Pack 170 Gets A Flying Start

With the beginning of the school year, Cub Scout Pack 170 of Sandy Hook started its year in a big way. On October 4, Cubmaster Mike Salvatore introduced Den 12, led by Randy Pineau, for the opening ceremony. The boys marched in with the American Flag and the Pack Colors held high, placed them in front of the stage, and led the pledge of allegiance. After the pledge was finished, Chris Salvatore, Danny Warner Crouch, Dustin Gill and Ryan Pineau took turns telling the pack what they enjoyed about Cubbing, which included launching rockets, building and racing pinewood cars, camping, and the sport belt loops program. Then, in a surprise move which delighted the first grade Tiger Cubs who sat in the front, the boys all chanted, “Let’s get scouting off to a flying start,” and spun helicopter sticks off into the crowd. Later, Corrine Cox, the pack’s unit commissioner, called upon all the leaders to stand before the pack and be duly sworn in.

The highlight of the evening was a visit by the Sandy Hook Volunteer firefighters, who put on a demonstration of how their many pieces of equipment and protective great help them to save lives in fires. After the demonstration, the boys got to tour the trucks which were parked, lights flashing, in the school parking lot.

At the second meeting, on October 25, there was occasion for a serious ceremony. Sean Zadrovicz, escorted by Brett Balmforth, Thomas Barber, Joey Cerino, Sean Ryan, Roger Sieber and Stewart Tabler, all members of Den 10, was presented with the Arrow of Light award, the highest honor a Cub Scout can receive. With a solemn tone, the tom-tom was sounded, the lights were lowered, the arrow of light was illuminated, and Sean and his parents, John and Sheri, were given their proper recognition.

After that, the fun began with the “Parade of Costumes.” The boys from each rank level, Tigers, Wolves, Bears and Webelos, were called upon to show off their Halloween best. Even the parents and brothers and sisters got in on the act. At the end of the meeting, Justin Craparo, Ryan DiLuoffo, Sean Gill, Matthew Hill, Eric Riddle, Karl Sieling and Colin Tredger from Den 15 along with the help of Den 19’s Max Baudisch, Joseph Cavaliere, Kyle Droniak, Michael Gabor, Steven Jaroszewski, Shane Price, Stephen Sapinza and C.J. Spath, led the pack in the Cub Scout Promise. They then served refreshments, and the Pack was excused until the next meeting on November 29th, when the Parade of Flags will be the center of attention.