The Purposes of Cub Scouting
Since 1930, the Boy Scouts of America has helped younger boys through Cub Scouting. It is a year-round family program designed for boys who are in the first grade through fifth grade (or 7, 8, 9, and 10 years of age). Parents, leaders, and organizations work together to achieve the purposes of Cub Scouting. Currently, Cub Scouting is the largest of the BSA's three membership divisions. (The others are Boy Scouting and Venturing.)
The ten purposes of Cub Scouting are:
- Character Development
- Spiritual Growth
- Good Citizenship
- Sportsmanship and Fitness
- Family Understanding
- Respectful Relationships
- Personal Achievement
- Friendly Service
- Fun and Adventure
- Preparation for Boy Scouts
Membership
Cub Scouting members join a Cub Scout pack and are assigned to a den, usually a neighborhood group of six to eight boys. Tigers (first-graders), Wolves (second graders), Bears (third graders), and Webelos Scouts (fourth and fifth graders) meet weekly. Once a month, all of the dens and family members gather for a pack meeting under the direction of a Cubmaster and pack committee. The committee includes parents of scouts in the pack and members of the chartered organization.
Den Meetings
Your scout will meet weekly or bi-weekly with a group of others who are in his / her grade. This provides a chance to make new friends and do new activities with a close group of friends.
Pack Meetings
This is a meeting for all Cub Scouts and parents to get together to recognize their scout for the achievements they have accomplished during each month. Skits, songs, and plays are just a few of the activities during a Pack meeting.
Pinewood Derby Races
Pack competition where the Cub Scout makes a race car for competition.
Day Camp
Weekday program during the summer. Action oriented. Involves games, crafts, nature, archery and BB gun instruction.
Resident Camp
Generally a 3-day camping program during the summer where Cub Scouts are given opportunity to work on Service projects and achieve rank-specific projects.
Blue and Gold Banquet
Large pack meeting in February where families come together to celebrate the birthday of the Cub Scout Program. Most will hold a potluck, an ice cream a social or cater food for the event. Advancement program and skits are the main attraction of the night.
What does my child get from Cub Scouts?
- Develops character and encourages spiritual growth
- Develops habits of good citizenship
- Encourages good sportsmanship and pride and growing strong in mind & body
- Improves understanding within the family
- Strengthens the ability to get along with others & respect for other people
- Fosters a sense of personal achievement by developing new interests & skills
- Teaches boys to be helpful and to do one's best
- Provides fun and exciting new activities
- Prepares them to be Boy Scouts
- Learns respect for nature and America's natural resources
What does it cost?
Registration is covered via fundraising. The Scouts are required to raise a specified amount of fundraising program sales, or can choose an optional buy-out option. If the fundraising goals are met the funds raised allow the Pack to provide:
- An annual subscription to Boys' Life magazine
- Annual registration fees to BSA
- All awards and achievement patches
- Special activities throughout the Scouting year
- Funds the Blue and Gold banquet
- Funds the Pinewood Derby
- Funds the annual Picnic and Raingutter Regatta
- Funds Adult volunteer training
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Next rank's kerchief and slide at the Bridging ceremony
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Some activities, such as Family Camp, Day Camp, and Council-led activities require additional fees based on the activity.
How Much Time Will This All Take?
Cub Scout Time Commitment
Time with our children is the most important time we have. Cub Scouting is family centered and works well because parents get involved.
Lions & Tigers
Kindergarten and 1st grade scouts will need a parent on all activities. These meetings involve both the Scout and his adult partner. Lion & Tiger Scouts and partner will run one of the meetings following a shared leadership concept. This process will be facilitated with the help of a Den Leader.
Wolves, Bears & Webelos
2nd-5th grades, attend bi-monthly or monthly meetings that are conducted by a Den Leader. Parents are not expected to attend the Den meetings unless they have volunteered to be a leader.
Parents do attend all pack meetings, that take place once a month, and camping outings with their child.
Outside of the Den and Pack meetings, time is used to help your child advance through the rank on which he is currently working.
Additional time can be used by the Pack if you chooses to be a volunteer as a Den Leader, Cubmaster, member of the Pack Committee, or as an assistant to one of the current leaders.
Volunteer Leadership
Thousands of volunteer leaders, both men and women, are involved in the Cub Scout program. They serve in a variety of positions, as everything from unit leaders to pack committee chairmen, committee members, den leaders, and chartered organization representatives. Like other phases of the Scouting program, a Cub Scout pack belongs to an organization with interests similar to those of the BSA. Pack 1163's charter organization is the Flower Mound Rotary and is chartered by the BSA to use the Scouting program.
Who Pays For It?
Groups responsible for supporting Cub Scouting are the scouts and their parents, the pack, the chartered organization, and the community. The scouts are encouraged to pay his own way by contributing dues each week. Packs also obtain income by working on approved money-earning projects. The community, including parents, supports Cub Scouting through the United Way, Friends of Scouting enrollment, bequests, and special contributions to the BSA local council. This financial support provides leadership training, outdoor programs, council service centers and other facilities, and professional service for units.
Advancement Plan
Recognition is important to young children. The Cub Scout advancement plan provides fun for the scouts, gives them a sense of personal achievement as they earn badges, and strengthens family understanding as adult family members work with them on advancement projects.
Lion
The Lion program is for Kindergarten (or age 6) boys and their adult partners. There are five Lion achievement areas. These requirements consist of an exciting series of indoor and outdoor activities just right for a child in kindergarten.
Tiger
The Tiger program is for first grade (or age 7) boys and their adult partners. There are six Tiger achievement areas. The Tiger, working with his adult partner, also has 13 elective adventures that they may complete. These requirements consist of an exciting series of indoor and outdoor activities just right for a child in the first grade.
Bobcat
The Bobcat rank is for all who join Cub Scouting.
Wolf
The Wolf program is for scouts who have completed first grade (or are age 8). To earn the Wolf badge, a scout must work on six required achievements involving simple physical and mental skills and one elective adventure of their choice. There are also 13 other elective adventures for further exploration.
Bear
The Bear rank is for scouts who have completed second grade (or are age 9). There are again six required adventures for the Bears as well as one elective of their choosing to earn their rank. These requirements are somewhat more difficult and challenging than those for Wolf rank. There are also 13 other elective adventures that they may work on.
Webelos
This program is for scouts who have completed third grade (or are age 10). They may begin working on the Webelos badge as soon as he/she joins a Webelos den. This is the first step in his transition from the Webelos den to the Boy Scout troop. As he/she completes the requirements found in the Webelos Scout Book, he will work on activity badges, attend meetings led by adults, and become familiar with the Boy Scout requirements—all leading to the Arrow of Light Award.
Activities
Cub Scouting means "doing." Everything in Cub Scouting is designed to have the scouts doing things. Activities are used to achieve the aims of Scouting—citizenship training, character development, and personal fitness. Many of the activities happen right in the den and pack. The most important are the weekly den meetings and the monthly pack meetings.
Camping
Age-appropriate camping programs are packed with theme-oriented action that brings all scouts from Tiger to Webelos Scouts into the world of imagination. Day camping comes to the boy in neighborhoods across the country; resident camping is at least a three-day experience in which Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts camp within a developed theme of adventure and excitement. Cub Scout pack members enjoy camping in local council camps and other council-approved campsites. Camping programs combine fun and excitement with doing one's best, getting along with others, and developing an appreciation for ecology and the world of the outdoors.
Publications
Volunteers are informed of national news and events through Scouting magazine (circulation 900,000). Scouts may subscribe to Scouts' Life magazine (circulation 1.3 million). Both are published by the Boy Scouts of America. Also available are a number of Cub Scout and leader publications, including the Tiger Cub Scout Book, Wolf Cub Scout Book, Bear Cub Scout Book, Webelos Scout Book, Cub Scout Leader Book , Cub Scout Program Helps, and Webelos Leader Guide.
Cub Scouting Ideals Apart from the fun and excitement of Cub Scout activities, the Cub Scout Oath, the Law of the Pack, and the Cub Scout sign, handshake, motto, and salute all teach good citizenship and contribute to the sense of belonging.
Cub Scout Oath
On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.
Scout Law
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly,
courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty,
brave, clean, and reverent.
Cub Scout Motto
Do Your Best.
Colors
The Cub Scout colors are blue and gold. They have special meaning, which will help boys see beyond the fun of Cub Scouting to its ultimate goals. The blue stands for truth and spirituality, steadfast loyalty, and the sky above. The gold stands for warm sunlight, good cheer, and happiness.
Sound amazing?
It did to all of us too, and it really IS amazing! click here for the BSA online application to join our pack
Getting Started - Registration Checklist
Follow the following steps to register with Pack 1163.
If you have any questions or need assistance in understanding the registration process, please contact highlandvillage1163@gmail.com
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Required Forms Continued:
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