Cubmaster’s Notes

Racing Into Spring

As the ground thaws and the days get longer, there’s a distinct energy in the air. We’re all suffering from a little bit of Cabin Fever, and our scouts are champing at the bit to get on the playground.

For Pack 29, March is a bit of a “dual-engine” month. On one hand, we are deep in Derby Mode, which mostly means sawdust in the garage, graphite on every surface of the house, and the focused silence of a Scout (or parent) trying to sand that perfect curve into a block of wood.

But on the other hand, the outdoors are finally calling us back!

While we’re busy tuning up our cars for the big race, I want to encourage everyone to take a “pit stop” outside. Whether it’s a quick hike at a local park or just practicing your Scout skills in the backyard, Spring is the season of growth—and I can already see how much our Scouts have grown since the fall.

I’m looking forward to seeing the incredible designs our scouts will come up with at our Build Day this Sunday. Let’s make this a month of fast cars, fresh air, and great memories.

See you on the track (and on the trail)!

February Recognitions

This month, I want to recognize all of the families, friends, and guests of the pack for attending the Blue & Gold ceremony and for volunteering their time to make it a success. I especially want to extend my gratitude for everyone’s flexibility as we navigated unpredictable weather and other external factors. Lastly, a special thank you goes to Troops 29 and 317 for welcoming our AOLs into your troops. We know they are in good hands!

 

February Den Activities

Lions & Tigers

In February, the Lions and Tigers worked on their Technology advancements. They learned about the history of some technology that they use in their daily lives, how they use technology, and how technology makes their life easier.

Wolves

The Wolf den worked on their Cubs Who Care adventure. They joined the Webelos for a discussion with a guest speaker about living with physical limitations. They learned about some of the challenges of living with limitations and how they can have a positive impact on someone’s life by doing little things for them.

Bears 

This month, the Bears worked on their Whittling adventure. They first learned about knife safety, and then demonstrated those safe skills by carving a bar of soap. After they were comfortable with the soap, they demonstrated good, safe whittling techniques with their pocket knives. 

Webelos

The Webelos worked on the Aware and Care adventure this month, where they had the opportunity to host a guest speaker to talk about the challenges of living with some physical limitations. They discussed some of the challenges that able-bodied individuals take for granted and how we, as scouts, can help people of all physical abilities in our daily lives.

AOLs

The AOLs spent their final den meeting reviewing some of the fundamentals before they transition to their troops. This included the Scout Law, Scout Oath, Handshake, Troop Scout sign, and Leave No Trace principles. 

 

March Pack Updates

Pinewood Derby

Drivers, start your engines! March is officially Pinewood Derby Month for Pack 29. We have an action-packed month ahead as we transform blocks of wood into speed machines.

The fun kicks off this Sunday, March 8, at 2:00 PM with our Build Day. Whether you’re a master builder or a first-timer, come join us to get those wheels spinning! 

This year, the racing doesn’t stop with the Scouts. We’re hosting a full Adults-Only Derby immediately following the main event. It’s open to all Scout families—no trophies, just pure bragging rights.

Check the “Upcoming Events” section below for full details on dates, times, and locations. If you weren’t able to get your cars at the Blue & Gold Ceremony, you can pick up your kit at the Build Day!

Summer Camp 2026

Registration is officially open for Summer Camp 2026! This year, we’ll be heading back to Camp Minsi the week of June 21-26, 2026 for our annual summer camp experience! Whether your Scout is staying for the Full Week or the Mini Week, they’ll enjoy a week of swimming, fishing, and shooting sports.

• Early Bird Deadline: March 15 (Save up to $115 per Scout!)
• Full Week Cost: $465 (Early) / $580 (Regular)
• Mini Week Cost: $360 (Early) / $475 (Regular)
• Adult Cost: $200 (Full) / $150 (Mini)
• Deposit: $100 due at registration to Jen Schleig.

Don’t let the cost be a barrier! Between Scout accounts, Council Camperships, and our own Pack sponsorship funds, we are here to help make sure every Scout can attend. 

Look for a flyer in your email later this week with more details!

Fundraising

Our next collection date for meat stick orders will be at the Pinewood Derby on 3/21.  Please reach out to Jen Schleig (sjmznschleig@gmail.com) if you have any questions!

Help Wanted!

Like any organization, Scouting relies heavily on parents, guardians, and other volunteers to remain lively and active. Pack 29 is in a very healthy state, largely because of the support that we receive from our families who see the value that we provide to our scouts, families, and community.

While we’re always looking for volunteers to help the pack in different ways, AOL graduations create several vacancies for the remainder of the current year and the new year, which begins in August. 

In the coming weeks, we’ll be posting a full list of vacancies for the 2026-2027 year so that we can begin training in the Spring. However, we have some immediate vacancies that we would like to fill in March. If you are new to the pack or aren’t sure if you can fully commit to something, these openings are great ways to “get your feet wet”. They are low-commitment positions that allow you to get familiar with the pack.

If you’re interested in helping in any capacity, please reach out to Mike Ehret (pack29easton@gmail.com)!

Pinewood Derby Pit Crew Members

Pack 29 is looking for volunteers to help with our Pinewood Derby! We are looking for 2-3 adults to be on our Pinewood Derby Pit Crew. In this role, you’ll help with setup and teardown of the track and serve as the helping hands for our Build Day, Test Night, and on Derby Day. This position requires 4-6 hours of your time during the month of March. 

Committee Member

With our AOLs leaders moving on, we have one open position for a Committee Member. These are passive leadership roles, where you’ll provide support to the pack by attending the monthly Committee meetings, assisting pack leaders with event planning, and serve as a “sounding board” to new ideas and suggestions. The average time commitment to this position is 2-3 hours per month.

This is a great “entry-level” position to fill if you’re interested in getting involved with the pack but aren’t ready or able to commit to a leadership role. 

 

Upcoming Events

Sunday, 3/1/2026, 2025, 4:00 PM-7:00 PM – Blue & Gold Ceremony

Attire: Class A Uniforms

• The Blue & Gold ceremony is our annual graduation event for the AOLs who will be moving on from the pack. 
• We’ll recognize all of our dens for the adventures they completed during January and February, and then we’ll have a special ceremony for the outgoing AOLs.
• Dinner will be provided, and the AOLs will be making desserts for all attendees!
• This event will take place at Hope Lutheran Church in Tatamy.

Monday, 3/2/2026, 7:00 PM-8:00 PM – Committee Meeting, Virtual

• At this month’s meeting, we’ll start planning our Pinewood Derby event and brainstorm for our spring pack meetings and fundraiser(s). 

Sunday, 3/8/2026, 2:00 PM-4:00 PM – Pinewood Derby Build Day

• Families will have the opportunity to work on their pinewood derby cars with the help of our pit crew.
• Basic hand and power tools will be provided.
• If you are a handy parent who has some basic power and hand tools, let’s talk! We’re looking for some volunteers to help the scouts shape their cars
• More info to come!

Wednesday, 3/18/2026, 6:00 PM-8:00 PM – Pinewood Derby Trial Night

• We will set up the track in the Fellowship Hall for the scouts to test their cars and make any final adjustments. 
• There will be some basic power and hand tools available to add/remove weight from the car, and our Pit Crew will help install the axles. 

Saturday, 3/21/2026, 2:00 PM-4:00 PM – Pinewood Derby Race Day

• The big day! 
• This event will take place at Hope Lutheran Church in Tatamy.
• Scouts will bring their race-ready cars to the church, where they’ll get to watch their car race in three heats. 
• Trophies will be given to the top-3 fastest cars, and awards will be given out for style, creativity, and other categories! 
• This year, we’re going to have an adults-only event while the Scout awards are being prepared. This is open to all scout family adults, so make sure you grab a car!