Cub Scouts 2008-2009 Activities

On Sunday, October 5, 2008, the Pack welcomed its existing scouts and new prospective scouts with a hike in Tulip Springs, located in South Mountain Reservation.  Matt Greenwood led the hike.   Not only was it scenic, but the boys were able to see Turtle Back Rock, which looks like the back of a turtle's shell.

On Sunday, October 19, 2008, the boys had a Sukkah hop.  They met in the AABJ&D sukkah and learned about trail marking, measurement, maps, and compasses from Joel (“Never Stop to Ask Directions”) Singerman.  They even learned how to use an analog watch as a compass.  They then used these skills to find three sukkahs stocked with goodies.

On Sunday, November 16, 2008, the Cub Scouts went to Essex County Airport.  The boys first toured a small luxury plane.  Then, Jonathan Kaplan showed then the weather computer that pilots use to check the weather before taking off in their planes and he explained the flight paths around the airport.  Then, under Jonathan's supervision, the boys were able to raise and lower wing flaps and turn the rudder from the cockpit of a small plane (you can try this at home, the engine was off).

On Mothers' Day, the Cub Scouts received gardening instruction from Debbie Druce and planted flowers in the Children's Flower Garden in Verona Park (they also brought home flowers for Mom).  As a followup to that activity, on Sunday, November 23, 2008, on a very cold day that kept even some of the heartiest scouts at home, under Debbie's direction, our wilted flowers from the spring were removed and bulbs that will, hopefully, yield flowers in the spring, were planted. 

On Sunday, December 7, 2008, under the direction of George Greenfield and with the assistance of Matt Greenwood, Reuben Ehrlich, and Stuart Rosenblum, the Cub Scouts learned to tie some basic knots.   Stuart demonstrated his rope-climbing equipment and taught rope rescue skills.  The boys then participated in rope and knot-tying activities and games.  In a ceremony following the knot fair, the boys that were scouts last year received advancement badges.  The National Jewish Committee on Scouting developed the Maccabee Emblem to help Cub Scouts  who are Jewish learn more about Judaism.  Manny Ehrlich, Menachem Singerman, and Yitzy Zwickler completed the requirements for this award and received their Maccabee Emblems at this time.   Max Dickman, who was not present, also earned the award.

When one needs help with a medical emergency, they call “911.”  Typically, the West Orange First Aid Squad will respond.  In response to a non-emergency call from Yosef Peikes in late December 2008, on Sunday, January 4, 2009, the Pack learned what the West Orange First Aid Squad does and they demonstrated how to use a number of pieces of their equipment.  If you had peeked into the Youth Lounge on that day, you would have seen a scout with a bandage on his head, an arm in a sling, or one strapped to a gurney (disclaimer: no scouts were injured during this activity).  One of the favorites was a gurney chair that uses tank-like treads to move injured parties down stairs.  The highlight was a tour of the Squad's ambulance which was parked in the shul parking lot. Not only did they show the scouts how to use some of their equipment, but they demonstrated the full range of lights, sirens and horns.

Following a break for Yeshiva week, beginning on Sunday, February 1, 2009, the scouts assembled rubber band-powered space derby rockets from a kit.  The effort required gluing two halves of the rocket together; sanding down the surface to make the rocket more streamlined; and installing a propeller, fins, and a hanger (during the competition, the rockets are propelled along a horizontal fishing line).  Finally, the scouts painted and decorated their rockets.

On Sunday, February 8, 2009, Pack 446 competed against Cub Scout Pack 118 with their rockets.  We had two winners from the pack--Sefi Greenwood won among the Tigers and JJ Rosenblum won among the Wolves.  Leo Chaiet of Pack 118 won among the Bears and Uri Meltzer of Pack 118 won among the Webelos and overall.

George Greenfield and Stanley Mittelman (Pack 446) and Mike Chaiet, Mike Schatzberg,  and Lisa Vernon (Pack 446) set up and ran the space derby and Bruce Bukiet  (Pack 446) used his math skills to organize the various heats and to keep score.

What happens if one combines acetic acid and sodium bicarbonate?  During the science activity on Sunday, February 22, 2009 conducted by Joel Singerman, the Cub Scouts learned that when these two compounds (more commonly known as vinegar and baking soda) are mixed, fizzing occurs (the fizzing is the generation of carbon dioxide).  The Cub Scouts observed that if these compounds are placed in a soda bottle and a balloon is placed over the mouth of the bottle, as the carbon dioxide is released, the balloon expands.  The Cub Scouts also learned how electricity is made (rotating wires around a magnet); how to make an electromagnet (a nail wrapped in wire and connected to a battery); how to make a flashlight with a bulb, paperclip, and a battery; how to make an aerodynamic paper airplane; how levers work; how to create small sparks of light inside a fluorescent light bulb using static electricity from a balloon (the static electricity was created by rubbing the balloon on Menachem Singerman's hair); and perception and illusions (what appears to be an empty cereal box can actually contain cereal).

On March 15, 2009 and March 22, 2009, Boy Scout Troop 118 and Cub Scout Packs 118 and 446, in conjunction with volunteers from Cong. AABJ&D, conducted their annual "Scouting for Food" food drive to benefit the Bobrow Kosher Food Pantry at Oheb Shalom Congregation.  The Bobrow Kosher Food Pantry is the only kosher food pantry in Northern and Central New Jersey.  It provides supplemental food packages for approximately 160 needy families once a month.  Mike Schatzberg (Scoutmaster, Boy Scout Troop 118), Lisa Vernon (Cubmaster, Cub Scout Pack 118), and Doni Israeli and Danny Amster (Cong. AABJ&D) organized and coordinated this effort and 110 volunteers assisted in distributing and collecting bags throughout West Orange, unpacking the bags, sorting the contents, and packaging approximately 3,000 pounds of food that filled 115 boxes. 

Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment.   On Sunday, April 26, 2009, in honor of Earth Day, the Cub Scouts collapsed numerous cardboard boxes left over from a simcha at the shul so that the boxes can be recycled.  Then they visited Verona Park for a hike and to observe nature in action, in particular, the flowers that have bloomed from the bulbs that the Cub Scouts planted last fall.  

If getting rained on, walking through a campsite at night without a flashlight, and swatting away mosquitoes does not sound like a great Shabbos to you, you obviously were not able to join the Cub Scouts at the 2009 New Jersey Kinus camping trip from May 15-17, 2009.  Cub Scouts Max (and Katie) Dickman, Manny Ehrlich, Gideon Fox, and Mathew Plotsker, along with Jewish scouts from all over New Jersey brought their dads to this year's camping trip.  The scouts put up an eruv around the entire camp, a cabin by the lake made a great shul, and there was so much wonderful food.  During the day, the scouts had a chance to work on several activity awards, such as sports, map reading, drama, nature, and hiking. After Shabbos, there was a terrific melava malka with musicians, magicians, and skits. Before leaving the camp on Sunday, the Cub Scouts even got to go fishing.  They all had a great time together celebrating Shabbos in Hashem's great outdoors.

On June 28, 2009, the Cub Scouts and their families participated in an end-of-season cookout in the Bukiet’s backyard. During the cookout, advancement badges were presented as follows:  JJ Rosenblum received a Tiger badge; Avery Cantor, Manny Ehrlich, and Daniel Peikes received Wolf badges; and Menachem Singerman received a Webelos I badge.   Prospective Cub Scouts Ethan Cantor and Eli Novick and their families were in attendance, as well.  Also advancing in rank, but not present at the cookout, were Sefi Greenwood, Josh Katz, and David Reiss (Tigers); Max Dickman, Gideon Fox, Mathew Plotsker, and Yogi Sragow (Wolves); Dov Greenwood, Sammy Zughaft and Yitzy Zwickler (Webelos I); and Jonathan Zughaft (Webelos II).