. We also had a boat race, which I won.

I went with daddy on my very first camp out. I helped my dad set up the tent, it was big and blue. Daddy and I had a lot of fun that day: we cooked hot dogs and hamburgers and sat around a big fire. We had hot chocolate and played games, like tag and hide and seek. We made skits like:

"We are the Tigers, the mighty mighty Tigers. 
Everywhere we go, people wanna know... 
who we are.. so we tell them: 
We are the Tigers!" 

That was also my first year of Cub Scout Family Camp. We had a lot of fun! I got to shoot a BB gun for the first time, and bow and arrows. We also learned about safe swimming. My Mom was our den leader.

When I was a Wolf, we went on trips to the dinosaur dig where we dug for fossils and found really cool things. We did nature hikes, and my first Coastal Clean Up! We made up den songs, and went camping with our friends. I made another Pinewood Derby car that looked like an Army tank, and I won that year!  I also went  to summer camp again and learned to fish with bamboo poles. I also got shoot marshmallow shooters!

As a Bear, I learned how to tie knots, how to grow plants from seeds, and how to take care of my self. At camp I learned how to play Jedi Ball, Which I really liked that game, it's FUN!

My first year as a WEBELOS I learned first aid, and how to use my pocket knife. This is when I met my new best friend, Marcus, and my Mom met Mr. and Mrs. Drennen, they are the nicest people I ever met, they are like a family to me. I met a new friend Jonathan too.

That year my mom became the Cub Scout pack leader, and she was special, and my dad too. I got to make another derby car, it was a tank, it was really fast, I won 1st place, and again went to Cub Scout camp.

As a WEBELOS 2, I earned my whittling chip badge, and in three weeks, I will have earned my Arrow of Light! I will miss all my friends, but I have had alot of fun as a Cub Scout, The only sad part is I don't get to make derby cars anymore. I'm looking forward to being a Boy Scout.

Goodbye everyone, I'll see you when you come to Troop 43!

April Newsletter

The April Pack 43 Newsletter is now available for download here. Read Tyler Merrifield's tale of the Pack Campout, see pictures of our trip back in time to the Civil War and more!

SCOUT STORIES: Camping with Pack 43

by Tyler Merrifield, WEBELOS 1

When I first got there, I was feeling a little sick because of the long trip, but once I got out of the car I saw Mr. Coogan and I ran over to say Hi. He helped us carry our stuff over to the campsite, like our tent and mostly groceries. I said, "We sure brought a lot of stuff!" I thought the cooler was leaking so I closed it up.

I was still at the car and suddenly I looked around and saw they were all gone. I thought I was lost, but my brother came up behind me and said, "You gotta check this out!" I saw a beach with lots of water and a bridge nearby.

Next we set up my tent. That was my first time making a tent, so I learned about how to set up a tent. Then Ms. Bonnie came and helped us put up our big tent.

Finally, the Drennens came with Marcus. Marcus asked me to help him put up his tent. We put it up all by ourselves. We argued a bit, but we finally got it up. Next we tried to find a spot for our clubhouse. It took a while but I found the perfect spot. Marcus brought a blue tent to use as a club house. The wind was blowing so hard we were having a hard time setting up the clubhouse tent, but then Mr. Drennen came over and helped us set it up.

After that we decided to hang out and hide in the clubhouse tent. The more people that came inside, the more destroyed it got. The next thing I know Mr. Drennen came back to get this thing put back up.

When we came out, there was a big fire and and we ate hot dogs. After we ate, we roasted marshmallows and made s'mores. Then we told each other some scary stories and some funny stories. Hunter told a funny one that went "Down the toilet, down the toilet..." Then Mr Drennen told a story. At first I thought it was going to be a silly story but it turned out to be a really scary story.

Then we went to bed, but I had a hard time falling asleep because I didnt have my pillow. Then Mr. Tim gave me a flashlight so I could get my pillow from the car. On our way back from the car, I saw two raccoons fighting. At first I thought they were going to attack me, but they just ran off. Finally I fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke up but just a few people were awake - some people were still asleep. I played cops and robbers for a while and then I found the biggest trees and climbed them. Then we went on a hike with Mr Coogan and Mr. Justin. We picked up 3 bags of trash.

When we came back, we did an Easter Egg Hunt. There were lots of colored eggs, and gold and silver eggs with money in them. Little Aidan was the first to find a golden egg. Then my brother and my sister found a golden egg too. We looked out on the beach for another golden egg, but big Aedan found that one. There was only one golden egg left, and me and Hunter and Marcus were in a competition to find it. I found it in a tree, but I gave it to Marcus cause he got hurt. Then I found a silver egg, and it had a dollar.

After that, we ate hamburgers and hotdogs for lunch and then we colored eggs. Mr. Tim and Mr. Coogan had a huge water fight. After that, my mom said it was time to go.

It was the best camping trip ever.

March Newsletter

The March newsletter is now available for download here. Be sure to check out KC Santiago's awesome account of his visit to the Daytona 500!

SCOUT STORIES: My Race to the Daytona 500

by KC Santiago, WEBELOS 1

Hi, my name is KC Santiago, a proud cubscout of Pack 43. I would like to share my experience when me and my family went to Daytona Beach to watch the 2012 Daytona 500 Nascar race on February 25th and 26th.

Friday after school, I helped my mom pack all our camping stuff and load our van. We left Saturday morning and got there around noon. We set up our tent and the air mattresses for us to sleep at night. We watched the first race and it was awesome! Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the race.

That night, we set up the camp fire and sat with my family and friends. I met a friend, his name was Kai and we played together. We made S'mores and it was delicious.

On Sunday, they cancelled the race because it was raining. We got soaking wet but we still had a great time. Me and my friend played video games on my iPad. I really had a great time. We packed our stuff and left that afternoon.

Monday after school we went back to see the final race. Me and my mom stood on the roof of our car to see the perfect view of the race. And then there's a big fire on the track. One of the race cars collided with one of the trucks that dries the track during break time. It was 48 laps to go when the accident happened. They did a huge clean up on the track and it took about 3o to 45 minutes to clear the track. While we waited I played video games with my iPad then my uncle set my air mattress up at the back of our van for me to take a rest and sleep.

It was an excellent experience. I hope that my fellow cubscouts will get a chance to experience the fun I experienced at the Daytona 500.

February Newsletter & Pack Meeting

What an amazing pack meeting this month! We celebrated the birthday of Cub Scouting with a fun Blue and Gold Party featuring a delectable meal - blueberry pancakes, cheesy eggs, sausages, and yummy blue and gold cupcakes! We even had blue and gold drinks! Thanks SO much to Mr. Ed, Ms Stacy, Ms April and Mr Gordon for their hard work in getting the meal done on time and delicious!

I am also incredibly proud of all of our scouts and siblings, who worked hard tonight to be respectful and learn about resourcefulness. The Bears did a great job with the flag ceremony! The boys who did the neckerchief skit did a great job showing off some of the many things that a neckerchief can be used for - it was both useful and entertaining! All of the pack had fun making their own woggles for their neckerchief. I am immensely proud of the resourcefulness every boy showed! Super job tonight Pack 43!!

If you enjoyed the Baden-Powell story at the beginning of the meeting, be sure to read the article in this month;s newsletter. It's a fascinating and informative tale of Baden Powell's vision for Scouting. There's a bunch more you'll find useful in the February Newsletter. Check it Out!

January Newsletter & Pack Meeting

Thanks to everyone who joined us tonight at our 'magical' pack meeting! I hope you and your scout(s) and siblings had as good a time as we did!

The January newsletter is available for download here. In it you will find information on our upcoming Pinewood derby, the council redistricting project, a little known achievement your scout can easily earn, and dates for upcoming events. I hope you enjoy it!

As a reminder, the January Family Camp is almost here. Spaces go fast, so don't wait too long to sign up! The camp itself will be January 28th and 29th. This will be at Camp Soule, which is right in our own backyard (Soule road is between Sunset Point and McMullen Booth off of Union) so we highly encourage the entire pack to attend. To register, click the register link on this page.

CUBMASTER'S MINUTE: Do Your Best in 2012

by Andrea Drennen, Pack 43 Cubmaster 

Hi everyone, it's the first meeting of the new year, and that means that myself and Mr. Drennen are now officially the cub masters for Pack 43. Please rest assured that we are as dedicated to Pack 43's success as Ms. Bonnie, and we will be working closely with her to keep the pack running smoothly! I promise we will work hard to help the pack go!

Speaking of promises... Because of the new year, the topic of New Year's Resolutions has been popping up all over the place. This has got me thinking - what is a resolution but a promise that you make to yourself? How is it then, that these promises are the ones most often not kept?

In Cub Scouting, we make a lot of promises to our boys. We promise to teach them new skills, to help them build character, to become more independant, to introduce them to experiences that are not as common in today's digital age, and to help them do their best in everything.

I think it's time we start pushing ourselves as parents and as adult leaders to make good on these promises. It's so easy to let time slip by without getting out and doing something toward these goals. There's a lot there! But Cub Scouting provides us with a framework to achieve all of these things, and more.

Remember Cub Scouting is built for family involvement, not just meetings and pack events. Whenever you have an opportunity to provide your scout with a learning experience, like helping out in the kitchen or reading a map to navigate to a new location, take it! Your Scout will be enriched with the new knowledge, and chances are he can be rewarded for it with an achievement at the next pack meeting!

I am so proud of our pack. We have dedicated adult leaders, eager scouts and supportive families. There's nothing more we could ask for as a group. So let's promise to get outside more this year, bring our boys together toward our common goals, and work together to keep our promises to the pack, the scouts, and ourselves!

Happy New Year Pack 43! 
Do Your Best in 2012!