Local Cub Scout pack sees uptick in membership
Photo courtesy of SADAE LORTZ 10 boys from Cub Scout Pack 21 smile for the camera during their tour of the Crystal Goldmine. The boys were joined by siblings, parents, and other pack leaders.
KELLOGG — Keeping young kids active can sometimes be a daunting task.
School can help, but extracurricular activities also need to play a role.
In the long list of things for kids to do outside of school, being a member of the Boy Scouts of America is a classic option.
For over a hundred years, kids have risen through the ranks of the organization as they got older and learned valuable life skills in the process.
Here in the Silver Valley, it appears that for one Cub Scout pack — interest is on the rise to join the historic scouting organization.
Earl Criger Jr., leader of Cub Scout Pack 21 of Kellogg, says that his enrollment has more than doubled since last year.
Going from 5 to 14 boys (first through fifth grade) may not sound like much, but with several other packs in our area struggling with recruitment, Criger believes that it is incredibly important.
These numbers may increase even more next fall when the Boy Scouts allow girls to join the organization.
The girls will be their own “den” and have a female leader.
Criger believes that the recent increase in attendance has to do partly with allowing “Lions” (kindergarten age kids) to join, combined with more people moving to the area.
“Part of it is that we have had some folks move into the valley,” he explained.
“From the other leaders…I have been told our pack is sitting 50/50 (regarding membership) between Kellogg, and basically Osburn/Wallace.”
In addition to fun activities like camping and hanging out with other kids, the Cub Scouts also provide children with educational opportunities.
One such opportunity presented itself last Thursday, when Pack 21 received a free tour of the Crystal Goldmine.
During the tour, the kids and leaders learned about the history of the mine, including hands-on demonstrations of how mining was done over 100 years ago.
Sadae Lortz, pack leader, said that several of the kids even got to try drilling with a steel and single-jack hammer.
“We also turned off the flashlights and used only candlelight to view the veins as the miners did historically. Everyone got to see gold in its natural setting and feed the live fish that live in the mine,” she added.
The timing of this tour was important, since the goldmine closes for the season on Dec. 1.
For more information about the Boy Scouts organization in our area, email Criger at ecrigerjr@frontier.com