Toxic Waste?

Sunday we had our Den meeting at the home of our assistant Den Leader, Caroline, who is also a hydro geologist. We began with an air pressure experiment. By blowing up balloons, the air pressure held the cup in place. Then we did center of gravity experiments by using chairs and walls. We moved back outside to discuss and make a poster of the water cycle.

As we finished the poster, a man in a white safety suit (Caroline's husband, Dietrich) came around the end of the house to announce that there was a possible toxic waste spill in the front yard. The boys then used the scientific method to figure out what it was and how to best deal with it. We used molasses for motor oil. No real toxic waste was used in this demonstration. The boys learned how to care for our environment. After all, isn't that what a citizen should do?

Of course, all work and no play... So we let the boys blow off some steam by jumping on the trampoline and playing on the play equipment. One of the boys brought a Mardi Gras cake. He turned out to be the lucky one to find the good luck token in the cake. Yum!

Colorado Galaxy Pageant

Saturday night I had the honor of representing the Colorado International Pageant at the Colorado Galaxy Pageant. I was there to encourage two friends, Jessica Smith who was Mrs. Colorado International 2007 and Erin Feltes. Jessica won the Miss division and Erin won in the Mrs. division. Although Erin was up against two seasoned pageant veterans and one took most of the individual awards, she won the crown. It was good to see that the judges were looking for a total package. Congratulations ladies!

Colorado Galaxy Pageant

Saturday night I had the honor of representing the Colorado International Pageant at the Colorado Galaxy Pageant. I was there to root for two friends, Jessica Smith who was Mrs. Colorado International 2007 and Erin Feltes. Jessica won the Miss division and Erin won in the Mrs. division. Although Erin was up against two seasoned pageant veterans and one took most of the individual awards, she won the crown. It was good to see that the judges were looking for a total package. Congratulations ladies!

Court of Honor 2/19/09

ThisThursday night was a big night for my son, Joshua. His Troop held a Court of Honor. This is a special ceremony that is performed only four times per year. It marks the advancement of a Boy Scout from one rank to the next. At each rank, the scout must demonstrate citizenship, character and personal fitness as well as how his life reflects the Scout motto. They actually go through an interview process that is similar to the pageant interview. I think it is tougher because they will spend a half an hour with each boy. They are presented with a new patch for their uniform and a pin for their mother to wear on a red ribbon. I am proud to wear two red ribbons and a blue one for Cub Scouts. Joshua achieved two ranks at this last Court, 2nd and 1st class. Way to go, Josh!

Blue and Gold Banquet

This past Tuesday was our Pack Blue and Gold Banquet. We celebrated the 99th Birthday of Boy Scouts of America. Our den recieved many pins as well as our Webelos Badges. Webelos stands for We'll Be Loyal Scouts. It is the bridge between Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. It took a lot of hard work and each boy had to go through an interview process to achieve this rank. I'm so proud of my Den and the parents who support us. Without parent volunteers, this program wouldn't be so successful.

Hawk Qwest

Our entertainment for the night was presented by Hawk Quest. Emily and her group of volunteers kept the boys and adults alike enraptured with live birds. They began with a Harris' Hawk. My son posed with it and an eye chart. Guess who can see better. Then they brought out a Barred Owl and a Peregrine Falcon. The evening hit its climax with the presentation of a live Bald Eagle. We were able to take pictures with this special lady Eagle. These volunteers really love working with these graceful birds and teaching about conservation. For more information on Hawk Quest, please contact them at http://hawkquest.org/ .

Friends of Scouting

Richard Volpe of Friends of Scouting spoke at our Blue and Gold Banquet. This is only one of many ways to support Boy Scouts of America.

Blue and Gold Banquet

This past Tuesday was our Pack Blue and Gold Banquet. We started the evening by presenting awards. Our Den recieved numerous pins as well as their Webelos badges.

After some great food, we were given a presentation by Richard Volpe on the Friends of Scouting. This is just one of many ways to support Boy Scouts.

Blue and Gold Banquet 2/17/09

Richard Volpe of Friends of Scouting made a presentation. This is one of many ways to support Boy Scouts of America.

Go Red For Women

Last year the Mrs. International Pageant partnered with Go Red For Women.I want to share with you a brand new web-based campaign that the American Heart Association has created to further our message about Go Red For Women. Through this web- based campaign, we hope that more women will heed the message to take their heart health seriously and that each of you will take action by forwarding this to all of your friends and family.
So often we associate the Go Red For Women Campaign as something that only affects women, however, women and heart disease affects us all. David Huber's story is one example.
Check out David's story: http://www.davidhubergoesred.org/
By sharing David's story, you are helping us to bring awareness to a woman's biggest health risk- heart disease. It's real, and it's something that deserves our attention. It is the number one killer of women and we can do something about it. Cardiovascular disease is often mistaken as "a man's disease" but statistics show that women are affected by this disease at equally alarming rates.
Please consider passing this message along so that we can educate more people about Go Red For Women and drive our registration numbers - we need to sign up 5,000 women by June 30 in Colorado! Here's how:
- FORWARD this email to people
- Post on your blog
- Post the link to your Facebook, MySpace or Twitter accounts
I hope you will take a few minutes also to join the Go Red movement with David if you have not done so already. Thank you!

DU Basket Ball Game

Today I attended the DU Basket Ball game. Three boys from our Den went, along with my Assistant Den Leader and Committee Chair, Caroline. It was Boy Scout day and there were all sorts of fun activities planned for the boys. There was a Basket Ball clinic and a chance to win a t-shirt by making a basket. It was even more fun because they won! It was great to support our local boys! After all, isn't that what citizenship is about?

Mrs. Lakewood Galaxy

Today I met with Erin Feltes, Mrs. Lakewood Galaxy at Stella's. It was a wonderful time of sharing memories and future hopes. We both have big goals for our year ahead. It is such a blessing to have a new friend through the world of pageantry. Contrary to popular belief, most women who are serious about competing in pageants are truly caring people. I have heard that pageants are much like a golf game. You can only do your best. With that spirit, we are supporting each other in our quest for the crown. Good luck, Erin!

Go Red Day

This past Friday, February 6th, was Go Red for Women Day sponsored by the American Heart Association. It is a day to wear red and raise money for the education and prevention of heart disease. Heart disease is the number one killer of American women. Most women do not regard heart disease as a health threat in spite of the statistics.

My own precious Grandmother died of heart disease and a stroke. Her last few years were marked by a dramatic change in her energy level. This once vivacious woman could barely walk a few feet before tiring. The effects were devastating. At 84, she deciede to have surgery to correct her over sized aorta. The surgery was successful, only to have a stroke take her life within 24 hours.

As a mother of four children and a busy husband, I feel it is very important to be a role model for my own family. I exercise almost every day, eat a balanced diet and practice various forms of relaxation to controll stress. As Mrs. Cherry Creek, I have partnered with Go Red through the Mrs. International Pageant. I look forward to working with this amazing group in the coming year.

Scientist Activity Pin

At our Den meeting on February 2nd we started working on our Scientist Achievement. We bagan the meeting looking at optical illusions, like the floating finger. We learned about physics and several principals and laws. For Bernoulli's principal, we blew on a business card with a lighted candle behind it. To our amazement, the flame moved toward us and not away. In our study of inertia, we put a coin on a piece of cardboard covering a glass jar. When we tapped the card, it flew out and the coin landed inside the jar. We also spun eggs that were hard boiled and raw. The hard boiled eggs spun longer! To learn about centripetal force, we swung pails of water- outside! Although we did not do an experiment with it, we even learned about Pascal's law which lead to the invention of the hydraulic press. Who knew that learning could be so fun!

Liz of My Pageant Place

This past week, I was in Las Vegas for my annual business convention. While I was there, I had the honor and privilege of meeting Liz, who is the founder of My Pageant Place. This is similar to my space and as the moderator, Liz is tenacious that there will be no bashing. So this is a safe place for anyone who is interested in pageantry, whether as a contestant, judge, director or fan.

Liz comes out of an extensive pageant backgroud. Before moving to Las Vegas a year ago, she was the assistant director for the Mrs. New York America Pageant. She knows a lot of people in the industry and is a wealth of knowlege on the subject. She even has Valerie Hayes on board to give advice to anyone who asks. So if you want to know just about anything about Pageants, just ask Liz.

The last little teaser that Liz left me with is that she is planning a big surprise to go along with the Miss USA Pageant to be held in April in Las Vegas. So if you haven't joined yet, head on over to http://www.mypageantplace.com/ to get in on the action. It really is a great place to meet other contestants and support each other. I hope to see you there!