Cub Scouts Pack 277 in Ponte Vedra Beach held its annual Blue and Gold Banquet Feb. 24, as 85 youths celebrated their achievements with their families.
Held Feb. 24 at Christ Episcopal Church, which hosts the pack’s meetings, the awards banquet coincides with the birthday of the Boy Scouts of America. An estimated 225 people attended the event, which also celebrated 24 fifth grade boys who “crossed over” to Boy Scouts Troop 277.
Twenty Scout families helped organize the banquet, which featured food donated from local restaurants including #1 Gold Sponsor Woody’s BBQ. Student volunteers from Ponte Vedra High School, meanwhile, assisted by serving and cleaning up.
With 85 boys ranging in age from 6 to 11 years old, Pack 277 is one of the largest in the area. First graders begin as Tigers, receiving their Tiger badge at the Blue and Gold banquet. Second graders receive the Wolf badge, third graders a Bear badge and fourth graders receive a Webelos 1 badge. Webelos stands for “We’ll Be Loyal Scouts.”
Fifth graders start as Webelos 2 and then “cross over” to Boy Scouts, with some fifth graders receiving Cub Scouts’ highest honor, the “Arrow of Light” during a special ceremony. Den 6 Cub Scouts crossing over included George Auchter, Benjamin Blatt, Jacob Blatt, Andrew Devitt, Ethan Glaze, Rohan Jones, Christian Lutz, Taylor Lutz, Martin Mack, Wade Morris, Gavin Walker and Nate Wicker. Den 7 Cub Scouts crossing over included Benjamin Black, Emerson Boyd, David Darracott, Adam Enlow, Vincent Goddard, Matthew Hamm, Mason Owens, Tre Peterson III, Landon Rogers-Neubarth, Joshua Slaton, Ryan Stuart and James Syme.
Den leaders include Tom Peterson, Martin Hamm and Scott Walker.
“It’s thanks to the great leadership of parent volunteers that make our pack so outstanding!” Blue and Gold Banquet Chair Christine Mack said. “The fifth graders have had dedicated leaders for all five years, and they are the reason this pack is attracting and keeping so many boys.”
