Why Join Scouting?

In 1930, the Boy Scouts of America created a new opportunity called Cub Scouting for boys younger than Boy Scout age. A year-round, home-centered program used by chartered organizations, Cub Scouting emphasizes involvement between boys and their parents, adult leaders, and friends. In the multidimensional plan of the Boy Scouts of America, Cub Scouting is where it all begins.

 

Cub Scouting has the following purposes:

* Influences a boy's character development and spiritual growth.
* Develop habits and attitudes of good citizenship.
* Encourage sportsmanship and pride. Grow strong in mind and body.
* Improve understanding within the family.
* Strengthen a boy's ability to get along with others.
* Foster personal achievement. Develop new interests and skills.
* Provide fun and exciting new things to do.
* Show a boy how to be helpful and do his best.
* Prepare him to be a Boy Scout.

 Membership:

Cub Scouting has program components for boys in the first through fifth grades. Members join a Cub Scout Pack and are assigned to a Den, usually a neighborhood group of six to ten 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.

Advancement:

Recognition is important to young boys. The Cub Scout advancement plan provides fun for the boys, gives them a sense of personal achievement as they earn badges, and strengthens family understanding as adult family members work with boys on advancement projects.

The first rank, Bobcat rank is for all boys who join Cub Scouting.

Tiger Cubs BSA is a simple and fun program for first-grade boys and their families. The Tiger Cub program introduces boys and their adult partners to the excitement of Cub Scouting as they "Search, Discover, and Share" together.

The Tiger Cub program is conducted on two levels. First, the Tiger Cub and his adult partner meet in the home to conduct activities for the whole family. Second, the Tiger Cub and his adult partner meet with other Tiger Cubs and adult partners in the Den, using the planned "big idea" (or theme) for their activity during the meetings.


The Wolf program is for boys who have completed first grade (or are age 8). To earn the Wolf badge, a boy must pass twelve achievements involving simple physical and mental skills.

The Bear rank is for boys who have completed second grade (or are age 9). There are twenty-four Bear achievements in four different categories. The Cub Scout must complete twelve of these to earn the Bear badge. These requirements are somewhat more difficult and challenging than those for Wolf rank. This program is for boys who have completed third grade (or are age 10). 


A boy may begin working on the Webelos badge as soon as he joins a Webelos Den. This is the first step in his transition from the Webelos Den to the Boy Scout troop. As he completes the requirements found in the Webelos Scout Book, he will work on activity badges, attend meetings led by adults, and become familiar with the Boy Scout requirements - all leading to the Arrow of Light Award.

Arrow of Light - Cub Scouting's highest award

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 Sports and Academics:

The Cub Scout Sports and Academics program provides the opportunity for boys to learn new techniques, develop sportsmanship, increase scholarship skills, 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 Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts into the world of imagination. 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 members enjoy camping in local council camps and council-approved national, state, county, or city parks. 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.

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 Cubmasters to Pack Committee Chairmen, Committee Members, Den Leaders, and Chartered Organization Representatives.

Like other phases of the Scouting program, Cub Scouting is made available to groups having similar interests and goals, including professional organizations, government bodies, and religious, educational, civic, fraternal, business, labor, and citizens' groups. These "sponsors" are called Chartered Organizations. 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.  

What happens to a Scout? For every 100 boys who join Scouting, records indicate that:

RARELY will one be brought before the juvenile court system 2 will become Eagle Scouts 17 will become future Scout volunteers 12 will have their first contact with a church 1 will enter the clergy 5 will earn their church award 18 will develop a hobby that will last through their adult life 8 will enter a vocation that was learned through the merit badge system 1 will use his Scouting skills to save his own life 1 will use his Scouting skills to save the life of another person

Scouting's alumni record is equally impressive. A recent nation- wide survey of high schools revealed the following information:

85% of student council presidents were Scouts 89% of senior class presidents were Scouts 80% of junior class presidents were Scouts 75% of school publication editors were Scouts 71% of football captains were Scouts

Scouts also account for:

64% of Air Force Academy graduates 68% of West Point graduates 70% of Annapolis graduates 72% of Rhodes Scholars 85% of F.B.I. agents 26 of the first 29 astronauts