In 1930, the Boy Scouts of America created a new opportunity called Cub Scouting for boys younger than Boy Scout age. A year-round, home-centered program used by chartered organizations, Cub Scouting emphasizes involvement between boys and their parents, adult leaders, and friends.

In the multidimensional plan of the Boy Scouts of America, Cub Scouting is where it all begins. Currently, it is the largest of the organization's four membership divisions. (The others are Boy Scouting, Venturing, and Learning for Life.)

WHO CAN JOIN?

Any boy who subscribes to the Cub Promise and Law of the Pack, and is in the second through fifth grades (or age 8, 9, or 10), may join a Cub Scout pack. First graders (age 7) join Tiger Cubs. The boys who join are assigned to a den, usually made up of boys in a neighborhood who form a natural play group. Den meetings are held each week, usually at the sponsoring organization or one of the boys' homes under the supervision of a volunteer Den Leader -- generally the mother or father of one of the boys. A den may also have an assistant Den Leader; a Den Chief -- an older Boy Scout who helps the leader with activities; and a Denner -- a Cub Scout elected by his peers who assists the Den Leader and Den Chief.

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 can include parents of boys in the pack and members of the chartered organization.

PURPOSES

Cub Scouting has the following purposes:

• Influence a boy's character development and spiritual growth.
• Develop habits and attitudes of good citizenship.
• Encourage good sportsmanship and pride in growing strong in mind and body.
• Improve understanding within the family.
• Strengthen a boy's ability to get along with other boys and respect other people
• Foster a sense of personal achievement by developing new interests and skills.
• Provide fun and exciting new things to do.
• Show a boy how to be helpful and do his best.
• Prepare him to become a Boy Scout.

METHODS OF CUB SCOUTING

Home and Neighborhood-Centered

Cub Scouting happens in the community where boys live.

Parent Involvement

Family involvement is an essential part of Cub Scouting. Whoever is the adult partner for the boy is the family we are talking about

Advancement Plan

Advancement provides fun for the boys, gives them a sense of personal achievement, teaches them to do their best, and strengthens family understanding as family members work together on projects.

The Den

A small group of boys work together in den meetings, where they learn good sportsmanship, good citizenship, getting along with others, new skills, and to do their best.

The Ideals

The Cub Scout Promise and the Law of the Pack, as well as the Cub Scout sign, handshake, motto, and salute, all teach good citizenship and contribute to a boy's sense of belonging.

The Uniform

The uniform helps build pride, encourages good behavior, provides a place for the proper display of badges, and identifies members as part of the worldwide organization of Scouting.

Activities

Games, projects, skits, songs, trips, service projects, and other events let boys have fun and learn new skills.

 

WHO OPERATES A CUB SCOUT PACK?

Like other areas of the Scouting program, Cub Scouting is made available to groups having similar interests and goals, which include professional organizations, government bodies, and religious, educational, civic, fraternal, business, labor, and citizens' groups. These are called our chartered organizations. Each organization appoints one of its members as a chartered organization representative. The organization, through the committee, is responsible for leadership, the meeting place, and related materials for pack activities. Parents of the Cub Scouts generally volunteer as Cubmaster, Pack Committee Chairman, Den Leaders, and Assistant Den Leaders.

WHO PAYS?

Groups responsible for supporting Cub Scouting are the boys and their parents, the pack, the chartered organizations, and the community. The boy is 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 Friends of Scouting, United Way, bequests, and special contributions, which provides leadership training, outdoor programs, council service centers, camps and other facilities, communications, special events, insurance, and professional service to assist units.

ADVANCEMENT

By joining the Cub Scouts, you've taken your first step on the Scouting trail. Many people stay in Scouting, one way or another, for many years. Some stay for a lifetime.

Boys of different ages have different ranks in Cub Scouting. As you go from Tiger Cub to Webelos Scout , you learn new things and new skills that you use to meet new challenges as you get older.   Adult involvement is a vital part of advancement!

• Tiger Cubs. First-grade boys join a Tiger Cub den, where each boy works with an adult partner on the requirements to earn his Tiger Cub badge.
• Wolf Cub Scouts. Second-grade boys graduate into a Wolf den. They go to weekly den meetings on their own, but their families still help them work on the requirements for the Wolf badge.
• Bear Cub Scouts. Boys in the third grade are members of a Bear den. They also work with their families to do the requirements for the Bear badge, but boys this old have enough knowledge and skill to take on more of the work by themselves.
• Webelos Scouts. Boys in the fourth and fifth grades become Webelos Scouts. Webelos Scouts do more advanced activities to get ready to graduate into Boy Scouting.

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