BY BRIANNA HAYES
Clarkston News Intern

As society slowly gets back to normal, the local Cub Scout Pack 163 is hosting Zoom recruitment meetings, looking for new members.
The meetings are September 15 and October 6 at 6:30 p.m. Links to the meetings will be shared within a week of the meeting on their Facebook page.
Cub Scouts is a nationally recognized group for boys and girls ages 6-12 with the goal to have fun, learn and grow, and to encourage them to do things they wouldn’t always do, both with learning about different subjects and going outside and experiencing things in a different way.
The structure of scouting, like most things this year, will look a little different due to mandates made to protect from the COVID-19 virus. Cub Scouts work under the guidance of state mandates and the Michigan Crossfield Council that provides extra guidance, rules and information to keep all scouts safe.
Chris Chwasz, leader for Pack 163, which meets at the Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in Clarkston, shared there are high hopes for some in-person and outdoor activities for this year.
“The motto for cub scouts is ‘Do Your Best’ and that’s true for the scouts and the leaders, too,” said Chwasz. “We’re going to do our best to make this the best scouting year that we can.”
Usual yearly activities for Cub Scouts includes two campouts, BB gun and archery practice, overnight stays at places like Airzoo, Cranbrook, and the Toledo Zoo, special presenters in the fields of science, animals and magic shows, visits to local sheriff’s offices and fire departments, volunteering in the community, and hands-on learning of first aid, wilderness survival, knife Safety and STEM.
More recently, Chwasz shared his pack was able to have an in-person derby race. Each cub member worked on their cars from home and then brought their car to the track. The Cubs got to race their cars and have it live-streamed.
“It was a great experience because not only were the scouts able to be there, but their friends and family were able to tune in and be a part of the experience as well,” said Chwasz.
In addition to some in-person activities, scouts will also be holding virtual meetings over Zoom when needed. Chwasz said this could be better for some visual graphics and demonstrations that are otherwise difficult to share in a large in-person setting.
Participation dues for Cubs Scouts is $150 per member. These dues cover from September of 2020 to December of 2021. Included in these dues are the national registration and programming fees with the national council, insurance for scouts, activities and materials needed for the scouting program, and end of the year awards for scouts.
For more information email Chwasz at ClarkstonPack163@gmail.com or visit sites.google.com/view/clarkstonpack163.