February-March 2026 Newsletter
We had a lot going on this month but oddly enough it was weighted very heavily to the beginning of the month, so rather than spending a lot of time talking about the past as if it were the future, lets make this one a twofer.
January-February Roundup
We had an amazing amount of activity packed into the past two months, though the majority of it, in part due to the weather, was jammed into less that two weeks!
We visited the Michigan Fire Station #2, where received a tour from our local firefighters, participated in the Beverly Hills Cub Scout Klondike, a change from our usual location in Allen Park, where our Scouts got to participate in a wide range of activities, and we said goodbye to our Arrow of Light Scouts at the Blue & Gold Banquet, while also getting awards and welcoming new leadership.
A big thank you to the Westland Fire Department for their hospitality and spending them showing our Scouts around their home away from home.
This was our first year at the Beverly Hills Klondike and they did not disappoint. There was plenty of snow on the ground and more than a little cold but our Scouts stayed Brave and had a lot of fun at the different stations.
Our Blue & Gold Banquet was wonderful as always, and while we will miss our Scouts who moved we had a great time celebrating their accomplishments over their Cub Scouting career. And Congratulations to our new Committee Chair, Megen Neace!
Spring Camp
Join us for our Spring Camp at Binder Park Zoo. Pack 729 has 64 spots available, and as a result, we are restricting registration to Scouts registered in Pack 729 and one accompanying adult per family. On March 14th, 2026 if spots are still available, anyone can register who meets the Binder Park Zoo requirement of being 6 years of age and older. Registration closes April 24th, 2026.
The campout runs from Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 6:00 PM through Sunday, May 31, 2026 at 11:00 AM.
Also all Scouts and adults are required to have a signed waiver and an updated Scouting AB form prior to attending. Please submit these documents to Gretchen Hannah in person or at gretchen@hayespack729.org by April 24th, 2026.
Price includes meals and indoor accommodations. Please see the packing list here: https://binderparkzoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Overnight-Packing-List.pdf
Scout Sunday
February is a time for Scouts to reflect on their faith through celebrations known as Scout Sunday, Scout Shabbat (Sabbath) and Scout Jumuah.
Any weekend in February is appropriate for reminding your Scouts to focus on reverence; however, many units choose to reflect on the 12th point of the Scout Law on the nationally suggested day.
Traditionally, many units celebrate Scout Sunday on the Sunday before Scouting America’s birthday, which is February 8. This year, that Sunday falls on February 8.
As a secular unit, we do not have an official Scout Sunday observance but if your Scout attends a religious organization that observes this event or they attended a religious service in uniform, or conducted a service project for a religious organization, please let us know and we will get them this year’s patch!
2026 Annual Dues
This is a reminder that your Scout’s 2026 Annual dues were due by December 31st, 2025. Many Packs have monthly dues or even per meeting dues, but due to successful fundraising our dues are a simple $20 per year and can be paid at https://www.hayespack729.org/trading-post/p/pack-729-dues-2026.
Upcoming Events
Den Meeting
February 10 | 6:30pm
This Den Meeting will be followed immediately by our Committee Meeting.
Den Meeting
February 24 | 6:30pm
Our regularly scheduled Den Meeting.
Pack Meeting - Pinewood Derby Adventures
March 3 | 6:30pm
This Den Meeting day will be dedicated to the Pinewood Derby Adventure relevant for your Den, and tips & tricks will be discussed for the race.
This Pack Meeting will be followed immediately by our Committee Meeting.
Pinewood Derby Car Turn-In
March 10 | 6:30pm
All cars will be turned in on this date and not returned until after the race. Please come prepared to make adjustments to your cars if they do not pass inspection. All cars are required to be complete and DRY before they can be accepted.
Pinewood Derby
March 13 | 6:30pm
Race day! Watch your cars race in full uniform. Pizza will be provided by the Pack, but it can be a long night, often lasting several hours, so please bring drinks and snacks. The seats closest to the track are set aside for racers so when your race is called please come to those seats and if you are not racing please sit at the table or stand behind the seats of those currently racing.
Den Meeting
March 24 | 6:30pm
Our regularly scheduled Den Meeting.
March is Pinewood Derby Month
You’ll probably notice that March is pretty dominated by the Pinewood Derby and and that is by design. The Pinewood Derby is one of Cub Scouting’s biggest events and we like to have a lot of fun with it.
We start with our March Pack Meeting, set for March 3rd, where we work on all of our Pinewood Derby related belt loops and discuss the best tips and tricks for a successful Pinewood Derby Car.
We know that the Pinewood Derby can be a bit intimidating, especially for first time racers so we have launched a new Pinewood Derby page on the website which has all of the details for our race, and if you have any suggestions please feel free to reach out to our Cubmaster, Brandon Mullins.
Two months packed into one newsletter, and a LOT of Pinewood Derby, but we’re looking forward to seeing everyone’s cars, and may the fastest car win!
