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Oldest Cub Scout Pack in Black Forest

Some of the Black Forest communityís youngest residents, from first through fifth grade, are learning to be trustworthy, helpful, kind and self-reliant as members of the oldest Cub Scouts group in Black Forest, Colorado.Founded in 1952, Cub Scouts Pack 70 is chartered by the Black Forest Community Club, and is part of District 20 and the Pikes Peak Council of the Boy Scouts of America.The pack maintains its 65-year tradition of community service, said Tory Hoefar, co-chair of Pack 70.ìWe are all so busy in this world we live in, and we have to pick and choose what we put our time into,î Hoefar said. ìCub Scouts is a great experience for kids and their parents. Itís a wonderful thing to see these kids grow personally to being wonderful, productive individuals in our society.îThe Scouts are arranged into ìdens,î determined by their age: Tigers, Bears, Webelos No.1 and Webelos No. 2. Together, the dens form a ìpack.îAfter fifth grade, many Cub Scouts graduate to the Boy Scouts.ìWe participate in numerous activities throughout the year, including pack camping trips, Pinewood Derby races, Rocket Day and several other fun-filled events,î according to Pack 70ís website. ìBut more importantly, Cub Scout Pack 70 contributes to our local community through several community service projects.îPack 70 carries on decades-old traditional projects and has started new ones, said Colleen Bock, Hoefarís Pack 70 co-chair. One of Pack 70ís traditions has been its annual ìFamily Camp.îIn recent years, they began visiting senior care facilities to sing Christmas carols to the residents, Bock said.ìWeíve really grown over the years, and I can continue to see us growing,î she said.Additionally, the group hosts an annual food drive for Care & Share Food Bank in southern Colorado and also hosts several fundraisers, like popcorn or wreath sales (a new venture this year) to help raise funds to benefit the pack.Hoefar and her husband, Colby, a pack master, have been volunteering with Pack 70 for several years; their 10-year-old son, Brannock, joined the pack as a first-grader and is currently a fifth-grader in the Webelo den.Bock has also been volunteering with Pack 70 for several years, having had two sons previously graduate from the pack. Her son Turner, 10, joined in first grade and is currently a fifth-grade Webelo.Hoefar said the organization is hugely beneficial to the personal growth of so many young boys. ìItís more than just having fun.The boys get life lessons on their way to becoming better people.That is what Cub Scouts is designed to be,î Hoefar said.Brock added that the opportunities presented to the young boys also make joining the organization worthwhile.ìThere are lots of reasons to join, but one of the main reasons is that it builds character. It also allows the boys to get involved in activities they might not do otherwise. Thereís a huge spread of areas they can get involved in, like learning to build things, or outdoorsy stuff like learning to build a fire and learning about fire safety,î Brock said.Pack 70 hosted a booth at the annual Black Forest Festival in mid-August, and at least six new members joined that day. Registration is open year-round, Hoefar said.ìParents, as well as the Cub Scouts, get a lot out of this program,î she said. ìWe are a family in a lot of ways.îTo contact Cub Scouts Pack 70, visit their website at https://bfpack70.com.For more on the Pikes Peak Council of the Boy Scouts of America, visit http://pikespeakbsa.org.

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