On Saturday, 27 October at 8AM, all dens are asked to come to St. David's to pick up your food bags and neighborhood maps. Each den is assigned a different neighborhood and you will go door to door distributing bags for food donations. A week after (3 November) we will go out again to collect the food that has been donated. This is one of our big community service events of the year so please make every effort to attend.

Note: some dens may opt to distribute the bags on Sunday. Your den leader will let you know if the time differs from what is listed here. (Den leaders: please let Andy know if you are not doing this on Saturday. However, be aware that someone from your den still has to come at 8AM on Saturday to pick up the bags.)

Join us on Monday, October 29th for an evening tour of Champlin Scout Reservation on Scituate Avenue.  Meet in the parking lot at Champlin Reservation at 6:30 sharp and prepare yourself for a fun-filled time of an evening walking the haunted grounds of our local day camp!  A warm, cozy fire and refreshments will be served afterwards, so don't miss out on the fun!  This is a free event, so bring a flashlight and night vision goggles because you never know what might be hiding in the Champlin woods!

Note: This is in place of our regular den meetings. We are not meeting at St. David's this week.

The second issue of Akela's Notes includes a report about recent trips, paperwork needs, what we do with your great ideas, den and pack notes, and the calendar of events for the next few weeks.

Akela's Notes is published every few weeks throughout the school year and distributed online and, where possible, at den/pack meetings.

Dear Cub Scouts, Parents, Relatives and Friends of Pack 6,

This time of year is filled with all the wonders of autumn: the leaves are turning color and falling from the trees, the sound of geese flying south for the winter, the joy of Cub Scouts as they laugh with the excitement of the adventures that await them at the various festivities, parties and events we hold.  See below for three events that are sure to make this a very happy Halloween!

First, join us on Saturday, October 20th for an evening walk through a Corn Maze!  Details for this event are posted our home page - and plan to arrive early if you would like to take advantage of the extra events that are offered!  Please note that our Cub Scouts are covered for the price of the Corn Maze only. Bring a flashlight!

Second, it is time once again for our annual Pack 6 Halloween Party!  This event will be held on Monday, October 22nd at 6:30 PM.  Cub Scouts (and family members, too!) are encouraged to wear their favorite costume in place of the Class A uniform!  Come and join us for the festivities!  There will be prizes awarded for these categories:

• most original costume
• scariest costume
• funniest costume

Third, join me on Monday, October 29th for an evening tour of Champlin Scout Reservation on Scituate Avenue.  Meet in the parking lot at Champlin Reservation at 6:30 sharp and prepare yourself for a fun-filled time of an evening walking the haunted grounds of our local day camp!  A warm, cozy fire and refreshments will be served afterwards, so don't miss out on the fun!  This is a free event, so bring a flashlight and night vision goggles because you never know what might be hiding in the Champlin woods!

Please ask your Den Leader for details.

Bob Dosdourian
Cubmaster, Pack 6 Cranston

Cub scout Pack 6 Cranston will be heading to Riverside farm in Charlestown, RI for a moonlit walk through the corn maze. We will take a hayride out to the corn maze at dusk and try to make our way through the maze by moon light. Cub scout admission will be covered by the Pack, parents and any other children ages 5 to 12 will be $4 (a great discount) and children under 4 are free!! We look forward to seeing you there!

Riverside Farm has tons of fun family activities going on this fall. Most of the attractions close at 6 PM so please feel free to arrive early and take advantage of everything they have to offer. A few of the offered activities are: a gourd slingshot (that just sounds like a blast!!), Farmyard Mini Golf, and various crafts. All activities require an additional fee. Check out their website for details: http://www.riversidetreefarm.com. Be sure to bring a flashlight, or you can purchase on at the farm. To make the transaction easier please bring exact payment for anyone going through the maze besides your cub scout.

Click here or the image (above, right) to see a copy of the flier.

Directions:

• Route 95 south to Exit 1 (in RI).
• Take Rt 3 South;
• turn left onto RT 216 South;
• follow to stop sign (2.2 miles);
• turn left onto Rt 91 East;
• follow to Burdickville Road;
• turn left onto Burdickville road and watch for signs for Riverside Christmas Tree Farm.

See also Alternate Directions (and map) from Google Maps or the directions they provide (with map) on their own website.

It is time once again for our annual Pack 6 Halloween Party!  This event will be held on Monday, October 22nd at 6:30 PM.  Cub Scouts (and family members, too!) are encouraged to wear their favorite costume in place of the Class A uniform!  Come and join us for the festivities!  There will be prizes awarded for these categories:

• most original costume
• scariest costume
• funniest costume

Dear Pack 6 Leaders, Parents and Cub Scouts,

We begin the 2007-2008 year with several pack activities. Our first Pack 6 trip is scheduled for Saturday, October 6th when we go visit the USS Nautilus submarine and museum in Groton, Conn! This day trip will be a memorable one for your sons and the whole family! There is no assigned cost for this trip but each parent is required to register for the local tour Permit in order to be covered by BSA insurance.

The Weblos I & II have a joint venture with Troop 66 that same weekend as they go camping at Camp Aquapaug and visit Mystic Seaport museum, Oct. 5-7. Weblos and their parents should contact either myself or Steven Saccoccio if they have any questions regarding the details of this trip.

Other events are being planned throughout the month of October so check this website and talk to your den leaders for up-to-date information.

Den News:

Tigers, Den 6 and Den 7
Congratulations to the Tigers for completion of their first Go See It when they visited the fire station on Sockanosset Crossroads! The participation level was very high and all the boys were in uniform!

This group continues to grow as I am still receiving phone calls from parents who want their sons to join Pack 6! Membership is at an all-time high of 22 scouts! Debbie Croce (Den 6 Leader) and Hollie Gregg (Den 7 Leader) will share responsibility for this group of boys as they attend "Go-See-It" events as a group. They will keep the dens together in the main hall for all den activities, giving each group their attention for projects and activities and advancement! Mike Croce will continue to aid them and be a third leader, maintaining two-deep leadership as needed.

I heard the Tigers also have their own newsletter in the works. Great job!

Wolf Den 5
The Wolves are an active group of boys who have been optimizing their den activities by meeting outdoors. The weather has been superb thus far and I commend the leaders for taking advantage of it. Jay Savely has returned for another year as the Den Leader, and congratulations to Ann Affleck for becoming an Assistant Den Leader! Their combined skills of outdoor knowledge and artistry will make this den a lot fun to be in!

Special thanks goes out to Andy Affleck for lending his expertise by co-leading Wolf Den 5 and for his transition from Den leader to Assistant Cubmaster, for designing and maintaining our website, and for maintaining our Cub Scouts' records and advancement!

A special thanks also goes out to Tom Strumminsky as Committee Chairman and for the bridges he has built between the leaders of Pack 6 and the Netop District Committee, and also for his co-leadership within Wolf Den 5.

Bear Den 4
Kathy Williams for returning this year to lead the Bears! Kathy organizes the group activities for her den and will have a new assistant den leader in Joanne Tranghese. Thank you both! Much of what the Bears do will require their efforts and we wish you success in the coming year!

Weblos I, Den 3 & Weblos II, Den 2
The boys are combined into one unit at the moment. Under the leadership and guidance of Cubmaster (q.v.) and Assist. Troop 6 Leader Steven Saccoccio, he is optomizing their program by leading them in a joint effort by allowing them to complete their requirements for the Weblos Badge and, for the Weblos II's, the requirements for the Arrow of Light. This latter group of boys can expect to complete their term and crossover into a boy scout troop at our Blue & Gold party in February.

The Weblos are being helped by Den Chief Ethan Ladouceur of Troop 66, Cranston. I have submitted a request for additional den chiefs from Troops 6 and 66. They will be assigned to the various dens as they show up.


Thank you to Paul Dacey, Treasurer, for keeping the budget and being the gatekeeper for all funds related to helping Pack 6 with it's financial needs! Paul's personal and professional experiences make him uniquely qualified to fill this role. All den leaders should please give receipts to Paul for reimbursement of den activity expenses.

Special thanks to Susan Pagnozzi for taking up the post of Event Co-ordinator! This position is one of the key reasons why Pack 6 is able to function as it does. Susan's experience and expertise as president of the Cranston Chamber of Commerce makes her the ideal candidate to fill this role.

Parents:

Parents for returning scouts should please register their sons. See myself, Andy or Tom for application forms.

Parents with financial assistance will receive vouchers for uniforms that will be distributed at our next meeting on Monday, October 1st.

I would like to invite all parents to actively participate in all den and pack activities. You will have a lot more fun getting involved and working hands-on in the activites side-by-side with your sons! The more you do the more fun you'll have. Trust me!

Cheers!

Bob Dosdourian
Cubmaster, Pack 6 Cranston
cubmaster@cranstonpack6.org

A few new items scattered around the site you might want to know about...

• In addition to our live dynamic, always changing google-based calendar, you can now also download the printable single-page calendar that was handed out at the Rally (and the version available here is already different than the one you have!). Visit the calendar page and check the right side of the page in the sidebar for a link (which will tell you the print date of the calendar so you can always be sure to get the latest and greatest edition).
• The Pinewood Derby video from our 2007 Pinewood Derby is now online.
• The slide show that was running in the corner during the rally is now online.
• By popular demand, all of the individual photo galleries from last year have been restored!
• Update: Added link to Cub Scout Leader Training on the Resources page.
• Update: A Lost & Found page has been added to the site.

Enjoy!

Our first pack trip will be to the USS Nautilus in Groton, CT on 6 October. We are meeting at St. David's at 11:15 AM and departing for points south by 11:30AM. We will stop mid-way for lunch at McDonald's (on your own or bring your own) and arriving at the museum at 1PM. The event lasts as long as you want to stay. This was a huge hit last year!

The first issue of Akela's Notes includes details about the USS Nautilus trip, why you should register for our trips, notes on the dens, and a calendar of events.