Here in Windham, the Cub Scout experience is all about children and families having fun times together and helping boys in kindergarten to Grade 5 to become productive leaders of tomorrow.
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| Windham's Cub Scout Pack 805 is welcoming new scouts and new parents looking to become pack volunteers to Cub Scout Registration and Q&A Night at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11 in the Windham Middle School cafeteria. FILE PHOTO |
“Scouting teaches kids positive character traits, helps foster relationships, and to be part of the community,” said Windham Pack 805 Leader Casey Melanson.
According to Melanson, the Pack 805 dens meet once a week and then the entire Pack 805 meets once a month for a special meeting, like a Halloween party, a Christmas holiday dinner, Pinewood Derby model car racing, and a range of other events.
Pack 805’s dues are affordable and goes toward national registrations, insurance, and other expenses, Melanson said. The pack also conducts fundraising activities throughout the year to offset the costs of awards and activities throughout the year.
She said Windham parents should consider having their sons join Cub Scouts because it helps them to work on self-growth, and to try new things.
“The scout motto is ‘Do Your Best’ and that’s what the kids learn.” Melanson said.
Joining the Cub Scouts is the first step in a young man’s journey to become a responsible citizen who cares about his neighbors and the community.
“We want our scouts to learn what it means to be part of something important, what it means to help their community, make new friends, build relationships, and to have fun,” Melanson said.
Melanson said that Pack 805 currently has more than three dozen scouts who volunteer to work on several community projects every year.
You’ll find Cub Scouts picking up trash after Windham Summerfest or hosting a toy collection drive for a family for Christmas,” Melanson said. “We also participate in Scouting for Food each November to collect needed goods for the Windham Food Pantry.”
Melanson said that Cub Scout uniforms consist of a shirt, a rank neckerchief, and a rank slide. Pants and rank hats are optional. Scouts are encouraged to have a belt (not necessarily a scout belt) to be able to display their beltloop achievements.
Each Cub Scout is issued a handbook for each rank so that the scout will need to be able to learn, perform, and complete each achievement and scout activities emphasize having fun and learning useful life skills.
“Cub Scouts can do anything they put their minds to. We have gone winter camping, hiking, ice fishing, and built lean-tos in the winter woods,” Melanson said. “We also have our annual Pinewood Derby where the boys design and build their own cars and then compete against one another. As a pack we have had beach outings, cookouts, movie nights, and EVO Rock Gym overnights.”
Cub Scout activities and adventures are centered around earning merit badges that are specific to each school grade level. Each badge represents a rank and advancement refers to the progress a Cub Scout makes toward their badge of rank.
For Pack 805’s registration night on Sept. 11, the registration effort will be staffed by Pack 805 leaders who can answer any specific questions that parents of children interested in participating in scouting may have.
“If someone has a new potential scout who is interested, they may come with the parent,” Melanson said. “If someone is interested in joining but is unable to make the registration event, they can reach out to us through Facebook or email.”
For more information about Cub Scout Pack 805, visit their Pack 805 Windham Maine Facebook page or send an email to scoutpack805me@gmail.com <
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