Boy Scouts, Detroit Tigers Launch Cub Scout Drive

The Great Lakes Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Detroit Tigers have teamed up to launch "Have a Ball in Scouting," a recruitment drive that aims to register 6,000 new Cub Scouts this fall in Metro Detroit.

As part of the campaign, each new Cub Scout will receive a special Detroit Tigers/Cub Scout T-shirt, a free children's meal at Olga’s Kitchen and the chance to receive two Tigers tickets.

District Director Denver Laabs said registration meetings are scheduled during the next two months and that volunteers will distribute fliers throughout the to inform students when and where they will be held.

There are four Cub Scout packs and approximately 200 Scouts in Berkley and Huntington Woods, he said.

"Berkley and Huntington Woods is one of the few school districts in the Great Lakes Council that has seen a slight increase during the last three years," Laabs said.

Pack 1085 Cubmaster Jim Chamberlain said the pack will hold its drive at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the school.

"We're inviting the parents and the boys," he said, explaining that older Scouts will lead activities for the childdren while the adults talk.

The pack is active throughout the year, going on campouts at D-bar-A Scout Ranch in Metamora, marching in the and caroling at Oxford Towers in Berkley, competing in knot-tying and snowshoeing during the Winter Klondike event, ice fishing, hiking and more.

Each pack is broken down into dens by age group, and the boys do skills-related activities and create handicrafts during their meetings, Chamberlain said. All the dens meet together as a pack once a month, he said.

"Cub Scouting is a year-round, family-oriented program of the Boy Scouts of America designed for boys who are in first through fifth grades (or are 7, 8, 9 and 10 years of age)," according to a Boy Scouts press release.

The release added that the organizations work with parents and leaders to achieve Cub Scouting's 10 purposes, which include:

• Character development
• Spiritual growth
• Good citizenship
• Sportsmanship and fitness
• Family understanding
• Respectful relationships
• Personal achievement
• Friendly service
• Fun and adventure
• Preparation for Boy Scouts

Boys who register for Cub Scouts this fall will be able to participate in the following programs, according to the press release:

• Cub Scouts Science Investigators: This program takes place Oct. 8 at Cranbrook Institute of Science. Scouts will get to simulate archaeological digs, build roller coasters, study light and sound, ride a hovercraft, learn about 18th-century fur trade, investigate volcanoes and more.
• Trailblazer Adventure Day: This program takes place Oct. 15 at Camp Agawam in Lake Orion. Scouts will get to fish, shoot BB guns, learn archery, learn to fly fish, tour Fort Pontiac and more.
• Haunted Forest: Wagon rides, a haunted trail, jack-o'-lanterns and candy will be included this program Oct. 15 at D-bar-A Scout Ranch.

Cub Scout registration will cost $7.50 and lasts through the end of February; a full year costs $15, Laabs said, adding that some packs also may charge dues.

"It's a lot of activities for the boys," Chamberlain said. "And the big thing is the Cub Scout motto: Do your best."

Visit beascout.org or glcscouting.org for more information.