Rosemont Preserve Work Day- Sat 4/9

What: We have a Pack 310 conservation project to help protect the natural habitat at Rosemont Preserve.  We will be tending to the native plants, removing invasive plants and doing some light trail maintenance. 

When: Saturday, April 9th from 9:00am until 11:00am

Where: The Preserve is located in La Crescenta at the north end of Rosemont Ave, just past the chain link fence.  Directions: Exit La Crescenta
Ave off 210 fwy, proceed north to Foothill Blvd., turn right to Rosemont

Ave, turn left.  Parking is available at Two Strike Park which is on the left side of Rosemont Avenue, 2 blocks before you get to the preserve (5107 Rosemont Ave).

Wear: Pack t-shirt, sun hat or scout cap, sturdy shoes, comfortable work clothes and garden gloves (long pants and sleeves are recommended.) 

Don't forget sunscreen and water! If you have any of the following tools, please consider bringing them: shovels, spades, loppers, hatchets, clippers. Other tools and equipment will be available.   

***RAIN CANCELS***

New Lion rank for kindergarteners beginning fall 2016!

Our council, Verdugo Hills, has been selected for a brand new pilot program. We are excited to offer the Lion rank for kindergarten boys in fall 2016! 

If you have a kindergartener starting in the 2016-17 school year, please contact our Recruitment Chair Patti at lacrescentapack310@gmail.com to get on our mailing list for our May recruiting event and fun summer events.

Read more about this new program here:
 http://scoutingwire.org/whats-a-lion-exactly-heres-the-scoop/

Please bring donations to Blue & Gold on 2/26!

Dear Pack 310 families and guests,

At this Friday's Blue and Gold Banquet, we will be honoring local World War II veteran Sam Reiner, 1st Marine Division, who fought in the Pacific theater during the Battle of Cape Gloucester and received two Purple Hearts.

In his honor, we will be doing a pack service project at the event for Operation Gratitude. There will be an opportunity for scouts and their families to write a personal note to servicemen and women serving overseas, and we will have a collection bin for items needed by troops. Please consider bringing a donation for us to send.

 
Operation Gratitude Wish List:

• Hand warmers
• Lip balm
• New Beanie Baby-sized stuffed animals (6 inches or smaller), soldiers give these to children in the communities where they are serving

Thank you!

Spring Pack Hike- 3/5/16

What: Pack Hike!

When: 8:30am-12:30pm Saturday, March 3rd

Where: Switzer Falls

http://www.hikespeak.com/trails/switzer-falls/

• To get to the trailhead: From the 210 Freeway in La Cañada Flintridge, take the Angeles Crest Highway (CA 2) northwest for 10 miles (25 minutes) to the Switzer Picnic Area. Descend to the parking lot, display your adventure pass, and meet up at the picnic area.  If the lot at the picnic area is full, there is additional parking at the top of the road.

• Trailhead Address: Switzer Truck Trail, Angeles National Forest, Tujunga, CA 91042

• Trailhead coordinates: 34.266239, -118.1457 (34° 15′ 58.46″N 118° 08′ 44.52″W) 

• Bring:  Plenty of water, change of clothes / socks if you get wet, and your own lunch for a Pack Picnic to follow the hike.

• Wear:  Pack 310 T Shirt, Hat, Sunscreen

• Restroom and picnic areas with grills available at the trail head

• Den 5 Hosting "Create Your Own Trail Mix" Before the Hike - First come, first serve
  
•  Siblings welcome!

 Adventure Pass Required - Day Passes Available at Sports Chalet for $5.  Purchase prior to the day of the hike to arrive on time.

 Carpool and leave by 7:45 am to ensure parking in lower lot.

Warning:  There are varying degrees of hiking difficulty levels available with this hike.

Switzer Falls:  50-foot waterfall is reached via a 4.5 mile trek on Gabrielino Trail (9 mile round trip).  The hike follows a shaded babbling creek down into a wooded canyon for the first 1.5 - 2 miles.  The remainder of the hike is in a heavy sun exposed area with multiple steep switchbacks. 

• Tiger Families:  Tigers will hike from the picnic area through the shaded creek side wooded canyon for the first 1.5 - 2 miles & then turn around and hike back out.  The Tigers will not be hiking to the base of the falls.  The round trip distance is approximately 4 miles for this hike.

• Wolves, Bears, Webelos I & II Families:  Coordinate with your Family, Den, and Den Leaders prior to the hike to determine the level of difficulty you and your Den are prepared to take on with this hike & prepare accordingly.  Feel free to turn around with the Tigers, it's a beautiful hike through the canyon, old ruins, and shaded creek.

 Do Your Best!

Blue & Gold Banquet! Fri. 2/26

Pack 310 cordially invites you to our annual BLUE AND GOLD BANQUET!

Join us to help celebrate the founding of the scouting program,

our boys' well-earned awards and our entire pack of families for their dedication.

Ceremony begins at 6:30pm, Friday, February 26th

in the Lincoln Elementary Auditorium

Stonefire Grill will be catering the event.

The pack has subsidized the cost so tickets are only $5 per person (over age one).

You may prepay, or pay with cash or check the night of the event.

All scouts must be in full uniform!

A uniform inspection will commence at the beginning of the meeting. 

The best-dressed den eats first!

If you have any questions regarding uniforms,

please ask your den leaders.

RSVP BY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11th to your den leader!

We will honor our special guest, WWII veteran Sam Reiner, who will talk about his experiences.

A representative from Verdugo Hills Council will be giving a brief presentation on the Friends of Scouting program. 
Friends of Scouting is a giving campaign that help our council provide

vital programs and services for our scouts and volunteers.

See you there!

Griffith Observatory Pack Outing- Sat. Feb. 13th

Hello Pack 310 families,

Hope you all had fun at the Pinewood Derby. Congrats to all participants! As mentioned, we have a pack outing on Saturday February 13th to the Griffith Observatory. The park opens at 10am. Get there early and bring a lunch!

At 11:20am, we will be joining together to attend the show "Centered in the Universe" which starts promptly at 11:45am. As this is the first show of the day, children under 5 years old ARE allowed to attend yet need to sit of an adult's lap. We will meet near the ticket booth.

SCOUTS should be in FULL UNIFORM.

TICKETS - Here's the dealio :0) - Tickets may only be purchased the day of the show. I will be arriving early that morning to be first in line (using my 80s-style "overnight wait-in-line" concert tickets skills :0) - and will purchase all of our tickets.

The pack will pay for ALL scouts.
For family members, tickets are as follows:
$7- adults & children age 13+
$5- Friends of the Observatory Members
$5- Seniors (age 60+)
$5- Students with ID
$3- Children ages 5-12
FREE- Small children under age 5 that must sit in a parent's lap

RSVP by February 8th to Mr. Timm- Please email me how many tickets (by adult, children, etc) you would like us to purchase for you. The pack will front the payment for you. Then, we'd appreciate it if you brought your check/payment to the Blue & Gold pack meeting on February 26th. Thanks.

PLEASE NOTE - Once you have RSVP'd and requested a certain amount of tickets to be purchased, you may only cancel them or change your order until February 11th - 3pm. I will be fielding many, many emails and cannot guarantee any last minute changes - and will be arranging the payment through our treasurer. Thanks for understanding.

GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY WEBSITE -- http://www.griffithobservatory.org/programs/soplanetarium.html#center

CARPOOLING - The park there is tough so I recommend carpooling as best you can.

Feel free to email or call me at any time. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks. Hope you can all make it. It'll be a blast!

YIS,

Mr. Timm

Committee Chair

Pinewood Derby! Fri. Jan. 22nd

What: Pack 310 Pinewood Derby

When: Friday, January 22nd

Where: Lincoln Auditorium

Time:

• Weigh-in starts at 6:00pm!
• Weigh-in closes at 6:30pm!
• 6:30 pm -- Derby officially begins with a flag ceremony

Along with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners, here are the categories for special prizes:

• Most creative

• Best craftsmanship

• Best Scout themed 

CONSTRUCTION RULES

 

Reminder to all Pack 310 Scouts as we are inspecting our cars for the derby

 

1.     The car must be made from an official BSA Pinewood Derby Kit.  All of the supplies contained in the Official Kit must be used.  Cars made from anything other than an Official BSA Pinewood Derby Kit are in violation of our rules and will be subject to disqualification from racing.

2.     The car must not weigh more than 5.0 ounces. The weight restriction will be enforced for all cars.  No car will be allowed to check-in weighing more than 5.0 ounces, so please make sure your car does not weigh more than this BEFORE you arrive at the Derby.  This will avoid long wait times at check-in.

3.    The following dimensions MUST be followed so that all cars can be properly raced:

a.     The overall length of the car cannot exceed 7 inches.

b.    The overall width of the car cannot exceed 2 ¾ inches.

c.     The maximum width between the wheels cannot exceed 1 ¾ inches.

d.    The car must have a 3/8th inch clearance underneath the body.

e.     The front “nose” of the car must be flush with the starting gate, meaning, “no extended noses”. 

f.     Cars cannot be taller than 3 ½ inches high so that they will fit under the finish gate.

4.     IMPORTANT: Give your car a three digit racing number using the following guidelines:

• Make the first number of your three digit racing number your Den number.      

• Your car’s three digit racing number needs to be placed on the top of your car so that the numbers are easily visible and read, and your car can easily be identified throughout the Derby.  Use the numbered stickers that come in the Official Derby Kit to easily label your car, or paint the numbers onto the top of the car.  If your car’s number is not easily visible, it will be written on the top of the car with a Sharpie at check-in by the Committee.

• If there are cars with duplicate numbers, we will adjust numbers accordingly to avoid duplication.  If your car has the wrong Den number, we will help you to change it.  If your car does not have a number, you can either choose a number at check-in or one will be assigned to you.  Again, it will be written on the top of the car at check-in.

5.     Make sure it is clear which way your car should be facing as it goes down the track so that it is not accidentally raced “backwards”.  Yes, this has happened in the past.

6.     The car must be gravity propelled, free wheeling, with no starting devices.  Wheel bearings, bushings, and washers are prohibited from being used on the wheels.  Only dry lubricant is permitted.  DO NOT USE LIQUID LUBRICANTS. 

7.     Any decoration attached to the outside of the car must adhere to the rules and measurement guidelines, and must be securely fastened to the car.  If a part comes off of any car during racing, you cannot have the car back to make adjustments.  We encourage your creativity, but keep in mind that all paints and glues must be thoroughly dry on Race Day.

8.     Every car being entered by a Scout must follow all of the rules as listed above and pass inspection at the Derby to be eligible to race.  

 

Please remember car weight CANNOT exceed 5 ounces (including wheels & axles), you will not be permitted to race if it does-- so be sure to arrive with enough time to decrease/increase weight.
Don't be late, if you miss weigh-in, your car cannot race!

See you at the races!