As a Cub Scout parent, your involvement is integral to ensure your Scout has a great experience.  One of the great joys of scouting is the family-centered aspect of the program.  Whether it is a Tiger Scout talking with his parents to create a plan to put in use in case he gets separated from his parents in a store, or a Webelos Scout working with parents to devise a family energy savings plan, scouting, done right, can strengthen the relationships between children and their parents.  

Here is what parents can do:

1.  Get your Cub Scout to the events on time.  Be aware of, and review often the dates and times of pack events.  Lateness causes stress for activities are missed and need to be 'caught up' on the scout's and parent's own time.  Pick your scout up on time.  Our leaders do have other responsibilities and cannot be consistently waiting for parent pickup.  Scouts left waiting for parent pickup normally find this very awkward as well.

2.   Help your Cub Scout to be prepared to participate in the events so that your scout has a great experience. It is not as fun watching than when participating.  Winning is nice, but not important.  What is important is doing their best.  Stress this.  Compliment the effort even more than the result.

3.  Help your Cub Scout get and wear his uniform and any other gear that is needed. Scouting is also about developing and improving upon self discipline, and the uniform is part of this.  The uniform is also way to display accomplishments.

4.  Read through your Cub Scout's handbook.  Help your Cub Scout to complete his rank requirements and advancements.  Help him to determine what other recognitions he would like to earn, and assist him with those. 

5. Offer to help.  Help the den leader and the den committee to plan and execute required and optional den events and activities.  Let the pack know of skills and talents you have that might be put into a fun and meaningful activity.

4.  Support the pack's Fundraisers.  The pack does need a certain amount of money to operate.  Chartering, activities and events, and advancement (the patches) all take money.

5.   Be supportive of pack personnel.  Please remember that our scouting volunteers are just that.. .volunteers.  They are folks who have jobs, families, and other activities who are kind enough to split their time with us.  They do this because they are called by God to do so, believe in the principles and beliefs of scouting, and they believe in our youth as tomorrow's leaders.  Please treat our volunteers with love and respect.  When disputes arise, please remember to treat each other with the viewpoint that we are all trying to do what is best for the scout, and that we must team together.  

6.  Help to enforce pack Rules:

a)  Show respect of our surroundings, inside and out.  Leave things in the same or better condition than what they were found.  There is no running inside the church building. 

b)  In response to 'signs up' signal, be silent and return the signal. 

c)   Scouts must abide by the buddy system, and must get permission from the adults in charge to be anywhere else other than where the den meets or activity is being held.

d)  Scouts are expected follow Akela, and to listen and be patient.

e)  Scouts are expected to keep hands and feet to themselves, and to not take anything that is not theirs unless first asking to do so.

f)  Wear the clean and neat uniform to meetings and events with pride.

g)  To always do your best.

7.   Be a good role model.  Refrain from smoking (and alcohol/drugs) during events, use appropriate language and behaviors.