Two Mountains District

CUB SCOUTS - Your son will LOVE IT!

Cub Scouts
Have Fun, Make Friends, See New Things.

Cub Scouts are boys that are 7-10 years old or are in Grades 1-5. Cub Scouts typically meet once a week and are in dens with boys their own age. For over 80 years, Cub Scouts have been having the time of their lives making new friends and learning new things in an environment designed to help them succeed. With the help of an adult leader, boys will build their own pinewood derby car, learn how to roast the perfect marshmallow, visit new places and learn about their community. You son will LOVE being a Cub Scout and you will LOVE seeing his confidence and self esteem build.

Enter your ZIP Code to find a Cub Scout Pack near you!  

Changes to Unit Charter Fee effective January 1, 2013

Changes have been announced in the general liability insurance program for all local Scouting units.

The reasons for the changes are as follows:

• The reserves for open claims have increased significantly over the last several years.
• The average cost per claim has nearly doubled in the last five years.
• Claims payments have doubled in the last two years compared to a five-year average from 2005–2009.

It was also announced that what is now known as the Unit Charter Fee will be called the Unit Liability Insurance Fee. The general liability insurance program receives 100 percent of this fee.

The fee will increase from $20 to $40 effective January 1, 2013, which means the new fee will begin with units that have a December 2012 charter renewal date (a charter period beginning January 1, 2013).

Read more: Changes to Unit Charter Fee effective January 1, 2013

Cabin History

The Camp Headquarters Cabin and Dan Beards Outdoor School
Lackawaxen Township, Pike County, PA

Preserving this cabin, this piece of history has significant meaning not only to the early beginnings of the Boy Scouts of American, but to Daniel Carter Beard and his association with the Northeastern Pennsylvania region. His original summer home, Wildlands, burned down in 1961. The other buildings of the Dan Beard Outdoor School for Boys no longer exist or have been moved. That makes this Kiva style log cabin the last remaining part of Beard's Outdoor School. Relocating and keeping the cabin in the NEPA region is important to preserving not only this history but it is also a tribute to a beloved founder of the BSA, Dan Beard himself.

In 1887, Daniel Carter Beard and his brother James first purchased property on Lake Teedyuskung in Lackawaxen Twp, Pike County, PA. The property was eventually deeded in full to Dan Beard. He built a log cabin in 1887 known as Wildlands as a summer home. In 1916 The Dan Beard Outdoor School for Boys was incorporated and the summer camp program began to take shape.

Dan Beard met Abner McPheters at an outdoor conference and designs for an additional log cabin on his property in Lackawaxen Twp, were formulated. Abner McPheters was a outdoor guide, lumber operations manager, and cabin builder from Maine. A deal was struck and McPheters came from Maine with five loggers (two are known at this time as Little Joe and Elmer) to construct the Kiva style cabin in 1926. The cabin was built on the East side of Welcome Lake Road which is now owned by Woodloch Pines. The purpose of building a Kiva style cabin is that it is well suited to be used as a large assembly room. This Camp Headquarters cabin was designed for that purpose. It is a 28' x 30' rectangular log building with walls reaching to the steeply pitched roof. Joists were placed during the construction (see photo) on the top of wall girders in a N-S orientation to accommodate a hanging room known as the Orioles Nest, which was placed at right angles in a East West direction.

This nest was constructed to float on the rafters so as not to take away from the rooms spacious appearance. The floor of the second level is locked into place by a king post that runs from the roof’s ridgepole to the second floor joist and held in place by wooden pegs. It was effective in reducing vibration and springing of the floor. Stairs were built on the NW side of the room leading to the Orioles Nest. The loft is surrounded with a “U” shaped balcony referred to as a “Romeo and Juliet” balcony.

An extension with a lean-to style roof is located on the east side of the cabin and contains 4 small rooms to be used as bedrooms and offices. The desire was to maintain focus on the cabins’ use as an assembly room. A porch extends from the NW side and continues to the South side of the cabin. A stone fireplace with a puncheon mantel was constructed on the east side of the assembly room. To build it, they first constructed a open face wooden box to be used as a form for laying the stones. Once the stones were laid and chimney finished, a fire was set burning the wooden form from the fireplace.

The front door of the cabin was referred to as a “Fort Pitt” door. It was constructed by using small tree trunks with one side flattened (puncheons.) Each puncheon was attached together to make 2 panels. A frame was constructed and the panels attached to each side. These panel seams were offset and covered on the insides sealing the seams to reduce air seepage. The outside panel overlapped the frame to complete the seal when the door was closed. One of the Maine Loggers, Little Joe, forged the metal hinges in Hawley at a blacksmith shop and hand carved the latches and handles for the door.

Boy Scouting in Northeastern Pennsylvania

What Is Boy Scouts?

Lord Robert Baden-Powell began Scouting in Great Britain in 1910 and was immediately successful in attracting boys and adult leaders to its adventurous and fun outdoor program. In addition to teaching boys outdoor skills and teamwork, boys learned responsibility, character, and the need to do good for others. Several years later, the Boy Scouts of America was incorporated to provide a program for community organizations that offers effective character, citizenship and personnel fitness training for youth. Almost 100 years later, Scouting is one of the largest youth organizations in the world.

Membership

The Boy Scout program is for boys ages 11-17. Members join a Boy Scout Troop and are assigned to a patrol, usually a neighborhood group of six to eight boys, similar to a Cub Scout Den. Troops and their patrols meet weekly, practicing skills, playing games, and learning to plan and manage for themselves as the boys help organize outings, such as hikes, campouts, and outdoor trips, and other activities.

The role of the Scoutmaster and his staff of adult leaders is to coach the boys in developing leadership skills, thinking through problems and tasks, and learning how to work and play together as a team. The Troop Committee includes parents of boys in the Troop and members of the chartered organization.

The Purposes of Boy Scouting

Specifically, the BSA endeavors to help boys develop into American citizens who:

• Are physically, mentally and emotionally fit
• Have high degree of self-reliance as evidenced in such qualities as initiative, courage and resourcefulness
• Have personal values based on religious concepts
• Have the desire and skills to help others
• Understand the principle of the American social, economic and governmental systems
• Are knowledgeable about and take pride in their American heritage and understand our nation's role in the world
• Have a keen respect for the basic rights of all people
• Are prepared to participate in and give leadership to American society.

Personal Growth

As Boy Scouts plan their activities and progress toward their goals, they experience personal growth. The Good Turn concept is a major part of the personal growth method of Boy Scouting. Boys grow as they participate in community service projects and do Good Turns for others. Probably no device is as successful in developing a basis for personal growth as the daily Good Turn. The religious emblems program also is a large part of the personal growth method. Frequent personal conferences with his Scoutmaster help each Boy Scout to determine his growth toward Scouting's aims.

The Boy Scout Oath

On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country,
And to obey the Scout Law,
To help other people at all times
To keep myself physically strong,
Mentally awake, and morally straight

The Boy Scout Motto

Be Prepared

The Scout Law

A Scout is:
Trustworthy
Loyal
Helpful
Friendly
Courteous
Kind
Obedient
Cheerful
Thrifty
Brave
Clean
and Reverent

Scouting Memories

Long after a young man matures and grows into adulthood, the imprint of Scouting and what he learned and experienced in the program will stay with him. There are tons of stories about how Eagle Scouts frequently can be found in positions of leadership in their communities, churches, companies, and even in military service. But the fact of the matter is that even if a boy only gets as far as Tenderfoot, years later he will more than likely remember the Scout oath and the words "On my honor...", remember the name of the summer camp he went to, and the names of his patrol mates - even when he can't remember the date of his own wedding anniversary. Scouting soaks into the very core of the people who get involved in it because it gives meaning to Honor, Friendship, Trust, Faith, and all the other things that form us and sustain us as individuals. So even when a man stands hunched over his cane and his knurled fingers have to be willed to form the Scout sign, it's no surprise that many will say with a choked voice of pride packed with memories, "I remember...". And we're all better for it.