Compassion/Aware and Care

For February's Round Table We shared ideas for
March's Core Value and Theme
Core Value: Compassion
Theme: Aware & Care

Gathering Activity - Outdoor Ethics & Leave No Trace Principles (Demonstrated at PM Round Table)

Materials: pictures and pamphlets.
Decorate the room with photos of local parks and nature centers/trails, as well as other nature and wildlife photos. Place cameras, day packs, walking sticks, hiking boots, and water bottles on display too. Have a display of pamphlets and brochures for the local parks and nature trails where Cub Scouts can go on a hike. Have a poster showing the “Leave No Trace Frontcountry Guidelines”  (http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/resources/LeavenoTrace.aspx). List ways that Cub Scouts practice Leave No Trace, and create a quiz for the participants to complete with questions like “Where could you go to see (something mentioned on a park brochure)?” or “Why are sturdy shoes needed for a hike?” Make sure some of the questions are pure fun. Leave some handbooks open to the pages related to Cub Scouting’s Leave No Trace Awareness Award and the award patch for the program.
*Click on this link to learn more about the Outdoor Ethics Awareness Award and the Outdoor Ethics Action Award:  http://www.scouting.org/Home/OutdoorProgram/OutdoorEthics/Awards/CubScout.aspx

Gathering Activity - Braille Alphabet Name Card

1) Cut a 8 1/2" by 11" sheet of paper/cardstock into 4ths.  Then fold each of those pieces of paper in half and write your names on the inside.  Leave plenty of space between letters.
2) Using the Braille alphabet sheet, write your name using Braille dots on the front of the paper using your pencil.

3) Using a push pin, poke holes from the back side of the Braille letters.
4) Have your neighbor read your name in Braille by running his fingers over the raised dots.

Note:  An alternate method for step 3 would be to put a small dot of glue on each Braille dot and allow to dry.

Explain that Braille is a system that enables blind and visually impaired people to read and write through touch. It was devised by Louis Braille in 1824 and consists of raised dots arranged in “cells.”
A cell is made up of six dots that fit under the fingertips, arranged in two columns of three dots each. Each cell represents a letter, a word, a combination of letters, a numeral, or a punctuation mark.

Link to Braille Alaphbet https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0revQcSgs4OWVYzY0ZrUTNqN0U&authuser=0

Opening Flag Ceremony - The Den Hike
Personnel: 7 Cub Scouts, each holding a poster with an appropriate picture on the front and his lines written in large print on the back.
Cub #1: We are going to see nature’s treasures.
Cub #2: We will help to maintain nature’s balance.
Cub #3: We will observe and learn from nature’s animals.
Cub #4: We will help maintain nature’s resources.
Cub #5: We will protect those resources from harm.
Cub #6: We will follow the Laws of Nature.
Cub #7: We are going on a hike.

Mother's Day Water Bottle Flowers
 

Materials Needed for each flower:
3 water bottles
1 water bottle cap
1 milk Jug cap
1 BBQ wooden skewer
Yellow paint
Green paint
Brown paint
Then you will need these supplies for the vase:
1 empty salad dressing plastic jar
2 pieces of color paper
glue
scissors
glue gun with paper plate to put it on
black marker

Paint two of the water bottles yellow. (You do not need to paint the bottom of the bottle since it will get cut off.  Then paint one water bottle with its cap attached green along with one BBQ Skewer. Paint the milk jug cap brown. (It is best if you do all the painting one week before the den meeting when you will make these flowers since they will need time to dry).

Measure the salad dressing bottle the boys chose and cut some paper to fit around it.  Before gluing it to the bottle, have the boys write a note to their moms.  If you want to, you can write the sentence "Dear Mom I love you because..." and then have them finish the sentence and sign their name.

Cut all of the water bottles right after the last 'ridge' on the top section of the bottle.  Then poke a hole in the middle of the water bottle cap painted green.

Then cut  to each yellow 'top half' bottle into to 12 sections. (Cut to within apx. 3/4 inch of the opening or drinking end of the water bottle).  This can be done by cutting it in half first then by cutting those in half and lastly cutting these sections into thirds.

Then fold back all the strips.

Take a black marker and put dots on the brown milk jug cap.

Using the glue gun, sandwich the two yellow water bottle, and turn so they are slightly ajar. Do the same with the green water bottle.  Then glue the brown milk jug cap inside the middle of the top flower.  Then put some hot glue gun on one end of the BBQ skewer and stick it slightly into the lid of the green water bottle.

Place flower/s into the salad jar. you are now done.

This idea was taken from http://www.themakeyourownzone.com/2011/10/making-sunflowers-from-water-bottles.html

Planter for planting seeds

1) Cut slits into one end of the toilet paper roll.

2) Fold the slits inward.

3)Write the name of each cub scout on their toilet paper roll.

4) Fill the toilet paper roll with dirt and place inside plastic container.

5) Using a stick make a hole for each seed to be placed inside the dirt.

6) Plant something you think will grow.

7)Place the container inside a tin pan so the water will not get everywhere.  Then be sure to water.

Note: I planted marigold seeds because I found it interesting that all you have to do is let the flower dry and then rub it between your fingers to see the seeds.  Plus, they seem to grow readily outside in my flower garden.  However, the lack of sunshine when it rained for a week killed all but one of the spouts.  Yeah for that one sprout, right!  Anyway, you may want to try planting radishes.  You might have more luck with them.    

Thank You Cards
For the first card, encourage all the cub scouts to sign their name and write something they like about their leader on the inside.  

For the 2nd card, you can have all the cub scouts sign their name and then give it to a guest speaker.

Just click on the URL's below and print them off on cardstock. - Toubleshooting:  If it is printing off in 'Portrait' follow these steps to print off in 'Landscape.' Click on Print (or the picture of a printer), then Properties, then Finishing, then Landscape.

Front side of "Thanks for being our leader" card:  https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0revQcSgs4OczY2NGpXNWhlNWM
Inside of "Thanks for being our leader" card: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0revQcSgs4OLURHR09pYlRGN0k&authuser=0
Front side of "Thanks for sharing your talent with us!" card: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0revQcSgs4OSnZSb1B3dW43T0U

Oven Mitt Relay (Demonstrated at PM Round Table)

Materials: for each team, 1 oven mitt and 1 shoelace for knot-tying.
Have teams line up at one end of the room and, at the other end, place the oven mitt and the shoelace. Each team member must run across, place the oven mitt on his dominant hand, and then tie a square knot in the shoe lace. Upon completing the knot, he races back to his team and hands off the oven mitt. The second person must untie the knot. Keep going, alternating tying and untying the knot until every member of the team has participated. The first team to finish wins.

Through the Forest Obstacle Course
Materials: step stool; blindfold.
Have the Cub Scouts spread out over the playing area to become “trees.” A blindfolded “hiker” starts at one end of the playing area, while a “guide”—who stands elevated on the step stool at the other end—talks the hiker through the Cub Scout forest. The trees are not allowed to move. If the hiker collides with a tree: He becomes that tree, the tree becomes the guide, and the guide becomes the hiker. Then the trees rearrange themselves for the new hiker.