We are handling the food differently for this campout.  The Pack will provide charcoal for you to grill something for your family.  Please bring a side dish to share with the pack for dinner.  Bring beverages for your family.  Bring breakfast for your family to share with the pack.  We will lay out all food for a breakfast buffet.  The pack will supply s’mores of desert.

If you own a tarp or free standing tarp (the type used for tailgating at football games) please bring it in case it rains! 

Food items to bring:

·       Something to grill for your family.

·       Side dish to share with the pack for dinner.

·       Beverages for your family.

·       Breakfast for your family to share with the pack.  We will lay out all food for a breakfast buffet.

·       Mess kits or paper plates for your family.

·       Cups

·       Cutlery

·       Paper towels, trash bags, soap.

Tentative itinerary:

·       3pm: Check into campsite.

·       3pm to 6pm:  Setup camp.  Free play.  Explore park.  Den activities.

·       5pm:  Start cooking dinner.

·       6pm:  Dinner and cleanup.

·       7pm:  Campfire.  Each den will present a skit or song.  S’mores.

·       9pm:  Bedtime.

·       10pm:  Lights out.  Quite time.

·       7am:  Breakfast and free play or den activity.

·       10am: Depart.

Thinks to consider bringing (attached are full REI check lists):

·       Tent with ground cloth (should be smaller than foot print of tent).

·       Sleeping bag with pad or air mattress.  Pillow if desired.

·       Canteen or water bottles.

·       Folding chairs.

·       Tarp or fly (coordinate with Den leader).

·       Camping stove (coordinate with Den leader).

·       Lantern and flashlights.

·       Change of clothes.

·       Swim suit.

·       Long underwear.

·       Warm jacket.

·       Rain gear.

·       Stocking hat.

·       2^nd pair of shoes or boots.

·       Mess kit.

·       First aid kit.

·       Toiletry kit.

·       Food and beverages.

Please note:

·       Alcohol is prohibited by both the Boy Scouts and the PA Park service.

·       No firearms or fireworks.

·       No knives issued to Cub Scouts please.

·       Please do not bring axes, hatchets or saws.

Pine Grove Furnace State Park

1100 Pine Grove Road

Gardners, PA 17324

717-486-7174

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/pinegrovefurnace/

Campout lead:

It’s here!  The Spring Camp Out!  May 20^th and 21^st at Little Bennett Park

Don’t miss this great family event, the highlight of our Cub Scouting year! 

Please read this in its entirety as there’s lots of info.

Any questions, please contact Bob Carey at 202-779-1598 or the Executive Board at Exec@PotomacPack773.com.

Overall:

The campground opens up to us at 2 pm, and guided activities start at 3 pm. We will set up and start cooking dinner at 5 pm, serve dinner at 6, followed by a gathering at the campfire ring starting at 7 pm  for skits, songs, awards, and the awe-inspiring Boy Scout Indian Ceremony team where the Scouts will be advanced to their next rank, followed by optional overnight camping.  The event need not conflict with other weekend commitments, as you can come after soccer, etc. on Saturday, and leave first thing Sunday to attend other planned activities.

The Campfire and Advancement Ceremony is the highlight of the night, where each Den usually does a skit, Scouts are allowed to tell jokes, I’ll try to lead the Pack in silly songs and goofy cheers (You haven’t lived until you see me lead us in the “Stegosaurus, Stegosaurus” song), we’ll give the kids their awards for the year, and then the Boy Scouts from Troop 773 will come in and do their moving advancement ceremony, complete with Native American costumes, drums, war paint, and a special ceremony advancing each of the Scouts to their next rank.

We are introducing two new activities this year:

-          a GeoCaching trail will be set up in Little Bennett for our Pack near the campsite.

-          To meet the God and Me requirements for the Arrow of Light Scouts, they will be holding an ecumenical religious service at 8:30 am Sunday morning.    No obligation to participate, and this will be ecumenical and multi-denominational, so we hope all will attend after breakfast.  This will go for about 20 minutes.

At only $10 per person, this is an AWESOME deal!

If you want to get there early and hike, fish or do something else outside, here’s a detailed map of the trails at Little Bennett Park: http://www.montgomeryparks.org/PPSD/ParkTrails/trails_MAPS/trailmap_pdfs/LittleBennett_trails.pdf

Last – we need you to sign up for various tasks and events over the two days.  We’ve set up a SignUp Genius here for you to do that.  A Scout is helpful.  You can be too!

What we Need You to Do Right Now!:

Complete online payment at: http://www.potomacpack773.com/paypal ($10 per person)

Sign up for one of the tasks for the campout. Each family is asked to sign up for at least one task.  This campout won’t be successful without all families chipping in.  The Signup Genius link will be sent out later today.

Schedule:

Saturday:

2-4 pm:            Arrival, set-up

4-6:30 pm:      Guided activities and crafts

6:30-7:30 pm: Dinner

7:30 pm:         Campfire and Advancement Ceremony

~8:30 pm:        S’mores and Capture the Flag/Flashlight Tag

Sunday:

AM:                 Clean up to “No Trace Left Behind” Standard.

                        Breakfast by Dens if so organized, or on your own.

8:30 am:        Religious service

11 am:           Must be out of the camp site

Uniforms:

-          Class B uniforms (yellow Pack 773 t-shirts) Saturday afternoon until just before the campfire ceremony.

-          Class A uniforms (Blue or tan shirt with kerchief) for the Campfire and Advancement ceremony.

Campsites:

We have the Group Camping Area opposite Loop A, which is around the campfire area.  We also have 10 individual campsites across the access road from the Group Camping Area for families that need a little more private camping area.  Here’s the map of the campground: http://www.montgomeryparks.org/enterprise/park_facilities/little_bennett/little_bennett_campground.shtm#camp_map

Dinner:

We will share a potluck dinner, with the Pack providing hotdogs and hamburgers (including veggie versions), and each family asked to bring a dish to share.  We are asking each Den to bring a particular type of dish, however if you have something special to share, please feel free to bring that.  We especially like to tap into the ethnic diversity of our Pack and get special ethnic side dishes, but I doubt too many of you will appreciate the Careys’ haggis or boiled cabbage.  Please also bring a service utensil with your dish.

Tigers:             Side dish

Wolves:           Fruit

Bears:              Side dish    

Webelos:        Salads or desserts

The Pack will supply:

-          Firewood, charcoal, grill

-          Hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers and veggie dogs

-          Buns, rolls, condiments, cheese slices

-          Drinks (water, juice, soda)

-          Paper towels, trash bags

-          Makings for S’mores

Things to bring:

-          If this is your first campout, here are some good lists for what to bring.

o   Comprehensive camping checklist (more than you need, but may give some ideas): http://www.montgomeryparks.org/enterprise/park_facilities/little_bennett/documents/Comprehensivecampinggearchecklistwithdescriptions_000.pdf

o   Essential camping checklist: http://www.montgomeryparks.org/enterprise/park_facilities/little_bennett/documents/Essentialcampinggearchecklist_000.pdf

-           But roughly, we’d recommend camping gear of: tent, sleeping bags, pillow (optional), air mattress or some type of bedroll to give some cushion, flashlights for each person, change of clothing, rain gear, toiletries, bug repellant, sunscreen, toilet paper, possibly chem lights to hang off the guy lines of your tent to avoid tripping. 

-          There are flush toilets and showers at the site, but no tp or towels.

-          Folding chairs for the adults for the campfire, but there are also big logs for sitting.

-          Any Scout that has earned their Whittling Chit may bring their pocket knife for appropriate activities, but parents should exercise control over access and use.

What NOT to bring:

-          No personal electronic devices like iPods, Gameboys, gaming tablets, especially for the kids.  They can pull their heads out of the electronics for a night.  No prohibition on the parents phones as we realize many parents need those for work, emergencies, etc.

-          No pets, weapons or alcohol are permitted.

Directions:

-          Go north on I-270 and take exit 18 for MD-121.   Keep right at the fork to go on MD-121/ Clarksburg Road. 

-          Proceed about 1 mile and turn left on Rockville Pike (Rt. 355).

-          Proceed north about 1 mile to second entrance to Little Bennett State park (the first entrance is the maintenance yard parking lot).

-          For GPS, the address is 23705 Frederick Road, Clarksburg, MD 20871.

Parking:

-           Cars will be issued parking permits by the Ranger at the camp entrance. 

-          One car per family is allowed at the campsites. If you will have a second family car coming to the campout, the second car must park in the maintenance yard;

-          see campground map for maintenance yard location:  http://www.montgomeryparks.org/enterprise/park_facilities/little_bennett/little_bennett_campground.shtm#camp_map

Safety:

-          Before we go to bed, if there is lightning or thunder, we will get into the cars and stay there until at least 30 minutes have passed without thunder or lightning.

-          Be on the lookout for poison ivy in the woods.  There’s some, but last year it wasn’t all over the place, so just keep an eye out.

-          All Scouts and children must have at least one parent/guardian per family present.

-          Cubs camping overnight may only sleep in a tent with a parent/guardian.  Per Scout Rules, Scouts and children are not allowed to be in a tent (or alone at any time anywhere else) with an adult not their parent or guardian.  When not with a parent or guardian, two adults must be present with any lone Scouts or children.

-          No alcohol, weapons or pets.

Yours in Scouting,

Bob Carey

Cubmaster, Pack 773

Cell: 202-779-1598

E: Robert.H.Carey.Jr@gmail.com

Each boy will compete for speed and design at his Den level as well as speed and design at the Pack level.  We will have a sibling and parent competition for both speed and design.  Please note, the parent race is for the SLOWEST car.  All rules still apply, with the addition, the car must pass the finish line.

The rules are attached.

For first time PWD families, here is a good link.

http://boyslife.org/section/hobbies-projects/pinewood-derby/

Our weigh-in will be Friday, March 10^th from 6pm to 8pm, at PUMC.  Below is a tentative schedule.  If you cannot make the exact time for your den come anytime between 6pm and 8pm.  We are simply trying to avoid checking in all cars at once.

• Tigers, 6pm
• Wolfs, 6:30pm
• Bears, 7pm
• Webelos & AOL, 7:30pm

 We need a few parent volunteers for the weight-in.