Scouting Adventures for All: Exploring Dens & Pack Meetings in Pack 4!

Is your child curious, adventurous, and ready to learn new things? Our co-ed Cub Scout Pack 4 offers a fun and engaging environment where kids can explore their potential, build friendships, and gain valuable life skills.

Dens: Where Learning and Fun Collide

Our Pack is structured into Dens based on grade level. Here's a quick guide:

• Kinder - Lions: Cubs roar with enthusiasm as they embark on their Scouting journey!
• 1st Grade - Tigers: Excitement fills the air as these energetic tigers tackle new challenges.
• 2nd Grade - Wolves: Teamwork and howling at the moon (metaphorically!) are hallmarks of the Wolf Den.
• 3rd Grade - Bears: Be prepared for some serious fun and learning as the bears explore the world around them.
• 4th & 5th Grade - Webelos: These experienced scouts pave the way for leadership roles as they prepare for Boy Scouts.

In Den meetings, your child will:

• Work on projects and advancements that earn them badges and awards, all while developing skills like budgeting, cooking, safety skills, and more.
• Participate in STEM activities, handcrafts, and other enriching experiences that promote personal growth and leadership.
• Bond with friends in a safe and supportive environment.

Pack Meetings: Where Dens Come Together

Once a month, all Dens unite for a Pack Meeting filled with:

• Themed activities based on values like kindness, courage, and honesty.
• Den-led skits and presentations that showcase their learning and teamwork.
• Opportunities to participate in the flag ceremony and lead the Pledge of Allegiance – fostering a sense of community and responsibility.

Beyond Meetings: Building Memories and Giving Back

Pack 4 offers exciting activities and community service projects for all ages and interests:

• Family-friendly outings: Hiking, camping, and the annual Bike Rodeo with CHP are just a few examples.
• Giving back to the community: Food drives, clean-up projects, and supporting local charities allow your child to learn about the importance of helping others.
• Unique events: Things That Fly lets kids and parents build and launch paper rockets!

Scouting Fits Your Busy Lifestyle

We understand that kids have many interests. Cub Scouts seamlessly integrates with other activities like sports, dance, or gymnastics.

Experience the Pack 4 Difference:

• 100 Years of Scouting History: Our Scout House at Westminster Presbyterian Church is steeped in tradition.
• Accessibility for All: We have a dedicated fund to ensure all children can participate.

Ready to Join the Adventure?

Contact us today to learn more about Den and Pack Meetings! We'd love to welcome you to the Pack 4 family.

Joshua Tree Camping / Shooting Day / Thanksgiving Food Drive

October and November Fun

Joshua Tree

We love Joshua Tree, and we did a weekend of camping there in October. This always is a big hit with parents and kids. We have a well-oiled system for camping, and all pitch in for our trips. It's great when we can introduce new people to camping, so don't let that intimidate you if you've never been.

If you have any old gear in good condition you want to donate to our Pack, we are collecting extra gear to make camping more accessible for everyone. 

One of our little Lions (Kinder) did NOT want to come, and the minute she set foot on the rocks and sand, mentored by the older kids, that changed, and she was one of the leaders of the trip.

The kids did much climbing on huge rocks; it's hard to spot them in the picture below. We hiked. We had gorgeous nighttime views of the Milky Way and an impromptu lesson about the universe from one of our parents. The kids told stories by the camp fire, and of course s'mores, too.

 

 

Camp Trask Shooting Day

Camp Trask is a Boy Scouts of America camp in the San Gabriel Valley that holds organized events for Scouts. Shooting Day is popular event for the kids. Bow and arrow, sling shots, and BB guns are taught in safe ways, and on this day there also were crafts.

It's so fun for the kids. Some people even chose to camp again after camping the week prior. (Not all of us are hard core campers, and some are not interested at all, so if camping isn't your thing, still come check us out. Events like this are appealing and educational for everyone!)

Thanksgiving Food Drive

Every year we participate in a Food drive in conjunction with our host organization, Westminster Presbyterian Church. WPC is one of five churches of different denominations that join together as Altadena Food Pantry to provide meals and community for people who are in a place of needing help. They are a lovely organization.

We support the Altadena Food Pantry throughout the year via donations we receive at our booth at Christmas Tree Lane, and at other times when they make the request.

If you're at the Altadena Christmas Tree Lane lighting ceremony this year, come say, Hi!

Cub Scouts Pack 4 Pasadena Things That Roll with CHP!

Cub Scouts Pack 4 Pasadena Things That Roll!

Our annual Things That Roll was a great success with our partners the California Highway Patrol. 

Kids (and parents) rode: 

• bikes
• skateboards
• scooters
• rollers skates
• a wagon
• a stroller
• even a motorized go-cart!

The safety presentation engaged the children and included helmet fitting, navigating driveways, riding at night and basic rule of the road.  

This is what we like: fun and safety!

Thank you to our local Altadena CHP! For more safety tips and to follow the CHP Altadena Instagram page go HERE.

Campout Safety Checklist from BSA

The Pack is soon heading out to Joshua Tree. We will plan together before we go, but please review this campout safety checklist guide from BSA. 

Click the photo to go to the checklist:

Things that Roll - this Sunday 9/24

Join Cub Scouts Pack 4 Pasadena and CHP  for a Bike Rodeo and Bike Safety Class this Sunday September 24 (2:30pm-4:30pm)

* Bring your bike, scooter, skateboard - and helmet

* Come with a decorated ride and participate in a "best dressed" contest

* Maneuvering skills course

*Speed skills course

AND

* Bike rodeo and safety presentation presented by California Highway Patrol (CHP)

Where:

Westminster Presbyterian parking lot:    

1757 N. Lake Avenue

Pasadena, CA 91104

When:

Sunday September 24

2:30pm-4:30pm 

September 2023 - First Pack Meeting of the Year!

We had our first pack meeting last night at the Scout House. Theme: Trustworthy. 

Meetings begin with a short game, and tonight is was, "How many cheerios can you string on a pipe cleaner...?" 

This initially sounded like something that would appeal only to the younger kids - but when you add "...in one minute?" that changes everything! They loved it. (Then they ate their "bracelets" and left many Cheerios on the floor, of course....and learned to pick them up at the end of the meeting before they again played. Fun and responsibility...)

The Bear den presented the Scout Law & Oath and opening prayer/affirmation. The latter included words from Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. (Over the course of the year, we aim to honor all belief systems, as well as meeting themes, and themes like September's Hispanic Heritage Month.)

Great to see new faces and old. Looking forward to the great activities kids do in their dens this coming month, and also Things That Roll this weekend. Check out the next post for more on that!

 

Catalina Adventures!

Sailing, kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, eating, crafting, shooting sports, swimming, paddle boarding, skit performing, nightly campfires, fun with friends. What a way to end the summer!

Camp Emerald Bay August 6-9!

 

Last year we attended Cherry Valley summer camp at Catalina. This year nearly ALL the pack is going to Camp Emerald Bay. We decided to try Emerald Bay this year because we heard good things about it last year. Emerald Bay is the second BSA camp on Catalina.

It's exciting to have almost all the Cubs and families going! It's a very fun experience, and very bonding.

We had a blast last year at Cherry Valley: swimming, kayaking, hiking, archery, BB guns, crafts, lessons about the ocean, nightly skits and bonfires, and much more. A smaller group from our Pack went last year, and we were grouped together in a "Pack" with a couple other smaller groups from other local Packs from Pasadena and San Dimas. It was great to jump in and be a team with them, and my son and I both made friends we keep in touch with - not easy in our busy lives.  We slept in the same grouping of tents, dined together, and did our activities together, too. 

When our family first joined Scouting, it took a minute to figure out how it all worked! If you're trying to figure that out as well:

Your kid is part of a Den of kids their age/grade. The Den meets each month at a time agreed upon by the group, and they play and work on adventures/advancements. 

The Dens are part of a Pack - we are Pack 4 Pasadena, and we meet as a group once a month. We border Altadena, so we have many Altadenans as well, and some La Canadians (?), too. 

The Pack also does other activities, some of which are for the Cubs, and some are family excursions, some are benefits for the community. 

If it sounds like a lot, most of us are on school committees, our kids do sports, and this helps us bring in things they simply don't get elsewhere, and bring in something that's harder to do on your own: opportunities for camping and nature. We all value what scouting brings to the children.

Some of the excursions we do are organized by us, and some are available through the greater Scouting organization. Like these Catalina camps. That's partly where your fees go. In the greater LA area there are a number of locations owned by the Scouts where we can register for day trips or multi-day scouting adventures. Many of these are family camps, so siblings welcome. We are busy people, so we don't do all the activities offered, but we try to keep our Pack apprised of the offerings in case individuals are interested. 

Check back for some pics of camp! I went last year, my husband is going this year... 

Pack 4 Pasadena - July 2023 Fishing Trip

We took a trip to El Dorado Park in Long Beach and learned you don't necessarily have to catch fish to have fun fishing. 

Also, you don't need the fanciest tools. All sorts of rods caught fish that day! Catch and release. 👏💦🎣