Join our Pack July 11-14 at Laurel Highlands Council’s Camp Independence, for the ultimate Cub Scouting camping experience. Scouts, their leaders, and parents/guardians stay overnight for three days at the camp, part of the council’s Heritage Reservation, nestled in the Laurel Highlands wilderness. The camp has many activities for the scouts to enjoy, like BB guns, archery, slingshots, climbing, hiking, swimming, fishing, boating, campfires, and more! And the Webelos get the option of staying an extra day through the day Sunday for more fun!

Camp is $275 for Scouts to spend three days and $365 for four days (extra day for Webelos) and $120 for adults. Spots are still available!

Please contact Jon Spink with any questions or if you’re interested at jon.spink@gmail.com

Congratulations again to our scouts! We celebrated scouts that earned their Arrow of Light and other advancements this past Sunday at the Blue and Gold/Crossover ceremony. And we wish good luck to those that crossed over to their selected Scouts BSA troop. Thank you to all that planned and attended this wonderful event to celebrate our scouts’ achievements!

This past weekend, we held our pack’s Pinewood Derby race day. Undeterred by the weather, it was a huge success! Congratulations to the scouts that participated!

Each den level raced among themselves, with awards given to the best decorated cars and then the winners competed to determine the overall champion from our Pack. The final Pack 843 standings are:

1. Eliana W. – Tiger
2. Owen R. – Wolf
3. Owen G – Bear

And, an overall “Best in Show” award was voted on by the leaders and presented to Kali L. for her amazing dragon car!

The top finishers can now compete at the Frontier District race, against winners from other Cub Scout packs in our area, on Saturday, March 2. Good luck and thank you for representing our Pack!

All Pack 843 Cub Scouts and their families are invited to attend this annual celebration of Cub Scouting!  We will be recognizing the achievements and advancements within the Pack, as well as celebrating the Arrow of Light scouts crossing over into Scouts BSA!  Eating together is a great way to build fellowship and encourage team building so, we would like you to come and enjoy a small meal with your Den, Pack and BSA Troops.  

We ask that scouts be in full uniform for this event.  If you need help with your scouting uniform please reachout

Additionally the  Classy Cobra Patrol (Our AOLs) with the help of our Webelos  invite you to explore scouting around the world in a short program that will allow scouts of all ages to explore what scouting looks like in other places in the world.  The scouts are researching and designing a presentation for you.   If you would like to help us celebrate scouting around the world please bring a dessert that you love and a note card about it in the world it originates from, any significance or traditions and what the ingredients are in it. 

Pack 843 Blue and Gold Celebration – February 25, 2024 at Oakdale Community Center from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm   Ticket prices are as follows: 

• $5 for Adults and Scout Troop Members
• $3 for Cub Scouts and children ages 5 and up.
• Pack 843 Arrow of Light scouts and children 4 or under are FREE 

To purchase tickets, please use this link to sign up and make your payment or use a paper copy, available from your den leader.

Please complete your sign up to let us know you’ll attend by February 22!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSddy_Vfb_2RvbHrf6x3iJv9VeQcKrKJTAoCKgWVYpk0VGTrZw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Pack 843’s Pinewood Derby will be held on Saturday, January 20 at Crossroad Church, 1120 Boyce Rd. in Upper St. Clair. Please see the schedule below for your scout’s race time. Please plan to arrive 10-15 minutes before your race time. The race schedule is organized like this:

9:00 AM AOL (Fifth Grade)

9:15 AM Webelo I (Fourth Grade)

10:00 AM Bear (Third Grade)

11:00 AM Wolf (Second Grade)

12:45 PM Tiger (First Grade)

1:45 PM Lion (Kindergarten))

2:45 PM Winner Race – Championships!

Weigh in will occur Friday, January 19 from 7-8 PM. Bring your completed car to make sure they are in accordance with the rules, be dropped off, and officially entered in the race roster.  If you are not available at that date and time, please make arrangements with another scout to bring your car. All cars must be at the weigh-in in order to race!

Information about the rules and regulations for the Pinewood Derby can be found here:

http://pack843.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/pinewood_derby_rules_2024.doc

To help prepare for this, we are hosting two build nights at the Oakdale Community Center. We will help communicate how the event works, discuss rules, and help you transform your block of wood to the car of your dreams. So come with your imagination! We will meet two evenings, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM to help you build:

Wednesday December 27

Wednesday January 10

The Oakdale Community Center is located at:

104 Seminary Ave.

Oakdale PA 15071

https://maps.app.goo.gl/TBvF8cejb9VQyuyw8

Feel free to reach out to Cubmaster Jon Spink at jon.spink@gmail.com with any questions regarding the Pinewood Derby race or these build nights.

Get out of the house this winter at Heritage Reservation’s Cub Scout Winter Weekends! Cub Scouts and their families are invited to join us for a weekend of fun and friends. Have some with outdoor STEM activities too!

Our pack will stay in the Potomac Homes overlooking Lake Courage at Camp Independence. Cafeteria style meals are provided in our dining area at Pathfinder Lodge. Come with your personal gear and enjoy winter with its exciting program features. Choose from several weekends – each of which is open to Scouts from any Pack. Winter Weekends at Heritage Reservation are a tremendous opportunity for Cub Scouts and their families to enjoy a fun-filled day in the great outdoors while experiencing the beauty of winter.

Day passes are available for those families that wish to come up for the day and enjoy the winter fun!

Siblings welcome!

Program Features

• Shooting Sports (BB, Archery, Giant Slingshots)
• STEM Activities
• Games
• Nature Hikes
• Saturday evening campfire for Full Weekend Participants

Activities are subject to change. Should there be sufficient snow, some activities may be switched out for sledding and/or snowshoeing.  All needed equipment is provided. 

Our council’s camp is in the Laurel Highlands at:

Camp Independence

300 Heritage Rd

Farmington, Pennsylvania 15437

https://maps.app.goo.gl/gpbhkQYhn5Kbsti89

The cost is $130 per person for the full weekend. Day passes are available to come up on Saturday for $40 for youth and $20 for adults.

Please reach out to Jon Spink at jon.spink@gmail.com with any questions and to pay for your spot and ensure that medical forms and adult clearances are in order.

All participants will need to complete health forms, parts A and B:

https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/680-001_AB.pdf

Here’s a packing list for the weekend:

https://scoutingevent.com/Download/52724317/OR/WW_Packing_List.pdf

Our pack has a table at the school holiday market on December 8 from 4:00 – 8:00 and December 9 from 10:00 – 2:00. Please sign up to volunteer at the table for an hour to help sell the crafts we have made.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040E4AADA72CA0FB6-46044782-holiday#/

Happy Holidays!

All of our scouts and the families are invited to join our December pack meeting, the Holiday Party!  We will have a pot luck style meal and activities planned by the Bears. This will be Friday, December 15, at 6:30pm in the Elementary School cafeteria.  PLEASE sign up on the sign up sheet and note what you will be bringing!  Please note the number of attendees under the ‘Item Quantity’. We encourage families to bring any unique or special family/cultural recipes!  Because of this, we are not assigning anyone a type of dish to bring – so bring something to share with our fellow scouts!

The signup sheet is here:

Please sign up to come out and help the Pack make crafts on Nov. 29 from 6-8. We will meet at the South Fayette Fire Station on Millers Run Rd. The address is: 661 Millers Run Rd, Cuddy, PA 15031

https://maps.app.goo.gl/NPWfgRyeqqkQBFb69

We have a table at the school holiday mart this year, to show that we are a part of the community and to sell crafts for students to buy for their families and friends. Please come out and help the pack and help out the school that does so much for us!
The sign up sheet is here:
https://pack843.org/sign-ups/?sheet_id=207

Thanks for coming out and having fun at our monthly Pack meeting and Tent or Treat. The scouts received their advancements they have been earning with their dens and got to make a pumpkin craft, set up and decorate a tent, and go trick or treating! And the rain didn’t deter us!