Packwide Fall Family Camping

Cubs, parents, and siblings camped in the great outdoors again this Fall at George Washington Monument State Park near Middletown, MD. The event was oversold with a wait list despite the forecast for some wet weather on Sunday.

Everyone who attended pulled together for a wonderful camp out. Kudos for everyone's flexibility in jumping in wherever needed and helping out in many different ways! The weather was awesome! Perfect and dry for hiking, exploring, playing and completing Cub Scout Den adventures together on Saturday; little rain very late overnight and a mild foggy morning for breakfast and more play. Two Bear Cubs showed some of us a large stick bug they found, another Cub found a toad, and the dogs loved all the attention! Pack 255 Cub Scouts in every Den earned adventures or awards at camp.

October Pack Meeting

The Pack officially welcomed 18 new Cubs to the Pack through the Bobcat ceremony. Bobcat is the first rank that all Cubs must earn when they join a Pack. Cubs had their faces painted with different colors and symbols that represent Cub Scouting. Cubs then get to mark their parent or guardian with the paint to symbolize the love and guidance for their Cubs.

Next, each of the Dens recognized the achievement of their Cubs who had completed requirements toward their rank in the past month and distributed their awards.

Then it was time for the big event - pumpkin carving and decorating. Under close supervision of adults the Cubs demonstrated the Cub Scout Motto of, "Do Your Best," by designing, carving, and decorating their pumpkins. There was much enthusiasm, encouragement, and creativity. Completed pumpkins were entered for judging by the Pack leadership and prizes were awarded in categories including Cutest, Most Original, Funniest, Most Traditional, Scariest, Most Wicked, Most Ghoulish, and Best Design.

Goshen Scout Reservation Camp PMI for Webelos

Pack 255's Webelos (4th and 5th graders) participated in a variety of great activities, led by BSA camp staff, throughout the week: Swimming, Paddling, Nature Discovery, Scout Craft, Hiking, Target Sports, Camp-Wide Morning Flags & Evening Bonfires, Songs at the Dining Hall and much more.

Bethesda Big Train Baseball Color Guard

Cubs & Leaders put on their dress uniforms with newest ranks and achievements displayed to form the color guard to present the flags at the Bethesda Big Train baseball game against the Gaithersburg Giants. After a quick rehearsal the Cubs entered the field for the National Anthem. After the ceremony the Cubs returned the colors and took their seats to enjoy the game!

Packwide Family Spring Camping

Pack 255 braved damp and chilly weather and got out for some family camping. Activities for the trip included bicycling, hiking, all kinds of catch (baseball, football, Frisbee), freeze tag, and general exploring. Some Bears and Webelos finished up their Whittling Chip requirements. Dinner was roast your own hot dogs, mac-n-cheese, veggie platters, and chips, followed by marshmallow toasting for Smores.

The night finished with a campfire program where Cubs, siblings and parents told jokes and sang songs. The Pack also conducted a US Flag Retirement Ceremony for an unserviceable flag. This included discussing why the flag was unserviceable, why US Flags are retired with dignity, the playing of Taps, the Cubmaster reading of the poem, "My Name is Old Glory," by Don S. Miller, and incineration of the flag. After the ceremony the campers retired to their tents for the night.

On Sunday the campers rose bright and early for a breakfast of pancakes, fruit, bacon, and turkey sausage. After breakfast the families broke down their tent sites, packed up their cars, and did one final pass for campsite cleanup. The last activity was a group hike along the forest trails. Thank you to all participants for another fun camping trip.

Blue & Gold Banquet, Awards & Arrow of Light Ceremony

Pack 255 celebrated the birthday of Cub Scouting and conducted the Arrow of Light Ceremony honoring Sr. Webelos who completed rank! In addition, all cubs that reached their next level of rank (Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos) were award their rank and any additional adventure awards. The many volunteers who give their time to the Pack received recognition as well. All attendees enjoyed catered dinner from local restaurant, Fish Taco. Thanks to everyone who volunteered to make the Blue & Gold a success.

Pack 255 had a blast at the Port Discovery overnight adventure. Cubs and siblings had three floors of activities to choose from, but the most popular were KidWorks, a three-story urban treehouse; Wonders of Water stream table and bubble hoop; and Kick It Up! indoor soccer stadium. Healthy snacks were served up all evening and kids and adults had an early breakfast buffet, with plenty of coffee for the adults.

Check out more information about Port Discovery at http://www.portdiscovery.org/.

Pack 255 reserved the private party walls at Earth Treks for two hours of climbing. Cubs and siblings tackled one of the largest indoor climbing walls in the nation. Between challenging climbs, participants helped themselves to refreshing pizza and water. The event was good for kids of all ages and abilities. The Earth Treks employees provided great support and encouragement to the kids.

Pack 255 had a successful Pinewood Derby this year. Many Cubs and siblings participated in the races, competing for gold, silver, or bronze in each den and for the Pack overall. In addition to racing awards, honors were awards to the many creative cars in categories such as original shape, best paint, most decals, most creative, and judge's choice. Parents ran a successful bake sale and Pack 255 gear was offered for sale.

There was plenty of good sportsmanship and many cubs left planning their designs for next year.

Scouts brought their Pinewood Derby kits to the workshop where parent volunteers helped create & build cars at the following stations:

1. Design station - paper, pencils & PWD idea books to help you select a design and then draw it on the wood to be cut at the next station

2. Band Saw station - skilled parents will cut along the lines you've drawn on your wood block using a band saw to shape your PWD car

3. Sanding station - various grades of sandpaper will be available for you to use to sand your car to a smooth, aerodynamic finish

4. Weigh station - test the weight of your car at various stages to be sure it's within limits (according to the 2017 PWD rules)