How Cub Scouts Are Organized/What Den is my child in?
Cub Scout Packs are broken into “Dens” that are based on the grade level of the scout.
The dens are as follows: Lion for Kindergarten, Tiger for 1st grade, Wolf for 2nd grade, Bear for 3rd grade, Webelos for 4th grade, and Arrow of Light for 5th grade. Since the activities for the dens are designed to be age-appropriate, it is important that your son or daughter goes with the den designed for his or her age.
When and where do we meet?
In Pack 82, we typically have three meetings per month on Monday nights at 7pm. From September 2018 through Spring of 2020, we will be holding our Pack Meetings at Camp Herms (North room of the Main Lodge).
The three meetings are as follows (subject to change):
- Pack Meetings (first Monday of the month), where the entire Pack and parents meet as a group
- Den Meetings (each den determines meeting times for the month) with individual dens having separate, age appropriate meetings (for Tigers, parent attendance is mandatory, for all other dens, parent attendance is appreciated, but not required);
- Parent Meetings (last Sunday of the month) where adult leaders (Den Leaders and the Pack Committee) meet with parents to plan activities and insure that everything in the Pack is flowing smoothly.
What are the dues/what does Pack 82 cost?
As a pack, we currently have modest annual dues of $150. For Lions this includes the Lions Participant Package, Lion Hat, and Shirt. This covers much of the operational costs for the Pack including the registration with BSA. These dues also help defray the costs of the camping reservation for our Fall and Spring camping trips and our annual Pinewood Derby/Blue and Gold dinner. We also do one fundraiser per year which provides the pack the bulk of our operating funds to do activities. If the cost of the dues is a hardship for your family, please let us know, as we do not want anyone to miss out on scouting for financial reasons. There are a bunch of activities all year long. Some activities have a modest fee like our ice skating event. Other larger activities like our Tahoe winter trip do cost a bit more (but are very reasonably priced). In addition to the annual dues paid when you sign up, you are encouraged, but not required to make donations to Friends of Scouting which may be matched by corporate contributions. Friends of Scouting fund raising goes directly to our local council for funding their operation.
What do I need to get for my new Scout?
The one thing you absolutely need to get immediately for your scout is the Handbook for your child’s den level. They are called Tiger Handbook, Wolf Handbook, Bear Handbook etc. These books contain the entire program of things we will be doing in den meetings and all of the activities that your scout will need to do to earn the badge for their den level.
At Pack 82 we take pride in our Cub Scout uniform. When you join, your scout will be given a Class B shirt (T-shirt with our unit info) that is our main “activity shirt”. The other part of the uniform is the “Class A” uniform. This is the one worn to meetings and official events. First is the neckerchief and clasp. Next is the uniform shirt. The Tigers, Wolves, and Bears will wear the blue uniform shirt. The Webelos and Arrows of Light wear the beige uniform shirt. There are also a few patches that need to be purchased along with the uniform shirt. To see what you need, check out the Den Handbook, or look online for Cub Scout Uniform guidelines. You would also need to get the proper hat for your den. All of these components can be purchased from any of the Scout Stores (the closest one is in Pleasant Hill) or online at Scoutstuff.org. As youngsters are constantly growing, we consistently have some stock of “gently used” items that people pass on once their cub outgrows it. Although the uniform belt and shorts/pants are optional, they are highly recommended. But the most important part is for the experience to be fun and unique for them and for them to be able to proudly display their achievements in scouting.
What are the Pack 82 Activities?
The first thing you should know about our Pack is that we try to put the “outing” in Scouting. This means that we will have 1 or 2 campouts per school year (weather dependent), plus several additional outings that might include things like an overnight trip to the SS Jeremiah O’Brien, ice skating, skiing, and trips to local museums. In addition, the individual dens might do a couple of short trips to local attractions. A schedule of all outings and meetings will be provided at the beginning of the year and will also be available online for you to refer to throughout the year as things area added and change.
What is expected of me as a Parent?
We like to think that Cub Scout packs are “parent powered” organizations. We expect all Pack 82 parents to be involved in the pack. Although some packs have strict volunteer time requirements, we do not, nor do we expect to, as parent involvement has always been really good. Whatever time you can contribute is absolutely appreciated. The more everyone pitches in, the more smoothly Pack 82 operates. And plus, the activities are fun!
OK, so how do I get involved?
There are many volunteer jobs available in the Pack. At the first Parent’s Meeting, we will discuss all of the positions that are available and get volunteers for all of the positions. In addition, we need parents to volunteer to bring snacks to meetings, to volunteer their expertise for Pack and Den demonstrations, and to take up leadership positions such as Den Leader, Assistant Den Leader, Treasurer, Committee Chair, Assistant Cubmaster, and eventually Cubmaster. Since most of us are only involved in Cub Scouts for a few years at most, it is critical that you as a new parent get involved so that the Pack will continue to be a fun and exciting place for years to come.
I don’t know the first thing about scouting—how can I learn more?
We are now requiring all new parents to take the “Fast Start” training which is available online at www.my.scouting.org . This online training takes 30-45 minutes and gives a great overview of scouting and all of the things scout parents and leaders need to know. If you interested in becoming a den leader, there is den level specific training available online as well. Additionally, BSA requires that we have leaders in our Pack who are trained in specific aspects of scouting. Toward this end, we encourage you to sign up for some of these additional training sessions and get training like BALOO and Youth Protection, etc. Ask the Cubmaster Robert, and we can help you with that information.
What other resources are out there to learn about scouting?
There are many, many resources online with great information about scouting (there is an appendix at the end of this packet with links to some of the ones we’ve found especially useful.) There are also training books that can be purchased from ScoutStuff.org or at the Scouting Store. In addition, there is Cub Scout Roundtable the second Wednesday of each month where scout parents and leaders get together at Camp Herms in El Cerrito and share ideas for making scouting the best it can be for our children. Finally, each January, our regional scout Council (the Mount Diablo Silverado Council) has L.E.A.D, a day long training event for parents and leaders which not only provides training and ideas for our dens and the pack, but is a heck of a lot of fun! We currently require all den leaders to attend L.E.A.D, and encourage all parents to go out and enjoy the fun. Details on Roundtable and Pow Wow are available on the Mount Diablo Silverado Council website and in Smoke Signals, the monthly Council newsletter which you can download online.
Contact us: Kensingtonpack82@gmail.com