Welcome to Scouting with Pack 1238!

So you’ve just joined Cub Scouts… What to do now?

Welcome to Cub Scouting and Cub Scout Pack 1238! 

Our regular meeting location is at the Fisler School Multi-Purpose Room (MPR).  

Handbooks are available at the Scout Shop (please see below for directions.)  Please read through the beginning of the handbook for important information targeted at Adult Partners and Parents.  As you will discover, Cub Scouts is about family involvement as well as Den/Pack involvement. Much of the fun, learning, and advancement is expected to take place at home. You will notice that some of the activities you may already do on a regular basis.

One of the most common challenges for new Cub Scouts and their families is understanding the organization and the terminology of Cub Scouts.

Since 1930, the Boy Scouts of America has helped younger boys through Cub Scouting. It is a year-round family program designed for boys who are in the first grade through fifth grade (or 7, 8, 9, and 10 years of age). Parents, leaders, and organizations work together to achieve the purposes of Cub Scouting. Currently, Cub Scouting is the largest of the BSA's three traditional membership divisions. (The others are Boy Scouting and Venturing.)

As new Cub Scouting members you are part of a Pack and are assigned to a Den.  A Den is a group of like aged boys led by a Den Leader.  Tiger Cubs (first-graders and their Adult Partners), Wolf Cub Scouts (second-graders), Bear Cub Scouts (third-graders), and Webelos Scouts (fourth- and fifth-graders) meet 2-3 times a month.

Once a month, all of our dens and family members gather for our pack meeting, which is organized under the direction of a Cubmaster and Pack Committee. The committee includes parents of boys in the pack and members of the chartered organization.

Cub Scouting is an adventure and as with most adventures proper equipment is a good place to start.  No adventure can be successful without a good map.  The Cub Scout Handbook will start you down the right path, specifically the Trail to Bobcat.  No matter what age or grade a boy joins Cub Scouting, he must earn his Bobcat badge before he can advance to the rank of Tiger Cub, Wolf, Bear, or Webelos.  Bobcat is the beginning of the advancement trail. 

On the advancement trail, a Cub Scout progresses from rank to rank. Each of the ranks and awards in Cub Scouting has its own requirements. As a Scout advances through the ranks, the requirements get more challenging and are matched to the new skills and abilities the boys have developed.  With the Cub Scout handbook as a resource, parents and boys work together to complete the achievements required for each badge. The advancement plan provides fun for the boys, gives them a sense of personal achievement as they earn badges, and strengthens family understanding as adult family members work with boys on advancement projects.  Boys often start projects at den meetings and finish them at home with the help of a parent. Such projects become the catalyst for parents and boys—often joined by siblings and friends—to interact with each other in an informal, relaxed way.   As he grows, your son will gain the ability to do more things "on his own," but at this stage of his development, your help is critical.

The highest rank in Cub Scouting is the Arrow of Light Award.  Earning this rank prepares a Webelos Scout to become a Boy Scout.  This award is the only Cub Scout badge that can be worn on the Boy Scout uniform when a boy graduates into a Boy Scout Troop.

The U.S. scouting movement began in 1910 and wearing uniforms has been a part of Scouting since day one.  Uniforming has been shown over the years to have many benefits including equality, identification, commitment, and achievement.  What’s more, the boys have fun wearing the uniforms, especially in the younger levels.  Tiger Cubs, Wolf Cub Scouts, and Bear Cub Scouts all wear the traditional blue Cub Scout uniform, while Webelos wear a tan/olive uniform similar to the one Boy Scouts wear.

The Field or Class-A Uniform consists of:

·       Shirt (Blue for Cub Scouts, tan for Webelos) with insignia:

o   US Flag

o   Scouting World Crest

o   Orange County Council shoulder patch with the Founders Unit Gold trim

o   The pack numerals 1238 (Numerals are available individually from the scout shop, or as a single patch available from the pack.  Numerals should placed directly below and touching the Council shoulder patch.)

The Scout Shop has shirts available bare or with some patches already attached and they offer a stitching service for a nominal fee. If you plan to attach the patches on your own please follow the guidelines for placement that can be found in the Cub Scout handbook or online at http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34282.pdf & http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34635.pdf.

·       Cap: Orange for Tiger, Yellow for Wolf, Blue for Bear and Plaid for Webelos

·       Blue web belt w/ correct buckle: Tiger, Cub Scout, or Webelos

·       Pants or shorts: Webelos should wear the Official Scout olive pants/short, Tiger, Wolf, and Bear Cub Scouts should wear blue pants/shorts (May be official uniform pants/shorts or dark blue jeans/slacks/shorts – no cutoffs)

·       Neckerchief: Orange for Tiger, Yellow for Wolf, Blue for Bear and Plaid for Webelos

·       Neckerchief slide:  Official Tiger, Wolf, Bear, or Webelos slide or handmade slides are acceptable.

·       Socks: Blue with Orange for Tiger, Blue with Yellow for Wolf & Bear and Olive with Red for Webelos

The pack also has an Activity or Class-B Uniform.  This consists of the Pack T-shirt along with the appropriate Cap, Pants/shorts, and socks.  Each boy will need a Pack T-shirt.  Pack T-shirts are $15 each  and are available for anyone who is interested, youth and family members alike.  Tiger Cub Adult Partners don't have to wear a uniform, however it is suggested that they wear a Pack T-shirt for den meetings. There is also a Tiger Cubs hat available for the Adult Partners.  All uniform items are available at the Scout Shop.  The Anaheim Scout Shop is located at 1501 N. Raymond, between Orangethorpe and the 91Fwy on the west side of the street. The staff is extremely helpful and will be happy to point you in the right direction if you have any questions.  Uniform items and other BSA merchandise can also be purchased online at http://www.scoutstuff.org .

Your Scouting Adventure is about to begin and we are looking forward to sharing it with you.