If a boy has completed the second grade, or is 9 years old, he may join the Bear Den. Like in the Wolf Den the boys get to attend the meetings without an Adult Partner, But all Adults are encouraged to attend and participate.
The Bear rank is for boys who have completed the second grade or are 9 years old. There are 24 Bear achievements in four categories and boys must complete 12 of these in 4 different categories God, Country, Family and Self to earn the Bear Badge. He may work on electives for credit toward Arrow Points to be worn under the Bear Badge. There are over a 100 elective projects a Cub Scout can work on aimed at kindling his interest in new hobbies as well as teaching him new skills that will be useful in his later years.