About Cub Scouting

If nobody in your family has done this before, here is the whole thing in a few minutes.

What is Cub Scouting?

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, and runs through fifth grade. Youth older than that are welcome in Scouts BSA, the program for middle and high school age, whether or not they were ever Cub Scouts. Two troops are hosted by the same church we are: Troop 662 for boys and Troop 662G for girls.

What is a den and a pack?

A den is the small group your child works in week to week, consisting of kids in the same grade with two or more 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.

What are meetings like?

Pack & den meetings run about an hour. They open with the Scout Oath and Law, move into an activity tied to whatever theme we are working on, and ends with something to think about for the week. We aim to have a section of discussion as well as hands-on activities. Cub Scouts is intended to be fun, active and outdoors when possible!

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.

What is expected of parents

Staying with your scout, and being ready to help when asked. Lion and Tiger age Scouts are partnered programs, intending for you to work directly with your cub, helping guide them in the lessons. Older dens start to encourage more independence, but parents should be around to help as needed. A pack runs entirely on volunteer parents, and packs where no parent steps up disappear. We have a strong community of parents who volunteer their time to keep the pack running smoothly, but each year new volunteers are needed to maintain the program.

Any adult who works with youth takes Scouting America's Safeguarding Youth training, and no adult is ever alone with a child who is not their own.

What it costs

There is a national membership fee and a council fee, both collected during registration with Scouting America. Additionally there are pack dues to purchase materials used in adventures. 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.