Since all the boys participating are Cub Scout age, we kept the projects easy. They picked up trash around the church – this project required bags and gloves. The boys then sharpened all the pencils in the sanctuary, I asked parents to bring electric pencil sharpeners if they had them. They also updated the activity bags that are available for children to use during the service. They took all the bags apart, checked all the pieces and reassembled them. We then had a snack and a little Bible study. After the snack, they made a tied fleece blanket. I bought the kit on a really good sale and had it cut out, the children tied it. I then had a craft – decorating magnets. I found these kits on clearance after Vacation Bible School time at Joann’s.

I opened with a prayer I found online and modified to make it work with our program:
Dear heavenly Father, as we begin this meeting, we know that You are here with us. Make our hearts and minds ready to plan and do those things that will be pleasing to You and serve our church, and our community. Where we fail, forgive us and help us start again in the way you would have us go. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

We closed with the Lord’s Prayer.

For the quick Bible study we talked about what we believe:
We are saved by God’s grace, for Christ’s sake, through faith alone.
We recited these two verses (they repeated after me)
John 3:16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
(New Living Translation)

The kids had a fun time and I thought it added to the Scout Sunday experience.

Here are some reference sites:

Blanket
http://www.joann.com/fabric/fleece-fabric/no-sew-fleece/

Prayer – National Lutheran Association on Scouting
http://www.nlas.org/prayers.htm

Statement of Faith
http://www.gslcpc.org/StatementofBelief/tabid/347/Default.aspx

Bible Verses:
http://www.biblegateway.com

Scout Sunday and Duty to God:
http://www.pack273vh.org/home/duty-to-god
http://www.ponyexpressbsa.org/News/ScoutSuncday2012

Recently, Hickory Farms added New York Cheddar Spread – which is what they are calling Chutter now.

I just ordered some Chutter from Herkimer Foods for the first time! It arrived very quickly and is still delicious!  http://www.herkimerfoods.com

They have fun and funny fonts, symbols, ornate lettering and some obscure stuff. Check it out for some easy emphasis graphics!

http://www.canbycubs.com/segments

Kudos to their webmaster!

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/slideshows/2010/01/25_one_bite_appetizers_slideshow?mbid=synd_yshop#slide=1

The God and Me program is available at:
http://www.praypub.org
There are downloads for the class on this page:
http://www.praypub.org/god_country/me/god_me3.htm

The books were purchased at our local Boy Scout store. I bought the workbook, a Counselor’s Manual and the Adult Mentor book. The Adult Mentor book wasn’t needed but was helpful for prayer ideas.

We ended up with 5 boys in the class, four in the Wolves level and one Bear. We invited others, but the timing wasn’t right for them.

I met with our pastor before starting all of this. He was very familiar with the program and was very supportive. Our pastor’s requirements were to learn the Lord’s Prayer (already part of the program), memorize a bible verse and complete 3 service projects for the church.

For our service projects, we:
- Sharpened pencils in the Narthex each week we met
- Picked up trash around the church the last week we met
- Made a tied fleece blanket for the Quilts for Kids program, which give blankets to a local battered women’s shelter.

The program ended up running for 5 weeks. We had one 2-part lesson per week and the extra session was to finish the service projects. If a child missed a week, they did their lessons at home with their parents. A parent from each family stayed to work with the kids.

We also had several kids who weren’t the right age for the program attend as they were siblings. We had some crafts and the oldest girl (who was too old for God and Me) helped keep an eye on the littler kids. They all participated with gusto in the service projects.

For the program, each child needed a workbook, a shoebox covered with paper to make the Gamebox. Stock the Gamebox with pencils, 3X5 note cards, scissors and glue sticks. Each week the child brings their workbook, Bible, Gamebox and an electric pencil sharpener.  Week 1 bring a small photo of the child – for page 6 of the workbook.

We had each family bring the snack one week. Stickers are a good incentive for good behavior – they can be used to decorate the Gamebox.

Schedule weeks 1-4
Snack
Bible verse for week – read it and write it on a note card
Opening Prayer (I used suggestions from the Adult Mentor book for these prayers)
Lesson part 1
Sharpen pencils in Narthex and from kids activity bags
Lesson part 2
Games and Gamebox
Lord’s Prayer (they need to have it memorized by the third lesson)

Week 5
Snack
Opening Prayer
Recite verses for Pastor
Pick up trash around church
Make sliders (each made two, 1 with Lutheran Seal and a fun one)
Sharpen Pencils
Tie Blanket
Lord’s Prayer

I picked out four bible verses for the program to help the wolves meet some of the Duty to God requirements for the wolves. These are the verses:
Week One: Deuteronomy 6:5 (Love the Lord your God with…) Talked about Duty to God
Week Two: John 3:16 (ties in to lesson too) talked about statement of faith
Week Three: Matthew 22:39 (Love your neighbor as yourself) again talked about Duty to God
Week Four: 2 Thessalonians 3:13 (Continue to do what is right) talked about showing your faith

There were some related projects that we ran, that worked well with the program and gave the boys more scouting achievements.

Wolf
Requirement 7d – pick up litter
Requirement 11b – Duty to God
Requirement 11c – 2 ideas to demonstrate your beliefs and do 1
Requirement 11d – How can you help the church
Elective 6c – caring for books and make a cover – using Bible (week 3)
Elective 9c – make a gift (blanket)
Elective 11c – learn and sing a song that can be used as grace (ties into week 3 lesson)
Elective 12a – make a free hand sketch (lesson 1)

Bear
Requirement 2 – earn emblem of faith
Requirement 24a – help a cub scout through Bobcat (we happened to have one boy working on Bobcat, so the one Bear helped him learn the things he needed to the first week instead of sharpening pencils)
Requirement 24d – tell two people they have done a good job. During the second week, there is a part of the lesson with mirror writing, the bear was shown how to read the writing in the mirror, and he then showed each of the wolves how to do it. He did tell each of them they did a good job when they were done.

Loops/Pins
Art Pin #9 book cover
Citizenship Loop #3 Service Project
Communicating Pin #10 New Game
Reading/Writing Pin #5 book cover

The medals were presented on Scout Sunday. The boys were the greeters that week before the service. The pastor had each boy read his verse during the church service. We decided to read after one boy got flustered (there were tears) trying to recite his verse from memory. The medals were given to the parents, who pinned them on the boys. The pastor then had congregation reaffirm the vow to help raise the boys in Christian faith. The boys then presented the blanket to the Quilts for Kids program.

The boys also recieved their religious knots at their pack meetings.

Last year, at the end of the year, I asked the PE teacher about the Wolf Sports electives (20 a-o). They didn’t do all of them, but they did many of them, plus the sheriff’s department came to the school and did a boating safety program, taking care of Elective 20b.

This year I am more pro-active. The PE teacher has been keeping me posted as to what sport they are playing. I then print out the loop/pin sheet and he marks off what they have accomplished.

http://moorescouting.org/forms.htm – go to the bottom of the page for the cub scout resources in pdf

The only flavor available was hot and sour. I finally got a chance to try it today. Well I am disapointed. I followed the directions, but the noodles are really mushy. The flavor was an overwhelming pepper. I tried adding olive oil, but it did not smooth the flavors the way it did with Choice Ramen (I miss this product!)

Back to the Ramen drawing board!

My job in the den (we have more than one leader) is to arrange the field trips. Last year, when the boys were Wolves, I would plan the trip based on the schedule and recommendations listed by the head leader. While making arrangements, I would get a copy of the exact requirements or elective out of the wolf handbook to our guide for the adventure. If there were belt loops or pins that were related, I would also get that information to them. I tried emailing links, but pdfs worked much better.

An example of this was the Books elective, we went to the Library. I sent not only the books elective information, but the reading and writing pin/loop and communication pin/loop information. The librarian went through the list and put together her program from the various requirements. The boys were able to accomplish a number of items on the lists. They couldn’t get everything accomplished from the lists, but they accomplished a lot from the lists.

We did have to make book covers another time – but that is a quick project. It is part of a Wolf elective (6c) and also Reading and Writing Pin 5 and Art Pin 9. We cut up paper grocery bags for the covers and decorated them with pen, pencil, crayon and stickers. Directions for making a cover are in the wolf handbook (see the links below) or here is a step by step guide from About.com:
http://specialchildren.about.com/od/schoolissues/ss/bookcover2.htm

As for the herding of cats, our head leader has started some games before we go inside the field trip, to channel some of their energy. We also use 1 parent for every two boys. If they do not behave, they must hold their adult’s hand (such a blow to a grown up third grader). It has been a wonderful experience getting to know each of the boys. I am enjoying working with them, I wish I had their energy!

Resources:
http://meritbadge.org – this site has a very useful crossreference between badge requirement and electives and belt loops and pins

http://moorescouting.org/forms.htm – go to the bottom of the page for the cub scout resources in pdf

http://www.circleofmoms.com/article/10-more-household-uses-vinegar-01351?trk=digest_editorial_1351&email_enc=oMer19OYmNXJ2MrJyabJoq2hw6HXmJao1A%253D%253D&email_src=13156964289e9749468dd1db9496971486c60994c9&template_name=digest_weekly_2&subject_id=2938&has_fb=1