Camporee!

UPDATE: Thanks to everyone that participated in the Camporee this year!

Every four years, the Denver Area Council puts on a Council Camporee, and this year, Cub Scouts are invited to participate with their families.  Pack 794 is attending the Camporee this year as our Family Fall Campout.  Please see the links below for information about the Camporee.

NOTE: Registration is Now Closed

Information Link:

Denver Area Council Camporee

Registration Link: (now closed)

Cub Scout Family Camping at Camporee

• When you register, indicate that your Unit is "Pack 794" and your District is "Arapahoe District"
• Cost is $12.50/person before 8/16 and $15/person after 8/16

Information For Those Attending:

• Troop 794 Packing List: this is for two nights, not one, but use this as a guide for what to pack
• There are over 1000 Cub Scout family campers signed up!
• Cub Scout family campers are registered as families, NOT as a Pack
• The camp opens on Saturday morning at 8 am, and Cub Scout families need to arrive between 8am and 9am
• If the families in our Pack want to camp together, we must ARRIVE together
• In order to arrive together, we will meet in the King Soopers parking lot at Founders Parkway and 5th Street in Castle Rock
• Google Maps: King Soopers, 750 N Ridge Rd Castle Rock, CO 80104
• Be there by 7:30 am on Saturday, 9/19
• From there, we will go east on Hwy 86, then south on Elbert Rd
• Each car must have the parking permit sheet printed out, in color, on an 8.5"x11" sheet
• This came in an email from Dana Smerchek
• If you did not get this, email me at andrewhgrimes(at)gmail(dot)com
• Each family must have an envelope packet containing:
• Completed family roster
• Receipt showing payment of registration
• Completed BSA Medical Form Part A & B for each camper
• If you don't have the Colorado Addendum for each child, just complete the vaccination section on Part B of the medical form
• Meals
• The camp will provide Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast in the main dining hall
• Sat dinner: barbecue chicken and regular BBQ catered items
• Sun breakfast: continental
• Saturday lunch: bring this with you or buy from food vendors at PV
• There will be a lot of people trying to buy food, so I suggest bringing Saturday lunch
• Also, if you have special dietary requirements, bring your own food
• Drink lots of water!  PV is above 7000 feet elevation, and dehydration can sneak up on you quickly.
• There will be water available there, but take along a water bottle
• Wear bug spray, there are more bugs that usual out there this year due to the spring and summer rains
• Wear sun screen and sun protection, the weather will not be hot but it will be sunny
• Parents will be responsible for any medications
• If you or your children need allergy meds, please have them
• Smellables must be kept in your cars
• This includes any food, but also toothpaste, sunscreen, hair products, etc.
• If you have a question, ask me
• Saturday night Arena Show
• There will be a huge Arena Show Saturday night
• No chairs will be allowed, but it is suggested that we bring blankets to sit on
• We will be part of at Guinness World Record!  This will be the largest number of people popping bubble wrap at the same time.
• Fort Carson rock band, Mt. Everest climbers, and a Laser Light Show
• Restrictions
• No alcoholic beverages allowed at PV
• No tobacco consumption of any kind allowed at PV
• No fires, no cooking in Cub Scout camping areas without permission

Approximate Schedule

• Sat, 7:30 am: Meet at King Soopers in Castle Rock
• Sat, 8:30 am: Arrive at PV
• We will be directed to our campsite
• Park vehicles
• Unload gear
• Set up tents near where you are parked
• There will be young Marines there to assist
• Take packets with roster, receipt, and med forms to Fort Garland lodge to check in
• You will receive a pack of stuff
• Sat, ~9:30 am - Noon
• Go participate in the various activities!
• Sat, Noon, eat lunch
• Sat, Lunch - 4:30 pm
• Continue to participate in the various activities!
• Sat, ~5:00 pm, eat dinner
• Will be served at the main dining hall
• Wear Class A uniforms to dinner and the Arena Show
• Sat, 6:30 pm, head to the arena to be seated for the World Record Attempt
• Will gather as a Pack group to be seated together
• Sat, 7:15 pm, World Record Attempt
• Sat, 7:30 pm, Arena Show starts
• Sat, 10:00 pm, prepare for bed, quiet time, lights out
• Sat, 7:00 am, wake up
• Sat, 7:00 am to 8:00 am, breakfast at main dining hall
• After breakfast, can pack up and leave
• Sat, 9:00 am, Chapel service
• Sat, 10:00 am, Check out and return home

I am really looking forward to this Camporee, I hope everyone enjoys their time this weekend!

Cub Scout Sign Up Night

Our Pack will be having its Sign Up Night for the new school year on August 27 at 6:45pm.  We will meet in our usual location, the Sidewalk area of Mission Hills Church.  Please invite anyone who has sons in First Grade through Fifth Grade to come.  Contact cubmaster@bsapack794.org for more details.

If you are able to show up early to help set up, that will be greatly appreciated.

August Roundtable Links

Every month, the Arapahoe District holds a Roundtable meeting for adult leaders in Cub Scouting in our area.  At these meetings, announcements are made about upcoming events in the district and the Denver Area Council, and training is given for leaders at different levels.  I will write a post each month to capture relevant information for the families in our Pack.

Adult Leader Training

There will be in-person training for adult leaders on September 12 at Hope United Methodist in Englewood.  The training offered on that day includes Leader Specific Training and Scouting Safety.

All adult leaders and parents will be required to take Youth Protection Training, which can be completed online at http://www.scouting.org/training/youthprotection.aspx.

The University of Scouting is coming up on October 24.  This is a great opportunity for all parents and unit leaders, new and old, to get trained so that we can present the best Cub Scouting program to our Scouts.

Council Camporee

The 2015 Council is September 19-20, and our Pack will be attending this for our Family Campout.  Watch for details in a separate post.

Popcorn Sale

The annual Scout Popcorn Sale is starting this month.  Our Popcorn Kickoff will be at our first Pack meeting on September 10.  Watch for a separate post with details

Scouting for Food

The Scouting for Food service project is in November.  We will be working with Troop 794 to stock the Mission Hills food pantry as part of this project.

Football Game Discounts

There are discount tickets available for the USAF vs Wyoming game, and there will be a CU Buffalo game as well.  

August Hike!

When: August 22, 9:00 am to 10:00 am

Where: Grigs Road Shelter to Highlands point on the Douglas County East/ West trail.

Google Maps link: Grigs Road Shelter

We will meet at the pavilion at 9 am, and take a short hike on the Douglas County trails in that area. It should not be too hot at that time of morning, but we do recommend that everyone have sunscreen and water bottles. We live at high elevation, and even when it is not hot, our bodies can get dehydrated quickly.

This would be a good time to introduce the idea of the Ten Essentials. The Ten Essentials are survival items that hiking and scouting organizations recommend for safe travel in the backcountry. You can find more about the link. They are:

1. Navigation. Topographic map and assorted maps in waterproof container plus a magnetic compass, optional altimeter or GPS receiver. 
2. Sun protection. Sunglasses, sunscreen for lips and skin, hat, clothing for sun protection. 
3. Insulation. Hat, gloves, jacket, extra clothing for coldest possible weather during current season. 
4. Illumination. Headlamp, flashlight, batteries. LED bulb is preferred to extend battery life. 
5. First-aid supplies, plus insect repellent. 
6. Fire. Butane lighter, matches in waterproof container. 
7. Repair kit and tools. Knives, multi-tool, scissors, pliers, screwdriver, trowel/shovel, duct tape, cable ties. 
8. Nutrition. Add extra food for one additional day (for emergency). Dry food is preferred to save weight and usually needs water. 
9. Hydration. Add extra 2 liters of water for one additional day (for emergency). 
10. Emergency shelter. Tarp, bivouac sack, space blanket, plastic tube tent, jumbo trash bags, insulated sleeping pad. 

Obviously, we won't need all of these things for a short morning hike, but we will need some of them, such as a first aid kit, sunscreen or sun protection, and water.

Another thing we will need is:

• BSA Medical Form Parts A and B for you and your Scout
• Colorado Addendum for your Scout

Contact Mr. West at sean(dot)landwest(at)gmail(dot)com for more details. I hope to see you there!

Recruiting for 2015-2016

We will be starting the new year of Cub Scouting on Thursday, August 27, with Cub Scout Sign Up night.  In preparation for that, we will be doing some recruiting at Mission Hills and at some schools in the area.  If you can help, please let me know.  Check back here for more details:

Mission Hills Recruiting

We will need some help manning our booth on the weekend of August 22-23.  As we did last year, we will be greeting the families of boys as they arrive to attend Sunday school on Saturday night and Sunday morning.  Adults, please wear a blue or red polo shirt, and Scouts, please wear your Class A uniforms.

The service times are:

• August 22, 5:00 pm
• August 23, 9:30 am
• August 23, 11:00 am

If you could arrive 30 minutes before these times, and stay until 15 minutes after, that would be great.  We will have flyers to hand out to invite them to Sign Up night on August 27.

We will have another recruiting time the first weekend in October.

Other Recruiting

• We are always open to having Scouts and their families join from other groups
• We are talking to some schools and other churches
• Notify Mr. West if you have a group we can recruit from

Boy Scout Days at Elitch Gardens

Note: this event has already passed.

The weekend of July 31 to August 2 is Boy Scouts of America Appreciation Days at Elitch Gardens.  Go to this website for more information:

• http://www.elitchgardens.com/boy-scouts/

A Whole New Adventure

Welcome to Pack 794's new website!

New for 2015, the Pack is going to be using this website as a central place for all information that our families need.  Please check back here soon as I publish more information about the coming year of Scouting.  I am looking forward to another great year!

Yours In Christ and Scouting,
Mr. Grimes