Category Archives: Scouting

Arrow of Light Ceremony – Soaring Eagles Patrol

Big Night at the Yogi Family Thursday Night.
SuperPizzaBoy goes through the Cub Scout Arrow of Light Ceremony. The Culmination of Five Years of Work.

Sweetie fixed up and fussed over the Boy’s Uniform. She fixed up Yogi’s also.

The boys were nervous before the meeting. Below is a first ever event, they all sat down together without being herded. They are wild hellions but good kids. They called themselves the Soaring Eagles Patrol

The Arrow of Light Team from Boy Scout Troop 26 of Good Shepherd Lutheren Church did the ceremony and did a great job. It was very solemn and well received.

I didn’t get a good shot of PizzaBoy but part of the ceremony is that the boys are brought to the front on the shoulders of the scouts. The Cub Scouts are all very nervous about that part.

Afterward the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts put on a group photo op for the parents.

Nana, Sweetie and PizzaBoy


SuperPizzaBoy and Yogi. We’re both happy its over. I’ll miss the kids and the kids parents. I really got attached to them. Most of them live in the neighborhood so I’ll be seeing about them. I’ll always be appreciative of the leadership and most of the parents of the Soaring Eagles Patrol. They went out of their way to make sure that PizzaBoy had a good experience in Scouts. The kids were also very nice to him.

PizzaBoy is going to take a break from scouting. He, Sweetie, and I all think that he might benefit from a year or so of growing up before trying Boy Scouts.

I think Scouting, both Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts is very helpful to kids. Not only is it fun but in my mind unifies Family, Church, and School and teaches the kids how to be citizens.

Its fun for the parents also.

Last Pack Meeting

SuperPizzaBoy’s Cub Scout careeer is winding down. Last night was his last Pack Meeting. He started five years ago as a Tiger Cub and is now a Webelos II. We still have a Pack Christmas Party next week and in January a Pinewood Derby Meeting and then he graduates during the Arrow of Light Ceremony.

I don’t know if he is going on to Boy Scouts or not. We’ll just have to see. What he would like his some sort of videogame ranger organization.

Below is Cubmaster (and Patrol Leader) Rick leading the kids in a song. Rick has really been a blessing. He has a heart for scouting and the kids and has worked very hard, along with many of the other parents, to make sure that SPB had a good scouting experience,

After the meeting, I chatted with a few of the parents and then couldn’t find SPB. I found him outside the gym in a reading nook that the school had. SPB used to go to school there and it seemed to me he spent most of his time in the nook. The kid always has his nose in a book.

Popcorn Pickup Today

It was Cub Scout popcorn pickup day today for SuperPizzaBoy’s Pack. Did SPB help? No he was staying with a friend. So me and the crew went to the warehouse on a cold November morning to pick our popcorn up. I’m the popcorn colonel, so I’m in charge!

The man in the brown jacket below is Rick, our Cubmaster. He is really the man in charge. For 5 years he has been the den leader and the last few years the Cubmaster. He has a real heart for kids and has done a great job. He has been very understanding about SuperPizzaBoy. He has gone the extra mile to make SPB feel a part of the Den, Patrol, and Pack. So have many other people but Rick went way above and way beyond what could be expected of anybody.

The boy right behind him is his son. He sold almost 20% of the total popcorn in the Pack. I’m keeping my eye on him. I’m going to hire him when he gets out of college. He is a selling machine.

Below is some of the popcorn in our garage. Sales were down a bunch this year. Our Patrol sold 58% of it. Next year we are out. Somebody else better step up!


Below is JC’s Mom. She helped me get distribute the popcorn to the kids. She and her husband Joe are always there for the Patrol. They are always right in the middle of the action. She and Joe are also great with SPB. He trusts her a lot.

Sweetie also helped. I am not allowed to post unauthorized photographs. I make a point of following that policy every once in a while.

Popcorn Time

It is Cub Scout Popcorn sales time again. I went to the District Kickoff Meeting last Monday night to learn about this years program. The products to be sold, the sales commission we earn, prizes, dates, deadlines, websites, delivery times. The whole deal.

I am the Pack Popcorn Colonel. This is my third year. I run a pretty tight ship. Kids, you don’t say what you want for a reward, I’m picking it for you. Also, you don’t get it until I see the money!

Parents, if you don’t come pick your popcorn up on the designated day, I’m calling you, and calling, and calling, so you better come get it when you are supposed to get it.

Turn your money in on time also. Deadbeat coworker? Not my problem dude. Ordered too much popcorn and want to sell it back to the Pack? Hey we are in the popcorn selling business buster, not buying. Will the Scout office buy it back from us? I don’t know, call them and see. Your payment is due now.

The popcorn costs too much, its cheaper at Walmart. Hey I bet you are right, go buy it at Walmart. Can you spell F-U-N-D R-A-I-S-E-R?

Really though the kids and the parents do a great job. Some of the kids will sell over a $1000 worth this season. The stuff is pretty good and I have a lot of fun with it. I was a miserable Den Leader but I’m a good Popcorn Colonel. I’ve built the spreadsheets to keep track of it all and I don’t mind addressing little problems before they get to be big problems.

The money is what drives the Pack programs and the people that run the pack are very frugal with the money.

So, buy some popcorn if some kid in a uniform knocks on your door.

Cub Scouts Start Again

Patrol Leader Rick called for a parent meeting today. We met at his house and we went over the program for the coming year. The boys, including SuperPizzaBoy, are second year webelos and they should all graduate at the Arrow of Light Ceremony this coming January. We all started together as Tiger Cubs 4 years ago. They boys have grown up and so have the parents. I don’t know what the statistics are but I get the feeling that not very many cub scouts become boy scouts.

I don’t think that SPB wants especially to become a boy scout. I think that we are going to try to get him in a troop where he might have a friend. He doesn’t really have any friends at the patrol.

The parents have bent over backwards to help SPB out. I will always be grateful to Rick, Joe, Tami, Mark, Carol, Julie and the other parents that helped him out.

We’ll see how it goes.

The parents all liked my new shoes at least.