About Cub Scouting
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.
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.
Join Us in Cub Scouting!
What is Cub Scouts?
Cub Scouts is an adventure, for boys in 1st through 5th grade. Each Cub Scout belongs to two groups — the den, and the pack. The den is a small group of 4 to 8 boys, who are all in the same grade. They are all in the same scouting level, and work out of the same book in den meetings twice a month. Once a month, all the dens get together at a pack meeting, where the boys show off what they have learned and are recognized for their accomplishments.
Cub Scouts has several different focus areas. Nature and the outdoors, sports and physical fitness, citizenship and service in the community are just a few of the things we build into our program. Boys learn by having fun, as they explore their world and spend some quality time with their family and a small group of friends.
Time Commitment
Dens usually meet twice a month. Meetings for the younger grades are usually an hour in length. By the time they are in 4th or 5th grade, they might be an hour and a half. In 1st grade, a parent or adult friend must be with the scout for every meeting. Starting in 2nd grade, boys can be left at meetings, as long as leadership needs are met.
The Pack meets once a month, usually the third Monday. The pack meeting starts at 7 pm, with a gathering activity starting at 6:45. We are done between 8 and 8:15. Each month, we also have a pack event — a service project, a campout, or just a fun family activity like the Pinewood Derby. The time commitment for these varies, but is indicated in advance. Generally, a parent should be present for pack meetings and events.
During the summer, the dens follow a different schedule, as set by the den leader. The pack does not have meetings during the summer months, but we do have two pack-wide activities per month.
Cost
The cost for joining Pack 497 for the year is $50. The scouting year runs from June 1st through May 31st. Your registration fee covers the basics of scouts, but to provide the wide programming that we do, we have a fundraiser in the fall, selling wreaths and calendars. There is a sales minimum we ask each scout to reach, but it is very reasonable, and most scouts pass it and head towards higher goals within a day or two.
When you join our pack, we provide you with your scout handbook, a neckerchief and slide, and a pack t-shirt. You will need to purchase a uniform shirt and some basic patches, available at the scout shop. The cost for these usually runs about $35.
Take a look at our calendar, and you’ll see that we are busy with events throughout the year. Many of these events are free, or the pack supplements the cost. There are a few times during the year where you will need to write a check to participate, but we try to keep these to a minimum.
Volunteering
Our Cub Scout pack and dens are run entirely by volunteers — people just like you, parents within the pack. Because we keep our den size small, a high percentage of people are needed in leadership positions. Each den must have two registered leaders, and the pack needs 2-4 leaders up front in pack meetings, and 5 or more people working behind the scenes.
Parents who are not registered leaders are asked to help set up and coordinate pack events during the year. Everyone gets involved somehow, and that makes less work and more fun for all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my son be in sports and scouts? Yes!
Most of our scouts participate in at least one sport during the year. Some will leave their sport early and come to the pack meeting a little late (and still in their sports uniform – that’s OK!). When you can, set up the sport for a different night. When you can’t, try to balance it out so you don’t miss the scout meetings that cover requirements that are hard to make up. Most people find that sports and scouts are very compatible.
Your calendar is really busy — do we have to go to everything? No!
We set up a calendar with a variety of activities to appeal to many different boys. Some people try to do everything. Others start off with just the basics, and add on some events as they look interesting or fun. Pack events are never required. They might help you earn a requirement for your badge, but that wouldn’t be your only opportunity. We have lots of activities so you can miss some and still stay in touch with the group.
When is the best time to join Scouts?
Some boys join in 1st grade, some wait until 2nd grade or later. If you join in the spring, you can participate in all the activities of summer, and get to know people from many different dens at the pack events. If you wait until fall, you can start up Scouts with the school year, and make it part of your routine. It is really up to you — people join scouts at any time during the year.
My idea of roughing it is a Holiday Inn — will my son feel left out? No!
Many people get their first taste of camping, or do their first camping in a long time, during their Cub Scout years. Some just don’t do the camping part. While we build camping into our program, and highly encourage going to camp, especially as 4th and 5th grade scouts, there are a LOT of activities throughout the year that don’t involve camping. There are also NO badge requirements that involve camping, so it is always possible to earn your rank badge without it. And, if you do decide to get your feet wet and try out a night in a tent, what better time and place than with a group of scouts, ready and willing to help you every step of the way?
What about moms? Is Cub Scouts just for dads and their sons?
Each Cub Scout needs to have an Akela — an adult that helps them throughout scouting. Akela can be mom or dad. It can even be an uncle or a close family friend. We have lots of moms that are Akela in our pack. In fact, Cub Scouts is a family organization – moms and dads both come to den and pack meetings, as do siblings (even some sisters!)
What makes Pack 497 unique?
We’ve mentioned many things in passing, but here is a summary of what makes our pack worth checking out:
Small den size. If we hit 9 boys in a den, the choice to split is up to the den leader. Once the number hits 10, it is time to recruit some new leaders and make the split.
Two den meetings a month. If you miss a den meeting because your son is sick, you don’t want to go for two months in between meetings.
A pack event every month. They’re optional, but lots of fun!
Free t-shirt. Every new scout in our pack gets a pack t-shirt for free. These can be worn to school, sometimes to pack or den events during the school year, and are our standard uniform for summer events.
$50 registration fee. We rely on our fundraiser to fund our pack year.
Service Projects. We have several kid-friendly service projects during the year. Kids can learn that helping others is fun at a young age.
Two activities each month during the summer. We set one up for a weekend, and one for a week night. Twice as many chance that your schedule will be free!
Parent Involvement. Every parent is involved in some way in making scouting a positive experience for his or her child.