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Cub Scout pack formed for kids with disabilities

Posted at 11:55 AM, Jul 13, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-14 11:08:11-04

A new Cub Scout pack, Packability #513, was formed for kids with disabilities.

Angie Wilson, a mother of an 11-year-old boy with Down Syndrome, spoke with other parents about forming the pack. Wilson said several parents wanted to form one but didn't know how.

"There was no Scouts for boys with disabilities here," Wilson said. "My son likes to do things. He likes to get out and do things like baseball. He doesn't say it but he likes to get out with other kids that are like his abilities basically. The same abilities or disabilities."

So Wilson started the process and recently launched the new pack.

"It means that they have something they can do and they can do on their own. Some of them can't talk, they are non-verbal but there are some things they can do. There are some of them that have difficulty seeing but there are things they can do with their hands.  So we're going to adapt this to their abilities," Wilson said.

On Saturday, the boys and their families built rockets and launched them off with the help from Paul Yevcak, a Professional Scouter with the Longhorn Council.

"The Boy Scouts program can be adapted to fit any boys needs and that's the great thing about it," Yevcak said.

"[My son] is not being judged. The kids aren't saying 'oh you can't do this or you can't do it this way.' No it's his way," Wilson said.

Other parents with children in the group feel the same way.

"He's special needs this of course brings him a place more with people that are like him. and my main thing about his being in scouts and i wanted to get him out of the house," Tommy McCurdy said.

McCurdy's son, Brendan, was the first in line to launch the rockets on Saturday.

"It was cool," Brendan McCurdy said after the launch.

If you would like your child to join the new pack or would like more information, email Angie Wilson at angrwilson@yahoo.com.

If you would like to get involved in scouting, visit www.beascout.org.

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