Notices from the pack.

Pinewood derby is so exciting and fun because you, the participants. Thank you for the time and passion you put into this.

HUGE thanks, also, to all of the volunteers:

• Robert Slaughter, Master of Ceremonies and Announcer (killed it.)
• David Brown, Geoff Elkins, and Jamie DeBellas - Race setup and operations crew - WHOOP WHOOP
• Barret Michael, Drew-James-and-Andrew Greenwald - Our tireless and detail-oriented Car Runners
• Alison Burch and Ronald Nario for filling in all the other gaps I've missed ❤

Full race result screenshots are attached.

Volunteers needed for Pinewood Derby Race Day

Sign Up Here!!

9-10AM: Track Setup (2 volunteers needed)
10-12AM:
-> Race Announcer (1 position filled): Already Filled by Robert Slaughter (heeeeeere we go!)
-> Car Runners (6 older sibling or adult volunteers neded)

We look forward to seeing you at the pack meeting on Thursday!

APRIL PACK MEETING
Thursday, April 2
6:45 PM - 7:45 PM
Caraway Cafeteria

Scouts wear their Class As or Bs to school on Thursday for an extra raffle ticket!

Join us for our monthly pack meeting:

Pack 162 Meeting
Thursday, March 5
6:45 pm - 7:45 pm
Caraway Cafeteria

We're gearing up for our Spring Campout in April and Cubmaster Brown has some fun activities to get our Scouts in the spirit of having fun in the outdoors.

As always, wear your Pack t-shirt (or Class A, if you want) to school on Thursday to earn an extra raffle ticket.

Here's your friendly reminder about our Pack Meeting on Thursday:

Pack 162 Meeting
Thursday, Feb 5
6:45 pm - 7:45 pm
Caraway Cafeteria

This will be our AOLs last pack meeting before they crossover to become Scouts. Let's give them a heartfelt sendoff!

As always, wear your Pack t-shirt (or Class A, if you want) to school on Thursday to earn an extra raffle ticket.

We're having a Pizza Party for our Pack Meeting!

DECEMBER PACK MEETING
Thursday, Dec 11
6:45pm - 7:45pm
Caraway Cafeteria

We're having a Pack Pizza Party to celebrate busting through our Popcorn goal of selling $15,000 worth of popcorn! Way to go!!!

Our Popcorn Kernels will tell you more about our successful fundraiser and what's in store for our popcorn prize-tastic Pack meeting in January.

It's also Cubmaster Braun's last Pack meeting so we'll wish him a very fond farewell and welcome our new Cubmaster!!!

I'm sure there will be some music making. Mr. Braun might even bring his big bass to play for us one last time!

Hi Pack Families,

We are excited to announce that we’re going to SeaWorld in San Antonio for a sleepover on Saturday, January 31!

Check-in begins at 5:00 PM.

Click here to get to the registration page.

Typically, this event would cost us $95 per person, but because we sold so much popcorn, all Scouts are covered for this trip, and there is even a discount for those accompanying them.

We are so proud of our Scouts and all their hard work selling popcorn—this is going to be an amazing adventure! Keep an eye out for an email with more information.

Join us for our November Pack Meeting!

We'll work on a special service project as a Pack, putting together care packages for Caritas of Austin.

Wear your Class A or Class B to school on Thursday for an extra raffle ticket.

November Pack Meeting
Thursday, Nov. 6
6:45 pm - 7:45 pm
Caraway Cafeteria

We look forward to seeing you on Thursday for our monthly Pack Meeting and Popcorn Fundraiser kick-off!

Pack 162 Meeting
Thursday, Oct. 9
6:45pm - 7:45pm
Caraway Cafeteria

We'll have a popcorn storefront set-up, app training and time for scouts to practice their sales skills.

Enjoy the Caraway Bike Rodeo and then come inside for our Pack Meeting.

Remember to wear your Pack T-shirt to school for an extra raffle ticket.

It's Fall Campout Time!

We will be camping at Inks Lake State Park Sept 27-28, 2025. Registration will close at 11:59 pm on Sunday, September 21.

Registration link: camp registration

The registration fee is free for scouts and $15 per person for adults/guests. This fee covers the campsites, activity supplies, dinner on Saturday night, and breakfast on Sunday morning.

You must cover the Daily use fee for your party. Which is $7 a day for guests over the age of 13.

Please note dinner plans below and indicate in the registration comments if you would like a vegetarian option.

Directions:
Inks Lake State Park, 3480 Park Rd 4 W, Burnet, TX 78611, about an hour from Caraway.

Google Maps

More information about the park can be found at Inks Lake

IMPORTANT

Medical forms ARE required for EVERYONE who attends overnight events. Please fill out a form for your scout and anyone else who will be attending overnight events.
Medical Form

Additional Details:
• All campsites will have water and electricity.

• Campsite assignments will be sent out before the campout. If you have multiple children in different dens and have a preference of which den you would like to be closest to, please let me know. Otherwise, I'll default to the oldest den.

• First Aid, Pack Water Jug, and all pack meetings will be held at headquarters.

• Camp activities include chili cookoff, dessert competition, Bobcat ceremony, and more! Scheduled pack activities begin at 8:30 am on Saturday.

• The pack will provide hot dogs and veggie burgers for dinner on Saturday night and a continental breakfast on Sunday morning.

Families should coordinate with their dens for the other meals.

For Saturday's pack dinner, please bring a side to share according to rank:
AOL's - fruit/ veggies
Webelos - sides and salads
Wolves- dessert
Lions/Tigers- Chips

Instructions on How to Register:
Log in to the Pack 162 Website (https://www.austinpack162.com/), add the membership to your cart, and then complete the purchase by clicking "view cart" in the top left corner of the webpage.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Emily Spivak
Outings Committee Co-Chair
(512)944-7082

Click Here for Announcements: Fall 2025 campout announcements

*** FAMILY TALENT SURVEY AND VOLUNTEER INTEREST FORM ***

Volunteers make the pack run! Plus, it's fun. Consider joining us and playing an important role in your scout's and the pack's scouting experience.

If you're interested or just want to know more before you decide, drop an email to cmasterpack162@gmail.com or reach out to Ronald Nario, Committee Chair or Allison Burch, Assistant Cubmaster.

URGENT OPENINGS

Recruitment Chair

Recruitment: Develops and leads annual recruitment drive for new Scouts; provides information to prospective members; coordinates efforts to spread the word about Pack 162.

********************

Den Popcorn Privates: Encourages den participation (goal of 100%), answers questions, provides support

Popcorn sales are a significant source of funding for the Pack. It is critical that we have good popcorn sales so we support the fun activities we do throughout the year. Selling popcorn is also an opportunity for Scouts to learn important skills such as self-reliance, resilience, persistence, and courtesy.

Great if you are detail oriented. Good with numbers and processes. Want a shorter volunteer commitment.

********************

GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES

We are looking for assistants to support the current positions now with the goal of taking on the roles when the current leadership moves on next Spring. It is a great opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the role so there is an easy and smooth transition.

Assistant Committee Chair

Coordinates administration of Pack business by overseeing work of committee members; coordinates with Council, District and Charter organizations; assists with annual recharter process; assists Cubmaster with organizing Pack activities; recruits volunteers, committee members and leaders; leads Pack committee meetings; approves payment of Pack expenses; and directs Pack communications and messaging.

Crucial Pack position. Great for someone who enjoys leading people. A team-oriented motivator and decision-maker. Loves Scouting!

********************

ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Events Chair

Pack Trainer/Librarian

Blue and Gold Committee

General volunteers and parent helpers.

A big welcome to all the new and returning Pack 162 families!

We have a lot of fun in store for you this year and it starts this week.

Here's what's in this message:
1. PACK MEETING
2. NEW SCOUT FAMILY ORIENTATION
3. IMPORTANT: PACK DUES, REQUIRED TRAINING AND MEDICAL FORMS
4. FALL CAMPOUT
5. POPCORN FUNDRAISER
6. ADULT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
7. SUNDAY FUNDAY SCOUT TABLE
8. FLAG DUTY
9. PACK COMMUNICATION

1. PACK MEETING
Our first pack meeting is this Thursday:

Pack Meeting
Thursday, Sept. 4
6:45 pm - 7:45 pm
Caraway Cafeteria

2. NEW SCOUT FAMILY ORIENTATION
We will have an informal, Parent Orientation prior to the first Pack Meeting at 6:15. This is an opportunity to ask the Pack 162 leadership team any additional questions you may have.

New Scout Family Orientation
Thursday, Sept. 4
6:15 pm - 6:45 pm
Caraway Cafeteria

3. IMPORTANT: PACK DUES, REQUIRED TRAINING AND MEDICAL FORMS

Annual Pack Dues
Pack membership dues are due for each participating Scouts by the end of September (or before attending a campout).

Login to the Pack 162 Website, add the membership to your cart and then you need to complete the purchase by clicking "view cart" located in the top left corner of the webpage.

The annual Pack membership fee goes toward supporting all Pack 162 activities, campouts, overnighters, den meetings, etc.

Safety Training - REQUIRED
Scouting America has a new safety training called: Safeguarding Youth Training (SYT) - formerly known as Youth Protection Training (YPT).

This training is required for all participating parents of the pack and for all adults who attend camping trips and overnighters.

Log in to ">My.Scouting.org to verify your training is up-to-date and complete the SYT training if it expires anytime in 2025.

Medical Forms
Each year we need an updated Scouting America Medical Forms A and B for Scout(s) and any participating parent in order to take part in Pack activities, including campouts.

Please fill out the Medical Form A and B and print, sign, and turn in to Pack leadership. We can only accept paper copies.

PRO TIP: Fill out the document on your computer and save the completed documents so you can quickly update and print for next year. A new form is required each year.

NOTE: We will have printed copies available at our next Pack Meeting if you do not have access to a printer.

Turn the completed forms in to Assistant Cubmaster (Allison Burch) or your Den Leader.

4. FALL CAMPOUT
The Fall Campout is the weekend of Sept. 26 - 28 at Inks Lake. Most activities happen on Saturday, Sept. 27 starting with our 8:30am flag raising and going through to the evening campfire ceremony, with our closing ceremony on Sunday mid-morning.

We'll also have our special Bobcat ceremony on Saturday afternoon to welcome our new scouts to the Pack 162 family.

Details and registration info to come at the Pack Meeting.

There are opportunities for parents to help at the campout in various ways including headquarters and dinner/breakfast set-up and clean-up. Also, if you are particularly sports inclined we could use your help with some of the pack activities. A parent helper sign-up sheet will sent out soon along with the camping registration details.

5. POPCORN FUNDRAISER
Our popcorn fundraiser will kick off at the October pack meeting but you can begin selling popcorn online and with wagon sale (ie door-to-door) pre-orders now!

Log in to the Trail's End app to get first dibs on our storefront shifts and to begin selling to your friends, family and neighbors now!

Storefront sales don't start until October so we have a smaller window than normal for storefront sales, which is why we are emphasizing and encouraging online and wagon sales, in addition to storefront shifts.

General details are on the ">Capital Area Council popcorn website and more to come soon, including training, from the Pack's Popcorn Committee.

6. ADULT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Pack 162 doesn’t run without help from the adults. We are entirely parent volunteer led.

There are plenty of opportunities to help make the pack run, from leadership positions to one-time volunteer opportunities at specific events.

Getting involved helps create a sense of shared responsibility among pack families and can be so rewarding. Please consider volunteering your time where you can.

Here's where we could really use your help:

Recruitment Chair and Recruitment Committee members
Den Leader and Assistant Den Leader for 1st Grade Den
Den Leader and Assistant Den Leader for Lion Den
Flag duty coordinator
Parent helpers during campout
Parent helpers for Popcorn sales

Speak to Assistant Cubmaster, Allison Burch or anyone in the Pack leadership if you would like more information or to volunteer.

7. SUNDAY FUNDAY SCOUT TABLE
We secured a table for the Scouts at Sunday Funday on Sept. 14, 3pm - 5pm, to help spread the word about our Pack to the Caraway community.

We're looking for Scout Parents (along with their Scouts, if they are up for it) to take a short shift at the table to tell people about scouting, answer their questions and collect their contact info if they are interested in joining.

Sign up here for a 20-minute shift at the Pack 162 Table

8. FLAG DUTY
The Bears, Webelos and AOLs have the honor of raising and lowering the flags at Caraway.

Sign up for a week (feel free to take more than one) and we will make assignments for any remaining dates. If you have a younger Scout who you think could take on flag duty with maturity and reverance (and you can be there to help guide them) feel free to sign up as well.

Flag Duty Sign Up

9. PACK COMMUNICATION

Pack What's App: We have just started a What's App group for the entire pack. Join here.

Den What's App: Your den may have it's own What's App. Ask your Den Leader for details.

Photo Sharing: We use the BAND app as a way for our pack and dens to share photos of events and activities. It's completely optional and you can share as much or as little as you want. You can access the group through the BAND website on a desktop or by downloading the BAND app on your smart device. It is free and the link to join can be found below. Create a new account using your phone number or email, or use one of your existing Facebook, Google, or Apple accounts. Please make sure to use your full name that's registered with our pack to help streamline membership verification. This is a private group and only members of our pack will have access to the content.

Link to join our BAND group:
https://band.us/n/afa6A7M9393eN

We have a lot going on and there was so much to share. Thank you for reading this far.

As always, let me know if you have any questions on anything Scout related.

We're looking forward to a fun year of scouting!

My best,
Allison

Joel Braun | Cubmaster
Allison Burch | Assistant Cubmaster
Cub Scout Pack 162
Chisholm Trail District, Capitol Area Council BSA

cmasterpack162@gmail.com

www.austinpack162.com

Help us welcome new families and introduce them to the fun of Scouting at our Join Scouting Night:

Caraway Cafeteria
Thursday, August 28
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM (drop in anytime)

This is a great chance for families to learn about our Pack, ask questions, and sign up to start their Scouting journey. Current Scouts are encouraged to invite a friend, and if they bring someone who joins, they’ll earn a "Recruiter" strip for their uniform!