The Cub Scout follows Akela.

The Cub Scout helps the pack go.

The pack helps the Cub Scout grow.

The Cub Scout gives goodwill.

 

The Cub Scout follows Akela. In Cub Scouting, Akela (pronounced Ah-KAY-la) means "good leader." To a Cub Scout, Akela is a parent, teacher, religious leader, or Cub Scout leader. Akela is anyone who has shown ability and willingness to be a good leader for Cub Scouts to follow.

One must first learn to be a good follower in order to be a good leader. The key word in this phrase of the Law of the Pack isfollows. When following, a Cub Scout should choose a good leader to emulate.

The Cub Scout helps the pack go. Cub Scouts help the pack go by being loyal members, attending all meetings, following the leaders, and making the pack better because they belong. It means doing one's share. By helping the pack, Cub Scouts have more fun and feel satisfied. The key word in this phrase is helps.

The pack helps the Cub Scout grow. Cub Scouting helps boys grow into better people. They learn how to do new things and to reach out to others. The key word in this phrase is grow.

The Cub Scout gives goodwill. It's a good feeling for a boy to do what he is expected to do. It's an even better feeling when he does more than he is expected to do. Help boys look for ways to make other people happy. The small things are just as important as the big ones. Anything that makes life a little easier or more pleasant for someone else is goodwill. The key word in this phrase is gives.

I ________ promise to do my best

To do my duty to God and my country,

To help other people, and

To obey the Law of the Pack.

 

This promise helps Cub Scouts develop a sense of spiritual awareness, loyalty, unselfishness, self-discipline, and service to others.

I ________ promise: A promise is a commitment. To make a promise and then fail to keep it is to break one's word.

To do my best: One person's best is not the same as someone else's best. A Cub Scout should try to better his own record, rather than merely trying to do better than someone else.

To do my duty to God: This phrase means to remember to thank God for good friends, good health, our well-being, our family, and all others who love and help us. Going to worship services is another way of doing our duty to God. We should respect other people's religious beliefs even if they are different from our own.

And my country: Duty to country starts with being a good citizen. This means caring about the people in our communities and helping those in need. Good citizenship also means obeying the law and using our country's resources carefully. We show love for our country by respecting and saluting the U.S. flag and standing at attention when our national anthem is played.

To help other people: For Cub Scouts, helping other people may mean helping at home by taking out the garbage or making their bed without grumbling. A Cub Scout can also help others by befriending a new student in school, making holiday cards for older people, raking leaves or clearing snow for a neighbor, providing games for children living in shelters, or collecting food for people who don't have enough to eat. Helping others is not always easy to do. We must think about other people instead of ourselves—even when it might be inconvenient.

And to obey the Law of the Pack: A Cub Scout should follow the laws of the land, the rules in his school, the rules in his home, and the rules in his den and pack.

Do Your Best.

Doing his best is one of the most important things for the Cub Scout to learn. Boys often become so interested in winning that they fail to see the importance of doing the best they can at everything. One boy's best might be quite different from another boy's best. Cub Scouting teaches boys that no one can find fault with them if they always do their best.

The Cub Scout sign is made with the right arm held high and straight up above the shoulder, with the index and middle fingers forming a V.

The other fingers are held with the thumb.

The two extended fingers stand for the parts of the Cub Scout Promise, "to help other people" and "to obey." They also stand for the two alert ears of a wolf. This is the sign of Cub Scouts all over the world.

The Cub Scout sign should be given when repeating the Cub Scout Promise or Law of the Pack. It is also used in ceremonies.

 

The handshake is done by putting the index and middle fingers of the right hand against the other person's wrist when shaking hands.

Cub Scouts and Cub Scout leaders use this handshake everywhere in the United States. The handshake signifies that those who use it help others and obey the Law of the Pack.

 

The salute is made by joining the index and middle fingers of the right hand (holding the other fingers with the thumb) and touching the extended fingers to the cap visor or forehead. The hand is held the same as for the Cub Scout sign, except the two fingers are together.

The Cub Scout salute is used to salute the flag when in uniform and to show respect to den and pack leaders. It can be used when greeting other Cub Scouts.