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Why Join Cub Scouting?• Your time is valuable. More than ever, today’s families strive to find quality time to spend together. Cub Scouting helps to support your family by providing ready-made opportunities for you and your child to do things together.
• Cub Scout-age kids benefit developmentally from belonging to a group of kids their own age. Through this sense of belonging, they build self-esteem and learn to get along with others.
• As a parent, you want to be assured that the groups that your child joins will teach values consistent with good citizenship, character development, and physical fitness. The Boy Scouts of America has been weaving these lifetime values into fun and educational activities since 1910.
• In a society where your child is taught that winning is everything, Cub Scouting teaches to “do your best” and to be helpful to others.
• Scouting teaches family values and works to strengthen your relationship with your child. Scouting activities can bring added value to the time you already have together.
• They will learn to live by the code of “On my honor.”
But we know that kids do not join Cub Scouting just to build character. Kids join because it is fun. And fun is at the heart of everything Cub Scouts do—from exploring natural habitats to building model cars and robots to trying sports like archery or telling stories around a campfire. Kids in Cub Scouting might be learning great lessons, but they’re far too busy having fun to notice.
One unique thing about Cub Scouting is that you, as a family, join in on the program with your child, and you will help him/her along the way. Cub Scouting exists to support your family and help enrich your family time together. There is a different handbook at each grade level, with adventures that are age-appropriate for their developmental level. As your child advances through these books by working on adventures with you, they will earn badges and other recognition that they can wear on their uniform. Your child’s success in Cub Scouting depends on you!
The Cub Scouting program takes place at two levels. Your child will be a part of a DEN, a small group of kids in the same grade level who usually meet weekly. All dens, from grades K through 5, make up a PACK. Once a month, the dens, with their families, are together at the pack meeting, where kids show off the new skills they have learned during the month and are recognized for the badges they have earned.
Meetings and ProgrammingThe Pack Calendar is prepared during the summer months and distributed to the Pack at the beginning of the program year. If you have not received one yet, please contact any leader to secure a copy.
Den Meetings Monday nights 7-8, generally twice per month
Pack Meetings Monday nights 7-8, generally once per month
Parent Meetings Monday nights 7-8, generally the last week of the month
A Cub Scouting program year runs weekly from September through May. In additional to the weekly meetings, a typical year consists of the following items:
September – Popcorn Sale, a main fund raiser to support the Pack and keep dues low. What cookies are to Girl Scouts, Popcorn is to Cub/Boy Scouts. Scouts are required to sell $200 worth of products or buy out the difference. The Pack schedules several Show and Sell events at local businesses to help support the kids in reaching their sales goal.
October – Boiling Springs Halloween Parade, Scouts dress up and participate in the parade
October/November – Fall Campout, cabin camping Fri PM – Sun AM at a local scout camp. The kids get a chance to do an overnight with a mix of fun activities and rank advancement.
November – Scouting for food service project, Cub Scouts distribute door hangers with information about the food drive, then the boy scout troop goes around to collect the food a week or so later.
December – Holiday Party, the Scouts develop a series of carnival style games and activities as part of their rank advancement requirements and the entire Pack enjoys the games and some light refreshments to close out the first half of our programming year.
January – Winter campout (cabin camping), similar to our fall campout except we hope for some snow so that we can incorporate some sledding and snowball fights into the fun.
February – Pinewood Derby, the kids and their supporting adult partner up to design and build a small wooden car. The Pack comes together for a racing event when the kids race first against their den and then advance to race against others in the pack until a champion is crowned. Awards are given for best in show, fastest in each Den, and overall pack champion. Winners from each den advance to a District level race to compete against winners from the other Packs in the area. Each car must meet very specific BSA rules (including size and weight). The cars are judged on speed against their Den and the Pack. Guidelines for the rules that the cars must adhere to will be distributed prior to each Derby.
March – Blue and Gold Ceremony, this is a formal event where we celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of the Arrow of Light Den. The event concludes with a cross over ceremony where the Den “graduates” out of Cub Scouting and moves over into the Boy Scout Troop.
April – Chapel Point Pinewood Derby service project, after completing their own cars and racing them, members of the Pack go to a local nursing home and hold a race for the residents. The residents design and build their own cars in the weeks leading up to the event and then the boys and the residents enjoy light refreshments and a fun morning of racing.
April – Camp Card Fundraiser, a $5 discount card that kids can elect to sell door to door to raise money to reduce or eliminate camp costs. Roughly $2.50 from each sale goes to the scout.
May – End of Year Party, the final Pack meeting for the year, this is the chance for us all to come together and celebrate all of the accomplishments for each Den. This is like the Blue and Gold ceremony, where each Den receives their awards and then advances to the next rank level. The event typically is a pot luck style meal at a local pavilion.
May – Veterans Flag Placement service project, the Pack places American flags on veteran grave markers at a local cemetery. The Pack and Troop work together throughout the year to help support and maintain the cemetery.
May – Boiling Springs Memorial Day Parade, marching in the local parade as a unit.
June – Summer Camp, this is one of the most important events for the year. Roughly 1/3 of the rank advancement for the year is completed at summer camp. This may have to be made up through at home work if not attending camp. In addition, summer camp is the main place where many outdoor activities are enjoyed that do not fit well into a Monday night meeting (boating and fishing at the lake, animal and plant exploration in the nature area, gun safety and BB shooting at the range, archery history and shooting at the range, and climbing at the ropes tower). (see my notes from email)
Please note that ALL Den and Pack activities are included in the price of dues. You will never be asked to pay to attend a Den or Pack activity.
There are some exceptions which are field trips to locations far away. If there are additional fees for Den or Pack activities they will be included in the communication about the event.
Pack Contact InformationA complete list of contact information is provided below. In addition, contact information can be found on the Scoutbook website. At a minimum, you should note the Committee Chair, Cubmaster, and appropriate Den Leader contact information. These will be the main sources of support and information throughout the Cub Scouting program.
Charter Organization Otterbein United Methodist Church
647 Forge Rd, Carlisle, PA 17015
Charter Org Rep Jim Otto (717) 856-8516 [email protected]
Program Leadership
Cubmaster Brian Rudge (717) 440-5009 [email protected] Cubmaster Andy Van Volkenburg (717) 385-2702 [email protected] Den Mike Kalata (412) 953-7276 [email protected] Den Brian Rudge (717) 440-5009 [email protected] Den Dan Bock (717) 497-4733 [email protected] Den Beth Rudge (717) 440-5008 [email protected] Den Tom Kilko (717) 574-9936 [email protected] Den Andy Clarke (717) 426-2472 [email protected]
Pack Committee
Committee Chair Errol Huffman (717) 361-6530 [email protected] Greg Eshbach (484) 919-5137 [email protected] Sale Kelly Fazal
Jamie Flickinger (717) 385-6669(717) 448-4691
[email protected]@gmail.com
Who Runs the Pack?Committee
The Pack Committee is a group of adult volunteers who manage such things as programming, record keeping, finance, leadership recruitment, and registration for the Pack. The Pack Committee Chairperson, who is the administrative head of the Pack, runs this group. The Pack Committee meets monthly and meetings are open to any interested parent. Parent attendance/involvement is highly encouraged! The Pack Calendar lists the dates and times for these meetings, which are often referred to as Parent Meetings. The committee currently consists of (but is not limited to):
Committee chair – Head of Committee, position must be filled in order for Pack to exist Secretary – Records all meeting minutes and prepares forms for re-chartering Treasurer – Pays Pack bills, reports on financial budgets, reimburses for Pack purchases Advancement/Awards Chair – Tracks and purchases all awards and rank advancements Pack Trainer – Updates Pack members of upcoming training courses available for all
levels of scouting. Conducts a one-day training class for new den leaders each fall.
Cubmaster
The Cubmaster, who is sometimes referred to as the unit leader, is the person up front. The Cubmaster is responsible for:
Conducting the Pack program, including leading the monthly Pack meeting, with the help of the other leaders.
Guiding, supporting, motivating, and inspiring the other adult leaders. Making sure they receive training for their positions.
Making sure all the dens are functioning well. Planning the Den and Pack programs with the help of the other leaders. Coordinating the total Cub Scout program for the Pack. Helping recruit Den leaders and coaches. Establishing and maintaining good relationships with local Boy Scout Troops.
Den Leaders
Den leaders are your main “go-to” in the Pack. If you have request, questions, or forms and fees to turn in, go to your Den leader first. If, at any time, you feel your Den leader is not fulfilling his/her duties, speak to the Cubmaster directly. The Cubmaster will work with the leader and committee to resolve any situation.
If your child is a Tiger Cub, leadership duties will be shared across all parents, though one lead parent will be designated the "Den Leader." This parent will keep the other parents of the Den informed, making sure all parents are aware of the meeting schedule and share information and ideas regarding meetings. Parents are required to stay for the Tiger Den meetings and are encouraged to work together with your child on the program activities of the meeting.
NOTE: All new Den Leaders will need to attend the training class offered by the council in the fall. You will receive your leader essential handbooks and your “Trained” badge upon completion of the class.
The Den Leaders are generally responsible for:
Organizing and running your child’s Den. Conducting two to three meetings per month and overseeing any Den outings that may take place.
Involving parents in the leadership of the Den. Seeing that parents attend relevant Den meetings, sharing what talents they may have.
Working directly with each child to assure their needs are being met through Scouting. Providing advice and consultation to kids and parents regarding rank advancement,
badges and awards. Interfacing with the Pack Committee and Cubmaster to represent the interests of the
Den and the kids in it. Organizing the Den to execute its responsibilities at the Pack meeting, and seeing that
the kids exhibit appropriate conduct at Pack meetings.
You
You, the parent, have a role in running the Pack, your child’s Den, and in controlling the quality of your child’s overall scouting experience. You do this by…
Making sure your Scout has the proper uniform and handbook for the current rank. Reading through the current handbook in order to best assist your Scout with rank
advancement requirements. Volunteering wherever possible to assist the major events planned for the year. Encouraging your child to participate in Den and Pack meetings and events. Encouraging rank advancement and the earning of badges and awards. Supporting your Den Leader by offering your skills and talents. Return information forms and event fees in a timely manner. Speaking up and sharing your ideas to improve the Den and Pack. Helping the Den Leader maintain your Den’s proper Scout behavior at Pack meetings. Assisting in the recruitment of new kids to the Pack. Being a positive advocate for
Scouting when given the opportunity. Becoming a leader or assistant leader yourself. Becoming a Committee Member and help to assure the life of the Pack.
Rank AdvancementThere are 6 levels of the Cub Scouting program. Each level represents a program year and corresponds to the K-5 grade levels.
A – Lion Rank: Kindergarten age kids and an adult partner (a parent, grandparent, or other guardian) work together throughout the program year to complete the rank requirements. Den Meetings are held twice per month at the Den Leaders house or can rotate to any family that wants to host.
B – Bobcat Badge: 1 st – 5 th grade kids earn the Bobcat badge when they first join the Pack. The program is typically completed within the first few meetings and serves as an introduction to scouting.
C – Tiger Rank: 1 st grade kids and an adult partner work together throughout the program year to complete the rank requirements. Parent participation in the meetings is required.
D – Wolf Rank: 2 nd grade kids work more independently with guidance from the Den Leader throughout the program year to complete the rank requirements. Adult participation in the meetings is encouraged but no longer required. The Wolf rank requirements includes many activities that are family oriented. Your child will need your assistance to earn this rank.
E – Bear Rank: 3 rd grade kids work more independently with guidance from the Den Leader throughout the program year to complete the rank requirements. Adult participation in the meetings is encouraged but no longer required. The Wolf rank requirements includes many activities that are family oriented. Your child will need your assistance to earn this rank.
F – Webelos Rank: 4 th grade kids work independently with guidance from the Den Leader throughout the program year to complete the rank requirements. Webelos stands for WE’ll BE Loyal Scouts. The program is designed to transition the kids from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts and puts emphasis on working together as a team, much like a Boy Scout Patrol.
G – Arrow of Light Award: 5 th grade kids work independently with guidance from the Den Leader throughout the program year to complete the requirements for the award. The Arrow of Light Award is the highest award a Cub Scout can earn and upon completion, signifies the Scout is ready to advance, or cross over, into the Boy Scout Troop.
UniformsThe Boy Scouts of America is a uniformed organization. Purchasing a uniform is not initially required, but should be done by the end of October so that your child may proudly wear their rank advancements and other awards on it as they are earned.
BSA has many reasons for requiring uniforms. Among them are quick identification of the group, providing a place to display emblems representing hard work by the Scouts, and to foster a sense of equality, brotherhood, and pride.
There are two levels of uniforms:
1. Class A – The official BSA formal uniform which is consistent in Scouting globally. This uniform is worn at the Den and Pack meetings as well as any formal outings during the program year.
2. Class B – An informal T-Shirt designed by the local Pack. This uniform is worn when a dress uniform is not appropriate, such as playing outdoor games, hiking, etc.
The Cubmaster and/or Den Leaders will provide guidance on when Class A or Class B uniforms are appropriate throughout the year.
The table below provides guidance on the elements of a Class A uniform.
Scout shorts and socks are optional. The official program has unique slides, belts, and hats for each program year, which you are welcome to purchase if you would like (consider this optional).
The Class B T-Shirts will be provided by the Cub Master or Den Leaders at the beginning of the programming year (September).
The Class A uniforms also sport an assortment of emblems that identify the Scout’s council, pack, rank, and certain accomplishments. Many of these emblems are described on the inside covers of the book for each rank. The Scout Shop will provide the needed assistance in getting your first uniform and patches.
Webelos Scouts are in transition from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. They may also be at an age where they are outgrowing their Cub Scout uniform and need a new one, even though they’ll bridge to Boy Scouts soon. For this reason, BSA provides the option that Webelos Scouts may wear the blue Cub Scout uniform until they outgrow it. Webelos Scouts who purchase a new uniform should buy the tan and green Boy Scout uniform. All Webelos scouts should be wearing the tan and green uniform by the time that they earn the Arrow of Light and bridge into a Boy Scout Troop.
Uniform items that are easily removable (such as hats, neckerchiefs, and neckerchief slides) should be marked permanently with the Scout’s initials so that lost items can be returned to their owner.
Uniforms can be purchased online at http://scoutstuff.org or at the Scout Shop located at the 1 Baden Powell Ln, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050. You can call the Scout Shop directly at (717) 795-2703. We strongly encourage that you visit the shop and see all that the Scouting world has to offer. The employees are very friendly and helpful in navigating the uniform as you get started.
Patch Placement Guideline
Participation in campouts and other offsite activities often requires several documents (Code of Conduct and Activity Consent) to be completed and turned in. The forms are provided below for your reference. In addition, a BSA Medical Form is required for attending Summer Camp.
FinancesThe annual dues for the Pack are $65. This covers registration with the Council, some of our programming costs, and the awards that get issued to the kids in recognition of their hard work throughout the year.
Summer camp is the other main expense for the year and usually costs around $200. There is an optional spring fundraiser (Camp Cards) that is held every year that most kids participate in to reduce or completely cover the cost of their summer camp expense.
The Pack has a treasurer and that person will report all income and expenses at the Parent Meetings. A summary of expenses will be reported against the Pack Budget. The Pack Budget is updated once a year. The activities of the Pack are determined by the Budget. Any questions regarding Pack Finances may be directed to the Treasurer or Pack Committee Chairman.
We never want financial hardship to limit participation in events. We set aside money each year to assist families in Scouting. This money may be used to pay for registration fees or fees associated with summer camp. Requests should be made directly to the Committee Chair, and will be kept strictly confidential. If funding is not available through your Pack, please consult your District Executive as other options may also be available.
CommunicationsIn the busy society that we live in communication is at the heart of every organization. Cub Scouts is no different. We want to limit the number of announcements in Pack Meetings and reserve the time for activities. The Pack sends a weekly email with key information for the upcoming month.
Our Pack website is http://www.scouting171.org/
Our Pack facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/Pack171BoilingSprings/
Leader info and advancement status for your scout is available at https://www.scoutbook.com/
Time to Signup website, used to sign up for activities https://www.timetosignup.com/pack171/
We will occasionally post pictures on our website and Facebook of our Scouts during Den and Pack activities. If you DO NOT wish that your child be in these pictures please inform the Pack Communications Chair in writing.
