About Cub Scouting
If nobody in your family has done this before, here is the whole thing in a few minutes.
What it is
Cub Scouting is Scouting America's program for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Kids learn practical things by doing them: cooking, building, first aid, getting around outdoors, taking care of the place they live. It is deliberately hands on, and it is designed to be done with a parent or another adult from the child's family rather than dropped off.
Cub Scouting is open to boys and girls. Children who finish the program move on to Scouts BSA, the program for middle and high school age.
A den and a pack are not the same thing
A den is the small group your child works in week to week, usually six to eight kids in the same grade with one or two adult leaders. This is where most of the actual activity happens.
A pack is all the dens together. Pack meetings bring everyone into one room to recognize what kids have earned, do something as a whole group, and sort out what is coming next. Siblings and grandparents are welcome at pack meetings.
What a meeting is like
A den meeting runs about an hour. It opens with the Scout Oath and Law, moves into an activity tied to whatever the den is working on, and ends with word about what to bring next time. Kids are moving for most of it. Nobody sits and listens for an hour, because that is not how seven-year-olds work.
Pack meetings are larger, louder, and shorter on instruction. Expect awards, a skit or a game, and announcements.
Ranks by grade
A Scout works on one rank per school year, matched to the grade they are in. There is no catching up to do if you start late.
| Rank | Grade |
|---|---|
| Lion | Kindergarten |
| Tiger | First grade |
| Wolf | Second grade |
| Bear | Third grade |
| Webelos | Fourth grade |
| Arrow of Light | Fifth grade |
What is expected of parents
At minimum, coming along. Lion and Tiger age Scouts are required to have an adult partner with them at everything. Older dens are less strict about it, but a pack runs entirely on volunteer parents, and packs where no parent steps up do not last.
Any adult who works with youth takes Scouting America's Youth Protection training, and no adult is ever alone with a child who is not their own.
What it costs
There is a national membership fee set by Scouting America, a council fee, and whatever the pack charges for its own program. Uniforms and books are separate. Our numbers are on the join page.
Still have a question? The FAQ covers the ones we hear most, or email cubscout662@gmail.com.