A bit about Cub Scouts:
At its core, Cub Scouts should be a fun process that gives boys and their “Akela” (Cub lingo for Parent or Guardian) an opportunity to learn and grow. Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scouting movement in early 1900’s is attributed to saying “Scouting is a game with a purpose”. For Pack #1, that purpose is not oriented in the ideology of any one group or community. We simply feel that young people can explore their own interest and their families’ values while having fun.
Cub Scouting uses some specific organization terminology so as a point of clarity, here are the biggies:
Pack This is the whole group. In our case, it consists of between 80-90 boys.
Den Smaller units that correlate with grade level. Presently we have one den for each grade
- Tiger Cubs 1st Grade
- Wolf Cubs 2nd Grade
- Bear Cubs 3rd Grade
- Webelos 1 4th Grade
- Webelos 2 5th Grade
Akela A boys parent or guardian (Mom, Dad, Aunt, Uncle, Grandpa, Grandma etc.) Whoever is going to be the primary adult(s) engaging the boy in the activities.
Our Program:
Pack #1 is not a one-dimensional organization. Some boys enjoy camping, others like earning achievements. Some boys (and not a few dads) like making Pinewood Derby Cars, others enjoy trips to the zoo and others the beach. And of course, some of our cubs want to do it all!
The scouting year for Pack #1 mirrors the typical school year (Sep – May) with a few optional activities during June-August.
The Pack meets as a full group only once a month. Typically we meet on the 3rd Sunday of the Month in the 3:00 – 5:00 time frame at Saint Mark’s Church Community Hall.
Dens meet once a month, usually at a cub’s home or at an outing location (rock climbing, nature walk etc.) Den meetings are scheduled by the den leadership in coordination with the parents.
Typically, when the Pack has a big outing or event, the event replaces the monthly Pack meeting. We are aware that your son’s have lots of things drawing their attention and we don’t want scouting to preclude their other activities.
Special Events:
Throughout the year, some special events take place and more information will follow. In summary they typically include:
1 overnight sleep-over at a museum, zoo, aquarium etc.
1 weekend camping trip
Pinewood Derby (a one day event but the boys make their own racing cars with their Akela)
Blue and Gold Dinner Awards dinner at the end of the scouting year.
Other outings that can be arranged (rocket launches, zoo trips, beach outings, hiking, rock-climbing wall visits etc.) Events are scheduled with the input of parents so if you have a particular interest, you can help the pack get your son engaged in fun activities that are not in this short list.
Price, fundraising and money
Money should not be an impediment to enjoying scouting. We make an effort to keep fees low and underwrite event costs whenever possible. To make this possible, we have one fundraiser per year… SELLING POPCORN. The good/news is that the Boy Scout Council has the annual scout popcorn drive in Sep-Oct timeframe. This means new scouts are immediately asked to sell popcorn. We encourage every scout to participate. Some boys sell door to door in their neighborhoods. Some sell to relatives. We have a few boys whose parents take the orders to their work. And NEW this year, on-line orders with direct shipping will be offered for those far-away grannies in distant states!
Because Pack #1 sells lots of popcorn, most events and den activities are underwritten. The biggest exception a major weekend trip (e.g. trip to Catalina Island Camp) where the costs per person are too large to fully underwrite.