Scouting, Volume 38, Number 4, April 1950 Page: 11
40 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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fZq, tf-ansiedt K. Vast <Jl-osi*tr Cubmaster, Pack 37, Leonia, N. J.
Note: Here is an interesting story of how one
Pack cooperated with the community Recreational
Commission to bring its Cub Scouts a worth while
summertime program. Remember — do your sum-
mertime activities on a one-Pack basis. That's the
real Cub Scout way, and it's easier and more effec-
tive than to try to organize inter-Pack activities.
As in many another town of our size, sum-
v mertime is the season when a great exodus
takes place. Starting immediately after the closing
of school, a great hue and cry arises that might
well be heard from every corner of the community
if one would give just a slightly attentive ear.
"No more teachers, no more books! . . The cries
are sedate, or hilarious, dependent upon the age
of the person lending strength to the shout, but
there is a definite holiday tone to it all. By train,
by automobile, by plane—and I guess by foot, if
that method is quick enough for those involved,
they take off on their great adventures.
Forty-six Cub Scouts to start with, forty-five,
forty, thirty! Is everyone on their way out of town?
Am I to be the only one left?
There descends a great calm. The town becomes
quiet and falls back into its normal routine again,
and we begin to count noses.
Now, you build a summertime program around
that, if you will! Hard? No it isn't! What difference
whether there be a few boys, or two hundred,
there's still enthusiasm and energy to do things,
and more time to do them.
If yours is the average town, there will be a
Recreation Commission, and a very nice guy in
charge who will be glad to see you, if you've got
a proposition to offer.
So, off we shall go to see him. "Frank," we say,
"I'm planning my summertime program for our
Pack. I imagine that you have a good program all
worked out. Now, I don't want to steal it, but I
thought we might cooperate a little.
"My idea is simply this. You probably have such
events planned as a pushmobile derby, and a kite
derby and other things of that nature.
"You have? Good! Well, I thought we might, as
a Cub Pack, challenge the boys of the Recreation
Commission to a kite flying derby and a pushmobile
derby. That would, take care of the two tough sum-
mer months."
Plans did go along on that basis, beginning very
early in May. June came along, and there was a
big outdoor graduation ceremony. All the people
in town were invited — and did they ever turn out!
Town officials, a Scout Executive or two, District
representatives, Cub Scouts and their parents, and
just plain folks, all came out to witness the great
event. We even had a policeman to direct traffic!
We borrowed the loud speaker system of the
Recreation Commission, the use of the Park from
the town, begged the use of their "bleachers," ap-
pealed to a Troop and Explorer Post to put on their
swell Indian ceremonies, and it gave-us a chance
to whip up interest in our two summer projects.
First came the kite derby, in which there were
events for all. One to find the best kite built by a
DAD! One for the highest flying kite; one with the
most "tug," best design, etc. Not only did the Pack
Committee put their heads together, but so did our
Recreational Director, who drew from his long ex-
perience to make it an outstanding event.
Success? No question about it; it was a great
success. Did we want more? You can bet we did!
We tore into the pushmobile derby with even
greater enthusiasm, after we saw how well the
kite derby went over. For the pushmobile derby
we found ourselves once again in competition with
the Recreational Commission boys, and the main
street in our town which has a grand hill, was
closed to all traffic.
Policemen patrolled our lines to keep back on-
lookers and divert traffic. The first aid squad was
out in full force, and the ambulance was right
handy, just in case. That's what you can do by
cooperating with the Recreation Commission.
Seems to me that we came out second best, even
with me as a judge, if I remember correctly. But
the losers had as much fun making their kites and
"autos" as the winners, and both themes kept the
boys busy for a good share of the summer.
We tied Dad in. in both cases, so he had to work
with his son. And did it fill in the summer months
for our boys? If you judge by the disappointment
of boys who returned just before each event or
heard of them later, it worked!
♦
CUB SCOUT SECTION
APRIL, 1950
11
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 38, Number 4, April 1950, periodical, April 1950; New York, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth313163/m1/13/: accessed April 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.