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Rutland Cub Scout Pack 141 |
Parents
Manual
Den Leader Brian O'Coin
was kind enough to create this document for both new and experienced scout
parents alike.
Click here to view the document in MS Word format.
What is Cub
Scouting?
The Boy Scouts of America incorporated
February 8, 1910, and was chartered by Congress in June 1916. The purpose of
Boy Scouts is to provide for boys and young adults an effective educational
program designed to build desirable qualities of character; to train in the
responsibilities of participating citizenship; and to develop personal fitness.
Cub Scouting was developed to provide the same type of program for boys who are
in first grade through fifth grade.
Parents, leaders,
and organizations work together to achieve the following:
Influence the
development of character and encourage spiritual growth.
Develop habits
and attitudes of good citizenship.
Encourage good
sportsmanship and pride in growing strong in mind and body.
Improve
understanding within the family.
Strengthen the
ability to get along with other boys and respect other people.
Foster a sense of
personal achievement by developing new interests and skills.
Show how to be
helpful and do one's best.
Provide fun and
exciting new things to do.
Prepare them to
become Boy Scouts.
Cub Scouting is a home and
neighborhood centered program. It needs family involvement to keep the Scout
interested and the Pack productive. It provides recognition of each Scout's
accomplishments through advancements. It recognizes the effectiveness of small
groups and uses a Den structure to bring the Scouting program to life. Although
small groups are effective, Every Cub Scout across the United States uses the
Cub Scout Promise, the Law of the Pack, and the Cub Scout sign, handshake,
motto, and salute. This unifies us and is further enhanced by the Cub Scout
uniforms that each Scout wears.
TIGER CUBS MOTTO Search,
Discover, Share
Tiger Cubs, BSA, is especially designed for boys in First
Grade or 7 years old. Each boy participates with a parent/adult partner(s) in
family-oriented activities. This program allows the team (boy & partner) to
explore the world of Scouting, and, gives them the opportunity to learn about
each other and their world. Tiger Cubs start by earning their Bobcat Badge
followed by Tiger Cub belt totem. The boys then work with their adult partner,
and their Den on five Tiger Cub achievements. Each achievement has three parts.
The boys earn beads for completing the various activities to place on their
belt totem. Completing a Family activity earns a white bead,
Den activity earns an orange bead, and a Go See It activity earns a black bead.
When the boys have completed the required achievements, they are presented their
Tiger Cub Badge, which they attach to the back of their belt totem. Before the
boys can wear their Tiger Cub Badge on their Cub Scout uniform, they must earn
their Bobcat Badge. After earning their Tiger Cub Badge, the boys have an
opportunity to work on electives to earn Tiger Track Beads (yellow), which he
also adds to his belt totem. Parents sign off on these requirements.
CUB SCOUTS MOTTO: Do Your Best
BOBCAT
All boys, from First to Fifth grade, earn the Bobcat
badge first by learning the Cub Scout Promise, Law of the Pack, handshake,
salute, motto, and the meaning of Webelos. After receiving the Bobcat badge, the boy
then works on requirements based on his grade or age.
WOLF
A Cub Scout who is in second grade or is 8 years old
works on 12 achievements to earn the Wolf badge. Then he has the opportunity to
work on electives to earn Arrow Points. When ten electives are completed the
Scout has earned his Gold Arrow Point. After the Gold Arrow Point, every ten
electives completed earn a Silver Arrow Point. Parents sign off on these
requirements.
BEAR
A Cub Scout who is in third grade or is 9 years old
completes 12 of 24 achievements to earn the Bear badge. Then he has the
opportunity to work on electives to earn Arrow Points. At the Bear level, the
Scout can use achievements not used for the Bear badge towards Arrow Points.
When ten electives are completed the Scout has earned his Gold Arrow Point.
After the Gold Arrow Point, every ten electives completed earn a Silver Arrow
point. Parents sign off on these requirements.
WEBELOS SCOUTS
Webelos I
A Cub Scout, who is in fourth grade or is 10 years old,
transfers to a Webelos Den. The Scout works on
requirements for the Webelos Badge, and starts on the
20 activity pins. Leaders sign off on these requirements.
Webelos II
A Cub Scout, who is in fifth grade or is 11 years old,
continues to work on the 20 activity pins, and the Arrow of Light Award. The
Arrow of Light Award is the highest award in Cub Scouting. This year's
activities prepare him for Boy
BOY SCOUTING
When a boy earns the Arrow of Light or reaches 11 years
of age or completes the fifth grade, he may graduate from Cub Scouting to Boy
Scouting at our impressive graduation ceremony.
Who is Pack 141
Pack 141, chartered by Rutland Congregational Church, is
part of the Quinsigamond District of the Mohegan Council of the Boy Scouts of
America. Our goal is to present a quality program that encourages each Scout to
continue on to Boy Scouting, and, motivates each parent to become a part of
Registration & Dues:
All new scouts must be registered by their parents or guardian. It is typical to start at the Tiger Level (1st Grade), but boys are welcome at any age from 1st through 5th grade. After a parent has paid the first years registration fee of $27 which includes Insurance and Boys Life Magazine, all subsequent years through 5th grade are paid annually by the Pack.
Dues are $20 per year for Tigers $35 per year for all
other age groups. Dues are
payable upon registration
Other Expenses:
In addition to
initial registration and Boys Life costs, there are other expenses to be
expected during the course of the year.
The Pack pays many costs, but some must be passed on to the families.
The money to run the Pack comes from dues and fund-raisers. Dues of $20 or $35 per year cover only about 25% of the total. This illustrates the
importance of the dues and the fund-raisers.
You can expect the following
additional costs during the year:
Uniforms
The
cost will vary depending on where the shirts are purchased. The first Cub or Webelos uniform will cost between $40 and $50.
About $30 for the shirt and $10-$15 for accessories like belt, hat
(optional) neckerchief slider and patches.
Neckerchiefs, award pins and badges are provided by the pack. It is not
necessary to buy pants. Solid color dark
pants are OK. There were some retired
uniforms available at one time, but supplies have dwindled dramatically. If you have any out-grown uniforms to donate
to the Pack, it would be greatly appreciated.
Contact the Cubmaster, or Committee.
Trips
The
Pack arranges for two major trips each year: One for Tigers and Wolves (1st
and 2nd Graders) and one for Bears and Webelos
(Grades 3-5.) Costs vary. An example
Bear/Webelos trip might
consist of an overnight on the Battleship Massachusetts. The cost for
that trip was $55 per person of which a significant portion could be earned via
popcorn sales. The intent of the
Tiger/Wolf trip is to keep the cost as low as possible.
Food
You
will be asked to donate food items for the Christmas boxes which are distributed
to needy in Rutland.
Camping
Camping
expenses (Food, equipment) are the responsibility of the family.
Note: Scout Bucks are earned by participation in
the Popcorn sale. This money can be used towards trips, dues or other Scouting related
expenses. Confidential assistance with
trips and dues is also available to Scouts who participate in the fund-raisers.
Our Pack Meetings are generally held on the last Friday
of the month at 7:00 PM in Naquag Elementary School
Gymnasium. Exceptions to this rule are found on the Pack 141 Calendar. The Pack
Meetings include openings, skits and closings presented by different Dens. The
boys' hard work will be recognized by our Cub Master's Advancement ceremonies. Parents are also informed on Scouting
activities. The families of Pack 141 Scouts are encouraged to come to share in
the excitement of advancements and hear Pack news.
Pack Committee
Meetings
The Pack Committee meetings are generally the first
Wednesday of the month at 7:00. All parents of Pack 141 Scouts are considered
members of the Pack Committee and are urged to join the leadership of the Pack
Committee in planning Pack activities.
Den Leader
Meetings
The Den Leader meetings are generally the first
Wednesday of the month at 7:30. All parents of Pack 141 Scouts are urged to
join in planning Pack activities.
Den, Pack, and
Council Activities
DEN MEETINGS
Den meetings are generally held once a week. Den
meetings are usually held at the home of the den leader or another designated
area such as the firehouse or library. Den meeting dates, times, and locations
are subject to the Den leaders program. Den leaders organize the Den meetings
for the Cub Scouts. You will be meeting for approximately 4 hours a month; your
Den leader will set the day and time for your meetings. You will be expected to
arrive on time, in uniform, be ready to participate, and ready to have FUN! A
Cub Scout Den can be organized in many ways, but all Dens must have TWO-DEEP
Den leadership. This means that every Den has to have two adults/parents that
serve as Den leaders, one of the leaders must be fully trained. If you are
joining an existing Den this leadership is usually already set up, but leaders
may still be needed as lives and situations change. If there is a need for a
new Den, due to the number of boys joining a particular rank, the Pack will ask
the new families to become leaders. Your Den leaders should hold a parent
meeting to discuss the way that their Den works and let you know when the meetings
will be. It is important for everyone in the Den to work together; Den leaders
need the help of their Den families to keep the Den working smoothly as a group.
PACK ACTIVITIES
POPCORN
FUNDRAISER (September/October)
This is a nation-wide Cub Scouting event. The
traditional Trails End Popcorn
CAKE AUCTION (November)
The cake auction is our second fundraising event. Each
Scout is asked to bring a cake and lots of friends and relatives to the Pack
Meeting. Once the auction begins be very careful of your body motions! Our
auctioneer is a real professional who knows how to interpret every little
twitch, err, bid. We encourage the Scouts and fathers, uncles, older brothers
to do the baking as possible. All proceeds go to the Pack Campership fund and
special Pack purchases. One past auction paid for a new Pinewood Derby track. The Campership fund provides money for kids
who wouldn't be able to attend camp due to financial need.
GIFT BOX (December)
At our December Pack meeting every scout brings an item that
would be part of a Christmas dinner. These go in a gift box for the local needy
as well as a box for the veterans' home.
BLUE AND GOLD
BANQUET (February)
This event celebrates the birthday of Scouting in the
United States. The Pack has a banquet instead of a regular February Pack
meeting and it is scheduled on a weekend. The Banquet opens with a flag
ceremony, and then we break to eat dinner. Once dinner is finished, the Cubmaster continues with more skits and rank ceremonies. It
is a special night that our scouts and their families look forward to.
PINEWOOD DERBY (March)
In March, our Pack holds our version of a wonderful
Scouting tradition the Pinewood Derby. Once we start racing, we don't stop
until we have a first, second, and third place winner for each rank. Then we
hold a race for siblings and parents. The car kits are subsidized by the Pack,
and sold to scouts for $1.00. Scout with some help from his family makes the
cars. The Pack sponsors 1 or 2 workshops
for the building of Pinewood cars, usually in January and February. The Derby
is scheduled for a weekend in March. The cars are a sight to see anything from
a hot dog to a VW bug to a chili pepper to a flying committee member. So come
out and have a day of fun.
ARROW OF LIGHT (April)
This is the night when second year Webelos
receive the highest rank as a Cub Scout and cross over to Boy Scouting. After a
solemn ceremony (In the past boys have been presented with an eagle feather or
an Apache Tear), they are welcomed to boy scouting by representatives from both
Troop 141 and 306.
CROSS-OVER
CEREMONY/FAMILY PICNIC (June)
At this Pack meeting, the Pack recognizes the adults
that have helped out the Pack over the past year. After lunch, the Crossover
ceremony begins. A symbolic bridge crossing ceremony is held to hand out awards
that the boys have earned, handbooks, and neckerchiefs for their new rank, as
they cross over to their new rank.
SUMMER CAMP (July)
Cub Scouts are eligible to attend Council sponsored day
camp or weekend overnight camping with an adult partner. Webelos
are encouraged to attend Webelos resident camp.
FAMILY BASEBALL
GAME (August)
Cub
Scouts and their families are invited to join the pack in a trip to Worcester
to see the Worcester Tornados play.
Making the
Scouting Commitment
First, you (Tiger, Cub, Webelos
Scout) must be ready to make the commitment to yourself. You should be ready to
earn your rank and other awards that are made available to each Scout. You, the
Scout, are the one who decides how far you will go each year. You have the
opportunity to earn a rank badge (Tiger Cub, Bobcat, Wolf, Bear, & Webelos), arrow points (Wolf & Bear), activity pins (Webelos I & II), special Pack and Council activity
patches, religious emblems, and belt loops/pins in the Sports and Academics
program. You must work with your parents and then with your Den leaders to
learn about the opportunities in Cub
Scouting and then be ready to DO YOUR BEST!
Second, you must make your commitment to your Den. You
want to be a Cub Scout and join a Den; the Den needs your help and cooperation
to be successful. The boy/Scout should be ready to attend meetings, this means
knowing what you are expected to bring and be prepared to participate. Cub
Scouts can attend Den meetings without their parents, but parent attendance at
a meeting may be necessary to help with an activity. Your Den leaders will
discuss this with you.
Third, you must make your commitment to Pack 141. You
should be willing to attend the monthly Pack meetings and bring your parents.
There will be various Pack activities throughout the year to attend and to
support your Pack, Den, other Scouts and yourself.
Uniforming your Cub Scout
Now that you have decided to join Pack 141 and try to DO
YOUR BEST, it is time to get started. Pack 141 requires all members to wear the
Official Cub Scout Uniform at all Pack or Den Meetings, unless otherwise
specified. A Scout must be uniformed from the belt up including belt, shirt and
cap. Lace up shoes or sneakers and blue jeans or dark-blue pants or shorts are
acceptable. The required elements of the uniform are:
TIGER CUB RANK (FIRST GRADE)
Cub Scout Tiger Cub Cap Blue with orange front panel and
Tiger Cub badge logo Orange. Blue Cub Scout Uniform shirt (long or short
sleeve) including these patches Mohegan Council shoulder patch World Scouting
patch Den number Pack 141 patch(es)
Optional:
WOLF RANK (SECOND GRADE)
Cub Scout Wolf Cap Blue with yellow front panel and Wolf
badge logo, Blue Cub Scout Uniform shirt (long or short sleeve) including these
patches Mohegan Council shoulder patch World Scouting patch Den number Pack 141
patch(es)
Optional:
Cub Scout Bear Cap Blue with light blue front panel and
Bear badge logo
WEBELOS RANK (FOURTH AND FIFTH
GRADE)
At this point they go to the Tan Boy Scout uniform.
Optional:
Later, you may also choose to purchase a Red Patch Vest
(these are sometimes made as a den project), as a place to show the activity
patches that you have earned. These activity patches may be worn one at a time
on the right pocket of the Official Cub Scout Uniform.
Den leaders need to purchase an Official Boy Scout
Uniform.
Cub Scout
Academics and Sports Program
The Cub Scout Academics and Sports program is a
supplemental enrichment program that complements the Cub Scout program. The
Academics subjects and
Academics
Art, Chess, Citizenship, Communicating, Computers,
Geography, Heritages, Mathematics, Music, Science, Weather, and Wildlife
Conservation.
Sport: Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Bicycling, Bowling, Fishing, Golf, Gymnastics, Marbles, Physical Fitness, Skating, Skiing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Ultimate, and Volleyball.
