Welcome back to another year of Cub Scouting. Lots of things have happened during the summer. Hopefully everyone has had a busy and fun summer.

All the Day Camps were successful and fun. There was no "bad" weather to speak of and the boys had a perfect opportunity to learn while having fun. The Directors survived with no major stress related illnesses!! (Thanks to Cheryl and Julia.)

Cub Scouting was made visible to many of our communities this summer and passed with flying colors. Making a good impression on our communities is always a goal with the Day Camps.

Thanks go out to Pam Davis, Carol McClintcock, Renee Grobe, and Mike Patrick and all of their staffs for their outstanding success as Day Camp Directors.

On September 29, 2001, River Trails District will have a program at Camp Grizzly for all Cub Scouts and their families. This will be an introduction to the possibilities offered by this Scout property with games, displays with Fire Departments, helicopters, and all sorts of stuff that Cub Scouts will be excited over.

Be sure to pick up a flyer. It’ll have the dates, times and activities.

We would like to welcome District Director Jeff Doty to our midst. He comes to us with experience in both rural and urban Scouting districts. Jeff will be glad to speak with you and welcomes your ideas and comments. Jeff is married with two children, one boy and one girl.

J WELCOME, JEFF J

Our District Executive, Brian Sens, also has great news. He is to be congratulated on his marriage to Mary. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

On September 22, 2001, there will be a Tiger Den Leader Orientation program at Fox Middle School Cafeteria. The program will start at 10:00am and end at approximately noon. This is a 2-hour program designed to help acquaint new leaders with the changes in the Tiger Den methods. This will not replace regular Basic Leader Training!! All Leaders are welcome to attend this orientation and see how the new program will affect the Unit.

A new Tiger Cub handbook has been designed that is similar to the Wolf and Bear handbooks. It has activities that are geared to the Tiger age group but will familiarize both the Boys and the Parents with working together. The "Adult Partners" are still required to participate in the Den activities and, with the help of the "Den Leader", plan and carry out Den activities.

If you need any more information, please call Kelly House at __________ or George Garver at (636) 475-3601.

The Council website has a Fast Start link at:

http://www.scouting.org/cubscouts/faststart/

From this site, click on whichever program suits your purpose. The "HOME" button will take you to the site where you can view or download the "Duffle Bag", the Council Newsletter.

The next Basic Leader training will be held at Windsor High School Cafeteria on October 20, 2001. Registration starts at 8:00am and the program will end at approximately 2:30pm. Because of the new training syllabus, the course could end a few minutes earlier or later. Youth Protection Training will not be offered at this session. We will pick it up at a coming Roundtable.

There will be a lunch break, so bring a sack lunch. There is no fast food place nearby. Also, the soft drink machines don’t always work, so if you can, bring a soft drink. Coffee will be provided.

All leaders are invited to participate the Cub Scout Basic Leader Training. The cost for the complete course is $12.00, which includes a notebook with the Cub Scout Leader Book and many helpful ideas and the necessary handouts.

Webelos Leader Overnight is scheduled for October 5^th and 6^th. All new Webelos Leaders should plan on attending this outing. The overnight will help prepare Webelos Leaders for an overnight experience with their group. More information will be coming up in the "Duffle Bag" or on the Council Website link at: http://www.stlbsa.org/training/cubscout/wlo.html

http://www.stlbsa.org/advancement/download/index.html#adult

The above link will let you print out the Progress Card that you might need to complete your training award. I know! Sometimes your card gets washed with your dirty uniform. This will give you the opportunity to keep a separate record at home.

Something else to remember is to use your correct name when registering for activities. When information is put into the computer, it will only recognize the name you registered under. Nicknames will not show up in the computer.

Have you planned your programs for the coming year? Events and programs should have a date, coordinator, and everyone in your Unit should be advised of the programs.

Just in case there are a few activities that didn’t work out, we will occasionally have neat activities to look at and see if they would fit into your Units schedule. If you hear of any interesting, unusual activities, let us know and we’ll pass it along in the Cub Scout Newsletter.

With School Night for Scouting coming up, everyone needs to remember that you will be getting new boys, but also important are the new parents that will come with them. A few good words along with an offer to help could make the new parents feel just a little more welcome. Can you remember when you first started in your Scouting career? Some of the questions you might have asked will be the questions they will have. Be sure to offer "Quick Start" as soon as possible and pass on the training dates. Remember to KISMIF (Keep it simple, make it fun).

Pow Wow is another training experience for all Cub Scout Leaders. There you will find many sessions that are designed to help you provide a fun and learning environment for your den. You can pick from the sessions that you believe will be best for you. Bring someone with you from your Unit and plan on attending separate courses.

It will be held at Hazelwood West High School and is an all day session. See the reservation form to pick your sessions. The schedule and cost is listed on the form.

Remember that a Pow Wow is part of the Cub Scout Training requirements.

On October 13, 2001, starting at 4:00pm, the program will start. Fill out the form, giving your time preference and mail it in. If there are any questions, call Randy Kidder at (314) 361-0600. Games, crafts, and the HAUNTED TRAIL will be a thrill for the new Cub Scouts. The cost ($5.00) includes a goody bag.

October is Fire Prevention Month. There will be several displays by Fire Departments and they usually welcome visitors who come in a group. Please call ahead for reservations and have the number of people that will be in your group.

Jefferson County Fire Fighters Association will sponsor a Fire Truck rally with Departments from all over this region for equipment displays and safety demonstrations. The firemen will get to play, with a "Bucket Brigade", "Hose Roll and Throw", and a "Barrel Competition" with fire hoses.

The date is Sept. 29, 2001at the Herculaneum Fair Grounds, near the Little League Ball fields. Just drive on highway 61/67 between Pevely and Festus and you will see the signs.

The annual Scouting for Food is coming up. As each Unit does its Program Planning, a coordinator should be appointed to organize the drive. The dates for this activity are: Bag drop-off is November 10; Food pickup is November 17. There will be more information on when and where to pick up your bags.