CUB SCOUT PACK 868
SHEPHERDSVILLE, KY

Meets 7:00 PM Thursdays
Shepherdsville Community Center
  Pack 868 Leaders
   

  

Pack 868 is blessed to have a host of dedicated, trained leaders who have invested the time to take all the recommended BSA training.  Our leaders truly want to offer their sons and other scouts the best possible Cub Scouting experience.

Our leaders "walk the talk" and lead by example.  We want our scouts to proudly wear a full scout uniform; and the same is true of our leaders.  Whether its a full "Class A" field uniform for formal occasions and weekly den meetings or our Pack 868 "Class B" tee shirt with official scout pants for outdoor activities, "Look like scouts, act like scouts" is one of our prevailing themes.

Leaders in Pack 868 have a resource available to them that leaders in other packs don't have:  the ability to call upon the experienced leadership of Boy Scout Troop 868 at any time for advice or assistance.  Troop parents who served as Cub Scout leaders when their sons were Cub Scouts stand more than willing to render assistance to Pack 868 leaders upon request.

 
Cubmaster Steven Frank is no stranger to Scouting or the outdoors.  Though he was relatively new to Cub Scouting with his first and only son, he had spent several years in Girl Scouting with his daughters and is an avid camper.  Mr. Frank knows that boys join Cub Scouts in order to go camping, hiking, swimming, shoot BB guns, and cook over campfires.  Prior to stepping into the Cubmaster job, he spent a year with his son in Tiger Cubs learning the program, completing the required training classes, and gaining a thorough understanding of the philosophy shared by Troop 868 and Pack 868.

Pack Committee Chairman Tom Gordon is in his third year as a Pack parent.  He and his wife Tonya became involved when their son became a Tiger Cub.  In his first year in Pack 868, Tom served as one of our Tiger Den Leaders and Tonya served as a our  Pack Committee Chairperson.  The following year they swapped roles.  Tom is still more that willing to step in and help any of our dens with any kind of craft projects and plays an important role in making our annual Pinewood Derby successful and fun for the boys.  Tom works very closely with Cubmaster Frank to keep our program on track. 
Assistant Cubmaster Bob Meek is an Eagle Scout and also Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 868.  Mr. Meek has over 40 years experience in the Scouting program, including prior experience as a Webelos Den Leader, Cub Scout Day Camp Director, unit Committee Chairman, and Cubmaster.  He brings great enthusiasm and a zeal for delivering a Scouting program of the absolute highest quality.  He is a firm believer in training for adult leaders and following the rules so that Scouts have experiences that are both fun and SAFE.
Assistant Cubmaster Julia Brown has a son who is a Troop 868 Eagle Scout.  Mrs. Brown has well over  12 years experience in both Cub and Boy Scouting.  When her son was a Cub Scout, she served as both a Den Leader and a Webelos Leader.  She remains actively involved with the Troop Committee and serves as a merit badge counselor.  As Assistant Cubmaster, her job is to guide and assist new leaders in "learning the ropes" of Cub Scouting.  She also serves as Pack Treasurer.  In that role, she pays our bills and keeps track of the boys' Scout Activity Accounts.
Derek Neeley is new to Cub Scouting.  He came aboard as the "adult partner" for his stepson and decided he wanted to take an active role in making sure all the boys had a great year.  He is certainly doing that.  Tigers can be a challenging group.  Being first graders, most don't read very well at the beginning of the year and they're also still developing their writing and other fine motor skills, so each boys needs an "adult partner" to help him with craft projects and den activities.  Attention spans for this age group can be pretty short, so it takes a man like Derek who has lots of patience. 
Vicki Dever is a grandmother raising several of her grandchildren.  From the day the first one joined Cub Scouts, she volunteered to "help out" but flatly refused to register as a leader or buy a uniform.  Famous last words!  Vicki has stepped up to assist our Tiger Den this year.  She's completed the required training, has officially registered, and has even bought (and proudly wears) a full Scout uniform!  She serves as a shining example to other parents about how difficult it can be to NOT get involved in the fun of Cub Scouting in Pack 868.

Fred Greenwell was previously associated with Pack 868 a couple of years ago when his step-son was in our unit.  This year he walked in the door with his Tiger Cub son and volunteered to be involved in a leadership role.  We immediately signed him up to serve as an Assistant Tiger Leader.  An avid outdoorsman and fisherman, Mr. Greenwell brings a love of nature and a confidence that only comes with experience to the table.  We expect him to play and increasingly important role in Pack leadership over the next few years. 
James Dennison and his son joined Pack 868 in the spring of 2011.  They had originally joined another unit that turned out to not be very active and his son's den pretty much fell apart mid-year.  Having been a Scout and knowing how much fun Scouting can be, Mr. Dennison wanted his son in the program, so he went searching for another unit and found us.  We're glad he did.  He came in the door wanting to be actively involved and helped as an Assistant Tiger Leader from the day he began.  At the end of last year, he volunteered to step up and lead our Wolf Den for this year.
Melanie Douglas is serving this year as Assistant Den Leader for our Wolf Den.  Melanie migrated over to Pack 868 when her oldest son joined Troop 868.  A younger son was in another Pack across town at their church and pleaded with her to transfer to Pack 868, which made things for her family a lot more convenient geographically.  Last year she served as our Tiger Den Leader.  Melanie has been involved in Cub Scouting for about 8 years.  She has two sons in the Pack and her oldest son is well on his way toward becoming an Eagle Scout in Troop 868.
Bear Den Leader Dana Heffley is another parent who has been actively involved since her son joined as a Tiger Cub.  Dana seldom misses a weekly den meeting or weekend activity and is always among the first to signup to help with any kind of pack fundraising event.  We tease her about "dumpster diving" when the unit picks up aluminum cans after events at Cardinal Stadium, but we admire her enthusiasm and willingness to do what it takes to get the job done!  Dana is real asset to our unit. 

Tonya Gordon, wife of Committee Chairman Tom, is Assistant Den Leader in our Bear Den.  Tonya has been an active and enthusiastic pack parent since their son joined our unit.  Last year, she did an outstanding job leader our Wolf Den.  The year before she served as Chairman of our Pack Committee.  The Gordon family is among our most dependable participants; seldom do they miss a weekly den meeting or a weekend activity.  Our Bear Cubs are sure to have a great year under Dana and Tonya's leadership. 

Drema Cleveland started this program year serving as an Assistant Den Leader in our Bear Den but has more recently been assisting with our Tiger Den.  Drema has been an actively involved parent in Pack 868 for the past two years since her son joined the unit as a Tiger Cub.  She seldom misses a weekly den meeting or other Pack activity.  Even though she's deathly afraid of both spiders and snakes, she still braves the outdoors to go on nearly all our camping trips.  Fun-loving and enthusiastic, Drema is often the "life of the party" among the adults.  
Patricia (Trish) Conrad-Weaver came into Pack 868 when her youngest son joined our Bear Den.  She also has an older son in Troop 868 who is currently serving the Pack as one of our Den Chiefs.  She is married to Richard.  Trish serves as an Assistant Den Leader in our Bear Den and is looking forward to moving up into Webelos next year with her son.  She and Richard are "master decorators" and take an active role in planning pack parties and special events.

Billy Frank, wife of Cubmaster Steven Frank, decided that the only way to see her husband on weekends was to get more involved in Cub Scouting, so she stepped up last year to serve as our Bear Den Leader.  Mrs. Frank has been actively involved as a pack parent for the past three years and also has several years of Girl Scouting experience with their daughter, so she's not exactly new to Scouting or the outdoors.  This year she will be leading our first year Webelos.  The fourth graders are likely to have a very active and great year under her capable leadership.
Assistant Webelos Leader Marc Angellis (spelled differently, but pronounced like Los Angeles) was new to Pack 868 and to Cub Scouting last year.  Mr. Angellis is a dad who cherishes traditional family values and came in the door wanting to be actively involved with his son.  That's exactly the kind of parent who typically makes a great scout leader!  We appreciate Marc's willingness to step up and help.  Unfortunately, a recent change in employment and a resulting change in work schedule has made it difficult for him to participate as actively as both he and we had hoped.
Assistant Webelos Leader Jimmy Frye stepped up about the time Marc Angellis' employment change made it impossible for him to continue to be actively involved.  Mr. Frye is a natural with the boys and a born leader.  He's just learning the Scouting program, but catching on fast.  In order to better prepare the boys for their eventual crossover into Boy Scouting, Mr. Frye and Mrs. Frank plan to swap jobs next year with him being the leader of the second-year Webelos and her assisting.  Whoever wears which patch really doesn't matter, because they make a great team.
Webelos Den Leader Will Rich had a good time as a Cub Scout in his youth and wanted to see that his son had a similar experience.  A postal worker by profession and a soft-spoken, quiet man by nature, Will is one of those guys who always shows up and gets the job done without any fanfare.  As one who seldom misses any activity, his contributions to our unit are immense.  Mr. Rich now has four years of Cub Scout Den Leadership experience with Pack 868 under his belt.  This year he will be leading our second year Webelos (5th graders).  It will be his job to prepare that group of boys for a smooth transition into Boy Scouting.
Assistant Webelos Leader Kirk Embry is scouting with is grandson.  This is his third year with Pack 868 but his first year in a formal leadership role.  Previously, he has been a consistent attendee and dependable helper in the background.  We're glad to have Kirk on board our leadership team.  A very soft-spoken man, he brings a quiet but confident voice to the sometimes rambunctious fifth graders.
Charter Representative Andy Rodabaugh is a parent who initially had a foot in both camps!  In addition to having a son in Pack 868, he also had an older son in Boy Scout Troop 868.  His youngest son has since progressed into Troop 868, as well.  Andy is the President of Scout Parents, Inc (our chartering institution) and Chairman of the Troop Committee.  He still occasionally shows up at weekly den meetings and finds time to assist with various Pack projects and activities.  When he's not Scouting, Andy finds time to own and run his own business.

Grace Meade wanted to step up and be an actively involved parent from the day her Tiger Cub son joined our unit.  One of her family's first events with out unit was selling candy bars.  We welcome her to our Pack Committee.  A constant influx of new parents and new ideas is important to keep our program fresh and exciting.
Pack Committee Member James Poyner came on board when his son became a Tiger Cub and this will be his third year in Cub Scouting.  A patient and fun-loving father who works far too many hours, Mr. Poyner is a frequent participant in weekend events.  He's also an outstanding mechanic and performs much of the routine maintenance on all the Pack and Troop vehicles (three school buses and an equipment truck).  Mr. Poyner had completed all the required Den Leader training courses as well as a recommended course for Cub Scout camping before some changes in his work schedule made it impossible attend all our weekly den meetings.   
Pack Committee Member John Mulder also joined our group when he son became a Tiger Cub and he wanted to be an involved dad.  John attends every weekly den meeting as his son's adult partner.  An avid camper, John can also be counted on to be present for campouts and other Pack outings.
Ken Christy is also a member of our Pack Committee.  The family moved into the area and his son joined Pack 868 as a first-year Webelos.  Both Ken and his wife, Lynn, immediately became active and supportive parents.  Both have gone on weekend camping trips and quickly integrated themselves into our unit.
   
This space is reserved for other parents who wish to take a more active role in their son's Cub Scouting.  Numerous studies over the years have consistently shown that boys whose parents are actively involved stay in the program longer, advance farther, and gain more from the program.  Attending Pack Committee meetings only takes about 2 hours a month.
   
   
Assisting our adult leaders are several Boy Scouts from Troop 868.  These young men serve as Den Chiefs in various dens.  They assist the Cub Scouts with projects, lead games, and basically assist the Den Leaders as directed.  Both of them have younger brothers in Pack 868 but neither are assigned to their brothers' dens.

 
Nicholas is a Star Scout in Boy Scout Troop 868.  His younger brother was a second year Webelos in Pack 868 at the beginning of this program year but has since crossed over into Boy Scouting.  Nick is serving as a Den Chief for our Bear Den.  He assists the Cubs in his assigned den with craft projects at weekly meetings, plays games with the Cubs, and sets a positive example for the Cub Scouts to follow.  Den Chiefs go on Pack outings and play an important role in inspiring younger guys to look forward to Boy Scouting. 
Shawn is a Tenderfoot Scout in Troop 868 who volunteered to serve as a Den Chief for the Pack.  His younger brother is currently a Bear Cub Scout.  It generally doesn't work very well for an older brother to work with a younger brother's den, so Shawn will be working with our Wolf Den.
Preston is a Star Scout in Troop 868.  He volunteered to serve as Den Chief for our Tiger Den because he needed to complete a period of service in a leadership position as a requirement for advancement to the rank of Star Scout.  Even though only 4 months of service were required for his rank advancement, he made a commitment to serve the Pack for the full 10 months of our program year.  One can't help but admire that kind of dedication.