Cubmaster’s Notes

Welcome to 2026-2027!

This year is already shaping up to be something special for Pack 29 and our scouts. We’re welcoming new leaders, planning new activities, and freshening up some long-standing traditions. 

I want to start this month’s newsletter by welcoming Al Raccuia as our Cubmaster, beginning in 2027. The Raccuia family has been a part of this pack for three years, and he’s been the den leader for two of those years. With the support of our leaders and the pack families, I am excited to see him thrive as Cubmaster! Over the next few months, Al, Jen, and I will be working on transitioning information and responsibilities so that he can hit the ground running on January 1! 

And, Al isn’t the only new leader this year. We are welcoming two new den leaders, and a newly-created Communications Chair! Eric Tate will be our new den leader for the Wolf den, and Ryan D’Huyvetters will be our new Webelo den leader. Tamara Raccuia will be stepping into the Communications Chair position, which was created this year to help manage the newsletter, website, and Facebook page!

Please join me in congratulating Al, Eric, Ryan, and Tamara and thanking them for filling these important roles for our pack. The future is bright for Pack 29!

September Pack Updates

Summer Recap

This summer was a little busier than usual for some of the pack. In June, we conquered Summer Camp again! We had another successful week at Camp Minsi, with 14 scouts and 7 adult leaders, who all made the most of an unseasonably cool and damp week. The scouts had a great time working on advancements, singing camp songs, playing gaga ball, making s’mores, and building lifelong memories. 

In August, we held our annual planning meeting, where we set the budget, schedule, and many of the activities for the upcoming year. There are a few additions and adjustments to the pack calendar for the year, so make sure you check out the Pack 29 Google Calendar. It has been updated with all of the meetings, Council events, and camping trips through June 2027.

This year, we also joined Troop 29 for Scouting Weekend at Arndt’s Lutheran Church. This year, the church is celebrating its 200th anniversary, and they invited the Pack and Troop to speak to the congregation about the long-standing relationship between Scouting and the church. Troop 29 also organized some games, a campout, and a pancake breakfast.

We’re always looking for ways to make improvements and try new things, so if you have any suggestions for new pack events or feedback on past events, don’t be afraid to send them to me! 

Leadership Team

Help me in welcoming our leadership team for the upcoming year! There are some new faces and some familiar faces in new roles, but I’m so excited to work alongside these folks to make this another successful year.

• • Cubmaster – Mike Ehret (2026) / Al Raccuia (2027)
  • Assistant Cubmaster – Stephen Schleig
  • Committee Chair – Jen Schleig
  • Treasurer – Ryan D’Huyvetters
  • AOL Den Leader – Matt Alercia / Mike Ehret
  • Webelo Den Leader – Ryan D’Huyvetters
  • Bear Den Leader – Al Raccuia
  • Wolf Den Leader – Eric Tate
  • Tiger Den Leader – OPEN
  • Lion Den Leader  – OPEN
  • Committee Members – Emmet O’Hanlon, OPEN
  • Fundraising Chair – Jen Schleig
  • Recruiting Chair – Emily D’Huyvetters
  • Advancement Chair – Tamara Raccuia
  • Scouting for Food Chair – Emmet O’Hanlon
  • Camping Director – Stephen Schleig

• Pinewood Derby Crew Chief – Eric Tate

• Communications Chair (New Role!) – Tamara Raccuia

As you can see, we currently have two open positions and would love for you to join us! We are in need of a Lions/Tigers den leader and another Committee member. If you believe in what the pack does and want to help shape the future of the pack, consider becoming a volunteer!

Fundraising

Fall Mums Sale

This year, Jen Schleig organized a mums sale through Palmer Nursery, and each sale earned the scout $2 for their Scout Account. Collectively the scouts who participated in the sale earned $198 for their accounts. 

Vouchers will be available for pickup at the 9/12 pack meeting for those who submitted an order.

Meatsticks

Last year, we piloted a new program to sell meatsticks all year long, and it worked well, so we’re going to bring it back again this year. We’ll collect order forms at the last meeting of every month through June 2027, so your scout has an opportunity to earn some funds for their account at any time! If you need a copy of the order form, please reach out to Jen Schleig.

This year, Pack 29 will also have a booth at Forks Community Days, where we’ll also be selling meatsticks. More info to come shortly!

Recruiting

We are in the midst of Scouting America’s Fall recruiting campaign, and our Recruiting Chair, Emily D’Huyvetters, spent a large chunk of August working hard to prepare for our recruiting events. We participated in three elementary school Open House events: Cheston, Forks, and Shawnee. Thank you to Emily and to the families who represented our pack at these events. We received a lot of interest and positive feedback, and we’re looking forward to meeting many of these new families at our upcoming pack meetings. If you or your scout knows a friend who has talked about joining Scouts, our 9/12 and 10/11 are great opportunities to introduce them to Scouting and to Pack 29!

Stargazing Campout Info

This year, we’ve added a special camping trip to the calendar!

We will be doing a stargazing campout on Hawk Mountain with the Lehigh Valley Amateur Astronomical Society. The volunteers will set up different telescopes and lead us through the observable objects in the sky. During this weekend, we’ll get to see Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, several constellations and nebulas, and the Andromeda galaxy!

We’ll open up sign-ups at the pack meeting on 9/12, and they’ll remain open for two or three weeks. Due to the nature and location of the event, unfortunately, we have to limit it to scouts who are 7+ years old.  This will also be a joint trip with Troop 29, so it’s a great opportunity for our scouts to learn from our older scouts!

Upcoming Events

Sunday, 9/8/2026, 7:00 PM-8:00 PM – Committee Meeting, Virtual

• This month will focus on planning for the September pack meeting and finalizing some loose ends from the Planning Meeting

Friday, 9/11/2026, 5:00 PM-????- Scout Night @ Becky’s Drive-In

• Join Pack 29 and other packs from the area for a night at the drive-in theater!
• A Facebook event page has been set up to get a head count and to coordinate departure/arrive.
• This is a Council event. Entry is $12 per person

Saturday, 9/12/2026, 4:00 PM – Sunday, 9/13/2026, 9:00 AM – September Pack Meeting and Campout

• This is our annual “Welcome Back” picnic and Fall recruiting event!
• We’ll have fun activities for the scouts throughout the afternoon, followed by a picnic, awards ceremony, an outdoor movie, and then camping on the church lawn!
• On Sunday morning, we’ll have a pancake breakfast under the pavilion, and then depart by 9:00 AM
• Camping is always optional, but it’s always a fun time!
• Here is the Sign-Up Genius link for the RSVP and food sign-up:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0D4CAAAB2DA1FD0-65548663-pack

Friday, 9/18/2026 – Sunday, 9/20/2026 – Forks Community Days

• Pack 29 will have a table set up at Forks Community Days to sell meat sticks and promote the pack.
• We’ll have more details, and a Sign-Up Genius link, in the coming days.
• Reach out to Tamara Raccuia for more details.

Sunday, 9/27/2026, 2:00-5:00 PM – Den Meetings

• Your den leaders will be sending out more details about their specific plans for their dens, so be on the lookout for that.