Cub Scouting
Cub Scouting 1-2-3
The Purposes of Cub Scouting
Since 1930, the Boy Scouts of America has helped children through Cub Scouting. It is a year-round family program designed for children who are in the kindergarten 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 10 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
Cub Scouting Ideals
Apart from the fun and excitement of Cub Scout activities, the Scout Oath and Law, and the Cub Scout sign, handshake, motto, and salute all teach good citizenship and contribute to a child’s sense of belonging.
Membership & Leadership
Membership
Cub Scouting members join a Cub Scout pack and are assigned to a den, usually a group of six to eight scouts. Lion Cubs (kindergarteners) meet once a month. Tiger Cubs (first-graders), Wolf Cub Scouts (second-graders), Bear Cub Scouts (third-graders), and Webelos (fourth-graders), and Arrow of Light (fifth-graders) meet twice monthly.
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.
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. This organization, which might be a church, school, community organization, or group of interested citizens, is chartered by the BSA local council to use the Scouting program. This chartered organization provides a suitable meeting place, adult leadership, supervision, and opportunities for a healthy Scouting life for the children under its care. Each organization appoints one of its members as a chartered organization representative. The organization, through the pack committee, is responsible for providing leadership, the meeting place, and support materials for pack activities.
Costs, Advancement & Activities
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 scout is encouraged to pay their own way through fundraising efforts. Packs 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 scouts. The Cub Scouting 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 scouts on advancement projects.
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 Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts into the great outdoors. Day camping comes to the scout 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 Worlds” are used by many councils to carry the world of imagination into reality with actual theme structures of castles, forts, ships, etc. Cub Scout pack families 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.
Advancement
Lion
The Lion rank is for all children who join Cub Scouting and introduces the Scout Oath and Law plus other Scouting basics
Tiger
Tiger is for first-grade (or age 7) children and their adult partners and consists of an exciting series of indoor and outdoor activities just right for a child in the first grade.
Wolf
The Wolf program is for children who have completed first grade (or are age 8). To earn the Wolf badge, a scout faces challenges involving physical and mental skills.
Bear
The Bear rank is for children who have completed second grade (or are age 9). The Cub Scout participates in adventures somewhat more challenging than those for Wolf rank.
Webelos
This program is for children who have completed third grade (or are age 10). As they complete the requirements found in the Webelos Handbook, they will work on badges, attend meetings led by adults, and have fun in the outdoors and community.
Arrow of Light (AOL)
This program is for children who have completed fourth grade (or are age 11). A scout may begin working on the Arrow of Light badge as soon as they join a Patrol. This is the first step in their transition from the Cub Scout den to the Scouts BSA troop. The scouts will be more independent and become familiar with the Scouts BSA requirements -- all leading to the Arrow of Light Award.
The Scout Oath & Law
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.
A Scout is:
Trustworthy
Loyal
Helpful
Friendly
Courteous
Kind
Obedient
Cheerful
Thrifty
Brave
Clean
and Reverant