All seven members of Cub Scout Pack #328 celebrated their achievements of earning their ranks for their grade, during an outdoor recognition ceremony on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. Boys and one girl member met east of Kiwanis Park, where the future Bark Park will be, at 6:00 p.m.
Cub Master Marshall Blevins forgot to pack the flags for the opening exercises. He quickly found a photo of an American flag on his phone and held it aloft.
Different ages of Cub Scouts began recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, Cub Scout Oath, and Cub Scout Law.
Blevins is at left; Assistant Cub Master Nate Baldwin is at right. He also is the Den Leader for older Webelos and Arrow of Light members.
Blevins announced the Pack received the “Journey to Excellence” Annual Award, for offering a quality Scouting experience. Milestones must be met for Planning, Membership, Program, and Volunteer Leadership. There are three levels of “quality” efforts: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Pack #328 earned Gold levels in 2019 and during a 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
The youth were presented individual achievement items. Patches record the several Adventures achieved to progress to the next rank. Parent Pins were awarded, acknowledging the essential help that family members offer in these endeavors. One boy took home three trophies from the April Pinewood Derby competition.
Pack members completed these ranks in 2021. Rank are listed from beginner Cub Scout to highest: Lane–Lion; Wyatt–Wolf; Brinkley and Isaac–Bear; Sam–Webelos; Noah and Xavier–Arrow of Light. The latter two boys completed the Cub Scout program.
Noah “crossed over” (a bridge) to Boy Scouts on this evening, welcomed by half a dozen Troop 96 members. Forty-year Boy Scout Troop Leader Eric Anderson explained the change in Noah’s uniform, as his members assisted. The first Scout removed Noah’s Cub Scout slide and neckerchief. The second placed a red neckerchief around his neck and held it in place with a Boy Scout slide. New troop 92 numerals were given, and Anderson showed Noah where they should be sewn on his shirt, after 3, 2, and 8 are removed. Green, shoulder epaulet loops will be used at the Boy Scout level. A new First Level Scout patch, said Anderson, should be sewn on the shirt pocket. The fourth Boy Scout gave Noah a new edition of the Boy Scout Handbook. Anderson noted it has places to record future levels and when they were committed, so the information can be evaluated as Noah advances.
The celebration ended with a popular Pack activity, rocket launching. Members had assembled their rockets earlier. One-by-one they placed them on a tripod firing rod, walked away with the launch mechanism, and counted down from three. They delighted in the height, trajectory, and descent of their missiles. This activity never fails to generate enthusiasm for Cub Scouting!
