Parents FAQ
There are many questions that come up throughout your families scouting adventure. We have tried to answer as many of the common ones that we come across here. However if you have a questions that is not listed on the page please feel free to email us at pack216midland@gmail.com
Joining Cub Scouting
The Cub Scout Program
Uniform and Supplies
Advancement and Awards
Joining Cub Scouting
- How old (or young) can a boy be to join Cub Scouting?
- How can I become an adult volunteer in Cub Scouting?
The Cub Scout Program
- What is Scouting?
- Are Cub Scouts the same as Boy Scouts?
- How often do Cub Scouts meet?
- May parents attend den meetings?
- What activities can my scout take part in?
Uniform and Supplies
- What supplies and equipment are needed to participate in Cub Scouting?
- Where can I purchase BSA literature, uniforms, and other program materials?
Advancement and Awards
- If a boy joins a Bear den, may he go back and earn the Tiger Cub and Wolf badges?
- If a boy completes the Wolf badge early, may he begin working on the Bear badge?
- May Cub Scouts earn badges such as the 50-Miler Award or Mile Swim, BSA?
- When a Cub Scout earns the Arrow of Light, may he immediately join a Boy Scout troop?
How old (or young) can a boy be to join Cub Scouting?
Cub Scouting is for boys in the first through fifth grades, or 7 to 10 years of age. Boys who are older than 10, or who have completed the fifth grade, can no longer join Cub Scouting, but they may be eligible to join the Boy Scouting or Venturing program.
Tiger Cubs - 1st grade, or 7 year old boys
Wolf Cubs - 2nd grade, or 8 years old
Bear Cubs - 3rd grade, or 9 years old
Webelos Scouts - 4th or 5th grade, or age 10
Tiger Cubs - 1st grade, or 7 year old boys
Wolf Cubs - 2nd grade, or 8 years old
Bear Cubs - 3rd grade, or 9 years old
Webelos Scouts - 4th or 5th grade, or age 10
How can I become an adult volunteer in Cub Scouting?
If you are interested in become a volunteer with Pack 216 please visit our Volunteer page. We are always looking for parents who are willing to lend an extra hand.
What is Scouting?
Cub Scouts is: Camping! Character Building! Learning life skills! Making new friends! Building cars and racing them! Spending time with your parents (or any adult who wouldn't mind getting wrapped up like a mummy in paper towels at an Egyptian-themed den meeting)!
Cub Scouting is also a year-round program designed to meet the needs of young boys and their parents. Service projects, ceremonies, games, and other activities help boys learn core values and give them a sense of personal achievement. Through positive peer group interaction and parental guidance, boys also learn honesty, bravery, and respect.
Family involvement is an essential part of Cub Scouting, and parents are encouraged to play an active role in the program. Through interaction between parents, leaders, and friends, boys learn citizenship, compassion, and courage. This family- and community-centered approach to learning means that Cub Scouting is truly time well spent.
Cub Scouting is also a year-round program designed to meet the needs of young boys and their parents. Service projects, ceremonies, games, and other activities help boys learn core values and give them a sense of personal achievement. Through positive peer group interaction and parental guidance, boys also learn honesty, bravery, and respect.
Family involvement is an essential part of Cub Scouting, and parents are encouraged to play an active role in the program. Through interaction between parents, leaders, and friends, boys learn citizenship, compassion, and courage. This family- and community-centered approach to learning means that Cub Scouting is truly time well spent.
Are Cub Scouts the same as Boy Scouts?
Cub Scouting is a program of the Boy Scouts of America—so in that sense, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are both members of the same organization. However, they are entirely different programs: Cub Scouting is a family-oriented program designed specifically to address the needs of younger boys.
How often do Cub Scouts meet?
Cub Scouts meet in their dens once each week, and a pack meeting is held for all Cub Scouts and their families once a month. Beyond that, it depends on the den and pack: a den may hold a special activity, such as a service project or visit to a local museum in place of one of the weekly meetings or in addition to the weekly meetings. Likewise, a pack may conduct a special event such as a blue and gold banquet as an additional event, rather than a substitute for its monthly pack meeting.
May parents attend den meetings?
Cub Scout den meetings are intended to be an activity for the individual boys. They are not a family activity, and the presence of parents can be a distraction. However, parental involvement is not forbidden and all meetings should be open to your participation. If you would like to be present at a den meeting, ask the den leader in advance so that the leader can plan a way for you to observe or participate in an unobtrusive manner.
The exception to this rule is the Tiger Dens. Parents are encouraged to be at all scouting events. The participation of parents is a key step in the scouting process and allows the scout to get the most from the program.
The exception to this rule is the Tiger Dens. Parents are encouraged to be at all scouting events. The participation of parents is a key step in the scouting process and allows the scout to get the most from the program.
What activities can my scout take part in?
This is a question that seem to come up on a daily basis. And the short answer is, it depends. For the most part activities and tools are broken down by rank. But some things (such as knives) are also dependent on the scout earning the corresponding chips. So please click on the links below and as always use your best judgment when taking part in activities.
For a list of tools by age Click Here
For a list of activities by age Click Here
For a list of tools by age Click Here
For a list of activities by age Click Here
What supplies and equipment are needed to participate in Cub Scouting?
At minimum, each boy in Cub Scouting will need a uniform and a handbook. Each year, the handbook changes, as does the cap and neckerchief, but other uniform parts remain the same for at least the first three years. When a boy enters a Webelos den, he may need to obtain a new uniform if the parents in the den opt for the khaki-and-olive uniform.
Additional supplies and equipment may be needed for certain activities such as camping trips or field days. What equipment is needed, as well as whether it will be provided by the unit, will vary from pack to pack. Den and pack leaders should provide parents with information about any supplies that will be required at the beginning of each program year.
Additional supplies and equipment may be needed for certain activities such as camping trips or field days. What equipment is needed, as well as whether it will be provided by the unit, will vary from pack to pack. Den and pack leaders should provide parents with information about any supplies that will be required at the beginning of each program year.
Where can I purchase BSA literature, uniforms, and other program materials?
Our uniforms, literature, and other Scouting merchandise is available at Buffalo Trail Council, BSA (1101 W. Texas Avenue), Scout Shops, and other licensed distributors. Visit the Supply Division Web site at www.scoutstuff.org to find a list of distributors in your area. If there aren't any suppliers near you, you can order directly from the Supply Division by telephone.
If a boy joins a Bear den, may he go back and earn the Tiger Cub and Wolf badges?
No. In the Cub Scout program, all boys in a den work toward the same badge. If a boy joins Cub Scouting as a 9-year-old, he must earn the Bobcat badge (all boys in Cub Scouting earn this badge), and then he will begin working on the Bear badge with his fellow Cub Scouts. He is not required to have earned the Tiger Cub or Wolf badges. Since those badges are for younger boys (7- and 8-year-olds), the requirements for those badges are below a 9-year-old's current level of ability, so "going back" to pick up those badges is not permitted.
If a boy completes the Wolf badge early, may he begin working on the Bear badge?
No. In the Cub Scout program, all boys in a den work toward a badge that is geared to their level of development. If the Wolf badge is completed before the end of the program year, a boy may work on electives, but he may not begin working on the requirements for the Bear badge. His work on the Bear badge will begin the next program year, when he graduates into a Bear den.
May Cub Scouts earn badges such as the 50-Miler Award or Mile Swim, BSA?
Cub Scouts are not eligible to earn these awards, which are part of the Boy Scout program.
When a Cub Scout earns the Arrow of Light, may he immediately join a Boy Scout troop?
Boy Scouting is available to boys who have earned the Arrow of Light and are at least ten years old—so a Webelos Scout who has earned the Arrow of Light is eligible to join a troop immediately (provided he is at least ten years old).
However, many packs coordinate with a local Boy Scout troop to facilitate the transition from Cub Scouting to Boy Scouting. In these instances, it is better for the boy, his family, and both units if all Webelos Scouts make the transition together, in a coordinated fashion, rather than having each boy leave the pack as soon as he is eligible.
However, many packs coordinate with a local Boy Scout troop to facilitate the transition from Cub Scouting to Boy Scouting. In these instances, it is better for the boy, his family, and both units if all Webelos Scouts make the transition together, in a coordinated fashion, rather than having each boy leave the pack as soon as he is eligible.