Den Meetings on Wednesday, September 23

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We will be having our Den Meetings at the large pavilion at Fairview Park on Wednesday, 9/23. Meetings will start at 6:30pm (unless you received other instructions from your Den Leader).

Scouts and family members attending need to bring:

  • Chair
  • Mask
  • Water bottle
  • Jacket (evenings can be cool)

Your Den Leader may also request items a scout may need if they are working on requirements (example: backpack with items a scout should have if they are going for a hike).

Your Den Leader may also have meetings at other locations if it is needed for the requirement. Example: A visit to a fire station. Your Leader will communicate to scout parents in their den if that would occur.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your Den Leader.

September 25th–Pack Meeting Ice Cream Social

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Fairview Park Rotary Pavilion, 6:30-8 PM

Our monthly Pack meeting will be held on Friday, September 25th at Fairview Park Rotary Pavilion from 6:30 to 8:00PM. We will have an Ice Cream Social with single servings of ice cream and toppings distributed by Scout Leaders. Advancements will be awarded to the Scouts as well.

Please note, the playground will be off limits to Scouts during the Pack meeting. This is to ensure the Scouts are focused and to prevent unattended play. Please bring a camp chair and a mask for all participants. This will be great opportunity for everyone to meet our new scouts and their families. We hope to see you there!

Den Meetings Tonight at Fairview Park – Large Pavilion.

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We will be having our Den Meetings at Fairview Park on Wednesday, 9/15. Meetings will start at 6:30pm (unless you received other instructions from your Den Leader).

Scouts and family members attending need to bring:

  • Chair
  • Mask
  • Water bottle
  • Jacket (evenings can be cool)

Your Den Leader may also request items a scout may need if they are working on requirements (example: backpack with items a scout should have if they are going for a hike).

Your Den Leader may also have meetings at other locations if it is needed for the requirement. Example: A visit to a fire station. Your Leader will communicate to scout parents in their den if that would occur.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your Den Leader.

Reminders – Den Meeting THIS Wednesday and Camping this weekend

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Wedenday, 9/10, will be our first in-person den meeting since March. Our meetings for this fall will be held outside at the large pavilion at Fairview Park and will start at 6:30 (unless otherwise communicated by Den leader). We will be using the areas around the pavilion as well as the pavilion. We will not have access to the kitchen area. Please remind the scouts & parents to:

  • bring chair(s) – Pavilion will be used for New Scout sign-ups
  • water bottles – we will not have access to water at the park
  • wear masks – MASK ARE REQUIRED for scout activities – even outside activies

Also, this weekend, 9/11 – 9/13, we be having another Family Pack Camping Weekend at Raccoon State Park. Please sign-up on our website sign-up sheet AND contact Deb Whitewood (email: whitewoodd@msn.com) to make sure she has all the information needed for this weekends activities.

Hike, Bike & Fish Event – September 26th

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Scouting youth and families are invited to attend the Hike, Bike, and Fish on Saturday, September 26th, at a Camp Guyasta! Camp Guyasuta is approximately 20 minutes from South Fayette!

Feel free to register a friend who is interested in Scouting and show them all of the great opportunities Scouting has to offer. Bring your bike and take a ride, your fishing pole to catch some fish, and hiking boots for a hike. These items will not be supplied. This is a free event but you will need to register. Click this Link TO REGISTER. Come for one adventure, or participate in all three, the choice is up to you.

Family Camping trip is coming up. Sign up now!

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We are getting excited about our upcoming Pack Family Campout at Raccoon Creek State Park. The campout will be held September 11 – 13. at the Sioux Group B Camping site. (You can join us for one night or both.) This is a primitive camping site with vault toilets and water nearby. There is plenty of room for families to set up tents and for the Scouts to play. There are no showers on site, but there are shower facilities at the beach where we will spend time on Saturday and Sunday. There is no cost associated with this campout as the Pack is covering the costs of the campsite. Click on our website link Pack843.org for details in our previous posting and the signup sheet. Our camping trip in August was so much fun that we decided to do it again. Hope to see you all there!

Save the Date: Pack Family Campout Sept. 11-13

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Pack 843 Families,

We had so much fun on our Pack Family Campout at Raccoon Creek State Park that we are doing it again!  This campout will be held September 11-13 at the Sioux B Camping site. (You can join us for one night or both.) This is a primitive camping site with vault toilets and water nearby. There is plenty of room for families to set up tents and for the Scouts to play.

We are setting up a fun schedule of events which will include a hike, star gazing, swimming, fishing, boating, a scavenger hunt, crafts, Dutch oven and campfire cooking, games and much more. We will also work on some advancement requirements on this trip.

We understand that this is a difficult time as we all experience the limitations that surround the COVID-19 virus. The prevailing thought is that camping is a minimal risk activity, on par with going to the grocery store, but less risky than going to the doctor or to an outdoor restaurant. We will be discussing with the Scouts the need for social distance and cleanliness. We will be requiring all Scouts and family members to have a mask available to use if the 6’ social distance cannot be maintained. Hand sanitizer will be available in multiple locations. Finally we plan to have the restrooms and water spout sanitized every 1-2 hours by a team of parent volunteers.

In order to mitigate concerns regarding COVID-19, all families will bring their own food and prepare their own meals, with the exception of the dinner on Saturday. We will have tin foil pockets for dinner that evening which adult leaders will assist the Scouts in preparing in a sanitary manner.

We understand that some Scouts and their families would prefer to not camp overnight, yet would like to join us for the activities on Saturday. We suggest meeting us at the campsite on Saturday morning no later than 9:30 AM so that you can join us for the hike, or at noon for lunch (pack your own) and the lake activities in the afternoon. Please wear closed toed shoes and bring a water bottle and small backpack for the hike.

Here is the link to Sign-up Sheet. Please let us know if you are interested in camping with the Pack, or joining us just for the day. If you have any questions, please email Deb Whitewood at whitewoodd@msn.com

Stay tuned for more information!

Successful Pack Family Campout

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We had a wet but wonderful Pack Family Campout at the end of July with twelve families camping at Raccoon Creek State Park Sioux Group Camping Area. The Scouts enjoyed learning how to build their tents, cooking their own meals, hiking to the Mineral Springs, kayaking and swimming at the lake, and playing games with each other.

Despite the limitations presented by the COVID-19 virus, the Scouts and their families enjoyed some safe socialization and relaxing time in nature. Feedback from this trip was so positive that we are planning another Pack Family Campout in mid-September.

Hiking to the Mineral Spring.

Leader Opportunities and “Thank You, Mike”

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Let me start by saying a HUGE THANK YOU to Mike Guerra for being the Cubmaster for Pack 843 during these last 5 months. We wish him and his family all the best as they move back to Texas. We will miss you!

However, that means that we need YOU to step up and help our Pack move forward. We cannot have a Pack without someone on the roster as Cubmaster and at least one (if not 2) Assistant Cubmasters. This is a MUST for this Pack to continue.

It is also Popcorn time. We still need 1 – 2 parents to run the popcorn fundraiser this year. Popcorn sales will be very different this year and without someone to volunteer as popcorn kernel, we will only be having scout online sales. Popcorn Kernel training is available now. Popcorn order for show-n-sell has to be in by the first week of August.

Recap: The Pack needs the following positions filled by August 15th:

  • Cubmaster
  • Assistant Cubmaster 1
  • Assistant Cubmaster 2
  • Popcorn Kernel
  • Popcorn Kernel Assistant

Pack 843 Volunteer Description Document Link –this document will give you a pretty good idea what each posistion has responsibility for and the estimated time commitment per month.

Please contact Karen Billingham, Committee Chair, at karen10903@gmail.com for more information

Family Opportunity: Pack Family Campout 7/31-8/2

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Pack 843 Families,

We are getting excited about our upcoming Pack Family Campout at Raccoon Creek State Park. The campout will be held July 31 through August 2 at the Sioux Group B Camping site. (You can join us for one night or both.) This is a primitive camping site with vault toilets and water nearby. There is plenty of room for families to set up tents and for the Scouts to play. There are no showers on site, but there are shower facilities at the beach where we will spend time on Saturday and Sunday. There is no cost associated with this campout as the Pack is covering the costs of the campsite.

We are setting up a fun schedule of events which will include a 1.2 mile hike on the Mineral Springs Loop, star gazing, swimming, fishing, boating, a scavenger hunt, crafts, Dutch oven and campfire cooking, games and much more. We will work on some advancement requirements on this trip and you are encouraged to view the attachment which details some of this information.

We understand that this is a difficult time as we all experience the limitations that surround the COVID-19 virus. The prevailing thought is that camping is a minimal risk activity, on par with going to the grocery store, but less risky than going to the doctor or to an outdoor restaurant. We will be discussing with the Scouts the need for social distance and cleanliness. We will be requiring all Scouts and family members to have a mask available to use if the 6’ social distance cannot be maintained. Hand sanitizer will be available in multiple locations. Finally we plan to have the restrooms and water spout sanitized every 1-2 hours by a team of parent volunteers.

In order to mitigate concerns regarding COVID-19, all families will bring their own food and prepare their own meals, with the exception of the dinner on Saturday. We will have tin foil pockets for dinner that evening which adult leaders will assist the Scouts in preparing in a sanitary manner. If you would prefer to prepare your family’s own dinner meal on Saturday, please let Deb Whitewood know so that we don’t over purchase the food items.

We understand that some Scouts and their families would prefer to not camp overnight, yet would like to join us for the activities on Saturday. We suggest meeting us at the campsite on Saturday morning no later than 9:30 AM so that you can join us for the hike, or at noon for lunch (pack your own) and the lake activities in the afternoon. Please wear closed toed shoes and bring a water bottle and small backpack for this hike.

If you have any questions, please contact Deb Whitewood at whitewoodD@msn.com.  If your family would like to camp, but does not have a tent or other equipment, please contact Deb Whitewood at the email address above. Deb has plenty of equipment to lend out.

A few notes:

(None of these forms need to be signed by a doctor.)

  • Please remember to bring all necessary medications to the campsite. Parents are responsible for securing medications safely and administering them to their Scout. Refrigeration of medications is available with Deb Whitewood, please contact her in advance. 
  • Alcohol is strictly forbidden at any BSA function. Secondly, alcoholic beverages are not allowed in PA State Parks. Please do not bring any alcoholic beverages on this campout.
  • Ice and fishing bait are available for purchase at the beach concession stand which is a short drive from the campsite.
  • Knives are optional. Scouts may only use knives or have them in their possession if they have achieved their Whittling Chip.
  • Adults who will be actively fishing are required to have a fishing license. Scouts do not need a license to fish. Deb Whitewood will have fishing gear available for Scouts who would like to try fishing. Fishing licenses can be obtained online at https://www.pa.wildlifelicense.com/start.php
  • It is strongly suggested to make advance reservations for kayaks/canoes if you plan on boating on Saturday (from 1:30-4PM) or Sunday (from 10AM-12:30PM).

The phone number is (724) 899-4130. The address is 430 Raccoon Park Rd, Clinton, PA 15026.

If you have not already signed up to camp with us, please email Deekota Yadav at deekota.yadav@gmail.com or signup on the Pack website at http://pack843.org/sign-ups/.

We need an accurate head count in order to provide the dinner on Saturday. Also email Deekota if you would like to join us only for the Saturday activities. Let her know if you are coming at 9:30 AM or at noon, and if you are staying for dinner.

Sincerely,

Deb Whitewood & Deekota Yadav