Pack 948 changed my Future!

Our Yearly Family BBQ is coming up and I am really excited to meet new families that are excited about Scouting (TLDR: You are Pack 948's future!)

You can read our website and wikipedia to get a good idea of what Pack 948 and Cub Scouts are about, but we had a really good year and it made me realize just how much Scouting and Cub Scouts has changed my family's life.

How it Started...

Cub Scouting for me started like most parents. I wanted my kids to be outdoors, active and to learn new skills. This was right after COVID and being active was a big concern for my family. At the time, I didn't fully realize all the opportunities offered by Cub Scouts. I do feel pretty lucky to have found Pack 948 which had some pretty awesome leaders to learn from. I now know that Pack 948 is over 77 years old and have personally met someone who graduated in 1977!

Our first year as a Cub Scout didn't have me doing a lot of volunteering in the Pack. I didn't really know other parents and felt that I didn't have time. It was always impressive watching the Cubmaster and Den leaders run a Pack Meeting (our monthly all-hands meeting). During the year, we hiked monthly, built a Pinewood Derby Car and camped at Rancho Los Mochos (Livermore). It was pretty magical and I knew we were going to continue... then a funny thing happened...

At the end of the year, Pack 948's annual "Capture the Flag" event was held. At this event, several leaders were leaving the Pack because their kids were finishing Elementary School. We needed a new Cubmaster to continue and nobody else looked ready to take the job. I tell this story a lot, but I stared at the volunteer sheet for at least an hour hoping somebody else would take the job. So while my Lion (Kindergartener) was capturing flags with the Pack in the dark, I became Pack 948's new Cubmaster.

Now I'm Cubmaster

When you first wear a Scouting uniform to your first Pack Meeting, it is actually pretty scary. You feel like an imposter and since you really don't know what you are doing... you kinda are. I feel fortunate that I had some senior leaders around to guide me. This is another great thing about Cub Scouts is that it isn't owned by one person and is handed off from family to family over the years. Pack 948 has been doing this transition for 77 years! 

My goal that first year was survival and to hopefully leave the Pack in a better spot than I found it. For me, that was more kids doing more things. I was able to convince my 4th grade daughter to join and she instantly bonded with her den and recruited a few of her friends to join. I learned that "Scouting is Contagious" and that "Scouting is Better with Friends". 

That first year was certainly rough, but we pulled it off with me actually winning District Cubmaster of the year (I'll take it!). That first year certainly had failures as well, but that is a big lesson of Cub Scouts. We are all "Doing our Best" including the parents. Its ok to make mistakes as long as we gave it our best.

Where we are going!

Pack 948 is and continues to be great! 

Siona Bridging to a Troop and
our Pack saying good-bye to Den Leader Van (left)

This year we had lots of kids, hiked monthly, created some new Den Meetings and had our first of many Fishing events. We have decided to create a Summer program where we will continue to hike, camp and fish during Summer break. This is a huge upgrade and will allow us to stay active and engaged. But the future of Pack 948 isn't actually me, it is all the new families that decide to join and continue our pack's legacy.

I will do my part by doing my best to build out an amazing camping, hiking and fishing program. By building a "safe space" for kids to try new things and to maybe fail sometimes, but eventually my time with Pack 948 will be over and it will be somebody else's time to lead it. Scouting benefits go beyond our kids. Being a role-model, planning/leading and pulling off amazing events is very rewarding. 

The Family BBQ

For a lot of families, our Family BBQ is the starting point to their Scouting Journey. Please come and visit and learn about our Scouting family. Many of your child's friends may already be apart of 948. You will likely start slow like I did and that is ok. Every family is different, but know that our Pack is great not because of me, but because of all the great kids and families that have made it great for the last 77 years.

For my family, joining Pack 948 changed our life and I can't think of any program that gives back as much as Scouts.

Yours In Scouting,

Anthony

Cubmaster, Pack 948