Newsletter - 2003 - April

InsaneScouter News

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What's New at http://insanescouter.com

I am proud to announce many of the new features and content now available at InsaneScouter. Below you will find a list of what these updates are and where to find them.

• Upgraded Server Software for better performance, reliability, and security
• Updated CD Sales Page and Added 2 ScoutArt CDs for Sell
• Egypt Crossword Puzzle 1
• Egypt Crossword Puzzle 2
• Egypt Information

If you would like to help in any way with the InsaneScouter website, please contact us at webmaster@insanescouter.org

Scout Hosting - Beta Testing

We are about to make a new Scout Hosting feature we are working on available for testing. We are looking for individuals who are interested in helping us test this new feature by hosting their Troop or Pack web site with us. You will receive 20 MB of space, your own control panel, guest book, event calendar, bulletin board, photo album, mailing list, detailed counter, 1 email account, a file manager and much more. We do not offer FTP access to this account. You will receive all this for free if you are willing to be one of a few selected IsnaneScouter Beta Tester. For more information please email us at webmaster@insanescouter.org.

Land Of The Pharaohs

Cub Scouts travel back in time to the amazing world of ancient Egypt. Explore the tombs of Egyptian kings and learn about the music, food, art, and science of ancient Egyptians. Use hieroglyphics to write secret codes. Observe how the Egyptian stargazers used the constellations to predict events, leading to the basis of early calendars. Boys can build their own sand pyramids and then float down the Nile River in the packs Raingutter Regatta. King Tut can make a visit to present awards!

Crafts, Activities and Other Fun Things

Make a Pyramid

Need: sugar cubes
Have boys make displays of pyramids using sugar cubes. Be sure a spray with a light coat of sealer to keep ants and other insects from them.

Egyptian Bracelets

What you will need:
Card stock
3 dimensional paint
gold spray paint
scissors
tape

What to do:
Enlarge the pattern to size desired to fit arm. Use 3 dimensional paint to outline the shapes. When the paint is dry use gold spray paint to paint over the entire bracelet. Add more 3D paint on top. Cut out the bracelet to fit your arm or ankles and tape them on.

Egyptian Collar (Wesekh)

What you will need:
Legal sized paper
crayons or markers (highlighter markers work great),
hole punch
yarn
tape

What to do:
Enlarge the pattern to fit around each boys neck
Color the two halves of the collar.
Cut them out.
Tape them together.
Punch a hole on each side.
Tie two pieces of yarn in the holes.
Tie the collar on with the yarn.
If you don’t want to punch holes, you can tape or staple the yarn on.

Egyptian Makeup

Supply children with a variety of face paints and let them experiment with small brushes to apply make up the way Egyptians did.

Egyptian Palace Bread

Need: 4 slices white bread, 1 cup honey

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cut crusts from bread. Soak bread in honey for 30 minutes. Place in baking dish. Bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool. May be served with cream to pour over bread. 2 servings.

 

White Chocolate Birds Nests

2 c. chow mein noodles
2 c. corn flakes, crushed
white chocolate
small gourmet jelly beans

In bowl, mix noodles, cereal.
Melt white chocolate, pour over cereal and noodles, coating them.
Put by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.
Indent to shape like nests.
When hardened add jelly beans into indentations for eggs.

 

Flamingo Fodder

1 small box of Cheerios or other donut-shaped cereal
Chocolate chips – 12 oz is preferable
Butterscotch chips – 12 oz size
Peanut butter chips – 12 oz size
M&M’s plain – two individual sized bags
1 c. raisins
1 c. mixed nuts
Mix all together and enjoy

 

Owl Snacks

Creamy peanut butter
1 rice or popcorn cake
2 banana slices
2 raisins for eyeballs
6 fruit loops (or other ringed cereal)
1 cheese triangle

Spread the peanut butter on the rice or popcorn cake. Put the two banana slices on for the owl’s eyes. Put the raisins, one on each banana slice to make the eye ball. Push it in a little so it will stay. Add the six loops above the bananas to make eye brows. Add the cheese triangle under the banana to form the beak. Now you have your owl snack.

Egyptian Self Portrait

Egyptian art is plain and simple, but, its different from normal art. You too can draw like an Egyptian by following the four easy rules. You will just need a pencil, some crayons and some unlined paper.

1. Draw the head and the neck of your picture from the side view. Add one eye as it would look from the front. Then outline the eye in black and add an eyebrow that is curved and black. Draw the lips also from the side view. Draw a black wig showing the ear for both men and women.

2. Draw the shoulders and chest as if youre looking at them from the front. The arms are drawn according to what the figure is holding.

3. The hips, legs and feet are drawn from the side view too. Men wore short skirts and women wore straight dresses that were held in place by two straps.

4. When your outline is done, color the skin a dark tan. Clothes were mostly white but you can add a brightly colored jeweled collar that men and women both wore.

Salt Clay

One of our most natural resources, salt also makes for fun art:

Mix 1-½ cups of salt
4 cups of flour
1-½ cups of water

When dough forms a ball around the spoon, knead the dough well, adding water if it is too crumbly. Set the oven at 150 degrees and bake until had. This can be painted with paint and decorated if wanted. Allow to cool first.

 

Kool-Aid Finger Paint

2 cups flour
2 packs unsweetened kool-aid
½ cup salt
3 cups boiling water
3 T. oil

Mix wet into dry. The kids love the color change. Then finger paint away.

 

Jello Finger Paint

Any kind of flavored Jello
Enough boiling water to make it a good consistency to finger paint.

Use your normal finger painting material or glossy paper. Kids love the smell and the feel of it.

 

Oatmeal Dough

1-cup flour
2 cups oatmeal
1-cup water

Gradually add water to flour and oatmeal in a bowl. Knead until mixed. This dough is sticky, but unique in texture. Model as with clay. Variations: Add cornmeal in small quantity for texture; add coffee grounds in small quantity for texture.

 

Dryer Lint Modeling Material

3 cups lint from laundry dryers
2 cups cold or warm water
2/3-cup non-self-rising wheat flour
3 drops oil of wintergreen
Old newspaper

Put lint and water in a large saucepan. Stir to dampen all parts of the lint. Add flour and stir thoroughly to prevent lumps. Add oil of wintergreen. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture holds together and forms peaks. Pour out onto several thicknesses of newspaper to cool. Use as you would paper mache pulp or shaped over boxed, bottles, balloons, or press into a mold. This material will dry in 3 to 5 days to a very hard, durable surface. When wet it has a felt like consistency. It dries to smooth or rough, depending on how it is used. When pressed into a mold, a hard, smooth finish is obtained. Stored in an airtight container, it will keep for several days.

 

Flower Preservation With Cornmeal

1 pint Powdered Borax
2 pints Cornmeal
Covered cardboard box (shoe or Stationery box)
Fresh flowers

Thoroughly mix borax and cornmeal.
Cover the bottom of the box with ¾ of an inch of this mixture.
Cut flower stems about 1” long. Lay the flowers face down in this mixture. Spread the petals and leaves so that they lie as flat as possible. Do not place flowers too close together. Cover the flowers with ¾ of an inch of the mixture.

Place the lid on the box and keep at room temperature for 3 to 4 weeks. This is an excellent was to preserve flowers. Try daisies, pansies, apple blossoms, asters, violets, and other flowers with the method. They will stay summer fresh indefinitely.

The Luck Of The Scarab - Audience Participation Skit

As the name of the character is mentioned, the person assigned to be that character rises and makes the sound indicated for that character.

Characters:
Reader
Scarab: " Im lucky"
Newt, the Newsboy: "How about a paper?"
Irby, the Iceman: "Im cold"
Mickey, the Milkman: "Fresh milk"
George, the Garbage man: "Im tired"

STORY:

Into the neighborhood there came a little refugee boy named Scarab. Only Newt, the newsboy, was friendly to Scarab because everyone else thought that Scarab was a little odd.

Irby the iceman laughed at Scarab when he saw him walking down the street with Newt the newsboy. Just as Irby laughed, he slipped on a piece of ice, and he didnt think that was so funny.

Mickey the milkman drove up in his milk truck and filled his arms with milk and picked up a carton of eggs to deliver to his next customer. "Out of my way, boy," he shouted at the little refugee boy named Scarab and his friend Newt the newsboy. "Whats the matter with you, Irby?" he cried, as he saw Irby dusting himself off. Just then he dropped the eggs and got his new white shirt and pants yellow!

George the garbageman was making his weekly rounds with his garbage truck. As he came from behind the big apartment house with the heavy garbage can on his shoulder, he glared at Scarab and Newt. Because he was watching Irby and Mickey, George slipped on the broken eggs and dropped the garbage can, spilling the garbage all over.

Newt the newsboy looked down and found a bright shiny quarter. Newt said to Scarab, "How come I had such good luck today, and Irby, Mickey, and George had such bad luck?"

Scarab replied, "Mother says my name brings good luck and you have been nice to me. I am my mothers scarab or good luck charm, like a scarab ring my mother once had from Egypt."

Games

Egyptian Games

Egyptians enjoyed the good life and playing was part of it. Children and adults are often depicted involved in games. Typically boys games were rougher than those of the girls, but the latter were not above fighting and hair pulling

Infractions of the rules were often punished with violence against the offender: kicking and punching, sometimes even tying him up and flogging him with sticks.

The way boys play doesnt seem to have changed much over the millenia.

Whenever the number of boys was sufficient, they would form two opposing teams. One game seems to have been played as follows: Every boy held fast to the one standing in front of him, while the leaders stood opposite each other, trying to wrestle the opponent to the ground, while those behind cheered them on.

In the game The Kid is Made to Fall two boys sat opposite each other with their arms stretched out forming an obstacle over which the other children had to jump. The jumper had to announce when he was about to jump and the two sitting boys tried to catch his legs making him fall. This game is still played in Lower Egypt today.

Racing, whether on their knees or carrying another child on their backs, and other activities including running and catching each other, have always found favor with children, as have feats of dexterity, strength and balance: Boys and girls wrestled or sat piggyback on somebody else trying not to fall off. Some games were played with implements, balls being the most popular among them. With rubber unknown, balls were made of a leather skin filled with chaff, dry papyrus reeds tied tightly together, string or rags. Boys again preferred team sports. Marble games are very ancient. A white and a black stone marble and three little stones forming an arch seem to have been used in one such game.

Boys played a spear throwing game in which one had to hit a target drawn on the ground, called after the god of the wine-press, Shezmu.

Tipcat, in which a piece of wood with tapered ends is struck at one end to make it spring up and is knocked away while still in the air, may have been played during the Middle Kingdom.

Board games

Board games were popular with Egyptians of all ages and all social classes. A favorite during the Old Kingdom was Mehen, the game of the snake, which was played on a one-legged table. The board bore the picture of a coiled snake, either carved or inlaid. The body of the snake was divided into squares. Up to six players used three lions, three lionesses, white and red spheres, which were ranged in a box when the game was over. Like all other ancient Egyptian games, its rules are unknown. More than a dozen sets of this game were found in first dynasty tombs, two of them with beautifully carved ivory lions and lionesses. With them other objects were found: some like little ivory houses with pointed roofs, some looking like todays chess king and rook. Other pieces were cylindrical, with a little sphere on top.

 

Senet

Was a game for two with five to seven pieces per player. It seems to have been a game of skill and chance, perhaps akin to backgammon and was widely played by people of all social classes. The Senet board had 30 squares, which were traversed along an S-shaped pathway. The two players were placed their pieces alternately on the first 10 to 14 squares of the board. They were advanced according to the results of throws of little sticks, knuckle bones or more rarely of a teetotum. The aim seems to have been to move all ones pieces to the last square of the board and remove them. The 26th square was often called nefer (i.e. good, beautiful - seemingly a "lucky" square), but the following one was some kind of an obstacle which had to be leapt over.

 

20 Squares Game

(Possibly called aseb by the Egyptians) is sometimes found on the reverse side of the Senet board and was played with the same pieces. An ancient game dating from Old Kingdom times it survived, unlike the Mehen, into to the Late Period. The oldest extant boards were made during the 17th dynasty. Unlike the descriptions accompanying depictions of Senet there is no information as to the rules of Twenty Squares. Most boards had a few special squares, marked with rosettes or inscriptions such as ankh nefer (good life), hesty merty (youre praised and loved), Amen or heb sed (The Thirty Year festival, this inscription was found on a board found in Tutankhamens tomb) and the like.

Hounds And Jackals

A game, which is, called Hounds and Jackals nowadays, may be the original Game of the Goose or Snakes and Ladders. It dates from the New Kingdom and was played with five pieces per player, one using five hound like, the other five jackal like pieces.

Game pieces, which had been given geometrically simple forms like cones or spools, became more elaborate. Influenced by the militaristic mood of the New Kingdom they were sometimes shaped as archers or bound prisoners of war. Merneptah is depicted playing with jackal shaped pieces. From the Hellenist period onwards game pieces were called "dogs" in Egypt.

Match Game

Write each of the words from the word list onto separate smaller pieces of paper. Fold up and put into a bowl. Hand out M&M’s, jellybeans, or some other edible ‘markers’ to each child. Pick a word out of the bowl and read it. If that child has that word on their card, they place a marker on it. When someone gets all the words in a row, they call out Bingo!

Quail
Egyptian vulture
Little owl
Little Green Bee-eater
Desert lark
Egyptian goose
Greater flamingo
Black stork
Purple heron
Egret
Pelican
Falcon
Eagle
Gull
Tern
Pink headed dove
Sandpiper
Plover

Ceremonies

Egyptian Opening Ceremony

Before the invention of electricity, the eyes and minds of Ancient Egyptian people could easily wander through the night sky. Explorers, sailors and travelers saw stars as signposts in the sky. Ancient Egyptian people told time by the sky. The moon told the time of the month and stars measured the year and its seasons. This months theme, Land of the Pharaohs, has helped our Cub Scouts learn about the stars and planets in our Solar System

Egyptian/Astronomy Opening Ceremony

The Ancient Egyptians studied the heavens. They were interested in both astronomy and astrology. If you look at a star chart, you will find several constellations named after the Ancient Egyptians gods and mythological people. Some of these include Centaurus, Hydra, Hercules, Cygnus, and Perseus. However, these are not the easiest constellations to begin teaching.

When you take your Scouts out to see the night sky, show them the North Star (also called Polaris), and the Big and Little Dippers first. All the other constellations revolve around the North Star (in the northern hemisphere), so it is the first star Scouts should learn to locate.

Eight Steps To Scouting Advancement

Prop: "Cub-a-labra," with 8 candles.

We are here tonight, Cub Scouts and parents, to honor the Cub Scouts who have advanced since we last met as a Pack, and to present them with awards they have earned. As he travels up the long advancement path, the Cub Scout achieves many goals in attaining the 5 ranks of Cub Scouting. At last he reaches his highest goal and becomes a Boy Scout. These candles represent the steps in his advancement. Their light stands for the help and encouragement given him by his leaders, family and friends.

The Tiger (light candle #I) Cub Scout is the youngest member of the Pack. He learns to Search, Discover and Share with an adult partner and other members of the Tiger Cub Group.

The Bobcat (#2) Cub Scout, the beginner, must learn and abide by the Cub Scout motto, the Cub Scout Promise and the Law of the Pack. He stands with much enthusiasm on the first step of the advancement ladder, which, as he climbs it, will bring to him knowledge, skills, enjoyment and good fellowship.

Next comes the Wolf (#3) Cub Scout, who must complete 12 achievements to reach the rank of Wolf. He gains knowledge of the United States flag and of keeping strong. He learns of tools, knots, safety, his neighborhood, books and reading. He has mastered several feats of skill, has made a collection, and has shown his willingness to help in his home and take on family responsibilities.

The Bear (#4) Cub Scout reaches his rank by completing 12 increasingly difficult achievements that show he is growing in knowledge and skill. The Bear Cub Scout learns about his duty to God, his duty to our Country, has participated in family events and had fun with his Den. He should be proud to have climbed more than halfway up the advancement ladder.

The Gold Arrow Point (#5) is given to a Wolf or Bear Cub Scout who has finished the achievements for that rank and who goes onward to complete 10 additional elective projects. He is honored for his ambition, interest, and hard work.

Ten additional elective credits must be earned to qualify for a Silver Arrow Point (#6). Only Wolf and Bear Cub Scouts having the highest ability and interest obtain the Silver Arrow Point.

Upon entering a Webelos (#7) Den, a Cub Scout begins the last part of the trail to Boy Scouting. As a Webelos Scout, he works to earn a variety of Activity Pins such as Citizenship, Physical Fitness, and Readyman. They prepare him for the many challenges he will face in life.

The Arrow of Ligbt (#8) is Cub Scoutings highest award and is the only Cub Scout badge that may be worn on the Boy Scout uniform. A boy who has earned the Arrow of Light Award is fully prepared to enter Boy Scouting.

As we go forward with our advancement program, may our way be charted by friendship, and may we always remember the Cub Scout motto: DO YOUR BEST.

The Guiding Light

The Cubmaster Speaks:

For thousands of years people have grouped the stars together as figures or constellations. The Egyptian stargazers, who used the constellations to predict events, leading to the basis of early calendars, did this.

The best known constellation is the Big Dipper. Beginning with stars forming the lower side of the Big Dipper, sight upward. The brightest star you will find is the North Star, which for centuries was the guiding star of travelers. It remains in the same place all the time. Be like the North Star. Let your light shine to help others find the way.

Now, what - or who - can be your guiding stars every day?

Cub Scout #l: The Cub Scout Promise
Cub Scout #2: The Law of the Pack
Cub Scout #3: My Mother & Father.
Cub Scout #4: My teacher.
Cub Scout #5: My Scout Leader.

Cubmaster: Will the parents of ______ please bring him forward?

We would like to present you with his badge, Mr. and Mrs. ______. We would like to give you the honor of presenting this badge to your son, since you have guided him along his advancement trail.

Congratulations, and happy Scouting!

Sun Sets, Moon Rises Closing

Materials needed: Cut-outs (2 suns, 2 Moons, 2 posters of stars)

Have all of the Bobcats form a group facing the audience. Do the same with the Wolves, Bears and Webelos. Have a boy hold a cut-out of the sun for Bobcats, moon for Wolves, poster of stars for Bears, and Webelos will hold sun, moon, and stars. The saying the Cubs will recite can be written on the back of the cut-outs.

BOBCATS: As the sun rises, so do the Bobcats. We will give forth energy to our Cub Scout Pack.

WOLVES: As the sun sets, the moon rises and it brings forth light. The moon reflects the light of the sun. The Wolf is a strong reflection of the Bobcat.

BEARS: The stars work together to add more light to the night. The bear reflects the continuing growth of the Cub Scout.

WEBELOS: The Webelos represent all phases of the Cub Scouting trail. We begin with the sunrise and we set with the sunset. We give forth reflections of the total Cub Scout program.

CUBMASTER: Parents, look at your boys. They bring a few storms, like the weather, but they also bring the sunshine. Let us honor them for all of their accomplishments we have learned about tonight.

Baden-Powell Star Closing

SETTING: Make several foil covered stars in assorted sizes. Attach stars to the wall or suspend them from the ceiling with fishing line. As the room lights are dimmed, have someone shine a flashlight on the stars.

NARRATOR: I would like to share with you what Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, said about stars:

"I often think that when the sun goes down, the world is hidden by a big blanket from the light of heaven, but the stars are the little holes pierced in that blanket by those who have done good deeds in this world.

The stars are not all the same size: some are big, some are little, and some men have small deeds but they have made their hole in the blanket by doing good before they go to heaven.

Try and make your hole in the blanket by good work while you are on earth. It is something to BE good, but it is far better to DO good."

Baden-Powells words should remind us all to "help other people" each day.

InsaneScouter Moment - The Campfire - By R. L. Stevenson

Did you ever watch the campfire
When the moon has fallen low,

And the ashes start to whiten
Round the embers crimson glow,

When the night sounds all around you
Making silence doubly sweet,

And a full moon high above you
That the spell may be complete?

Tell me, were you ever nearer
To the land of heart's desire,

Than when you sat there thinking
With your face turned toward the fire?

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