Another First
Posted in Cub Scouts by: Alisa
Because Max is eight now he started Cub Scouts yesterday. He was so excited to get dressed in his uniform and I don’t think he had any idea what to expect but he thoroughly enjoyed the pack meeting. While we were driving we had this conversation:
Max: Mom, why do I have to wear these numbers on my arm?
Me: That’s your pack number.
Max: What’s a pack.
Me: Well you know what a Ward (congregation) is right? It’s a group of people that all live in the same area that go to church together. Well a pack is a group of Scout’s that all live near each other.
Max: So I have to move? (Implying leave our family.)
I very kindly told him no. You just go to Scout’s with people you live by. I wanted to say something about how he was now going to be living with all these other boys and someone else would raise him, maybe wolves as a matter of fact but I refrained.
I could not believe how ridiculous the Pack Meeting was. Riddles and bubble gum blowing contests. In fact there I’ve never felt so stupid in my life because I cannot do riddles. I honestly can’t figure them out. Never have been and it makes me feel really dumb. Well, apparently they like riddles in Cub Scouts so hopefully my kids didn’t get my inability to work out simple problems. Like this one. They gave some of the kids eleven toothpicks and told them to turn them into nine. Do you know how to do that? I’ll put the answer in the comments in case your like me and have no idea how you turn eleven toothpicks into nine.
Elaine helped me sew on all the patches so Max looked just like the other new Wolfs in the pack. It really was a fun night. My only problem was Tru and Oli because they kept raising their hands to participate but couldn’t. They didn’t give me any grief but it made me sad to see them disappointed. (Like I’ve never said no to my kids before, right?)
Just another sign of Max growing up and turning into a little man.
I just have one question for you… Do you remember Cub Scouts being so silly?
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:43 pm
You use the eleven toothpicks and spell the word nine.
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Growing up without brothers, Nolan’s first experience with cub scouts was a first for me too.
Be prepared to witness goofy-gooberness at its best. I was the leader for the wolves. And I came home begging Nolan to not act like the boys in my group. Without sounding doom and gloom, I will say this….your boys will love scouting like no other. And you will sit back and wonder how the heck those boys absorb any sort of knowledge what with their constant dorking around and tearing thru the church building. For the life of me I could not get them to settle down.
Again, your boys will love it-and I guess that’s all that matters.
Lucky for us, the Eagle projects seem way easier these days. And you couldn’t have a better father/mother in law in this area. I vividly remember BOTH of them in full on scouting regalia.
September 3rd, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Be prepared for goofy for the next two years my dear. Wolves and Bears are the goofiest and even have books on how to be that way. Do you remember what a “big round of applause” is? Once they get into Webelos, it’s still goofy but they learn to transition into more boy scout type stuff.
I probably would’ve used the tootpicks to make a #9, not spell it out. The pack concept is loosley based on the Mowgli series. Reminding him of the beginning of jungle book might have helped.
It’s too bad they didn’t let the non scouts participate. Usually when there is a pack meeting and families are invited, everyone gets to participate. Just keep us informed when the cake auctions, pinewood derby, regattas, etc. are.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Since my brothers experienced the younger years of scouts before I was born or shortly thereafter I don’t have any memories of scout dorkiness. But I do remember scout meeting lengthiness. Good grief– meetings, ceremonies, whatever, lasted FOREVER.
September 9th, 2009 at 9:28 am
The scout motto is KISS that stands for Keep It Simple and I add and Silly.
It’s a joy to watch Max participate in new experiences. It is a big and wonderful world.