Fun for the Family

Cub Scouting has been an amazing experience. I've met soo many people in town and have been able to participate in a number of community activities. Scouting offers many things to scouts and to their families - the whole point of scouting is to build up a well rounded person. 

The scouts have something called the 12 core values of scouting. 

Boy Scouts learn and strive to live by the scout law. "A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obediant, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent." Many of the core values of Cub scouting relate directly to the Scout Law. We (the scouts/Toompi) believe character can be defined as the collection of core values possessed by an individual that leads to moral commitment and action. Character is "values in action."

The Cub Scouting Character Connections Program identifies 12 core values:

1. Citizenship: Contributing service and showing responsibility to local, state, and national communities.

1. Compassion: Being kind and considerate, and showing concern for the well-being of others.

1. Cooperation: Being helpful and working together with others toward a common goal.

1. Courage: Being brave and doing what is right regardless of our fears, the difficulties, or the consequences.

1. Faith: Having inner strength and confidence based on our trust in God.

1. Health and Fitness: Being personally committed to keeping our minds and bodies clean and fit.

1. Honesty: Telling the truth and being worthy of trust.

1. Perseverance: Sticking with something and not giving up, even if it is difficult.

1. Positive Attitude: Being cheerful and setting our minds to look for and find the best in all situations.

1. Resourcefulness: Using human and other resources to their fullest.

1. Respect: Showing regard for the worth of something or someone.

1. Responsibility: Fulfilling our duty to God, country, other people, and ourselves.

Recently I discovered a great program within scouting called Fun for the Family. It's a program to build up families and knit them closer together. 

UM YES! 

I am all about this!! We bought the little book right away and every Sunday evening during our family time we work on one of the little projects. Each activity relates directly to one of the core values. This week we were required to make a family motto and make a poster together. It has a little area that gives some discussion questions and the instructions. Here is what it said; 

"Have your family talk about the traits that make a "good family". Which of these traits make your family a good family? How could it be better? The Cub Scout motto is "Do Your Best". Does that motto apply to your family? Decide on a motto for your family then make a poster of the motto and display it somewhere in your home where people will see it."

Well, most everyone know we already have a family motto - TOOMPAS POWER! It came together so quickly and was a lot of fun!

First we traced everyone's hands (even little Roo's!) on construction paper and laid them one on top of each other. The vibrations coming from our hands represents the power we exude when we work together as a family and with other people. Each member of the family signed their name on the poster as a reminder and promise to work together as a family.

The kids were really into this and had lots of ideas to contribute.

I really like this program because obviously it's about family, which is what we're all about, but also because the discussion questions are right on, pretty simple to understand and an activity goes with it so kids can connect the two.