One of the many things I like about Cub Scouts is that it promotes family participation. When a boy receives an award, his family is a part of the ceremony. A parent has to attend and participate in every meeting. And, best of all, the parents share in the planning and organization of the meetings.

At our last meeting, I got to relax and enjoy our gathering as one of the other moms had prepared everything. Taking her cue from November’s Indian Nations program in the Cub Scouts Program Helps, she organized activities to help the boys learn about the native culture of our area. For us, that means learning about the Iroquois.

The boys brought shoe boxes, twigs, and leaves that they used to construct models of Iroquois longhouses. Some of the boys carefully followed the instructions, while others figured out their own way to construct a longhouse. They all enjoyed working together, and yet independently, to construct their own vision of how native peoples lived long ago in New York.

Then, we gathered around the fire (a living room wood stove) to share stories. We took turns reading the poems in the beautifully illustrated, Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back. Joseph Bruchac, a local author, shares an Abenaki storyteller’s account of how the scales on Old Turtle’s back represent the thirteen moons of the year. Each moon has a specific name and story that correlates to its place in the calendar. My family loves all of Joseph Bruchac’s, and son James, children’s books but this one is particularly beautiful. Since my son and I have also had the privilege of hearing the Bruchacs tell tales to groups of children, I can’t help but hear a chanting sing-song voice in this book of poetry.

Here are a few resources to learn more about Native Americans:

• Iroquois Indian Museum - Visit this “anthropological museum that uses art to educate and inspire” in Howe Cave, NY and/or rent an education kit or click on the electronic longhouse.
• Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center - Celebrate the Winter Solstice at the museum and/or learn from the classroom activities, enrichment programs, or scouting programs.
• The Institute for American Indian Studies -Visit the museum and/or learn from the education programs or scouting programs.
• The National Museum of the American Indian - Even if you can’t visit this mammoth new museum in Washington, D.C. take a look at the guides in the programs for educators.
• Bibliography of Children’s Books on Native Americans.

Do you know a great site for learning about Native Americans? Please post a comment.

Related Cub Scout Posts:

Living By Learning About Our Troops

Learning About Hunger

It’s Fun to Play at the YMCA!

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Every day, I’m thankful for our military men and women.

Last week, our Cub Scout Pack visited the New York Army National Guard facility in Latham, NY. A pilot instructor gave a tour of the facility, including the helicopter hangar. The boys, both young and old, were fascinated by all the gadgets - Kevlar helmet, night vision goggles, and bullet proof vest - but the biggest attraction was the Black Hawk helicopter. Visiting a military facility is a great way to introduce kids to the people and technology that help protect our country.

Learn more about America’s Military and discover how you can help support our troops:

• Soldier Mom - This children’s book by Alice Mead is a fictional account of how a young girl and her baby brother fare while their mom serves with the Army Reserves during the Persian Gulf War. Recommended for ages 8-12.
• America Supports You - Homefront groups or individuals can find lots of ways to show support for our troops through this nationwide program launched by the Department of Defense. This resource lists 100+ ways to support our troops, including A Million Thanks, Sock Monkey Ministries, and Trees For Troops.
• Support Our Troops Girl Scout Patch Program - 10 Activities to learn about and show support for our troops.
• The Popcorn Project - Boy Scouts are collecting donations of popcorn for our troops.
• Operation Cookie Drop - Find out how Girl Scouts collected and delivered over 70,000 boxes of cookies for the military last year.
• Collection For Hospitalized Military Members - Read about a Girl Scout who earned her Gold Award service project by sending items for hospitalized military persons in Kuwait.
• New York National Guard Youth Program - The National Guard sponsors a variety of programs for youth including The Corps of Cadets, a year-round program for youth aged 11-17 that challenges members thru activities ranging from drill and ceremony to water survival and rappelling to community service and training in leadership and drug avoidance stratgies.
• Why We Serve - Read the stories of recent veterans or arrange to host a speaker. This program, created by the U.S. Armed Forces, was designed to give returning veterans the opportunity to share their personal military experiences with the American public, while answering the call for more first-hand accounting from the front lines.
• National Association for Uniformed Services - Advocacy group representing the interests of all servicemembers.
• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America - Learn about the issues facing veterans; host a War Tapes Party; or find out how to take action online.
• US Department of Defense - Get all the current news from the front lines, visit the Blogger’s Roundtable, or read speeches such as Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates’ remarks on November 15, 2007 when receiving The Boy Scouts of America “Citizen of the Year” Award.

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• Kids Can Make A Difference -Hunger facts, Teacher’s Guides, and information to help kids fight hunger.
• Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York - Find out how you can help by donating your time, food, or funds.
• America’s Second Harvest - The Food Bank Network - Use this site to find a food bank in your community or to advocate to end hunger in America.
• Bread for the World - Information about hunger in the US and around the world from a Christian advocacy group.
• Oxfam America - Discover how you can help fight hunger world-wide.
• Children’s Defense Fund - This advocacy group has several programs aimed at serving the needs of children in America.
• World Hunger Year - Information and resources aimed at promoting grassroots solutions.
• Community Food Security Coalition - Focus on building community resources to provide food security.

The YMCA is a great place for scout groups to meet. The pool, indoor basketball court, and race tracks all offer wriggly kids a place to burn some of their endless supply of energy. Recent renovations at our local YMCA has added a Youth Room that was a “hit” at our last Wolf Den meeting!The spacious Youth Room has a huge, padded mat area where kids can do their calisthenics or work with exercise “toys” from a well-stocked closet. Other exercise options include a row of cycle cardio machines or a set of unusual electronic cardio machine where the object is to rack up points by smacking a light. This triggers a light & sound display. What a great way this is to get the Game Boy generation to move!

I was impressed by the kid-sized (age 7-14) weight training circuit which looks very similar to the adult weight circuit. Unlike the adult system, these machines do not need to be adjusted, except to change the resistance. This makes them very easy to use.

Even more more impressive was the way in which the Youth Program Director who led our tour was able to corral these usually bouncy kids. They listened and willingly followed directions as they learned many ways to have fun while exercising their bodies. The Den parents were unanimous in wishing to have this Program Director lead all of our meetings!