WHAT WE DO

Pinewood Derby

Pack 85's Pinewood Derby race is held every spring, and is one of the highlights of the scouting year. With the help of adults, Scouts build their own unpowered, miniature cars from a kit of pine wood, wheels and axles. The scouts get to show their creativity in designing their cars. On race day, the cars race down a sloped metal track to lots of cheers and excitement.

https://www.marinij.com/2019/03/02/novato-scouts-compete-in-sonoma-raceway-derby/

Hiking and Biking

Novato is a beautiful area surrounded by hiking trails, and Pack 85 loves to get out and hike! Most of the hikes are easy enough even for our youngest members, and the whole family (including non-scouting siblings) is welcome to come along. Some of the hikes we've enjoyed are: Verissimo Hills, Deer Island, Mt. Burdell, Indian Tree, Big Rock Ridge, Mt. Tam and the Marin Headlands. We've also gone biking at Rush Creek and even a lighted bike ride downtown!

Service Projects

"A Scout is Helpful" is one of the tenents of the Scout Law. Pack 85 gives back our community each year through various service projects. The most visible is Scouting for Food, which is held the first two weekends in November and benefits the SF-Marin Food Bank. Scouts and their parents drop off door hangers in Novato neighborhoods, then return the next weekend to collect bags of donated food. This is a meaningful activity that has a big impact on our community! Other service projects we participate in are Coastal Cleanup and Novato Clean and Green (both litter pick up volunteer activities).

Pack Overnights

Once or twice a year, Pack 85 plans an overnight to an indoor facility. We hold a winter snow trip to the Sierras every year, where the kids have a blast sledding and playing in the snow. We've also held pack overnights at the Academy of Sciences, the YMCA facility at Pt. Bonita, the USS Hornet aircraft carrier and the SS Jeremiah O'Brien Liberty Ship.

Camping, Fishing, Rockets

Some of the other fun activities we do are camping, fishing, and even launching scout-made paper rockets with an air launcher! Our pack has a few opportunities each year to camp at the beautiful Marin Council properties. During Marin-Council sponsored camping events the scouts can do archery, shoot BB guns, scale a climbing wall, make crafts, and try other fun outdoor activities.