Pack 323 Arrow of Light Den Leader Playbook — 2026–2027

Program Year: September 2026 – March 2027 (crossover to Scouts BSA at the Blue & Gold Banquet) Pack: Cub Scout Pack 323, Howard County, MD Charter Organization: St. Alphonsus Rodriguez Catholic Church Den: Arrow of Light (5th Grade / 10–11 year olds)

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Dear Den Leader

Welcome — and thank you for leading the Arrow of Light den. You have Pack 323's senior Scouts, and this year is unlike any other den year in Cub Scouting: it's a launch ramp. Everything your Scouts do from September to March points toward one night — the Blue & Gold Banquet, when they cross the bridge into a Scouts BSA troop. You get to be the leader who makes that transition feel exciting instead of intimidating.

This playbook covers all 14 den meetings from September through early March. That's shorter than the other dens' years, and it's on purpose: AOL Scouts cross over at the March Blue & Gold, not at the June graduation. The schedule is front-loaded so that every Scout who attends most meetings earns the Arrow of Light badge of rank — the only Cub Scout rank a Scout can wear on their Scouts BSA uniform — by mid-February, with catch-up time built in before the ceremony.

A few things to know before your first meeting:

This den runs on the patrol method. At the first meeting your Scouts choose a patrol name and elect a patrol leader — that's an actual Arrow of Light requirement, not a nicety. Lean into it all year: let the patrol leader open meetings, carry the flag, and pick games. The more your den feels like a Scouts BSA patrol, the readier they'll be in March. (The patrol leader assists you; they are never placed in charge of other Scouts.)

The crossover deadline is real. In the other dens, a missed requirement can slide to April. Here it can't — the rank must be complete before the Blue & Gold. This playbook finishes all six required adventures by mid-January and holds February for catch-up, so one snow-out or a stomach-bug week won't threaten anyone's rank. Protect that buffer: don't let the den slip more than one meeting behind without a make-up plan.

Adult supervision at meetings. AOL Scouts do not require a parent-partner. Standard Scouting America Youth Protection rules apply: at least two registered adult leaders present (or one registered adult plus a parent/guardian), and never one-on-one with a Scout. Parents remain required at Pack campouts per Pack policy for their Scout.

Advancement is tracked in Scoutbook Plus. Log completed requirements at advancements.scouting.org after each meeting, while it's fresh. With a March deadline, a January logging backlog is a February emergency — five minutes a meeting keeps you out of trouble.

Bobcat must be first. The Arrow of Light Bobcat adventure is required before any other adventure. It includes one requirement you can't do in the cafeteria: a visit to a Scouts BSA troop. Schedule that outing early (October is ideal — see Meeting 1) so Bobcat doesn't linger open while everything else finishes.

Connect with the troops all year. Your Scouts will each choose a troop in the spring. Every troop touchpoint — the Bobcat troop visit, a troop-run station at a district event, an older Scout guest at a den meeting — makes that choice easier and the crossover warmer. The Cubmaster can connect you with the troops that Pack 323 alumni have joined.

Every family should have the rank handbook. Scouting America publishes an official handbook for each rank — the Scout-and-parent companion to this playbook, with the full text of every adventure requirement, at-home activities, and rank tracking pages. This playbook covers how to run the meetings; the handbook is the authoritative reference for what each requirement says. A PDF of the AOL Handbook is on the Pack's Google Drive.

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What Arrow of Light Scouts Need to Earn the Badge of Rank

Arrow of Light Scouts must complete 6 required adventures plus any 2 elective adventures (8 adventures total). This plan includes 4 elective adventures — two more than the minimum — giving you swap room if a meeting is cancelled or an activity falls flat. Special elective adventures (Archery, Slingshot, BB Guns) can count as an elective but must be done at approved events with qualified instructors.

#	Adventure	Type	Meeting
1	Bobcat	Required	Meeting 1 (troop visit completes it — see den outing note)
2	Outdoor Adventurer	Required	Meeting 2 + Fall Family Campout
3	First Aid	Required	Meetings 3–4
4	Citizenship	Required	Meeting 5 + Leaf Raking service day
5	Personal Fitness	Required	Meeting 7 (+ 14-day activity log at home)
6	Duty to God	Required	Meeting 10 (+ family discussions at home)
—	Knife Safety	Elective ⭐	Meeting 2 + Fall Family Campout + Meeting 7
—	Engineer	Elective ⭐	Meeting 6
—	Race Time AOL	Elective ⭐	Meetings 8–9 + Pinewood Derby
—	Estimations	Elective ⭐	Meeting 11

Rank completion target: all six required adventures complete by Meeting 10 (mid-January), with only at-home stragglers (activity log, family discussions) outstanding. Meeting 12 is a full rank-completion audit. Everything must be logged in Scoutbook Plus before the Blue & Gold Banquet — the crossover ceremony assumes the rank is earned.

Three den events happen outside the Wednesday slot and carry requirements:

Event	What completes there
Fall Family Campout	Outdoor Adventurer reqs 5–7 (camp, campsite setup, food safety) · Knife Safety useful-object carve · Personal Fitness 30-minute patrol activity
Scouts BSA troop visit (den outing, ~October)	Bobcat req 7 — attend a troop meeting or troop activity
Leaf Raking service day	Citizenship req 2 — two hours of service

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🖨️ Meeting night? The night-of cheat sheets put each meeting's materials and run of show on one printable card.

Year at a Glance

#	Date	Adventure	Type	Pack Tie-In
1	Wed Sep 2	Bobcat	Required	— First meeting; patrol formation
2	Wed Sep 9	Outdoor Adventurer + Knife Safety (Part 1)	Required + Elective	Fall Family Campout Sep 25–27
3	Wed Oct 14	First Aid — Part 1	Required	Rocket Launch Oct 7; campout debrief
4	Wed Oct 21	First Aid — Part 2	Required	—
5	Wed Nov 4	Citizenship	Required	Leaf Raking Nov 8
6	Wed Nov 11	Engineer	Elective	— Veterans Day; confirm schedule
7	Wed Dec 2	Personal Fitness (+ Knife Safety finish)	Required	— 14-day activity log begins
8	Wed Dec 9	Race Time AOL — Part 1 (Design & Rules)	Elective	Kit Distribution Dec 16
9	Wed Jan 6	Race Time AOL — Part 2 (Build & Mentor Prep)	Elective	STEM Carnival Jan 20
10	Wed Jan 13	Duty to God	Required	✅ All required adventures delivered
11	Wed Feb 3	Estimations	Elective	Klondike Derby Feb 20
12	Wed Feb 10	Catch-Up / Rank Completion Audit	—	Pinewood Derby Feb 17
13	Wed Mar 3	Crossover Prep + Blue & Gold Skit Practice	—	Blue & Gold Mar 17
14	Wed Mar 10	Celebration & Bridge Readiness	—	Crossover at Blue & Gold Mar 17

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Den Meeting Format

Every meeting follows the same 60-minute structure. Individual meeting plans below fill in the specifics.

Time	Duration	Segment	Purpose
6:30	5 min	Pre-opening activity	Scouts engage the moment they arrive; no dead time
6:35	5 min	Opening ceremony	Scout Oath & Law (using the Scouts BSA sign — this den's habit), flag, announcements; patrol leader leads
6:40	40 min	Main activity block	Adventure requirements — hands-on segments
7:20	5 min	Closing + at-home assignment	Recap, assignment, Cubmaster-style minute
7:25	5 min	Parent handoff	Tell parents what happened and what's due

Standing supplies for every meeting (keep in a den box): US flag, den code of conduct poster, patrol flag, first-aid kit, pencils, paper, painter's tape, name tags for the first month, and the den attendance log.

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Meeting 1 — Bobcat (Required)

Date: Wednesday, September 2, 2026 Time: 6:30–7:30 PM Location: Waverly Elementary School cafeteria Pack tie-in: First den meeting of the year; sets up the patrol identity the den carries to the crossover.

Two callouts for this meeting. (1) The at-home requirement — the exercises in "How to Protect Your Children From Child Abuse: A Parent's Guide," found in the front of the AOL handbook — must be done by each Scout with a parent or legal guardian. Announce it tonight and track completion. (2) Bobcat includes a visit to a Scouts BSA troop (req 7). It can't happen in this room — pick a target week tonight and coordinate with the Cubmaster for troop contacts. Aim for October; a troop-meeting visit on the troop's own meeting night works best. The Webelos-O-Ree district weekend is a strong alternative — it's run with troop involvement and doubles as great crossover exposure.

Materials Checklist

• Beach ball with icebreaker questions written in permanent marker (1)
• Paper ballots and pencils (1 per Scout)
• List of 6–8 candidate patrol names to seed discussion (1)
• Poster board for the den Code of Conduct (1)
• Markers (shared)
• 6 index cards: two each labeled "Scouts BSA Sign," "Scouts BSA Salute," "Scouts BSA Handshake"
• Printout of the Scouts BSA sign/salute/handshake reference (1 for you)
• Parent's Guide reminder half-sheet to send home (1 per Scout)

Run of Show

Time	Duration	Segment	Lead	Notes
6:30	5 min	Pre-opening: Question Beach Ball		Toss the ball; answer the question nearest your right thumb
6:35	5 min	Opening ceremony	Den Leader	Scout Oath & Law — recited with the patrol (req 4); explain tonight they become a patrol
6:40	15 min	Patrol Method + Election	Den Leader	What a patrol is; elect a patrol leader; choose a patrol name (req 1)
6:55	10 min	Den Code of Conduct	New patrol leader	Scouts draft and sign their own rules poster (req 3)
7:05	12 min	Sign, Salute & Handshake Relay		Learn the Scouts BSA versions, then relay-race demonstrating them (req 5)
7:17	3 min	Slogan & Motto Word Circle		"Do a Good Turn Daily" / "Be Prepared" one-word-at-a-time game (req 6)
7:20	5 min	Closing + at-home assignment	Den Leader	Parent's Guide exercises with parent; announce troop-visit plan
7:25	5 min	Parent handoff	Den Leader	Explain the AOL year: crossover in March, what that means

Patrol Method + Election (15 min)

Goal: Scouts experience the defining structure of Scouts BSA — a youth-led patrol — by electing their own patrol leader and choosing their identity.

Setup: Decide beforehand what the patrol leader will help you with (arrive early to set up, lead the Oath and Law, carry the flag, pick the game, hand out supplies).

Instructions: 1. Explain: a patrol is like a den, but in Scouts BSA the leader is a youth, not an adult. Starting tonight, this den acts like a patrol. 2. Read out the patrol leader's responsibilities. Make clear the AOL patrol leader helps the den leader — they're never put in charge of other Scouts. 3. Invite candidates; each gets one minute to say why they want the job. 4. Paper-ballot vote; tally and announce. For a large den, elect an assistant patrol leader too. 5. Hand the new patrol leader the list of candidate patrol names and have them lead the discussion and vote on a name.

Plan B: If only one Scout runs, skip the ballot and confirm by acclamation, then spend the saved minutes on the patrol name debate — it's the part they'll remember.

Den Code of Conduct (10 min)

Goal: Scouts write the rules they'll hold themselves to — kids follow rules they made.

Instructions: 1. Open a discussion: "How do friends treat each other? What should never happen at our meetings?" 2. Steer toward safety, respect for property, and how they treat each other; put-downs and rough play should land on the list. 3. Scouts write the final rules on the poster board and every Scout signs it. 4. Bring this poster to every meeting for the rest of the year.

Sign, Salute & Handshake Relay (12 min)

Goal: Scouts learn — and physically practice — the Scouts BSA sign, salute, and handshake they'll use from now on.

Setup: Clear a runway; patrol leader stands ~40 feet away holding the six index cards.

Instructions: 1. Teach the three: the sign (three middle fingers up, thumb over pinky nail — the three parts of the Scout Oath); the salute (sign brought to the brow); the handshake (a regular handshake with the left hand). 2. Tell the den: from tonight forward, AOL Scouts use the Scouts BSA sign, not the Cub Scout sign. 3. Two teams line up. On "go," one runner at a time sprints to the patrol leader, who flashes a card; the runner demonstrates it correctly, sprints back, and tags the next Scout. 4. First team to cycle everyone through wins. Play a second round if time allows.

Advancement Connections

Requirement	Completed at this meeting	At-home
Bobcat 1 — Patrol method: choose a patrol name, elect a patrol leader	✅ Election + name vote	—
Bobcat 2 — Get to know your patrol members	✅ Question beach ball	—
Bobcat 3 — Code of conduct	✅ Poster drafted and signed	—
Bobcat 4 — Recite the Scout Oath and Scout Law with your patrol	✅ Opening ceremony	—
Bobcat 5 — Scouts BSA sign, salute, handshake	✅ Relay	—
Bobcat 6 — Scouts BSA slogan and motto	✅ Word circle game	—
Bobcat 7 — Visit a Scouts BSA troop	—	✅ Den outing, ~October (see callout)
Bobcat 8 — Parent's Guide exercises	—	✅ With parent/guardian before Meeting 3

At-Home Assignment

"Two things before our next meeting. First: with your parent or guardian, complete the exercises in the 'How to Protect Your Children From Child Abuse: A Parent's Guide' booklet — it's in the front of your AOL handbook, and it's a required part of Bobcat. Second: keep an eye out for the date of our troop visit — we'll pick a Scouts BSA troop meeting to attend together in October. That's a Bobcat requirement too, and it's your first look at where you're headed in March."

Post-Meeting Notes (fill in after)

Attendance: ___ Scouts, ___ adults

What worked well:

What to improve:

Follow-up needed:

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Meeting 2 — Outdoor Adventurer + Knife Safety Part 1 (Required + Elective ⭐)

Date: Wednesday, September 9, 2026 Time: 6:30–7:30 PM Location: Waverly Elementary School cafeteria Pack tie-in: Fall Family Campout — this meeting is the prep; three requirements complete at the campout itself.

This is a double-header — recruit two parent helpers tonight. Outdoor Adventurer is the AOL camping adventure (it replaces the "Let's Camp" adventures of earlier ranks) and its final requirements can only be completed at the campout: campsite setup, kitchen sanitation, and the overnight itself. Knife Safety starts tonight because its signature requirement — carving a useful object on a campout — happens at the same campout, and no Scout may handle a pocketknife until the safety rules are taught. A BALOO-trained adult must be present for the den's camping; the Pack campout satisfies this — confirm with the Camping Coordinator.

Ask each Scout to bring their packed camping gear to this meeting (backpack, sleeping gear, eating kit, cleanup kit) for the shakedown. Send the reminder the weekend before.

Materials Checklist

• Backpack pre-packed with the ten Scout Basic Essentials (yours, for the demo)
• Second set of essentials items + 6 decoy items (whistle, camp chair, toothbrush, bug net, etc.) for the relay — use an index card labeled "pocketknife" instead of a real knife
• Camping Gear Checklist printouts (1 per Scout — also in the AOL handbook)
• BSA SAFE Checklist printouts (1 per Scout)
• Printed campground map for the Fall Family Campout site (1 per Scout)
• Pencils (1 per Scout)
• Knife Safety Word Search printouts (1 per Scout)
• One closed pocketknife (yours, for demonstration only — Scouts do not handle knives tonight)

Run of Show

Time	Duration	Segment	Lead	Notes
6:30	5 min	Pre-opening: Knife Safety Word Search		Seated puzzle while Scouts arrive
6:35	5 min	Opening ceremony	Patrol leader	Oath, Law, Scouts BSA sign
6:40	10 min	Scout Basic Essentials Relay		Two teams race to assemble the ten essentials from a mixed pile (req 1)
6:50	15 min	Gear Shakedown	Parent helpers	Scouts present their packed gear against the checklist (req 2)
7:05	7 min	SAFE Checklist + Find Your Campsite	Den Leader	Walk the four SAFE points for the campout; locate the site on the map (reqs 3–4)
7:12	8 min	Knife Safety Rules + Safety Circle	Den Leader	STOP–AWAY–SHARP–STORE; every Scout practices the safety circle (KS reqs 1–2 start)
7:20	5 min	Closing + at-home assignment	Den Leader	Fix gear gaps before the campout
7:25	5 min	Parent handoff	Den Leader	Campout logistics; which requirements finish there

Scout Basic Essentials Relay (10 min)

Goal: Scouts internalize the ten Scout Basic Essentials by racing to pick them out of a pile of plausible decoys.

Setup: Two mixed piles at one end of the room, each containing the ten essentials (index card for the pocketknife) plus decoys. One adult checker per team with the essentials list.

Instructions: 1. Ask the den to recite the Scouts BSA motto. When they say "Be Prepared," tell them the essentials are how a Scout is prepared outdoors. 2. Teams line up. One runner at a time grabs what they think is an essential and brings it back; the adult checks it against the list. Wrong item goes back — and the runner picks again. 3. First team with all ten essentials wins. 4. Debrief the two rules buried in the pile: the pocketknife card (no knife until Knife Safety is earned — "which we start tonight") and matches/fire starters (those need the Firem'n Chit, earned later in a troop).

Gear Shakedown (15 min)

Goal: Every Scout leaves knowing exactly what's missing from their campout pack — while there's still time to fix it.

Setup: Scouts spread out with their packed gear; one adult per 3–4 Scouts. If a Scouts BSA leader or older Scout is available as a guest inspector, even better — it counts toward the troop-connection thread of the year.

Instructions: 1. Each Scout unpacks and presents their gear, explaining why they packed each item. 2. Scouts check off the Camping Gear Checklist as they go and write down every gap. 3. Adults probe: "Where's your rain gear? What if it drops to 45 degrees overnight? What are you eating breakfast with?" 4. Repack. The written gap list goes home tonight.

Knife Safety Rules + Safety Circle (8 min)

Goal: Scouts learn the four knife safety rules and practice the safety circle — the gate to every knife privilege they'll ever have.

Instructions: 1. Teach the four rules: Stop — no one within arm's reach (that's the safety circle). Away — always cut away from your body. Sharp — a sharp, clean knife is a safe knife. Store — closed, sheathed, or in a block when not in use. 2. Demonstrate the safety circle: arm out, turn a full circle, check overhead. Touch nothing and no one? Safe to work. 3. Every Scout practices the circle. Walk toward one mid-circle — they must stop and say so. 4. Preview the payoff: at the campout, each Scout carves a marshmallow roasting stick, and sharpening practice happens with the adults there. No Scout brings a pocketknife to a den meeting or the campout unless an adult hands it to them for a supervised activity.

Advancement Connections

Requirement	Completed at this meeting	At-home
Outdoor Adventurer 1 — Scout Basic Essentials	✅ Relay	—
Outdoor Adventurer 2 — Decide gear for an overnight; how to carry it	✅ Shakedown	✅ Fill the gaps before the campout
Outdoor Adventurer 3 — Review the SAFE Checklist for the campout	✅ Discussion	—
Outdoor Adventurer 4 — Locate the campsite on a map	✅ Map exercise	—
Outdoor Adventurer 5–7 — Campout, campsite setup, food safety	—	✅ At the Fall Family Campout
Knife Safety 1 — Safety rules	✅ Taught + word search	—
Knife Safety 2 — Safe care and use (sharpening)	—	✅ Supervised at the campout
Knife Safety 3 — Carve a useful object on a campout	—	✅ Marshmallow stick at the campout
Personal Fitness 3 — 30 minutes active with stretching, with your patrol	—	✅ Saturday campout hike (warm-up stretches + trail)

At-Home Assignment

"Your job before the campout: fix everything on your gap list — beg, borrow, or buy, but arrive with a complete pack. At the campout your patrol will set up the campsite kitchen before anyone touches their own tent, run the three-pot dish wash, carve marshmallow sticks, and take the Saturday hike together. That's four requirements in one weekend — show up."

Post-Meeting Notes (fill in after)

Attendance: ___ Scouts, ___ adults

What worked well:

What to improve:

Follow-up needed:

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Meeting 3 — First Aid, Part 1 (Required)

Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Time: 6:30–7:30 PM Location: Waverly Elementary School cafeteria Pack tie-in: Rocket Launch Pack Meeting later this month. Tonight's pre-opening closes out Outdoor Adventurer with the campout debrief.

Parent notification required before this meeting. First Aid req 1 is watching the "Protect Yourself Rules — Arrow of Light" video (22 min) with parent permission, at home with a parent or guardian. Send the official AOL First Aid Parent Notification to families at least a week ahead, with the video link, and ask that it be watched before tonight. Track who's done it. If a family prefers, they may opt to handle related discussion entirely at home — that's their right.

Materials Checklist

• Poster board with three columns: START / STOP / CONTINUE (campout debrief)
• Sticky notes and pencils (1 pad per 2 Scouts)
• Emergency Contact Information worksheets (1 per Scout)
• Disposable latex-free gloves (1 pair per 2 Scouts)
• Neckerchiefs or triangular bandages (1 per 2 Scouts)
• CPR breathing barriers (1 per Scout)
• A stuffed animal or CPR-practice substitute (1 per 2 Scouts)
• Adult helpers — aim for 1 per 2–3 Scouts for the practice stations

Run of Show

Time	Duration	Segment	Lead	Notes
6:30	5 min	Pre-opening: Campout Start/Stop/Continue	Patrol leader	Sticky notes on the board — completes Outdoor Adventurer req 8
6:35	5 min	Opening ceremony	Patrol leader	Oath, Law, Scouts BSA sign
6:40	12 min	What To Do First: the 3 C's	Den Leader	Check–Call–Care roleplay + emergency contact worksheet (req 2)
6:52	25 min	Hurry Cases	All adults	Serious bleeding, CPR, stroke (FAST), poisoning — buddy rotations (req 3)
7:17	3 min	Debrief	Den Leader	"Which hurry case scared you most before tonight?"
7:20	5 min	Closing + at-home assignment	Den Leader	Post the emergency sheet at home
7:25	5 min	Parent handoff	Den Leader	Confirm video completion; preview Part 2

What To Do First: the 3 C's (12 min)

Goal: Scouts respond to an emergency scene in the right order — before learning any specific treatment.

Instructions: 1. Scouts fill out the Emergency Contact Information worksheet; discuss where it should live at home. 2. Teach the sequence: Check the scene is safe (you help no one by becoming the second victim). Call — point at a specific person: "Juan, call 911 and ask for an ambulance." Care — say you know first aid, get permission, treat. 3. Add the two golden rules: never move a badly hurt person unless they're in further danger, and treat for shock while you wait. 4. Buddy pairs roleplay coming upon an adult "victim" and acting out the full sequence. Rotate until everyone has responded once.

Hurry Cases (25 min)

Goal: Scouts demonstrate the response to the five situations where minutes matter: serious bleeding, heart attack/cardiac arrest, stopped breathing, stroke, poisoning.

Setup: Four corners of the room, one adult per corner. Buddies rotate roughly every 6 minutes.

Instructions: 1. Bleeding corner: gloves and eye protection on, direct pressure with a folded neckerchief pad, assigned wound sites (arm, leg, head). Ask: what if the bone might be broken? (Don't move it; keep pressure.) 2. CPR corner: demonstrate on the practice substitute — heel-of-hands center-chest, 30 compressions at 100–120/min, at least 2 inches deep, then 2 breaths (head-tilt/chin-lift; Scouts blow toward, not on, the practice target). Heart attack and stopped breathing get the same response: call 911, start CPR. 3. Stroke corner: teach FAST — Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call. Buddies play victim and responder. 4. Poisoning corner: assign scenarios (cleaning product, too much medicine, toxic fumes, wild mushroom). Response: get away from fumes, call 911 / Poison Control, don't induce anything, bring the container to the phone. 5. Every buddy pair plays both roles at every corner they reach; it's fine if not every pair hits all four — Meeting 4's pre-opening re-quizzes all of them.

Advancement Connections

Requirement	Completed at this meeting	At-home
Outdoor Adventurer 8 — Post-campout debrief (Start/Stop/Continue)	✅ Pre-opening — Outdoor Adventurer complete; log it tonight	—
First Aid 1 — Protect Yourself Rules video (AOL)	—	✅ With parent, before/around this meeting
First Aid 2 — What to do when someone needs first aid	✅ 3 C's roleplay	—
First Aid 3 — Hurry cases: bleeding, heart attack/cardiac arrest, stopped breathing, stroke, poisoning	✅ Corner rotations	—

At-Home Assignment

"Take your Emergency Contact sheet home and stick it somewhere the whole family can find it — fridge door counts. Show one adult at home the FAST stroke signs. And if you haven't watched the Protect Yourself Rules video with your parent yet, that's this week — it's a required part of this adventure and we finish First Aid next meeting."

Post-Meeting Notes (fill in after)

Attendance: ___ Scouts, ___ adults

What worked well:

What to improve:

Follow-up needed:

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Meeting 4 — First Aid, Part 2 (Required)

Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2026 Time: 6:30–7:30 PM Location: Waverly Elementary School cafeteria Pack tie-in: — (If the den's troop visit hasn't happened yet, this week or next is the window — Bobcat shouldn't still be open in November.)

Tonight completes First Aid: choking, shock, the four everyday treatments, and each Scout builds a personal first-aid kit to keep. The kit items are the real cost of this meeting — ask the Committee for the den supply budget in advance, or ask families to contribute items per the sign-up you send this week.

Materials Checklist

• Quart zip bags (1 per Scout) + permanent markers
• Adhesive bandages, gauze pads, adhesive tape, moleskin, antiseptic wipes, first-aid ointment packets, latex-free gloves — enough for each Scout's kit
• Station supplies: bowls of water, soap, hand towels, sterile gauze, aloe/cooling lotion, tweezers, old playing cards, clean cloths
• First-aid myth-or-fact quiz cards for pre-opening (write 8–10: "Tilt your head back for a nosebleed — myth or fact?")
• Adult helpers — 1 per station (4 stations)

Run of Show

Time	Duration	Segment	Lead	Notes
6:30	5 min	Pre-opening: Myth or Fact cards		Scouts sort quiz cards into MYTH / FACT piles
6:35	5 min	Opening ceremony	Patrol leader	Oath, Law
6:40	10 min	Choking: Back Blows + Abdominal Thrusts	Den Leader	Demonstrate on an adult; Scouts practice form gently (req 4)
6:50	8 min	Treating Shock	Den Leader	Lie down, feet slightly raised, cover if cool, nothing to eat/drink (req 5)
6:58	16 min	Everyday Treatment Stations ×4	Station adults	Cuts/scratches · burns/scalds · bites/stings · nosebleed (req 6)
7:14	8 min	Build Your First-Aid Kit		Scouts assemble kits, then explain each item (req 7)
7:22	3 min	Closing + at-home assignment	Den Leader	First Aid complete — log it tonight
7:25	5 min	Parent handoff	Den Leader	Kits go home; kit lives in the Scout's pack

Everyday Treatment Stations (16 min)

Goal: Scouts practice the four treatments they will actually use: cuts and scratches, burns and scalds, bites and stings, nosebleeds.

Setup: Four stations, one adult each, ~4 minutes per rotation.

Instructions: 1. Cuts & scratches: wash hands first; small wounds — soap-and-water wash, ointment (with permission, no allergy), bandage; large cuts — direct pressure, sterile pad, bandage snug but two fingers must slide under. 2. Burns & scalds: chilly water first, then clean dry loose dressing; aloe for sunburn only. 3. Bites & stings: tick — tweezers at the head, close to skin, steady pull, then wash and ointment; stinger — scrape sideways with a card edge, never squeeze. 4. Nosebleed: sit up, lean forward, pinch nostrils 10 minutes, cool cloth; call for help past 15 minutes. (Connect to the pre-opening myth card.)

Build Your First-Aid Kit (8 min)

Goal: Every Scout assembles a personal kit and can justify every item in it — the requirement is demonstrating use, not just owning the bag.

Instructions: 1. Scouts write their name on a quart bag and walk the supply table: bandages, gauze, tape, moleskin, wipes, ointment, gloves. 2. Circle up. Pull items from your own kit one at a time: "When do you use this? Show me how." Scouts answer with the item in hand. 3. Close the loop: the first-aid kit is one of the ten Scout Basic Essentials from Meeting 2 — it lives in their day pack, not a drawer.

Advancement Connections

Requirement	Completed at this meeting	At-home
First Aid 4 — Help a choking victim	✅ Back blows + abdominal thrusts practice	—
First Aid 5 — Treat shock	✅ Demonstration + practice	—
First Aid 6 — Cuts/scratches, burns/scalds, bites/stings, nosebleed	✅ Stations	—
First Aid 7 — Make a personal first-aid kit; demonstrate each item	✅ Kit build + show-and-tell	—

At-Home Assignment

"Your first-aid kit goes in your day pack tonight — the same pack with your Scout Basic Essentials. This week, walk one person in your family through everything in it: what each item is for and how to use it. Teaching it is how you know you've got it."

Post-Meeting Notes (fill in after)

Attendance: ___ Scouts, ___ adults

What worked well:

What to improve:

Follow-up needed:

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Meeting 5 — Citizenship (Required)

Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2026 Time: 6:30–7:30 PM Location: Waverly Elementary School cafeteria Pack tie-in: Leaf Raking service day at St. Alphonsus Rodriguez this week — the den's planned project, and the two service hours that complete this adventure. Veterans Day parade follows shortly after; the den practices flag work tonight.

Citizenship has only two requirements, but the point is that AOL Scouts plan service, not just show up to it — that's the skill they'll need for Scouts BSA service projects (and someday, maybe, an Eagle project). Tonight the patrol runs the official SAFE planning process on the Leaf Raking project themselves.

Materials Checklist

• SAFE Service Project Planning Checklist printouts (1 per Scout)
• Pencils and clipboards (1 per Scout)
• Two full-size US flags for folding practice
• Community-helpers word search for pre-opening (1 per Scout)
• Leaf Raking logistics one-pager to send home (time, place, gloves, closed-toe shoes)

Run of Show

Time	Duration	Segment	Lead	Notes
6:30	5 min	Pre-opening: Community Helpers word search		Seated puzzle
6:35	5 min	Opening ceremony	Patrol leader	Oath, Law
6:40	25 min	SAFE Project Planning Workshop	Den Leader	Patrol plans the Leaf Raking project end-to-end (req 1)
7:05	12 min	Flag Etiquette + Folding Relay		Fold a flag correctly in pairs; parade prep
7:17	3 min	Service Hours Ledger	Den Leader	Set up each Scout's 2-hour tracking (req 2)
7:20	5 min	Closing + at-home assignment	Den Leader	Bring gloves to Leaf Raking
7:25	5 min	Parent handoff	Den Leader	Confirm Leaf Raking attendance; parade details

SAFE Project Planning Workshop (25 min)

Goal: The patrol produces a real safety plan for a real project — the Leaf Raking day — using the same SAFE framework Scouts BSA uses.

Instructions: 1. Hand out the SAFE Service Project Planning Checklist. Project description: "Rake, bag, and haul leaves at our charter organization." 2. Brainstorm the task list as a patrol: sections of the grounds, raking, bagging, hauling, cleanup, tool count. 3. Walk the four SAFE points and make them answer each: Supervision — which adults, how many, where stationed? Assessment — what can go wrong? (rake tines, hidden holes, blisters, traffic at the curb). Fitness & Skill — can everyone rake? Any health considerations? Equipment & Environment — enough rakes and gloves? What if it rains? 4. Any box they can't check honestly, they must solve or change the plan — that's the requirement working as intended. 5. The patrol leader presents the finished plan back to you in two minutes, as if you were the chartered-org contact.

Flag Etiquette + Folding Relay (12 min)

Goal: Scouts handle the US flag with confidence before marching with it at the parade and posting it at the Blue & Gold.

Instructions: 1. Quick rules: the flag never touches the ground, is carried briskly and upright, and is saluted (Scouts BSA salute — in uniform) when it passes. 2. Demonstrate the 13-fold triangle with an adult partner, narrating the first few folds. 3. Pairs practice; when a pair produces a clean triangle, they become checkers for another pair. 4. Assign parade roles: who carries, who escorts, spacing behind the Pack banner.

Advancement Connections

Requirement	Completed at this meeting	At-home
Citizenship 1 — Identify a service project; plan it with the SAFE Checklist	✅ Workshop (Leaf Raking plan)	—
Citizenship 2 — Participate in service, 2 hours total	—	✅ Leaf Raking (~2 hrs); Scouting for Food in spring is the backup for absentees

At-Home Assignment

"Show up to Leaf Raking — work clothes, gloves, closed-toe shoes, water bottle. You planned this project; now you run your part of it. The two hours you put in complete the Citizenship adventure. If your family also does the Veterans Day parade, full Class A uniform, and remember: the flag never touches the ground."

Post-Meeting Notes (fill in after)

Attendance: ___ Scouts, ___ adults

What worked well:

What to improve:

Follow-up needed:

---

Meeting 6 — Engineer (Elective ⭐)

Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2026 Time: 6:30–7:30 PM Location: Waverly Elementary School cafeteria Pack tie-in: — Veterans Day. School schedules and the parade may collide with tonight; confirm the date with families the week before. If the meeting shifts, this elective moves intact — nothing downstream depends on it.

If a parent or Pack family member is an engineer (civil, electrical, or mechanical), tonight's the night to invite them — a ten-minute guest Q&A covers requirement 1 far better than a lecture. Ask two weeks ahead. No engineer available? The discipline cards below cover it.

Materials Checklist

• A real blueprint or set of plans (county permit-office prints, a house plan, or an engineer guest's own — ask your guest, or print one from the county building-permit portal)
• Discipline cards: three half-sheets describing civil, electrical, mechanical engineering
• Per Scout: sturdy cardboard base (~12"×12"), 5 sheets of cardstock or construction paper, pencil, ruler, 3 marbles
• Tape and scissors (shared)
• Roller Coaster Blueprint printouts (1 per Scout — from the AOL handbook resources)
• A sample paper roller coaster you built at home (do this — it's 30 minutes and it changes the meeting)

Run of Show

Time	Duration	Segment	Lead	Notes
6:30	5 min	Pre-opening: Blueprint Hunt		Scouts find the title block, legend, grid, and revision block on the blueprint
6:35	5 min	Opening ceremony	Patrol leader	Oath, Law
6:40	10 min	What Engineers Do	Guest or Den Leader	Civil / electrical / mechanical; den votes its focus (reqs 1–2)
6:50	5 min	Read the Blueprint	Den Leader	Walk the blueprint like an engineer would (req 3)
6:55	22 min	Build: Paper Roller Coaster	All	Straights, curves, loops, struts — marble must survive the run (reqs 4–5)
7:17	3 min	Engineering Debrief	Den Leader	"What failed first? What did you change?"
7:20	5 min	Closing + at-home assignment	Den Leader	—
7:25	5 min	Parent handoff	Den Leader	Coasters go home; keep building

Build: Paper Roller Coaster (22 min)

Goal: Scouts follow a blueprint to engineer a working marble roller coaster — and experience the design-test-fix loop that is the actual job of engineering.

Setup: Supplies laid out on a central table; Scouts gather their own materials ("What do I need? How much? What can be shared?").

Instructions: 1. Straight track: cut a 3-inch strip, score two lines dividing it into three 1-inch lanes, fold the outer lanes up 90° for walls. 2. Hill or loop: same strip, but cut 1-inch tabs along both edges, fold tabs up, bend the track to shape, tape tabs to hold the curve. 3. Curve: tabs along one edge only; the cut side bends horizontally. 4. Support strut: 2.5-inch strip scored into five half-inch panels, folded into a square tube, tabs taped flat to the cardboard base. 5. Scouts build any layout they like — the only spec: a marble dropped at the top must reach the bottom without leaving the track. 6. Test constantly. When a marble flies off, that's data: bank the curve, lower the hill, add a strut.

Advancement Connections

Requirement	Completed at this meeting	At-home
Engineer 1 — Focus and products of civil, electrical, mechanical engineers	✅ Guest Q&A / discipline cards	—
Engineer 2 — Pick one field to explore	✅ Den vote	—
Engineer 3 — Examine blueprints or specifications	✅ Blueprint hunt + walkthrough	—
Engineer 4–5 — Choose and build an engineering project	✅ Paper roller coaster	—

At-Home Assignment

"Nothing due — but your coaster isn't finished, it's version one. Add a loop this week and see if your marble still survives. Engineers call that iteration; you can call it fun."

Post-Meeting Notes (fill in after)

Attendance: ___ Scouts, ___ adults

What worked well:

What to improve:

Follow-up needed:

---

Meeting 7 — Personal Fitness + Knife Safety Finish (Required + Elective ⭐)

Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2026 Time: 6:30–7:30 PM Location: Waverly Elementary School cafeteria Pack tie-in: — The 14-day activity log launched tonight comes due at the next meeting; keep the pressure friendly.

Food night — check allergies first. Review every Scout's health form and ask families about dietary and religious restrictions before shopping; adjust the menu as needed. Tonight the patrol prepares a balanced campout-style meal (no fire needed — a camp "cold kitchen" spread), and the knife work doubles as the final Knife Safety requirement: choosing the correct cooking knife and slicing, chopping, and mincing properly. Only Scouts who completed the knife-safety work at Meeting 2 and the campout may handle knives tonight. Extra adults required — 1 per 2–3 Scouts at the cutting boards.

Materials Checklist

• Cutting boards (1 per 2 Scouts) and 6" chef's knives (1 per 2 Scouts)
• Ingredients for build-your-own campout wraps for the den: burrito-size tortillas, sliced cooked turkey, shredded cheese, lettuce, Roma tomatoes, cucumbers, ranch dressing
• Camp serving setup: plates, napkins, hand sanitizer, wipes, cooler with ice for the perishables (run it like a campsite kitchen)
• MyPlate food-group chart (1 poster or handout)
• Personal Fitness Activity Log printouts (1 per Scout — also in the AOL handbook)
• Copies of the BSA Annual Health and Medical Record for families who haven't filed one
• Food-handling gloves

Run of Show

Time	Duration	Segment	Lead	Notes
6:30	5 min	Pre-opening: MyPlate Menu Check		Scouts sort tonight's ingredients into food groups — is this meal balanced?
6:35	5 min	Opening ceremony	Patrol leader	Oath, Law
6:40	8 min	Knife Skills: Slice, Chop, Mince	Den Leader	Correct knife choice, pinch grip, claw hold — demo then practice (KS req 4)
6:48	22 min	Campout Kitchen: Build the Meal	All adults	Scouts prep tomatoes/cucumbers/lettuce, build wraps, run camp food-safety rules (PF req 1)
7:10	7 min	Eat + Activity Log Kickoff	Den Leader	Launch the 14-day, 30-minutes-a-day log (PF req 2)
7:17	3 min	Health Form Minute	Den Leader	Send AHMR review home (PF req 4)
7:20	5 min	Closing + at-home assignment	Den Leader	Knife Safety complete — log it tonight
7:25	5 min	Parent handoff	Den Leader	Explain the log; AHMR review with parent

Campout Kitchen: Build the Meal (22 min)

Goal: Scouts plan-and-prepare a balanced meal exactly as they would at a campsite — cold-chain, clean hands, cross-contamination rules and all.

Setup: Ingredient table run like a camp kitchen: perishables in the cooler until needed, sanitizer at the head of the line, cutting stations spread out with an adult at each.

Instructions: 1. Everyone washes/sanitizes hands; food-handling gloves on. 2. Review campsite food rules from the Fall campout: cooler stays closed, meat/dairy stay cold, a board used for one food gets cleaned before the next — when in doubt, wash it. 3. At the boards (rotating pairs, adult supervising each): slice cucumbers, dice tomatoes, chop lettuce — each Scout demonstrates slice, chop, and mince with the claw hold. 4. Build wraps: lettuce, cheese, tomato, cucumber, turkey, dressing; fold and roll burrito-style. 5. As they eat, ask the requirement's real question: "Why does this meal work on a campout? What would you swap for a cold-weather trip?"

Activity Log Kickoff (part of 7 min segment)

Goal: Every Scout leaves committed to 14 days of tracked activity — 30+ minutes at a time.

Instructions: 1. Hand out the Activity Log; brainstorm what counts (sports practice, biking, dancing, a hard hike — anything sustained and moving). 2. Each Scout writes tomorrow's planned activity in slot 1 before leaving — a filled first line doubles completion rates. 3. Logs come back at the next meeting, where each Scout shares what they did and whether they're living up to "physically strong."

Advancement Connections

Requirement	Completed at this meeting	At-home
Personal Fitness 1 — Plan and prepare a balanced campout meal with campout gear	✅ Campout kitchen	—
Personal Fitness 2 — Track 30-minute activities over 14 days; share	✅ Launched	✅ Log daily; share at the next meeting
Personal Fitness 3 — 30 minutes active with your patrol, incl. stretching	✅ Completed at the Fall Family Campout hike (verify attendance; make up at Meeting 12 for absentees)	—
Personal Fitness 4 — Review your Annual Health and Medical Record with a parent	—	✅ This week, with parent/guardian
Knife Safety 4 — Correct cooking knife; slice, chop, mince	✅ Cutting stations — Knife Safety complete	—

At-Home Assignment

"Two jobs. One: your activity log — 30 minutes of real movement, as many days as you can for the next two weeks, written down. Bring it to the next meeting ready to share. Two: sit down with a parent and go through your BSA health form together — know what's on it and what it means for what you can do at camp. Both of these finish the Personal Fitness adventure."

Post-Meeting Notes (fill in after)

Attendance: ___ Scouts, ___ adults

What worked well:

What to improve:

Follow-up needed:

---

Meeting 8 — Race Time AOL, Part 1: Design & Rules (Elective ⭐)

Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2026 Time: 6:30–7:30 PM Location: Waverly Elementary School cafeteria Pack tie-in: PWD Car Kit Distribution at the December Pack meeting — kits go home days after tonight, so designs are ready the moment wood hits hands. As the Pack's senior den, AOL Scouts also take a mentoring role at Pack build events (that's a Race Time requirement, not just a nice gesture).

Race Time AOL is the Pinewood Derby adventure with a twist: AOL Scouts don't just build and race — they mentor younger Cub Scouts on design, building, and sportsmanship. Coordinate two things at this month's committee meeting: (1) how AOL Scouts can help younger dens at any Pack build day or the Derby check-in, and (2) collect the Pack's official race rules so tonight's rules game matches how Pack 323 actually races.

Materials Checklist

• Graph paper + pencils (2 sheets per Scout)
• A finished Pinewood Derby car from a past year (borrow one — seeing real proportions beats any diagram)
• Pack 323 PWD rules sheet (from the committee; 1 per Scout)
• Connect Four rules-quiz setup: poster-board 5×7 grid, two colors of sticky notes, ~20 prepared question cards
• Physics props: small scale, toy car, board for an incline

Run of Show

Time	Duration	Segment	Lead	Notes
6:30	5 min	Pre-opening: Fastest Shape Vote		Sketch silhouettes on the board; Scouts sticker-vote which is fastest
6:35	5 min	Opening ceremony	Patrol leader	Oath, Law
6:40	8 min	Activity Log Share-Out	Den Leader	Scouts report their 14-day logs — Personal Fitness closes here for most
6:48	12 min	Derby Physics in Five Questions	Den Leader	Gravity, friction, weight placement — incline demos
7:00	12 min	Design Studio		Scouts draw top + side profiles to build from (req 1 starts)
7:12	8 min	Rules Connect Four	Patrol leader	Team quiz game on the official rules (req 2)
7:20	5 min	Closing + at-home assignment	Den Leader	Kits arrive at the Pack meeting — bring designs
7:25	5 min	Parent handoff	Den Leader	Build-day mentoring sign-up

Design Studio (12 min)

Goal: Every Scout leaves with a buildable design — top view and side profile at actual size — so the kit block becomes a car, not a guess.

Instructions: 1. Pass the finished example car around. Trace the kit block's outline on graph paper (7" long, 1¾" wide). 2. Scouts sketch the side profile inside the outline. Push past the wedge: what does the back of a fast car look like? Where will the weight go? (Behind the middle — remind them from the physics demo.) 3. Adults check each design for the three build realities: wheels can't be blocked, 5-ounce max weight, nothing extends past the block footprint. 4. Designs go home tonight; the block gets cut to this drawing.

Rules Connect Four (8 min)

Goal: Scouts learn the official race rules — dimensions, weight, wheel rules, and the sportsmanship answers — well enough to teach them to a younger Scout.

Instructions: 1. Two teams, two sticky-note colors. Correct answer = place a note on the grid; four in a row wins. 2. Draw questions from the prepared cards: max weight (5.0 oz), length (7"), what do you say to the heat winner ("congratulations"), what force pulls the car down the track (gravity), what slows it (friction). 3. Whichever team loses gets first pick of mentoring stations at the Pack build day — everybody wins something.

Advancement Connections

Requirement	Completed at this meeting	At-home
Race Time 1 — Build a Pinewood Derby car (with adult supervision)	✅ Design drawn	✅ Cut/sand/paint at home + Pack build support
Race Time 2 — Learn the rules of the race	✅ Connect Four game	—
Race Time 3 — Mentor younger Cub Scouts at a build event	—	✅ At the Pack build day / kit-distribution window
Personal Fitness 2 — share the 14-day log	✅ Share-out — Personal Fitness complete for Scouts with finished logs (chase the rest by the next meeting)	—

At-Home Assignment

"Your car kit arrives at the Pack meeting. Job one: cut your design — with an adult on any power tools, always. Job two is the AOL job: when younger Scouts are working on their cars, you're the helper, not the hero. Show a Wolf how to sand; don't sand it for them. That mentoring is an actual requirement of this adventure."

Post-Meeting Notes (fill in after)

Attendance: ___ Scouts, ___ adults

What worked well:

What to improve:

Follow-up needed:

---

Meeting 9 — Race Time AOL, Part 2: Build & Mentor Prep (Elective ⭐)

Date: Wednesday, January 6, 2027 Time: 6:30–7:30 PM Location: Waverly Elementary School cafeteria Pack tie-in: STEM Carnival Pack Meeting this month — the den's car-physics knowledge makes them natural station helpers there too. Race participation at the Pinewood Derby completes this adventure.

Tonight is a working build session: sanding, weight placement, axle prep, paint touch-ups — plus rehearsal of the sportsmanship role the den plays at the Derby. Only hand tools tonight (sandpaper, screwdrivers, hammers for axle setting); power-tool cutting belongs at home with an adult. Cover tables; paint dries slowly in January — bring designs already painted if possible and use tonight for assembly and tuning.

Materials Checklist

• Scouts bring their cars in whatever state they're in (announce twice)
• Sandpaper: 120 / 220 / 400 grit (shared)
• Small hammers + screwdrivers for axle work (shared)
• PWD flat weights + wood glue + small digital scale
• Axle/wheel alignment tool if the Pack owns one
• Plastic tablecloths, paper towels
• Acrylic paint + brushes for touch-ups only
• Poster board for the den cheer

Run of Show

Time	Duration	Segment	Lead	Notes
6:30	5 min	Pre-opening: Weigh-In Guessing Game		Scouts guess each car's weight, then scale-check
6:35	5 min	Opening ceremony	Patrol leader	Oath, Law
6:40	25 min	Pit Crew Build Block	All adults	Sand, weight to 5.0 oz, set axles, test roll (req 1)
7:05	8 min	Sportsmanship Huddle	Den Leader	Win-and-lose scripts; how to help a Scout whose wheel falls off (req 4)
7:13	7 min	Den Cheer + Derby Roles	Patrol leader	Write the den cheer; assign Derby-day mentoring stations (req 3 prep)
7:20	5 min	Closing + at-home assignment	Den Leader	Final weight check before race day
7:25	5 min	Parent handoff	Den Leader	Derby-day arrival time for helpers

Pit Crew Build Block (25 min)

Goal: Every car leaves race-legal: at or under 5 ounces, axles square, wheels spinning free.

Setup: Stations by task — sanding, weights, axles, test track (any smooth table with a books-propped incline).

Instructions: 1. Sand progressively: 120 for shaping, 220 for smoothing, 400 before any paint touch-up. 2. Weigh early and often. Add flat weights toward the rear of the car; glue and re-weigh. 5.0 oz exactly is the goal — you can remove weight at check-in, but a light car is slow forever. 3. Axle care: polish the nails, set them with gentle hammer taps, check that the car rolls straight on the test surface. A car that pulls sideways rubs the rail and loses. 4. Every Scout also helps one other Scout with a task — tonight is mentoring practice with training wheels on.

Sportsmanship Huddle (8 min)

Goal: Scouts decide — before the adrenaline of race night — exactly how they'll act when they win, when they lose, and when someone else's car breaks.

Instructions: 1. Ask for the three scripts and write them on the poster: to the heat winner — "Congratulations." When congratulated — "Thank you." When a car breaks — "Can I help?" 2. Talk through the losing feeling honestly: you worked for weeks; it stings. Notice it, breathe, remember the race is for fun and the car still exists tomorrow. 3. Their real job at the Derby: the younger dens are watching the big kids. The way AOL Scouts lose a heat teaches Wolves how to lose a heat.

Advancement Connections

Requirement	Completed at this meeting	At-home
Race Time 1 — Build the car	✅ Assembly + tuning (paint/finish at home)	✅ Final touches
Race Time 3 — Mentor younger Scouts	✅ Station roles assigned	✅ Executed at Derby check-in/build support
Race Time 4 — Discuss sportsmanship before the race	✅ Huddle	—
Race Time (final) — Participate in the race	—	✅ At the Pinewood Derby — adventure completes there

At-Home Assignment

"Finish your paint, do a final weight check, and don't touch the axles again after they're rolling straight. On Derby day, arrive at your mentoring station on time — you're staff this year, not just a racer. Race hard, lose gracefully, win humbly, and be the kid who says 'can I help?' when someone's wheel pops off."

Post-Meeting Notes (fill in after)

Attendance: ___ Scouts, ___ adults

What worked well:

What to improve:

Follow-up needed:

---

Meeting 10 — Duty to God (Required)

Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2027 Time: 6:30–7:30 PM Location: Waverly Elementary School cafeteria Pack tie-in: — With tonight delivered, all six required adventures have been taught; what remains are individual at-home completions, which Meeting 12 audits.

Handle this adventure with care and openness. Scouting America is absolutely nonsectarian: the den includes families of any faith tradition and practice. Notify every family of tonight's content in advance and make the standing offer: any family may complete this adventure entirely at home instead, and the requirement is equally met. (This adventure may also be earned by completing a Religious Emblem of the family's choosing — mention it; some families will prefer that path.) For the guest requirement, invite a representative of a faith-based organization that serves people in crisis regardless of faith — the charter organization's outreach ministries are a natural first call, but any local faith-based service group (food pantry, shelter ministry, disaster-relief group) fits.

Materials Checklist

• Guest speaker confirmed (two weeks out) + thank-you card for the den to sign
• Question cards to seed the Q&A (below)
• Values-of-the-Scout-Law cards for pre-opening (the 12 points on separate cards)
• Family discussion guide half-sheet to send home (reqs 1 and 3)

Run of Show

Time	Duration	Segment	Lead	Notes
6:30	5 min	Pre-opening: Scout Law Sort		Scouts pick the Law point their family lives best and say why
6:35	5 min	Opening ceremony	Patrol leader	Oath, Law
6:40	25 min	Guest: Serving People in Crisis	Guest speaker	Who they help, how, and why their faith moves them to (req 2)
7:05	10 min	Reflection Circle	Den Leader	What "duty to God" means to each Scout — voluntary sharing (req 3 seed)
7:15	5 min	Thank-You + Card Signing	Patrol leader	Den signs the card for the guest
7:20	5 min	Closing + at-home assignment	Den Leader	Family discussion guide goes home
7:25	5 min	Parent handoff	Den Leader	Reqs 1 & 3 finish at home; Religious Emblem alternative

Guest: Serving People in Crisis (25 min)

Goal: Scouts meet someone whose faith translates directly into service, and learn who in their own community needs help and how it reaches them.

Setup: Brief the guest that the audience is fifth graders and the focus is who they help and how — not doctrine. Share the seed questions in advance.

Instructions: 1. The patrol leader introduces the guest (coach them on it beforehand — 30 seconds, name and organization). 2. Guest speaks 10–12 minutes on their organization's work. 3. Open Q&A with the seed cards ready for slow moments: "What's the biggest need in our community right now?" "What do volunteers actually do?" "Could kids our age help?" 4. Close by asking the guest what they'd tell a Scout who wants to live "helpful" and "reverent" at the same time.

Reflection Circle (10 min)

Goal: Every Scout starts putting words to what duty to God means to them — the conversation they'll finish at home.

Instructions: 1. Frame it with the nonsectarian truth: Scouts in this circle may practice different faiths, and Scouting asks each of us to be faithful in our own duty and respectful of everyone else's. 2. Prompts, voluntary answers only: "What does your family do that shows what it believes?" "Where does 'reverent' show up in your week?" 3. No Scout is required to share. Model it by going first, briefly. 4. Send it home: the finishing conversations (reqs 1 and 3) belong with their parent or guardian.

Advancement Connections

Requirement	Completed at this meeting	At-home
Duty to God 1 — Discuss family faith traditions and a Scout Law value	—	✅ With parent/guardian (discussion guide)
Duty to God 2 — Meet a representative of a faith-based organization serving people in crisis	✅ Guest visit	—
Duty to God 3 — What "Duty to God" means to you; how you practice it	✅ Seeded in circle	✅ Finished with parent/guardian
(Alternative) Religious Emblem of the family's choosing	—	✅ Family-directed, replaces reqs 1–3

At-Home Assignment

"Take the discussion guide home and have the two conversations on it with your parent or guardian — your family's traditions and a Scout Law value that lives inside them, and what duty to God means to you personally. When you've had both conversations, you've completed the last required adventure of Cub Scouting. Let that land: after tonight, what's left is finishing touches — and a bridge."

Post-Meeting Notes (fill in after)

Attendance: ___ Scouts, ___ adults

What worked well:

What to improve:

Follow-up needed:

---

Meeting 11 — Estimations (Elective ⭐)

Date: Wednesday, February 3, 2027 Time: 6:30–7:30 PM Location: Waverly Elementary School cafeteria Pack tie-in: Klondike Derby this month — tonight's map-distance work uses the Klondike venue map, and the meeting doubles as the den's cold-weather gear check. Gear reminder for the Klondike: full layers, gloves, hats, no sneakers.

Estimations is the AOL math-in-the-wild elective: scaling a campout menu, estimating serving sizes, and measuring distance off a map. Scouts arrive with wildly different math comfort — the requirement is mathematical thinking, not speed. A Scout who adds an ingredient ten times and a Scout who multiplies both get it right.

Materials Checklist

• Campout Meal Planner printouts (1 per Scout — from the AOL handbook resources)
• 2–3 estimation station foods with serving-size cards: dried beans, uncooked rice, crackers (check den allergies first)
• Paper plates ×2 per Scout, measuring cups matching the serving sizes
• Printed maps with scale of the Klondike Derby venue area (1 per Scout) — any park map with a scale bar works as backup
• Index cards, rulers (1 per 2 Scouts), pencils, scratch paper
• Cold-weather layers demo: base layer, insulating layer, shell, wool socks vs. cotton

Run of Show

Time	Duration	Segment	Lead	Notes
6:30	5 min	Pre-opening: Jar Guess		Estimate beans in a jar; closest guess picks the closing game
6:35	5 min	Opening ceremony	Patrol leader	Oath, Law
6:40	15 min	Scale the Campout Menu	Den Leader	Recipe for 4 → patrol of 10 → "surprise, 20 people" (req 1)
6:55	10 min	Serving Size Showdown		Guess-then-measure with real food (req 1 cont.)
7:05	10 min	Map Distance: How Far Is the Sled Run?	Den Leader	Straight-line + crooked-trail distance on the venue map (req 4)
7:15	5 min	Klondike Layer Check	Den Leader	Dress-for-cold demo; what every Scout wears that day
7:20	5 min	Closing + at-home assignment	Den Leader	Sun-and-hands time estimation to try outside
7:25	5 min	Parent handoff	Den Leader	Klondike logistics + carpool

Scale the Campout Menu (15 min)

Goal: Scouts convert a real recipe for the wrong number of people into the right number — the estimation Scouts actually do before every campout.

Instructions: 1. Set the scene: "A Scout is thrifty — we don't want to buy double the food, and nobody wants to run out of pancakes on Sunday." 2. Each Scout picks a meal from the Campout Meal Planner and scales it from the printed serving count to the patrol's size. Any method that works is a win: repeated addition, multiplication, doubling-and-adjusting. 3. Twist: "Great news — another den's cooler died, they're joining us. Feed 20." Rescale. 4. Enrichment for fast finishers: the pots problem. One Dutch oven feeds 10 — what does dinner for 20 need besides ingredients?

Map Distance: How Far Is the Sled Run? (10 min)

Goal: Scouts measure real distances from a map scale — straight line and along a bending trail — before walking that ground at the Klondike.

Instructions: 1. Teach the scale bar: inches on the map are feet-or-miles on the ground, and the legend says which. 2. Straight-line: lay the index card edge between two points, mark both, read against the scale. 3. Crooked-trail: tick-mark method — walk the card edge segment by segment around the bends, adding tick marks, then measure the total. 4. Reality check: "Phones die in the cold. This is how you know how far the next station is when the app can't tell you."

Advancement Connections

Requirement	Completed at this meeting	At-home
Estimations 1 — Estimate/scale food amounts for a group meal	✅ Menu scaling + serving-size stations	—
Estimations 2 — Estimate time using the sun and your hands	—	✅ At-home challenge (sunny afternoon, hand-widths above the horizon)
Estimations 3 — Estimate the height of a tall object	✅ If time allows (stick method vs. cafeteria wall)	✅ Otherwise: tree at home, stick method
Estimations 4 — Find the distance between two points on a map	✅ Klondike map exercise	—

At-Home Assignment

"Two estimation missions this week. One: on a sunny afternoon, hold your hand at arm's length and count hand-widths between the sun and the horizon — each four fingers is about an hour of daylight left. Check yourself against a clock. Two: estimate the height of a tree in your yard with the stick method, then tell me your answer at the Klondike. Dress warm out there — the sled run doesn't care how good your math is."

Post-Meeting Notes (fill in after)

Attendance: ___ Scouts, ___ adults

What worked well:

What to improve:

Follow-up needed:

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Meeting 12 — Catch-Up / Rank Completion Audit

Date: Wednesday, February 10, 2027 Time: 6:30–7:30 PM Location: Waverly Elementary School cafeteria Pack tie-in: Pinewood Derby is this month — racing completes Race Time AOL. Tonight is the last scheduled requirements meeting before the rank must be finished.

This meeting is the safety net — run it like one. Before tonight, pull every Scout's Scoutbook Plus record and build a one-page grid: Scouts down the side, adventures across the top, holes circled. Typical stragglers: the Bobcat Parent's Guide exercises, the troop visit (if it slipped), Personal Fitness logs, Duty to God family discussions, and any Scout who missed a whole meeting. Anything that can't be finished tonight gets a named at-home plan with a date. The Arrow of Light rank must be complete and logged before the Blue & Gold.

Materials Checklist

• Completion grid (prepared from Scoutbook Plus — bring two copies)
• Station supplies matched to your den's actual gaps — common kit: first-aid practice items, flag for folding, Scout Law cards, spare Activity Logs, Parent's Guide booklets
• AOL handbooks — ask every Scout to bring theirs (announce twice)
• Board games / gym equipment for Scouts who are fully complete (their reward: run the fun)
• PWD cars for a final weigh-and-roll check, plus the small scale

Run of Show

Time	Duration	Segment	Lead	Notes
6:30	5 min	Pre-opening: Derby Car Clinic		Final weight/wheel check for race day
6:35	5 min	Opening ceremony	Patrol leader	Oath, Law
6:40	30 min	Completion Stations	All adults	Each Scout works their own gap list; complete Scouts staff stations or run the game corner
7:10	7 min	The Grid Review	Den Leader	Walk the grid with each family — what's left, by when
7:17	3 min	Rank Countdown	Den Leader	"X Scouts fully done, Y with one item left" — make it a team score
7:20	5 min	Closing + at-home assignment	Den Leader	Named plan per Scout
7:25	5 min	Parent handoff	Den Leader	Individual gap conversations; Scoutbook sign-offs live

Completion Stations (30 min)

Goal: Every open requirement that can close in this room closes tonight.

Setup: Stations built from the completion grid — you know by now exactly which four or five things your den still owes.

Instructions: 1. Post the grid. Each Scout finds their row and goes to their first open station. Complete Scouts become station helpers — teaching a requirement is the best proof they own it. 2. Sign off requirements in Scoutbook Plus as they finish, phone in hand — not from memory tomorrow. 3. For at-home-only items (Parent's Guide, family discussions, log days), the station is a planning table: Scout + parent write the when on a card that goes home on the fridge. 4. If any Scout still hasn't made a troop visit, lock the make-up date tonight — troops meet weekly; there are two windows left before the banquet.

Advancement Connections

Requirement	Completed at this meeting	At-home
Any open requirement from Meetings 1–11	✅ Stations, as applicable per Scout	✅ Dated plan for the rest
Race Time (final) — race participation	—	✅ At the Pinewood Derby

At-Home Assignment

"Whatever's on your card, that's your assignment — and it has a date on it because the Blue & Gold doesn't move. When your last requirement is signed off, you've earned the Arrow of Light: the one badge you'll still be wearing on your Scouts BSA uniform next year."

Post-Meeting Notes (fill in after)

Attendance: ___ Scouts, ___ adults

What worked well:

What to improve:

Follow-up needed:

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Meeting 13 — Crossover Prep + Blue & Gold Skit Practice

Date: Wednesday, March 3, 2027 Time: 6:30–7:30 PM Location: Waverly Elementary School cafeteria Pack tie-in: Blue & Gold Banquet — the den performs a skit and crosses the bridge. Tonight rehearses both.

By tonight every Scout should have a target troop, or be close. Families choose troops — your job is making sure they've visited and know what questions to ask (troop size, meeting night, summer-camp plans, youth-led culture, cost). Coordinate with the Cubmaster on which troops Pack 323 families are considering and confirm each troop's leadership knows crossover night details. Scouts who join a troop can keep working: the Scout rank awaits, and their AOL knife-safety work points straight at the Totin' Chip.

Materials Checklist

• Skit script options (2–3 short, big-cast skits — den votes; performance beats polish)
• Any props the chosen skit needs (raid the den box first)
• "Choosing a Troop" question sheet (1 per family): meeting night, size, camping calendar, summer camp, how youth-led, costs
• Crossover ceremony run-sheet from the Cubmaster (who walks when, where troops stand)
• Arrow of Light rank cards / ceremony notes if the Pack presents them at the banquet

Run of Show

Time	Duration	Segment	Lead	Notes
6:30	5 min	Pre-opening: Scouts BSA Trivia		Merit badges, ranks, "what's a SPL?" — warm up the next chapter
6:35	5 min	Opening ceremony	Patrol leader	Oath, Law
6:40	10 min	What Happens After the Bridge	Den Leader	Scout rank, patrols for real, Totin' Chip, first campout with a troop
6:50	10 min	Troop Choice Workshop	Den Leader	Families compare notes with the question sheet; flag anyone with no troop yet
7:00	15 min	Skit Rehearsal	Patrol leader	Cast, block, and run it twice — everyone gets a line
7:15	5 min	Ceremony Walkthrough	Den Leader	Practice the crossing order and where families stand
7:20	5 min	Closing + at-home assignment	Den Leader	Uniform check for banquet night
7:25	5 min	Parent handoff	Den Leader	Troop applications; banquet logistics

What Happens After the Bridge (10 min)

Goal: Scouts walk into the banquet excited about what's next, not just nostalgic about what's ending.

Instructions: 1. Draw the line: in Cub Scouting, adults run the program and kids do it. In Scouts BSA, youth run the program — the senior patrol leader is a kid, the patrol leader is a kid, and the adults stand back. 2. Preview the firsts: the Scout rank (they already know the Oath, Law, sign, salute, handshake — they've been using them all year), the Totin' Chip (their Knife Safety work made this easy), the first troop campout where the patrol cooks its own food (they've run a camp kitchen too). 3. Let them ask anything. The question under the questions is "will I be okay there?" — the honest answer is that every older Scout in every troop crossed a bridge exactly like this one.

Advancement Connections

Requirement	Completed at this meeting	At-home
(No open rank requirements should remain — the rank is complete)	—	✅ Any final Scoutbook sign-offs confirmed with families

At-Home Assignment

"Three things for banquet night: full Class A uniform, your family, and your answer to which troop you're joining — bring the application if you have it. If you're still deciding, that's okay too; tell me which meetings you want to visit and we'll make it happen before spring."

Post-Meeting Notes (fill in after)

Attendance: ___ Scouts, ___ adults

What worked well:

What to improve:

Follow-up needed:

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Meeting 14 — Celebration & Bridge Readiness

Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2027 Time: 6:30–7:30 PM Location: Waverly Elementary School cafeteria Pack tie-in: Crossover at the Blue & Gold — one week from tonight, this den becomes Scouts BSA members. Tonight the den closes out its Cub Scout years together.

Keep tonight light and a little ceremonial. The requirements are done, the skit is rehearsed — this meeting exists because a den that's been together since kindergarten deserves a last night that's theirs. One logistics job hides inside it: confirm every family's banquet attendance and troop landing spot, and hand any loose ends (an unfinished sign-off, a missing application) to the specific adult who'll chase them.

Materials Checklist

• The den's artifacts: patrol flag, code of conduct poster from Meeting 1, den doodle/photos if you have them
• Index cards + pens for the letters-to-self
• Envelopes (1 per Scout) — collected tonight, returned at the Ice Cream Social or mailed in June
• The den's favorite game's equipment (they picked it — you just bring it)
• Simple treats (check allergies)
• Skit props for one final run-through

Run of Show

Time	Duration	Segment	Lead	Notes
6:30	5 min	Pre-opening: Photo Table		Scouts arrange the den's photos/artifacts into a timeline
6:35	5 min	Opening ceremony	Patrol leader	Oath, Law — their last one as Cub Scouts
6:40	10 min	Final Skit Run	Patrol leader	Once through, full speed, props and all
6:50	10 min	Start/Stop/Continue: The Whole Trail	Den Leader	Retrospective on five years of Cub Scouting
7:00	8 min	Letters to Future Scouts BSA Me	Den Leader	Sealed envelopes, returned in June
7:08	12 min	The Den's Choice	Patrol leader	The game they voted for; play it loud
7:20	5 min	Closing	Den Leader	The bridge is one week out — what to bring, when to arrive
7:25	5 min	Parent handoff	Den Leader	Final banquet confirmations

Start/Stop/Continue: The Whole Trail (10 min)

Goal: Scouts name what Cub Scouting gave them — and what they want to carry across the bridge.

Instructions: 1. Same format as the campout debrief in the fall, bigger scope: their whole Cub Scout trail, Lion or wherever they started to tonight. 2. Prompts: best campout memory, hardest requirement, the meeting that surprised you, the thing you'll teach a younger Scout someday. 3. Continue is the column that matters: what habit crosses the bridge with them? (Someone will say the left-handed handshake. Someone will say s'mores. Both are right.)

Letters to Future Scouts BSA Me (8 min)

Goal: Each Scout writes a note their June self will read as a Scouts BSA member.

Instructions: 1. Prompts on the board: "By summer camp I hope I've…", "Don't forget how it felt when…", "The younger Scouts will need you to…" 2. Seal, name on the envelope, hand them in. Return them at the June Ice Cream Social (crossed-over Scouts are always welcome back as guests) or mail them.

Advancement Connections

Requirement	Completed at this meeting	At-home
(None — celebration meeting)	—	✅ Show up to the banquet in full uniform, ready to cross

At-Home Assignment

"One week. Full Class A, arrive on time, bring your family. You've earned the Arrow of Light — next Wednesday you walk across a bridge and a Scoutmaster shakes your left hand on the other side. We'll be cheering the whole way across."

Post-Meeting Notes (fill in after)

Attendance: ___ Scouts, ___ adults

What worked well:

What to improve:

Follow-up needed:

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Appendix A: Adventure Requirements Summary

Requirement text below is condensed for quick reference — the AOL handbook and the den's Scoutbook Plus records are authoritative.

Bobcat (Required — Meeting 1 + troop visit + at home)

• 1. Demonstrate the patrol method: choose a patrol name and elect a patrol leader; discuss the benefits
• 2. Get to know the members of your patrol
• 3. Help create the den code of conduct
• 4. Recite the Scout Oath and Scout Law with your patrol
• 5. Demonstrate the Scouts BSA sign, salute, and handshake and how each is used
• 6. Learn the Scouts BSA slogan ("Do a Good Turn Daily") and motto ("Be Prepared")
• 7. With your patrol or your parent/legal guardian, visit a Scouts BSA troop
• 8. At home with your parent/legal guardian, do the exercises in "How to Protect Your Children From Child Abuse: A Parent's Guide"

Outdoor Adventurer (Required — Meeting 2 + Fall Family Campout + Meeting 3 debrief)

• 1. Learn about the Scout Basic Essentials
• 2. Determine what to bring on an overnight campout — including tent and sleeping gear — and how to carry it (gear shakedown)
• 3. Review the four points of the SAFE Checklist and how you'll apply them on the campout
• 4. Locate your campsite on a map
• 5. With your patrol or a Scouts BSA troop, participate in a campout
• 6. On arrival, help decide the campsite layout (kitchen, eating area, tents, firepit); set up patrol gear before your own tent
• 7. Explain and demonstrate safe food handling and a sanitary campsite kitchen
• 8. Afterward, discuss what went well and what to change, including the Outdoor Code and Leave No Trace Principles for Kids

First Aid (Required — Meetings 3–4 + video at home)

• 1. With parent permission, watch the Protect Yourself Rules video for Arrow of Light (at home, with parent/guardian)
• 2. Explain what to do when you encounter someone needing first aid (Check–Call–Care)
• 3. Demonstrate first aid for hurry cases: serious bleeding, heart attack / sudden cardiac arrest, stopped breathing, stroke, poisoning
• 4. Show how to help a choking victim
• 5. Demonstrate how to treat shock
• 6. Demonstrate treatment for cuts/scratches, burns/scalds, bites/stings, and nosebleed
• 7. Make a personal first-aid kit and demonstrate the proper use of each item

Citizenship (Required — Meeting 5 + Leaf Raking service day)

• 1. Identify a community service project your patrol or pack could accomplish; use the SAFE Checklist to plan it safely
• 2. Participate in service project(s) totaling at least two hours

Personal Fitness (Required — Meeting 7 + campout hike + 14 days at home)

• 1. Plan a balanced campout meal and prepare it using campout gear
• 2. Examine what physical fitness means to you; track 30-minute activities over a 14-day period and share
• 3. Be active for 30 minutes with your patrol or at least one other person, including stretching and movement
• 4. Review your BSA Annual Health and Medical Record with a parent/guardian; discuss your ability to participate

Duty to God (Required — Meeting 10 + family discussions at home)

May instead be earned by completing a Religious Emblem of the family's choosing.

• 1. Discuss your family's faith traditions (or one of your choosing) with a parent/guardian; connect a value of it to the Scout Law
• 2. Meet a representative of a faith-based organization that serves people in crisis regardless of faith; identify who they help and how
• 3. Discuss what "Duty to God" means to you and how you practice it daily

Knife Safety (Elective ⭐ — Meeting 2 + Fall Family Campout + Meeting 7)

• 1. Know the safety rules for handling and using a knife (Stop · Away · Sharp · Store; safety circle)
• 2. Demonstrate that you know how to care for and use a knife safely (supervised sharpening at the campout)
• 3. Demonstrate proper use of a pocketknife to make a useful object on a campout (marshmallow roasting stick)
• 4. Choose the correct cooking knife and demonstrate how to properly slice, chop, and mince

Earning Knife Safety grants the privilege of using a knife, with adult permission, during Cub Scout activities — required even for Scouts who earned Whittling as Bears or Chef's Knife as Webelos. In a troop, the Totin' Chip comes next.

Engineer (Elective ⭐ — Meeting 6)

• 1. Learn the focus, related sciences, and products of civil, electrical, and mechanical engineers
• 2. Pick one engineering field to explore
• 3. Examine a set of blueprints or specifications
• 4–5. Choose and build an engineering project (paper roller coaster)

Race Time AOL (Elective ⭐ — Meetings 8–9 + Pack build window + Pinewood Derby)

• 1. With adult supervision, build a Pinewood Derby car
• 2. Learn the rules of the race
• 3. Mentor younger Cub Scouts on design, building, and good sportsmanship
• 4. Before the race, discuss with your patrol how you will demonstrate good sportsmanship
• 5. Participate in the race

Estimations (Elective ⭐ — Meeting 11 + at home)

• 1. Estimate and scale food amounts for a group meal
• 2. Estimate time using your hands and the position of the sun
• 3. Estimate the height of a tall object
• 4. Find the distance between two points on a map

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Appendix B: Materials Master List

Every Meeting (standing den box)

• US flag · patrol flag · den code of conduct poster (made at Meeting 1)
• First-aid kit
• Pencils, paper, index cards, painter's tape, markers
• Attendance log · this playbook · phone with Scoutbook Plus

One-Time Items by Meeting

Mtg	Items to gather
1	Beach ball (marked with questions), ballots, patrol-name list, poster board, 6 labeled index cards, sign/salute/handshake reference, Parent's Guide reminder sheets
2	Demo backpack with ten Scout Basic Essentials, relay decoy items + "pocketknife" card, Camping Gear Checklists, SAFE Checklists, campground maps, Knife Safety word searches, one demo pocketknife (adult-held)
3	Start/Stop/Continue poster + sticky notes, Emergency Contact worksheets, latex-free gloves, neckerchiefs/triangular bandages, CPR barriers, CPR practice substitute, parent notification sent ahead (Protect Yourself Rules video)
4	Quart bags + markers, kit contents (bandages, gauze, tape, moleskin, wipes, ointment, gloves), station supplies (water bowls, soap, towels, aloe, tweezers, playing cards, cloths), myth-or-fact cards
5	SAFE Service Project Planning Checklists, clipboards, two US flags for folding, community-helpers word search, Leaf Raking logistics sheet
6	Real blueprint, discipline cards, per-Scout coaster kit (cardboard base, 5 sheets cardstock, ruler, 3 marbles), tape, scissors, Roller Coaster Blueprints, your pre-built sample
7	Cutting boards, chef's knives, wrap ingredients (tortillas, turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, dressing), cooler + ice, plates/napkins/sanitizer/gloves, MyPlate chart, Activity Logs, blank AHMR forms
8	Graph paper, example PWD car, Pack rules sheets, Connect Four board + sticky notes + ~20 question cards, small scale, toy car + incline board
9	Sandpaper (120/220/400), small hammers, screwdrivers, PWD flat weights, wood glue, digital scale, alignment tool, tablecloths, touch-up paint, poster board
10	Guest speaker (booked 2 weeks out), thank-you card, question seed cards, Scout Law cards, family discussion guides
11	Campout Meal Planners, estimation station foods + serving cards + measuring cups, paper plates, venue maps with scale, rulers, layers demo clothing
12	Completion grid from Scoutbook Plus, gap-specific station supplies, spare Activity Logs / Parent's Guide booklets, games for finished Scouts, PWD scale
13	Skit scripts + props, "Choosing a Troop" question sheets, ceremony run-sheet from Cubmaster
14	Den photos/artifacts, index cards + envelopes, the den's chosen game, treats (check allergies), skit props

Budget flags (raise with the Committee early)

• Meeting 4 first-aid kit contents (the den's single biggest supply buy)
• Meeting 7 food (plus allergy substitutions)
• PWD weights and finishing supplies (Meeting 9)
• Treats and envelopes for the celebration (Meeting 14)

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Appendix C: Pack Calendar Tie-Ins

Dates for these events live in the annual plan and the Year at a Glance table — everything here is by name on purpose.

Pack / district event	What the AOL den does	Requirement satisfied
Fall Family Campout	Camp as a patrol: set up the campsite kitchen before tents, run the three-pot wash, carve marshmallow sticks (supervised), Saturday hike with stretches	Outdoor Adventurer 5–7 · Knife Safety 2–3 · Personal Fitness 3
Scouts BSA troop visit (den outing, ~October)	Attend a troop meeting with the scavenger-hunt worksheet; ask the older Scouts real questions	Bobcat 7
Webelos-O-Ree (district, optional)	Troop-run outdoor stations; a strong alternative or supplement to the troop visit	Bobcat 7 (alternative) · crossover exposure
Leaf Raking at the charter organization	Execute the service project the patrol planned with the SAFE checklist	Citizenship 2
Veterans Day Parade	March with the Pack; flag carriers from the den (full Class A)	— (flag skills from Meeting 5)
PWD Car Kit Distribution (Pack Meeting)	Receive kits; begin mentoring younger dens' design questions	Race Time 1, 3
STEM Carnival (Pack Meeting)	Den members make natural station helpers	—
Pinewood Derby (Pack Meeting)	Race; staff mentoring stations at check-in; model sportsmanship for younger dens	Race Time 3, 4, 5 — completes the adventure
NPD Klondike Derby	Cold-weather district event; the den's map skills and layering from Meeting 11 pay off	—
Scouting for Food	Backup service hours for any Scout short of two hours	Citizenship 2 (backup)
Blue & Gold Banquet	Den performs its skit; Arrow of Light rank presented; crossover to Scouts BSA troops	The point of the whole year
Ice Cream Social (June)	Crossed-over Scouts welcome back as guests; letters-to-self returned	—

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Appendix D: Den Leader Quick Reference

First Day of Each Month

• Check the annual plan for this month's Pack events and any date changes announced at the committee meeting
• Pull the den's Scoutbook Plus report; note any Scout falling behind
• Send families the month's two den meeting dates and any gear/bring reminders
• September–October only: confirm troop-visit plans are moving
• January–February only: check the rank-completion grid against the crossover countdown

One Week Before Each Meeting

• Read the meeting plan (a week out, not the night before)
• Gather materials from Appendix B; flag any purchase needs to the Committee
• Send the parent reminder: date, time, anything Scouts must bring (gear, cars, handbooks)
• Confirm any guest (engineer, faith-organization representative, troop contact) and your adult-helper count
• Meetings with knives or food: re-check allergies and supervision ratios

After Each Meeting

• Log completions in Scoutbook Plus before you leave the parking lot
• Fill in the Post-Meeting Notes block while it's fresh
• Message families whose Scout missed: what was covered, what to make up at home
• Restock the den box

The Crossover Countdown (AOL-specific)

• By the December meetings: Bobcat fully closed for every Scout (including troop visit and Parent's Guide)
• By mid-January: all six required adventures delivered; only at-home items open
• By the February catch-up meeting: every remaining item has a named plan and date
• Before the Blue & Gold: every Scout's Arrow of Light rank complete and logged in Scoutbook Plus; every family has a troop landing spot or a visit scheduled
• At the banquet: exhale — you got a den of fifth graders across the bridge

Useful Links

Resource	Link
Scoutbook Plus (advancement)	advancements.scouting.org
Scouting America Arrow of Light Adventures	scouting.org/programs/cub-scouts/adventures/arrow-of-light/
Guide to Safe Scouting	scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/
Scouting America SAFE Checklist	scouting.org/health-and-safety/safe/
Scouting America Annual Health & Medical Record	scouting.org/health-and-safety/ahmr/
Safeguarding Youth Training (my.scouting.org)	my.scouting.org
NPD Klondike Derby	baltimorescouting.org/nationalpike/program/activities-services/np-klondike/
Pinewood Derby rules	scoutlife.org/hobbies-projects/pinewood-derby/
Baltimore Area Council events	baltimorescouting.org

Safeguarding Youth Training (SYT) & Two-Deep Leadership

Safeguarding Youth Training (SYT) — the renamed and updated successor to Youth Protection Training (YPT) — is required for every registered adult and is a joining requirement. SYT must be renewed every year; if it lapses, you cannot re-register. Complete or renew it at my.scouting.org before the first meeting. Details: scouting.org/training/safeguarding-youth.

Two-deep leadership: every den meeting must have at least two registered adults present (or one registered adult plus a parent/guardian). Never be one-on-one with a Scout. If your co-leader is absent, recruit a parent before the meeting — do not run a meeting solo.