Philadelphia Lutheran Church
Scouting @ Philadelphia Lutheran
You may or may not be aware that every spring our scouts participate in the Scout Card fundraiser. This year we got to set up a table at the Agriculture Expo which is put on by the school system but held at the fairgrounds. The kids had a lot of fun selling but also got to see what the other exhibitors were doing.
One exhibitor showed the kids how a green screen works. This is Izzy riding a bee! The kids got to choose a background then were directed how/where to stand. They were able to see themselves in a monitor at the time and access their pictures at home. They learned a little and had a lot of fun!
As the weather warms up, we try to have an event of some kind one weekend a month. This month we went to Tuttle Educational State Forest. When Lewis went out to arrange our visit and request a ranger to teach the Junior Ranger Badge program, he was surprised to find that the ranger had never heard of it. However, he promised to see what he could find out. Turns out they no longer promote the program, but they did find a box of the booklets in a closet and plans were made. We only had 14 scouts show up, but everyone had a lot of fun. They learned a lot about forestry husbandry, counted the rings on a stump to learn the age of a tree, and hiked the talking forest trail.
Soon we will be holding our Pinewood Derby race so I thought I would share a little history. In 1953 Donn Murphy really wanted to participate in the local soap box derby but at 10 he was too young. His father, Don, was Cubmaster of pack 280C and remembered making model cars as a child. To quote him, “I also wanted to devise a wholesome, constructive activity that would foster a closer father-son relationship and promote craftsmanship and good sportsmanship through competition.” So with help from other parents he built a two-lane track and every scout got a brown paper bag with four plastic wheels, four nails and three blocks of wood (the body and 2 axles). The first race was held on May 15, 1953. As often happens in scouting, other units in the area heard of the race and copied it. By 1954, word got to the national director of Cub Scouting Service, ‘Bud’ Bennett, who wrote Don, saying, “We believe you have an excellent idea.” In October 1954 the Boys’ Life magazine published Pinewood Derby plans, and the rest is history.
We are still looking for more boys and girls ages 11 to 18 to join our boy and girl troops. If you have anyone in mind, please feel free to pass on our contact information. They can come check us out and even participate in an event without signing up. This gives them a chance to talk it over with parents before committing.
Weather permitting, we will be holding graduation on June 4th. At that time the scouts will receive any awards they have earned and move into the next den. They will also put on skits. The plan is to hold this event in the shelter at church. We will have hotdogs on the grill and all youth will participate in a ‘bike rodeo’. We would love to have members of our church family join us!
“It is important to arrange games and competition so that all Scouts of the troop take part.”
Lord Baden-Powell
