In March 2020, it seemed like the world came to a halt with the onset of a new global pandemic, and everyone was trying to figure out how to proceed with the new quarantine and social distancing guidelines. Scouting also had to to adapt and change. It did not stop us. We are still scouting!
We did it all through Zoom meetings, virtual campouts and socially distanced outdoor events.
On the weekend of April 24-25, The Heart of New England Council hosted a nationwide Camp Quarantine Virtual Camporee. Our cub scouts were able to complete requirements for their rank adventures right from home via Zoom, and they were able to see what other scouts from across the country were doing.
There were so many events to choose from such as virtual hikes, scavenger hunts, cub scout yoga, yo-yo, cooking with cubs, egg drop, learning about germs, aquatic safety, learning about mammals, cub scout standup comedy, and cub scout jeopardy. Each day there was a morning virtual Flag Ceremony, lunch and dinner virtual grace, and evening virtual campfire program.
Our pack hosted our monthly pack meetings, and biweekly den meetings via Zoom. Families worked on their various adventure requirements at home and discussed/shared all they had learned during the Zoom den meetings.
Every Memorial Day, Pack 107 has always been invited to march in the Grafton Memorial Day Parade. Due to COVID-19, all parades were cancelled. The parade and ceremony are to honor the US military men and women who have given up their lives while fighting for our freedoms. This year the Boys Scouts of America asked scouts to do a socially distanced ceremony by playing Taps at 3PM on Memorial Day as part of “A Scout Salute to Fallen Heroes”.
Pack 107 hosts a year round scouting program and hosts events even in the summer months, which has earned the pack the Summer Time Pack Award for many years running. Pack 107 held socially distanced hikes in July and August which is a way for scouts to earn hiking miles for the Pack Hiking Program. The mileage that a scout hikes during their time scouting with Pack 107 earns them points towards prizes. The first level is a hiking stick at 20 miles, and more prizes for each 10 miles thereafter. The August hike also including a geocaching activity. Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunting activity that uses your phone or GPS device. The scouts set out on a trail with their family and search for these registered geocaches or treasures.
On August 14, 2020, Pack 107 hosted a VIrtual Egg Drop Competition via Zoom. It was a fun way for the cub scouts to reconnect, and to use their STEM knowledge and creativity, to construct a contraption for a raw egg to survive an egg drop. We had 13 scouts participate and here are the results:
Intact eggs: 10 eggs- Chris, Cory & Casey, Jasmine, Lilly, Silas, Nico, Jackson, Gabriel and Liam
Cracked but not broken: 2 eggs- Aaron & Josh
Broken : 2 eggs- Sam & Lucas
10 out of 14 eggs survived!!
As we start the scouting and school year, we will continue to have outdoor program activities that are planned in small groups with masks and social distancing, along with a remote portion via Zoom.
To find out more about Cub Scouts Pack 107, check is out on https://www.facebook.com/Graftonpack107
or contact us at graftonpack107@gmail.com
Grafton Cub Scout Pack 107 