PHOTO: Members of Gardiner Pack 672 at their Jan. 31 meeting, from left, Cody St. Amand, Angel Vinton, Arthur Levitre, Andy Hopkins, Owen Campbell, Landon Harris, Declan Manion, Declan Noyes, Sawyer Guilmette, Delilah Howard, Owen Howard, Lana Pratt, Francesco Thouret, Mason St. Amand, Brittany St.Amand, Lucas Pratt, Woody Hopkins. (Submitted photo)
Cub Holding up Coloring: Bear Cub Scout Mason St. Amand shows off his coloring as the pack learned about respect for the flag. (Submitted photo)
GARDINER – The monthly pack meeting for Gardiner Pack 672 in January featured activities, awards, a solemn U.S. flag retirement ceremony and ended with fun-filled pies to smiling faces.
The meeting was held on Jan. 31, with part of the meeting indoors at Christ Church Episcopal Church and part outside between snowbanks around a central fire ring, where Scouts each placed pieces of cloth into the fire. The pieces had been U.S. flags that had become tattered, faded, ripped or otherwise unserviceable.
Following their leaders’ instructions, the Scouts cut up each flag into pieces leaving the blue field intact “because nothing can divide the nation,” according to Cubmaster Scott St.Amand. “It is a good lesson in citizenship. The Cubs enjoyed the patriotic activities at the start of the meeting and we used those to introduce the idea of the proper and respectful way to dispose of the flag of our nation.”
The Cubs each tossed a section of the former flags into the fire. The group had a moment of silence for servicemembers, living and dead.
The Cubs also capped off a successful fundraising effort at the end of the meeting. Cubs in each den who had raised the most money for the Scouting program during the recent pizza kit fundraiser would be able to throw a pie into the face of their den leader.
One Cub, Joshua Riddle, raised enough to put a pie in the face of his den leader and Cubmaster St. Amand.
“That’s the beauty of Scouting,” St.Amand said. “We can have fun and we also teach important citizenship lessons.”
Pack 674 serves youth in grades K-5 in Gardiner, Hallowell, West Gardiner, Dresden, Pittston and Chelsea. To join Cub Scouts in Pack 672 email cubscoutpack672@gmail.com. To join Cub Scouts overall, go to BeAScout.org.
ABOVE: Delilah Howard cuts up a retired flag as part of a flag retirement ceremony the pack held Jan. 31. BELOW: Karen and Sawyer Guilmette work on a Cub Scout Find a Word at the Jan. 31 meeting. (Submitted photos)
