Cub Scout Pack 289 - Springfield, Missouri
Previous Pack Events
October 12-13, Fall Family Campout
We had a really nice turnout for the campout at Ritter Springs Park. The scouts played several funs games the first night before our hike. Melvin from the park service took us all on a night hike to Bat Cave where we saw several bats flying around. The next day we went fishing and canoing. Several of us went on another hike to Junction Cave, where we got to go inside and experience the local cave life. Our guide was surprised at how many species there were and agreed the cave was coming back to life. In the cave, we saw two species of bat, some spiders, crickets, frogs and salamanders.
After lunch we took a longer hike through the woods to Devil's Den, another cave. The path we took was overgrown and was a lot of fun to experience. We crossed the stream several times by walking over tree bridges and it was a great challenge for the boys (and adults!)
I would say a fun time was had by all and as always we came away learning something about nature.
September 29: Springfield Railroad Museum
Den's 8 and 3 had a combined go-see-it den meeting at the Springfield Railroad Museum. The museum is a nonprofit museum dedicated to the preservation of Railroad History and heritage of the past and educating present and coming generations.
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The boys (and parents) had a great time ringing the bell of the locomotive and explorer the train. It was in really good shape and was manned by several actual railroaders. Inside the railcars were numerous interesting displays and pictures. There was even a 100-year old working model of a locomotive that was showcased at an early World's Fair.
August 24: Insect-O-Rama
The Springfield Nature Center was packed with curious people wanting to know more about Missouri's bugs. There were seven scouts there that I saw, but the event latest well after we left. There were games like the flea leap and the dung beetle race and there were even insects you could eat (Assistant Cubmaster Jeff tried a few). It was truly fascinating to see how many bugs are native to the local Missouri counties and the boys had a great time learning about them. The scouts also got to bring home Luna Moth Larvae to take care of. It was a blast!
Click here to checkout the full Insect-O-Rama slideshow!
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July 4: Independence Day Parade The boys of Pack 289 did a great job while participating in the Mid-town Fourth of July Parade, 2007. Nine boys from dens 3, 8 and 2 showed up, along with leaders from all three dens (and one canine cubiey mascot!). They handed out candy as they walked along the parade route waving American flags, and, they got ice cream at the end! Good work, boys, you made us proud. A parade photo of our own Jessica Hayes, Wolf Den 8 leader, was published in the July 5 edition of the Springfield News-Leader. Our own photos will be posted soon.
June 14-15: Cub Scout Day Camp The record rains forced the cancellation of the the first day of camp, but that left two other days for fun.
June 10-12: Cub Scout Residence Camp We all learned a lot. It was everyone's first time to attend Residence Camp at the Frank Childress Wilderness Reservation near Joplin. Two wolves and three Webelos attended. Pack 289 helped with a BIG flag retirement ceremony, ate good chow and did several activities. The biggest event, though, was surviving a record 7 inches--plus, rain storm overnight! That builds character!
June 9: Pack 289 helps clean the James River Among things found during the clean-up, was a a tattered American flag. An article about the clean-up published in the News-Leader on June 10 mentioned that the flag was turned over to Cub Scout Pack 289 for retirement. The boys said they really had fun that day, and they got free hot dogs and t-shirts at the end of the event. They learned a lot and worked toward earning scout badges. Tons of trash was taken from the river, and the boys were happy to know they had done a "Good Turn" for the day.
May 11-12: The BIG day—the Rank Advancement Ceremony and Pack Overnighter
The boys performed well around the campfire as the the colors were posted, they placed their candles in the "log of honor" and advanced in rank. A lot of elective awards were earned, including several "Leave No Trace" awards, plus the boys were presented new neckerchiefs, slides and rank books. A new member, Dongwan Soe, and his family were welcomed into the Junior Webelo Den. Congratulations to all.
There was so much to do we didn't have a chance to do it all, but the boys did participate in a night hike and saw bats fly out of a cave at dusk, learned about the outdoors at night; did a day hike into a cave and saw bats and salamanders; canoed, fished, participated in a stream study, sailed boats, etc.
A special thanks to the new junior and senior webelo dens for posting and retiring the colors each day. And to Melvin Johnson and his staff at the Springfield-Greene County Parks Department for going out of their way to make it an enjoyable event.
May 5: Several members of Pack 289 were in the crowd during the Springfield Cardinal's “Scout Day” Game. We're glad you could make it!
May 3: Three leaders of Pack 289 received their BALOO Training. Congratulations to Jeff Black, Jessica Hayes and David Zuhlke for attending this training. Any overnight camping MUST have registered Baloo trained leaders in attendance.
April 21: Pack Service Project: Trail Chippers at the Nature Center
We all worked hard and helped improve the quality of the trails by rebarking a section of the Springfield Nature Center.
We used wheelbarrow and buckets to carry the bark to where it needed to go and then spread it out evenly with rakes, shovels and even our feet. The boys learned about controlling erosion and did their good deed for the day.
 | Afterwords, we got together at a nearby park and learned about the "Leave No Trace" program. We had picnic and games afterward. We were flying kites, playing whiffleball, and hopping around having a good time with sack races. |
Six leave no trace guidelines for Cub Scouts
1. Plan Ahead 2. Stick To Trails 3. Manage Your Pet 4. Leave What You Find 5. Respect Other Visitors 6. Trash Your Trash
April 20: Pinewood Derby Race / April Pack Meeting
Everyone had a great time building the cars and finally racing them. The boys learned good sportsmanship through competition. Trophies and awards we handed out to all the boys and we all saw some big smiles that day. The fastest cars in the Pack will be recognized at the May Pack meeting.