The February 13, 2006 Pack Meeting Is Coming Up
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Folks, we are excited about the upcoming February Pack meeting. We will have fun and also look ahead to an action-packed March Pack meeting!

1. Ed's Pet World will be there and they will bring their animal friends.
2. We will have all the Pinewood Derby cars out for boys to vote within their own rank for the following creative awards, Most Unusual, Coolest, Funniest. When the meeting is over they boys can take their car home.
3. Coming up in March is our Catfish Rodeo and Blue & Gold Banquet. On Saturday March 11 from 7:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. you can catch Catfish at the Grant Street Catfish Farm in Bessemer. We will have a flyer with more details at the Pack meeting (also look here on the web site closer to the event date). That same evening we will have our March Pack meeting on Saturday March 11 with lots of fun, awards, pictures, and good food.

• The cost is $3 per person (including adults and children) and all family members are welcome to fish and eat.
• Please pay your den leader in advance at your February den meetings so we know how many to plan for.
• Catfish and trimmings will be the main menu. If you don't like fried catfish, all beef hot dogs will be available.
• If you can donate some or all of your catfish you catch to the Pack on 3/11, that will help us hold down the cost of the meals and the cost we pass on to you. Even if you donate, the cost is still $3 per head.
• We will have sign-up sheets at the February Pack meeting for cooking in the afternoon of 3/11 and also for set-up of the tables/chairs/decorations.
• If any of you corporate types have items you can get for us to hand out as door prizes in March, please bring them on 3/11.

4. We will also announce our Pack Overnighter event at the February meeting

Whew! If I think of anything more I will post it here.

See you Monday night at the Pack meeting!

Thanks, Mr. Ed

Ed Dolensky Cubmaster Pack 393

2006 Pack 393 Pinewood Derby Results
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Well, Folks, another Pinewood Derby is in the books. I was impressed with all the designs the boys came up with. We had over 100 cars participate overall and had strong participation in the Akela (non-Cub Scout) division. I hope everyone got some great ideas for next year.

Results are shown in 1rst place - 2nd place - 3rd place order....

Pack Final: B. Johnson, W. Johnson, Bodden
Akela Final: A. Michel, R. Selby, A. Phillips

Webelo II Rank: B. Johnson, J. Rogers, S. Phillips
Webelo II Rogers: B. Johnson, J. Rogers, S. Phillips
Webelo II Ron: Pullan, Dolensky, Gilbert

Webelo I Rank: Bodden, C. Johnson, Spivey
Webelo I Beatty: Beatty, Peeler, Sissa
Webelo I Bodden: Bodden, Spivey, Holditch
Webelo I Pace: C. Johnson, Nelson, Brooks

Bear Rank: Heard, Lepianka, Walker
Bear Eggers: Heard, Walker, Eggers
Bear Kent: N. Michel, Pekarek, Lepianka

Wolf Rank: W. Johnson, Draper, Strong
Wolf Rosato: Draper, Rosato, Loukota
Wolf Dykes: W. Johnson, Strong, Farnlacher

Tiger Rank: Ng, Carter, Fort
Tiger McCollum: Carter, Fort, Simmons
Tiger Fehler: Ng, Garner, Marcum

2006 Pinewood Derby Reminders
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Remember we will be weighing in cars on Friday night January 27 at Deer Valley Elementary from 6:30 p.m. until about 8:00 p.m. Please, please if at all possible come on Friday night to check your car in rather than Saturday morning. The rules for cars are shown below in previous posts but the MAIN things to watch for is that the car not exceed 5.0 ounces and that the wheels are not modified and in the original slots/holes. You can take your car to the grocery store (5 oz is slightly over 0.3 pounds), a postal scale, or some other digital scale.

We will have last minute check-in before we start racing on Saturday morning for about 30 minutes. Racing begins with the Webelo II cars at 8:30 as shown in the schedule below. If you can volunteer to help us with our check-in or race times during Saturday, our Pinewood Derby Chairman Clyde Tucker would love to hear from you!

Thanks and see you Friday night and (all day) Saturday.

Mr. Ed
Ed Dolensky
Cubmaster Pack 393

Your Cub Scout Can Attend a College Basketball Game For Free......
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Folks, Birmingham Southern College (BSC) is inviting Cubs Scouts (in uniform) to attend their men's basketball game against Radford on Saturday January 28 at 4 p.m. for FREE. Adults attending with the Scout will only be charged $5 for admission. The game will be held in Bill Battle Coliseum. This is the afternoon of our Pinewood Derby so it would fit nicely. Please support their Scout night (the discount applies to any Cub or Boy Scout under 18).

Thanks,
Mr. Ed
Ed Dolensky
Cubmaster Pack 393

Our January 9, 2006 Pack Meeting Is Coming Up!

Folks, we have a great meeting planned this Monday night (7 p.m. at Discovery). A speaker from Alabama Power will give a presentation on electrical safety. The venerable "Louie the Lightning Bug" will also reappear. We'll also roll out the final details on the Pinewood Derby on Saturday January 28 (see rules and schedule below). And, finally, door prizes will be back.

See you Monday night!
Mr. Ed
Ed Dolensky
Cubmaster Pack 393

Here are the Official Rules for the 2006 Pinewood Derby. Cars that do not meet these specs will race in the equivalent Akela race.

1. All cars must pass inspection to qualify for the race. The inspection criteria are as follows:

A) The car must be made during the current year.
B) The width of the car shall not exceed 2 ¾ inches.
C) The length of the car shall not exceed 7 inches. No part of the car can extend past the starting gate.
D) The car must have clearance of 3/8 inches.
E) The weight of the car shall not exceed 5 ounces.
F) Use the axles, wheels and body wood as provided in the BSA kit (there are after-market PW Derby wheel kits which have different styles of wheels…use wheels as supplied in the pack 393 kit). Precut blocks are allowed. No shaving or sanding of wheels. Cars must use original slots for axels (no alteration of the car wheelbase).
G) No wheel bearings, washers and bushings are allowed.
H) The car shall not ride on any kind or type of springs.
I) Any details added must be within the length, width, weight and clearance limits. (note car height needs to be < 2.5 inches to clear finish line timer gate)
J) Any lubricant is allowed as long as it neat and does not fowl the track.
K) All cars must be marked with the cub scout’s full name and Den (e.g. Johnny Doe / Beatty Den).


2. Once the car passed inspection and checked in, the pit crew will impound it, no modification will be allowed after that. The cars will be returned to scouts AFTER the race finishes. Exception: If the car is materially damaged as a result of being dropped by the pit crew or leaving the track, scouts will have a maximum of 15 minutes to repair their cars.

3. Each car will be labeled with pre-assigned number at check-in/registration time. All cars need to be checked-in at least 45 minutes before their races Please see separate notice/schedule for the race concerning check-in and race time when we get closer to the race date.

4. Track pit crews will place cars on the track based on lane assignment shown on the computer screen. Scouts should make sure their cars are put on the right track and warn pit crews BEFORE the race starts. ONLY officials are allowed in the track area.

5. If a car leaves the track, runs out of its lane, interferes with another car, looses an axle, etc., the heat will be run again. If the same car causes the same result on the second run, that car will automatically be disqualified.

6. The electronic measurement system is considered as the Official/Final score. Each car will be randomly assigned to each lane in a round robin fashion to minimize any bias/imperfection of the track and detection device. In the case of gross malfunction, officials will re-run the race manually.

7. All the officials/volunteers will try their best to make sure the race is fair. Remember that participation and sportsmanship are just as important, if not more important than winning.

8. Officials can disqualify any contestants should they participate in any disrespectful, disruptive or distasteful manner. They will be asked to leave the venue. We do not wish to exercise this option.

9. Cars (if any) from the parent/Akela division will not participate in the Finals of the pack.

10. HAVE FUN.

Here is the schedule for the Saturday 1/28/06 Pinewood Derby:

Time Rank Group
8:00 AM ALL Last Minute Check-In
8:30 AM WEBELOS II Rogers
8:50 AM WEBELOS II Ron / Dolensky
9:10 AM WEBELOS II RANK FINAL
9:30 AM WEBELOS I Beatty / Tucker
9:50 AM WEBELOS I Bodden / Saab
10:10 AM WEBELOS I Pace / Callahan
10:30 AM WEBELOS I RANK FINAL
10:50 AM BEAR / WEBELOS AKELA Combined Run (Parent / Sibling)
11:10 AM BEAR Eggers
11:30 AM BEAR Kent / Kent
11:50 AM BEAR RANK FINAL
12:10 PM * LUNCH BREAK *
12:30 PM WOLF Rosato / Atkinson
1:00 PM WOLF Dykes / Carlisle
1:20 PM WOLF RANK FINAL
1:40 PM TIGER / WOLF AKELA Combined Run (Parent / Sibling)
2:00 PM TIGER McCollum / Lynch
2:20 PM TIGER Fehler / Ng
2:40 PM TIGER RANK FINAL
3:00 PM **PACK FINALS **
3:30 PM AKELA FINAL
3:50 PM All Volunteers Clean Up

Additional 12/12/05 Pack Meeting Updates
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A. Wear any holiday gear you would like (antlers, Santa hats, whatever) you would like.
B. We have an OPTIONAL activity planned for December coming up. It is Saturday December 17 at 2 p.m. at the Alabama Theatre. Their Christmas Movie Series will be showing 3 back-to-back childrens classics: A Charlie Brown Christmas, Mickey's Christmas Carol, and Santa Claus is Comin' to Town. Cost is $6 adults/$5 kids under 12 and anyone is invited. We will assemble at 1:30 p.m. in the lobby to try to sit as a pack together. If you arrive later, you will have to look for us but hopefully we will be somewhere on the main floor.

Please have your son wear his Class A full uniform to the Alabama Theatre.

Thanks and see you Monday night!
Mr. Ed
Ed Dolensky
Cubmaster Pack 393

December 12, 2005 Pack Meeting Updates
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A. As a reminder we will be back at Discovery UMC for our December Pack meeting. We will begin promptly at 7 p.m.
B. We will be collecting gifts for the Marine Corp's "Toys for Tots" campaign this year on December 12. Please take your son shopping with you for a gift less than $20 in value and tell him why we are donating these. Although we are all boys, girl gifts are welcome too!
C. Pinewood Derby model car kits will be handed out on December 12 to each boy in the Pack. The boys (with adult supervision) can paint, cut, and shape their cars into racers. Additional car kits will be available for parents/brothers/sisters who want to make one and race in our non-Scout division for around $3 each. Additional details regarding the kits and the 1/28/06 race will be posted on this website after the 12/12/05 meeting.

Several parents have asked me about our USS Alabama plans. Due to the extensive damage from Hurricane Katrina, the Battleship is still not accepting reservations from Scout groups and does not as yet have a firm reopening date. While we had the last weekend of February planned for this trip, we will have to monitor the restoration progress and make any adjustments accordingly. As soon as we know something we will pass the word out via email through your den leaders.

"Mr. Ed"
Ed Dolensky
Cubmaster Pack 393

Pack Meeting Notes for November 14, 2005
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As a reminder, the November 14 Pack meeting will be at Deer Valley Elementary School rather than Discovery UMC. We will begin at our usual 7 p.m. time. We will have pictures from our recent activities (the Talladega Encampment and the Veterans Day Parade) and our usual program. Plus we will recognize our popcorn sales winners! I hope I see you all there!

If you have pictures from the Encampment or Parade, please email them to me at dolensky@bellsouth.net so that we can include them in a slide show.

"Mr. Ed"
Ed Dolensky
Cubmaster Pack 393

Birmingham Veterans Day Parade Friday 11/11/05 Update
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Folks, anyone who want to march in the Birmingham Veterans Day Parade with us is welcome to. We had a sign-up at the October Pack meeting simply to get an idea of how many could participate but anyone is welcome. We must be in our starting "box" by 12:30 by the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center with the Parade starting at 1:30.

We will meet at Discovery UMC beginning at 11:15 in the lower parking lot and leave by 11:45 to caravan downtown. WE WILL NEED AS MANY DRIVERS AS POSSIBLE to carpool kids downtown. Our assembly point is the southeast corner of 19th Street N. and 11th Ave N. This is on the BJCC block back towards the Social Security building on the corner by the big cemetary. If you can park anywhere near the Birmingham School of Fine Arts or closer to the BJCC that would be best. This is the designated assembly spot for all Boy Scout Troops and Packs including ourselves.

Please feed your child lunch before arriving at Discovery. We will also have up to an hour after we assemble before we begin. The parade officially ends at 18th Street N. and 6th Ave N. (between the Alabama Power and BellSouth buildings). Expect the parade to last until 2:30-3:00 p.m. at which point carpools will reload and return to Discovery if necessary.

Please dress your son in his Cub Scout uniform with neckerchief and blue jeans. The weather as of this point looks okay with temps between 65-70F; please make sure your son is wearing a good pair of walking shoes! This is an exercise in Citizenship so talk to your son about our Veterans and we will cover this also at the Pack meeting!

What to Bring to the Talladega Encampment Nov 4-6
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For those of you attending the Talladega Encampment over the weekend November 4-6, below is a list of suggested/required things to bring along with suggestions. Besides a tent and a sleeping bag, you should bring:

• poncho or raincoat
• plastic large enough to put under your tent to keep out water if it rains
• warm clothes if it gets cold (layer clothes to stay warm, not just one big piece of clothing)
• extra clothes of course from socks and underwear to jeans and shirts
• toothbrush, toothpaste, a towel, and soap
• air mattress or sleeping pad
• plate/cup/knife/fork/spoon or disposable substitutes
• your own roll of toilet paper (just to be sure)
• flashlight
• pillow
• notebook/pen/camera/watch
• folding chair

In order to camp together you need to arrive and check in together. The nearest exit will be #168. I would suggest rendevouzing there at the McDonalds before going on to the Speedway so that you can check in together.

For meals, I would suggest eating before you arrive on Friday, a hot breakfast on Saturday, a sandwich/chip lunch, a one-pot hot dinner, and a cold breakfast on Sunday before you leave. Food vendors will be available 4-9 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturday. You might consider pre-cooking meals at home and simply warming them up at Talladega.

REMEMBER NO FIRES or CHARRED EARTH at Talladega. The Scouts will be following the "Leave No Trace" principles so no campfires or charcoal ashes unless they are self-contained and off the ground. Propane stoves would work fine for preparing meals.

See more details and a schedule at http://www.1bsa.org/default.asp?ID=88

Pack Meeting Coming Up on Monday 10/10 at Discovery UMC
==================================================================
Folks,

We've got a great program planned for next Monday, more fun and adventure! This next 30-day period is a peak period for us with Cubs. See the 9/28 update below. At the Pack meeting we will have a Boy Scout present information about our Talladega Encampament campout and camping in general on November 4-6. The Pack meeting Monday night will be your ONLY chance to sign up. Scouts from all across the South will be there. For a schedule of that weekend and events see the updates at the BSA Council web site, http://www.1bsa.org/default.asp?ID=88.

Popcorn forms and money are due as well on Monday.

Also we will have sign-up for our optional Veterans Day parade march (which is meant to instill an aspect of Citizenship).

Also on Monday we will have a brief uniform inspection where the den leaders will make sure boys have patches in the right place, etc so that the boys take pride in wearing their uniform. They sure do look good from my point of view.

See you Monday night!

Mr. Ed
Ed Dolensky
Cubmaster Pack 393

The October 10, 2005 Pack Meeting Will Be Action-Packed!
==================================================
Folks,

We have 3 big things to accomplish at our October 10 Pack meeting 7 p.m. at Discovery UMC.

1. You will turn in your popcorn fundraiser forms with a check for the COMPLETE amount on the forms. Customers should be paying you. You in turn write one check to "Pack 393" and turn in your form to your den's popcorn "accountant". Remember, we ask each boy to sell at least $100 to earn a patch. Boys selling $500 or more can "cream" their den leader or his assistant, or get a cream pie himself (with parental permission) at our November meeting. The top few sellers can "cream" the ol' Cubmaster himself (Psssss-he likes chocolate :) )

2. We will have the sign-up for our "Encampment" campout at Talladega Superspeedway on November 4-6. Cub Scouts will camp "family style" so each boy must be accompanied by a parent or guardian if they wish to spend the night. (Webelos must have at least 2-deep leadership). Cost is $20 per person (payable to "Pack 393"). If you wish to spend just the day Saturday at Talledega (no overnight) the cost is $8 per person. This event will be attended by Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts from all over the state of Alabama and Southeast. We MUST have payment in order to register you and reserve space with the Pack. This is your one chance to sign up. See more info at http://www.1bsa.org

3. We will have sign-up for the downtown Birmingham Veteran's Day Parade on November 11, 2005 (Friday). This is strictly an OPTIONAL event but a first for Pack 393. The Hoover Schools are out that day and it would be a wonderful memory for your son to march in uniform through the city streets! The parade starts at 1:30 p.m. but we will need to meet earlier and caravan to downtown. Parents will be needed to drive and take back (and take pictures) . More details about the parade will be made available when we receive them.

So please sell all the popcorn you can and we will see you on Monday October 10.

Mr. Ed
Ed Dolensky
Cubmaster Pack 393

Hurricane Katrina Contributions from 9/12/05 Pack Meeting
====================================================
Folks, I want to thank all of you who made generous contributions to the Hurricane Katrina collection effort at our recent Pack meeting. We collected $54.40 plus numerous blankets, books, games, bottled water, toys, and other goods. These were taken to the Scout Office in Liberty Park on Friday 9/16 so they will reach those who will have needs for quite some time.

Thank You!

September 12 Pack Meeting Follow-Up
=================================
Parents, thanks for your attendance last night with your sons when we listened to Brian Peters of ABC 33/40 talk about weather. In order to complete the requirements for the Weather Belt Loop, please watch the weather forecast on tv with your son (33/40 would be a great choice!) for a few days and also look at the weather page of the newspaper for the same period of time. Talk about how they record temperature, pressure, rainfall, etc...

The September 12, 2005 Pack Meeting Is Coming Up!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday night, September 12 at 7pm at Discovery we will be having our first monthly Pack meeting of the Cub Scout year. Brian Peters, Weatherman at ABC 33/40 will be our featured guest. The boys will also have a fun activity to get them out of their seats and we will be recognizing many boys and leaders. Please wear your official (Class A) Cub Scout uniform.

On a more serious note, the Greater Alabama Council BSA is opening up some of our camp properties to victims of Hurricane Katrina. Our council camps Comer, Sequoyah, and Winnataska will provide short-term housing. At our Pack meeting Monday night we will be accepting donations to help our Council support those victims in our camps. We will accept donations of cash, blankets, food, bottled water, hygiene products, pillows, children's books and children's games. Checks may be written to "BSA Disaster Relief Support Fund". All funds and goods collected next week will be taken to the Scout Office to provide relief to those staying at our camps.

A final reminder that brand new Cub Scouts who have not yet paid their registration fee can do so Monday night. The cost is $60 which can be paid in cash or check (made payable to "Pack 393"). Returning Cub Scouts need to renew their membership with a $55 fee. Additional Pack t-shirts are available for $5 each.

I hope to see you all Monday night!

Thanks, Mr. Ed

Ed Dolensky
Cubmaster Pack 393

Leaders, the schedule for Flag Ceremonies and Skits is shown below for 2005-2006:

September: Flag = Rogers, Skit = Ron
October: Flag = Beatty, Skit = Rogers
November: Flag = Bodden, Skit = Callahan
December: Flag = Callahan, Skit = Beatty
January: Flag = Kent, Skit = Bodden, Dykes
February: Flag = Cannady, Skit = Cannady, Rosata
March: Flag = Dykes (opening) and Rosata (closing), Skit = Kent
April: Flag = McCollum, Skit = Fehler
May: Flag = Fehler, Skit = McCollum

Note: In addition to the flag ceremony, the flag den is also responsible for cleaning up after the pack meeting.

Welcome Back to Pack 393 in the FALL 2005!

We have an exciting year planned for the Cub Scouts in Pack 393. Below is a calendar of events planned for the year.....

Aug 27 – Saturday 8:30 a.m. Discovery NEW SCOUTS/PARENTS MEETING
Sept 12 – Monday 7:00 p.m. Discovery (Pack Meeting)
Oct 10 – Monday 7:00 p.m. Discover (Pack Meeting)
Nov 4/6 – Friday/Sunday Pack Campout at Talladega Encampment
Nov 11 – Friday mid-day March in Birmingham Veteran’s Day Parade
Nov 14 – Monday 7:00 p.m. Discover (Pack Meeting)
Dec 12 – Monday 7:00 p.m. Discovery (Pack Meeting)
Dec xx – Holiday Movie at the Alabama Theatre
Jan 9 – Monday 7:00 p.m. Discovery (Pack Meeting)
Jan 28 - Saturday 8:00 a.m. Discovery (Pine Wood Derby Racing)
Feb 13 – Monday 7:00 p.m. Discovery (Pack Meeting)
Feb 25/26 – Saturday/Sunday Overnight trip to USS Alabama in Mobile
Mar 11 – Saturday (throughout the day) Bessemer (Catfish Pond)
Mar 11 – Saturday 6:30 p.m. Discovery (Blue & Gold, Arrow of Light)
Apr 10 – Monday 7:00 p.m. Discovery (Rank Advancement and Cub Graduation)
May 8 – Monday 7:00 p.m. Discovery (Pack Meeting)

Note the meeting on Saturday August 27 is only for parents (only) who are new to the Pack, not those who were with us last year.

For returning Cub Scouts the membership cost for 2005-2006 will be $55 for Cubs. Please make a check out to "Pack 393" and give it to your den leader at our September 12 Pack meeting. If your son needs a new Pack t-shirt or an adult would like to purchase an adult-sized pack tee, it will be an additional $5 per tee (please provide size to your den leader also). Tee shirts are planned to be distributed at the October Pack meeting.

Our September 12 meeting should be lots of fun. Prepare for loud popping noises and listen to Brian Peterson, the weather man from ABC 33/40, tell the boys about WEATHER. (PS-It might snow....)

Pack 393 Is On Summer Vacation! But join us for our Summer Time Program..........
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Folks, Pack 393's 2004-2005 Pack program has run its course. We will be hosting our First Summer Time program with three optional activities this summer. See the April 22, 2005 posting below for details, times, and locations. HAVE YOUR SON INVITE A FRIEND to join us for the movie or the skating and maybe he will want to join us for next year! Do all three activities and earn a special uniform pin.

See the link on the left to the 'Greater Alabama Council' to retrieve the application for summer camp. The same application can be used for Day Camp or Resident Camp but it is labelled "Day Camp 2005 - It's a Mystery". Talk to your den leader for more details.

We will resume our 2005-2006 Pack meetings on Monday September 12 at Discovery 7 p.m.

Enjoy your summer and always remember the Cub Scout Motto,

Do Your Best!

Thanks,
Ed Dolensky
Cubmaster Pack 393