Kiwanis Club of Baton Rouge

Cub Scouts Hold Final Campout of Year
The year of work that are cub scouts and our sponsored Pack 428 came to fruition this past weekend. We held our final camp out for the year on Saturday into Sunday morning. It was a hot weekend but that did not deter the kids from having a great time playing Gaga ball, fishing, and just having a good time. We had six Kiwanians from our club help with the weekend. There to help were Pack Leader Gary Graham, his wife Jamie, Assistant Pack Leader Michael Strain, Casey and Adam Meyer, and Bruce Hammatt. By mid afternoon all of the families had arrived and Bruce took them on a nature walk as he has done in previous years. He showed them the different plants and trees along about 1/2-mile trail around the campsite.
After setting up camp Saturday morning a campfire was started just large enough for everyone to cook their hot dogs since we did not need any extra heat. Along will the hot dogs they had potato salad and baked beans as well as potato chips. One of the families brought watermelons so that was a great treat for a hot afternoon.
As the sun started to set dinner was started making crawfish fettuccine for the adults and tacos for the kids although there was some of both taken by each. After the sun set they made their traditional S’mores before we began our traditional badge ceremony. The badges that the scouts had earned throughout this past year were presented in rank order after the packs senior members retired an American flag. Michael Strain led the ceremony as the Webelos and Arrow of Light candidates unfolded the flag, lead the pack in the Pledge of Allegiance, and then refolded it before placing it on the campfire to be properly retired. We said goodbye to our one Arrow of Light recipient who is the first young lady in our pack to receive it. She has already crossed over and is in a Troop and we expect her to achieve her Eagle Rank in a few years. After the badges were awarded, it was time for the two blueberry cobblers that were cooked in cast iron Dutch ovens by the campfire. Soon it was time to call it a night and the fire was put out and everyone headed off to their tents.
The next morning, he was much cooler and very pleasant has the coffee was put on to perk and a campfire started to warm the biscuits. Soon eggs were scrambled, Manda sausage was fried, grits were cooked, and Donuts fried. After what everyone had their fill, it was time to break camp and head home for the summer break. We'll start back up again in August with the new school year.

The children colored a pair of shoes as a follow up activity.

A great way to end the year in Mrs. Davis's Pre K class at McKinley Elementary by reading "Pete the Cat, I Love My White Shoes." The children were excited to each get a copy of the book with their name in it.

The children loved their books and cards.

We traced the children's handprints to make flowers. The Mother's Day cards came out so cute.

Members Jean LaCour, Gary Graham, Philip Qualls, and Joy Hammatt helped the children make Mother's Day cards.

Our club read "I Love Mom" by Eric Carle to the Pre K children. We gave each child a book to give their moms for Mother's Day.

Mark and Tamara Heidenthal volunteered at the McMain's Children's Development Center's canoe trip at Camp Avondale. It was a great day to help this wonderful organization!

Pinewood Derby Preparations Continue
Our younger scouts returned this week to continue work on their Pinewood Derby cars. They first made their dessert of brownies before starting. Their wheels were polished and weights were added to get them maxium velocity in anticpation of their upcoming Pack Races.Then they came in to enjoy the hot out of the oven brownies with ice cream before heading homeinewood Derby

The children will enjoy this book donated to their classroom library. They will be roaring like lions for the rest of the day. Sorry not sorry!

We read "Don't Tickle the Lion" to the Pre K children. The children touched the animals in the book to hear the sound they make. Members Jean LaCour, Philip Qualls and Joy Hammatt volunteered for this service project.

Cub Scouts Start Pinewood Derby
Just as our younger scouts did last week our older scouts began work on their Pinewood Derby cars. They first made their dessert also like the younger scouts of a Oreo wrapped in a Crescent Roll. covered with chocolate chips. They designed their cars which were cut out and then they sanded them before starting to paint them. We will adjust the wheels and add appropriate weight at the next meeting with them.

Cub Scouts Make Second Camping Trip of Year
The great weather that the Fishing Committee had at Olympia Park was duplicated at Camp Avondale as our sponsored Cub Scout Pack 428 made their second camping trip of this year. Helping were Kiwanis members Pack Leader Gary Graham, Jamie Graham, Assistant Pack Leader Michael Strain, and Adam and Casey Meyer. As usual the kids (our scouts and their siblings) had a great time experiencing the outdoors. Some fished, some played Gaga ball, some played at a ‘fort’ that they found in the woods, and many did all of these activities and more. We had a lunch of hot dogs that they roasted over an open fire. That evening we made a meat sauce with meatballs and pasta along with a salad and bread. For dessert we had the required S'mores as well as a peach cobbler that was cooked over the coals of the fire. The day went quick, and it wasn't long before it was time to call it an evening as everyone's headed into their tents. The next morning everyone was up and gathered around the restarted campfire that was warming the biscuits while the coffee was brewed. Then a breakfast of eggs, grits, Manda sausage, and fried donuts (a particular favorite with the kids) was served with milk and juice. Everyone ate their fill and soon it was time to break camp and head for home. But first the scouts did their police petrol for litter so that all that we left behind where our footprints.

The weather was beautiful to "Teach A Kid To Fish" at Olympia Park.

A great day teaching 45 children from Big Buddy to fish. The children were so excited when they found out they got to keep their fishing poles. Fishing committee chairman, Brian Parker, organized the event. Members Frank O'Quinn, Tamara Heidenthal, Mark Heidenthal, Joy Hammatt, and Bruce Hammatt volunteered. Family members June Lavergne, Ken Lavergne, Allie Parker, and Patrick O'Quinn volunteered to help with the large group.

The children caught t-shirts, got posters, popcorn, drinks, and just had a great time! They even made the big screen twice!

We took a great group from the Louisiana School for the Deaf to the LSU vs Southeastern baseball game. Thanks Jude Bourque for organizing the service project. Jude along with Gary Graham, Bruce & Joy Hammatt volunteered to help at the event.

Pinewood Derby
Then on Sunday our younger scouts, grades kindergarten through second, participated in one of the two most popular events for the scouts. The first is obviously camping but the second is working on their Pinewood Derby cars. As usual we had them make their desserts first before heading out to design their cars. They then had them cut out, sanded, and painted as the first step in completing their cars. At a future meeting, we will adjust the wheels and the weight in anticipation of the upcoming pack races. They headed home and are excited about the upcoming most favorite event in that we will be camping this coming weekend.

Teach a Kid to Fish
This past weekend proved to be a busy one for many of our Cub Scouts in our sponsored Pack 428. First on Saturday they were hosted by the Fishing Committee for our Teach a Kid to Fish program. A little history here -- 25 years ago this service project began with hosting our Cub Scout pack as the very first group and has continued since then. Along to host our Cub Scouts were chair Brian Parker, Gary Graham, Pat and Gail Davis, Sean McDonald, Michael Strain, Frank O’Quinn, and Joy Hammatt. The scouts were given their own rod and reel to keep and sent off to catch fish. Over the next couple of hours 25 fish were caught as well as a snake and a turtle. Soon they were called in to a lunch of hot dogs, chips, cookies, and drink. While they ate, Brian Parker awarded prizes for various categories including biggest fish, smallest fish, most fish, prettiest fish, and most unusual catch among the cub scouts. Soon it was time to pack up and head home although a few of the cub scouts did talk their parents into staying a little bit longer the fish a little bit more.

One of the biggest catches of the day!