Pack 61 will hold their first meeting of the school year on Wednesday, Sept. 26 at Our Lady of Good Counsel, and anyone interested in joining the pack is welcome to attend.
Sports aren’t for everyone, and Moorestown’s Cub Scout Pack 61 recognizes that. Packmaster Brian Cockerham said for boys in kindergarten through fifth grade, the Scouts aren’t about competition. Their goal is a simple one: to make the next generation of young boys the best citizens they can be.
Pack 61 will hold its first meeting of the school year on Wednesday, Sept. 26, at Our Lady of Good Counsel, and anyone interested in joining the pack is welcome to attend. This marks Cockerham’s first year as packmaster, and he said his plan for the year ahead is to give the Scouts opportunities to do activities they might not do otherwise.
Ryan Kennedy, a volunteer with the pack, said he and his son, Graham, joined four years ago. He said he affectionately recalls his own time in the Scouts, and so he took his son to a meeting figuring they would just test it out. He said his son has loved being in the Scouts ever since that first meeting.
Kennedy said being in the pack provides young boys with a variety of experiences. Hiking, canoeing, camping and taking trips are all part of the Scout experience. He said as a parent, he values the numerous activities the Scouts plan as well as the flexibility to not have to attend every event.
Cockerham said, in years past, the Scouts have journeyed to the Philadelphia Zoo, the Franklin Institute and will head to the Adventure Aquarium. The Pinewood Derby is one of the most popular and successful activities for the Scouts, according to Kennedy. Each year, the Cub Scouts build small wooden model cars with their families and race them in a competition.
Unlike sports, the parents aren’t on the sidelines in Pack 61, Kennedy said. The degree to which they’re involved is entirely up to the parents, but for Kennedy, the Scouts have brought him and his son together — whether it’s camping, learning wilderness skills or any other number of activities.
In addition to the array of fun activities, the Scouts also make a point to give back. Kennedy said the Scouts work on service projects to help their hometown and the people who live there. A few weeks ago, the Scouts filled backpacks with donations for children in need of school supplies. During the holiday season, the Scouts sing Christmas carols for residents of assisted living facilities.
In Kennedy’s eyes, the Scouts have helped his son grow into a more outgoing person. He said his son has become less shy, and the Scouts have also instilled in him a sense of safety and responsibility. He said when the pack learned how to use pocket knives his son took the safety lessons very seriously, and he said the lessons gave his son a sense of personal accountability and responsibility.
For 9-year-old Graham, four years in the Scouts have taught him to have fun and to treat nature with great care.
“I think the lesson that I learned [the] most is being respectful of the wilderness,” Graham said. “I think it’s good that they teach you to be respectful of the wilderness because you should treat it like you treat anything.”
For Cockerham, if, along the way, the boys learn to treat their community with care, then his work has been accomplished.
“It’s about teaching them to be moral, good citizens; that’s our goal,” Cockerham said. “Whether they become Eagle Scouts or not, it’s about making them the best citizens they can be.”
Anyone interested can attend the first pack meeting of the school year on Wednesday, Sept. 26, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Good Counsel. For more information, visit the pack’s website at https://pack61moorestown.org or its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pack61moorestown.
