- 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. Tiger Cubs (first-graders),
Wolf Cub Scouts (second-graders), Bear Cub Scouts (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 boys 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 local
BSA 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 boys under its
sponsorship. 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.
Who Pays For It?
Groups
responsible for supporting Cub Scouting are the boys and their parents,
the pack, the chartered organization, 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 the United
Way, Friends of Scouting enrollment, bequests, and special contributions
to the BSA local council. This financial aid supports leadership
training, outdoor programs, council service centers and other
facilities, and professional service for units.
Activities
Cub
Scouting means "doing." Everything in Cub Scouting is designed to have
the boys 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.
Cub Scout Academics and Sports
The
Cub Scout Academics and Sports program provides the opportunity for
boys to learn new techniques, increase scholarship skills, develop
sportsmanship, and have fun. Participation in the program allows boys to
be recognized for physical fitness and talent-building activities.
Camping
Age-appropriate
camping programs are packed with theme-oriented action that brings
Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts into the great out-of-doors.
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 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.
Character Development
Since
its origin, the Scouting program has been an educational experience
concerned with values. In 1910, the first activities for Scouts were
designed to build character, physical fitness, practical skills, and
service. These elements were part of the original Cub Scout program and
continue to be part of Cub Scouting today. Character can be defined as
the collection of core values possessed by an individual that leads to
moral commitment and action. Core values are the basis of good character
development. In helping boys develop character, Cub Scouting promotes
the following 12 core values.
Cub Scouting's 12 Core Values
- Citizenship
- Compassion
- Cooperation
- Courage
- Faith
- Health and fitness
- Honesty
- Perseverance
- Positive attitude
- Resourcefulness
- Respect
- Responsibility
Character is "values in action."
Cub Scouting Ideals
Apart
from the fun and excitement of Cub Scout activities, the Cub Scout
Promise, the Law of the Pack, and the Cub Scout sign, handshake, motto,
and salute all teach good citizenship and contribute to a boy's sense of
belonging.