Happy New Year!

First off, I’d like to say THANK YOU to all of the scouts and parents who participated in the Christmas Parade, the Food Drive, and Christmas Caroling! Our Pack was awarded the First Place in the Christmas Parade for our age group! Also, several of our scouts won the drawings for the extra popcorn prizes that were offered district-wide. Our own Ben Bowlin won a playstation 3! Congratulations, scouts!

PINEWOOD DERBY 2011
Our Pinewood Derby will be held January 25th up at the United Methodist Church. Scouts need to CHECK IN at 6:30 p.m. Please be there on time. Scouts sign in, cars are weighed, and any last minute adjustments are done. We begin racing at 7:00 p.m. Rules for the derby are short and sweet:

FOR CUB SCOUTS: You must follow the rules for building the pinecar in your pinewood derby kit. You must use the official kit supplied to you by the Cub Scouts. If you need additional kits, you can purchase them from Pack 101 for $5.00. Your cars must use the block of wood and all of the stock parts which come in the kit. It must be the specified wheelbase, axle height, length, width, and weight (5.0 ounces or less). You can add weights, wood, and other parts as long as the car stays within the stated guidelines. A dry graphite-based lubricant can be used on the wheels. My advice is to apply the lubricant after you have completely finished the car. If you need to double-check the weight of your vehicle, you can do so at the Metropolis Post Office.

FOR OPEN CLASS RACERS: You must begin with an official pinecar kit. The wheelbase, axle height, and overall width of the vehicle must be as specified in the kit. However, most everything else can be modified. Although you must use the block of wood as the body, exactly how much of it you is is up to you (meaning, at least some part of the body must be made from the original block of wood). The wheels, axles, weight, and just about every other aspect of the vehicle is OPEN for interpretation (which is why it is called the Open Class). I will make any final decision about whether or not a car will be allowed to race. For example, if the car won't fit on the track, or if racing the car would damage the track, it will not be allowed to race. If you are unsure whether or not a modified car you wish to run will be allowed to race, please contact me ahead of time (618) 524-8340 or pugh@shawneelink.net.

Many awards will be handed out. So, having a fast racer might be great, but having a unique design, or an interesting paint job, or an unusual use of material will also be recognized, as well as many, many other attributes. We look forward to seeing you there!

RECYCLABLE SNOWMANCONTEST 2011
Every year at the Pinewood Derby, we also hold a contest for each den to make a snowman, but not just any snowman. In the past, we have made edible snowmen, in which all the parts have to be foodstuffs. However, we realized that wasting food when there are people in our own community who need food was just not the right message to send to our scouts. So, we decided this year to have a recyclable snowman contest, in which each den will make a small snowman or winter scene featuring a snowman from any materials that have been repurposed for this project. That might include cardboard, cans, plastic wrap, or any old thing that you can recycle into a snowman!

SCOUT SUNDAY 2011
Every year, the United Methodist Church recognizes Pack 101, and invites us to join them for church on Sunday. This is our opportunity to honor their support of our Pack and be thankful for the space, time, and facilities they devote to us as well. Please plan on joining the United Methodist Church parishioners for Scout Sunday on February 13th. Worship service starts at 10:00 a.m. Scouts and leaders should wear their uniforms.

BLUE AND GOLD BANQUET 2011
The next big event in our calendar is THE BLUE AND GOLD BANQUET, a special scout event held in place of our February Pack Meeting, on Saturday, February 26th. This year’s theme for our Blue and Gold Banquet will be “Camping Out,” and our potluck will be traditional scout camp food. The First Baptist Church Family Life Center will host our event. It is located at the intersection of 6th and Catherine Street. If you turn at the DQ, it is one block down on the left. Each den has been assigned some specific foods to bring. If you’re not sure what that is, please contact your den leader. People need to show up with their food dishes at approximately 5:30 p.m. The banquet itself will begin at 6:00 p.m., and the program will begin at 7:00 p.m.

EVERYONE in your scout’s life is invited---mom, dad, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandmas, grandpas, in-laws and outlaws. We will supply the main course, drinks, and dessert. We ask each family to bring one of the dishes we asked their dens to prepare, so that our banquet table will be bountiful. It is very important that you RSVP to me the TOTAL number of people in your family, including your scout, who will be attending the banquet. We need to know how many tables to set up and how much of the main dish, drinks, and other supplies we will need to buy. PLEASE, RSVP by February 18th by mail, phone, email, or facebook. My address is 113 Lindsey, Metropolis, IL, 62960.. My phone is (618) 524-8340, my email is pugh@shawneelink.net, and our facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/pages/Metropolis-Illinois-Cub-Scout-Pack-101/133467963360177

What is so special about the Blue and Gold Banquet? This is the celebration of the anniversary of Scouting. This is also the time at which we recognize, through official ceremony, the crossing over of Webelos II scouts from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. From that moment on, they are Webelos II no longer. The larger adventure of scouting awaits them. The entire Pack participates in this advancement. We look forward to seeing you there!