There were several scouting activities that captivated the boys’ attention of Cub Pack 581 during this year’s second school semester. The boys worshipped at New Zion Missionary Baptist Church on the first Sunday of February in observance of Scout Sunday. Deacon Carey McIver, scout volunteer, arranged for the visitation and Pastor Curtis Lemon and the congregation welcome the Pack.
The Pack were there during the Sunday School period, regular order of worship and Communion services. The boys attending the service were Julian Lowe, Jarrius Robertson, Cayden Stevens and Christopher Jones. The boys were accompanied by their parents and the Pack’s leaders were Shanestra Robertson, Tige Den Leader, Kenneth Howard, Former Assistant Cub Scout Leader and Herman Baker, Cub Master.
At Black Creek during the Scout Blizzard Weekend, also held in February, Ryan Damewood achieved the remaining requirements for the rank of Tiger Cub Scout. He was accompanied by his father Thomas Damewood and cubmaster Herman Baker for the entire weekend.
The Pack’s annual Derby Car race was held in March at the Limerick Masonic Lodge in Freedman Grove, where its weekly meetings are held. After a morning of constant racing, the winners were announced and awards presented to the following boys who were: Ryan Damewood, first place, Tiger Cub Scout; Christopher Jones, first place, Wolf Cub Scout; Cayden Stevens, first place, Bear Cub Scout; Brock Peterman, first place, Webelos 1 Cub Scout; Julian Lowe, second place, Webelos 2 Cub Scout; and Jarrius Robertson, first place, Webelos 2 Cub Scout. Peterman was the overall Pack winner at this event. The adult derby car officials were Kenneth Tyner, Antonio Golden, Mary Mullice, Willie Barett, Anitra Golden and Carey McIver.
All the boys were eligible to compete in the district races held in Savannah and Hinesville. There were no boys to participate in the Council Race held at Black Creek.
On Saturday, May 18, the Pack visited the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. It is a custom for a decision of a place where the Pack will visit before the boys go on their summer break. The decision is made at the Pack’s first campout of the year, usually during the Council’s Haunted Trail Weekend.
When the Georgia Aquarium was chosen, all resources and scout sales went toward making the trip a possible adventure for the boys. The boys who experienced the aquarium adventure were Jarrius Robertson, Julian Lowe, Cayden Stevens, Ryan Damewood, Brock Peterman, and former cub scouts Jarrod Robertson Jr. and Jaylen Anderson. The scout leaders accompanying the boys were Sarah Baker, committee chair; Shantra Robertson, Tiger Den leader; and Herman Baker, Cubmaster.
While touring the Georgia Aquarium, the boys of Cub Pack 581 and the other travelers who accompanied acquired lots of information about the animals that were displayed. For example, the Japanese spider crab can have a leg span of 13 feet; the bowmouth guitar fish appears to look like a shark, however it’s a member of the ray family; puffins spend most of their time in the open ocean but in many cases only return to land to breed and rest; beluga whale calves, a mammal that nurses its mother for the first six to 12 months of life. There were a multitude of different exhibits that were available to see. Due to the four hours of allotted time, this was a field trip experience that will always be remembered.
As the boys and others were boarding the bus for the return trip to Liberty County, there were lots of comments about aquarium visit. Brock Peterman stated, “this was a very trip because he never saw so many kinds of fish.” Ben Sterling shared the feelings of his boys, James and Benjamin by saying that, “they were impressed with the dolphin show.” Similar comments about the show were made by Precious Lowe and Shanetra Robertson.
When a very verbal poll was taken while riding on the bus, 100 percent of the travelers and boys of the Pack indicated that they would love to revisit the aquarium.
Chaperones who travelled and accompanied the boys were Olivia Martin, Precious Howard, Lennox Howard, Olivia Jordan, Valencia Anderson, Jordan Stevens, Regina Anderson, Thomas Damewood, Tiffany Damewood, Anya Damewood, Justin Peterman Mackenzie Peterman, Rhiannon Peterman, Kiera Richardson, Quintin Johnson Jr., Ben Sterling, Benjamin Sterling, James Sterling, Fascia Sapp, Kingston Sapp, Khy’lanni Sapp Horton, Jessie Tyner, Kenneth Tyner, Iris Tyner, Lucille Smiley Bomar, and Jimmie Bomar, driver of the coach light tour bus.
The Pack’s annual awards and Crossing the Bridge Ceremony were held on Tuesday, May 20, at the Limerick Masonic Hall in Freedman Grove. Sarah Baker, committee chair for the Pack, was the speaker of the hour. The boys were commended for doing a fantastic job of meeting, participating, and enduring the many tasks of scouting while studying in school throughout the year. Patches earned by the boys consist of the following: Ryan Damewood, Tiger; Christopher Jones, Wolf; Cayden Stevens, Bear; and Brock Peterman, Webelos 1. Those Crossing the Bridge (graduating from Cub Scouts to Boy Scout) and receiving the Arrow of Light Awards were Julian Lowe and Jarrius Robertson. These boys also received their boy scout neckerchief that was pinned on by John Lewis, Pack CEO, and Carey McIver, Scout volunteer.
Herman Baker, cubmaster, was acknowledged by guest speaker Baker. He received several tokens of appreciation for his years of dedicated service to the Pack. Herman is relinquishing the title of “Cubmaster” of Cub Pack 581. Former cub scouts Willie Barett, Ahmad Golden, and Jarrod Robertson expressed their thoughts regarding Mr. Baker’s service in scouting.
The Pack wishes to acknowledge the organizations, agencies, churches and individuals that have supported its endeavors financially this year. The Pack wishes to recognize Limerick Lodge No. 437, Cosmopolitan, Mc Seed, Cheryl Peterson, John Little, Maxie and Dianne Jones, Gary Stevens, Mary Ellen Wood, Jake Powell, Sheriff Will Bowman, Samson Alvin, Sunbury Missionary Baptist Church Usher’s Ministry, Beach Hill Missionary Baptist Church, and Samson Alvin.
