Careers/Speakers WHERE TO GO; WHAT TO DO

• Visit with a dietitian and talk about the four food groups and planning meals.
• Visit a dentist's office and talk about dental health.
• Talk with an aerobics instructor about exercising.
• Have a doctor visit your den and talk about tobacco abuse.
• Keep a chart of what you eat for a whole week and record the foods in columns for the four food groups and one more for "junk food".
• Have a pharmacist visit your den and talk about use and abuse of drugs and safe handling of medicine

 

SUGGESTED DEN ACTIVITIES

• Invite the grade school gym teacher to your meeting.  Get to know them on a personal basis: Why did they become a teacher?  What kind of background do they have?  What sports are they currently active in?  What do they like about teaching kids?
•  Arrange a visit to the YMCA or local health club.  Tour the whole facility looking at all the machines.  Meet briefly with various instructors to find out what they do.  Look at a schedule of classes.  Get some fitness tips from a personal trainer.  Ask what they do for emergencies.
•  Find out if there is a nurse or doctor in your pack who would be willing to meet with your den to answer questions about health.  (Have boys write the questions on cards so they are anonymous.
• Fancy Writing
•  Give each boy two pieces of paper and pencil.  Ask him to remove both shoes and write his name using the pencil in his toes.  Try each foot on different paper.  Is on easier?  Can you read it?
• Let boys design posters on how to say no to drugs, cigarettes and alcohol. Display at a pack meeting.
• Show films (approved by parents and pack committee) on drug and alcohol abuse.
• Invite a dietitian to come and discuss the benefits of a balanced diet.
• Have the boys collect advertisements for tobacco and alcohol. Help the boys see that the activities in those ads have nothing to do with tobacco or alcohol. Have them read the warning labels on cigarette advertisements, note the size of the warning in relation to the ad. Can people do the activities depicted in the ads without smoking or drinking?
• Have the boys read a story in the newspaper or magazine about a drug or alcohol related incident. Have them report back to the den and discuss what happened.
• Invite a nurse, doctor, or EMT to talk about the effects of tobacco, drug or alcohol abuse as well as the positive effects of eating a healthy diet.
• Invite a local sports figure or coach to come and discuss fitness with the boys.
• Let boys design posters on how to say no to drugs, cigarettes and alcohol. Display at a pack meeting.
• Show films (approved by parents and pack committee) on drug and alcohol abuse.
• Invite a dietitian to come and discuss the benefits of a balanced diet.
• Take a field trip to a fitness or recreation center.

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JUMPING ROPE

Jumping rope is wonderful aerobic exercise, which means that it exercises the heart. Professional athletes like boxers use skipping rope to built their endurance and coordination. See how many jumps you can do before making a mistake. How long can you jump rope? The world record is over 12 hours. How fast can you jump rope? Fast jumping is best done boxer style with both feet together all the time. It is helpful to have a short rope so that it just misses the ground as you jump. Can you jump backwards? With practice, you will find this almost as easy as skipping forward. Cross hand jump: jump in the normal way but, as the rope passes over your head, bring your hands forward and cross your wrists. Quickly uncross them before jumping over the rope. Two jump: jumping with a friend using only one rope. C-10

 

Substance Abuse Information Resources