The Pack helps the Cub Scout grow.

I have been told that the BSA is getting rid of the Cub Scout Promise and Law of the Pack and going to use the same as the Boy Scouts. In my opinion, that is a big mistake. I have worked with this age children all my life and teaching them the meaning of "Mentally awake and morally straight" is too far over their heads, let alone those twelve points of the Scout Law!  My Cub's books still have the old promise and law, so that is what we are still using.

Our pack gives segments for activities and many events include patches. I decided it might be useful for the Cubs to have a patch vest.

After reciting the law of the pack, I told the Cubs that the pack was going to help the Cub Scout grow, and that growing does not just mean getting bigger because they will do that anyway, with or without the Scouts.

Growing at that meeting meant getting new skills that they can use all their life.

During summer camp, a leader had a patch coming off his uniform and, knowing I was a quilter, asked if I had any thread to fix his patch. Well, I didn't have the right color but I told him I would sew it for him in a way the color of the thread would not matter.

While I was making those repairs, two of the youth staff came over and asked me to teach them to sew their own patches and badges in place. You can bet I was very happy to teach them.

Now it was my Cub's turn to learn to sew. I bought about six meters of red felt and made a pattern that only needed sewing across the two shoulder seams.

I was happy to see the moms encouraging and coaching but letting the boys do the work themselves. I did not hear one word of complaint from any kid.

Sitting at the back table, checking the boy's books, is my Right-hand-man, committee chair and Assistant Cub master all in one. He is supervising the next stage, the hammering of the grommets. Ah, the hammering part was the final reward for getting the sewing part done.

Next Pack meeting we will fix the ties in place while learning some basic knots. Maybe I will even get a picture of a Cub in a vest.

I am not so old that I can not look back to my own childhood and remember how I felt while using something I had made, thinking, "and I did this all by myself"! Good going boys!