Pack 442 Friendswood, Texas Bay Area Council

WELCOME TO THE ADVENTURE OF CUB !

Where character counts and adventure begins…

PARENT ORIENTATION

1 Your Son, Scouting, and You

BSA Mission Statement

The mission of the of America is to prepare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetime by instilling in them the values of the Oath and Law.

The program emphasizes leadership, community, family, character development, and personal fitness.

2 Your Son, Scouting, and You

Cub Scout Promise I, [your name], promise to do my best To do my duty to God and my country, To help other people, and To obey the Law of the Pack.

The Law of the Pack The follows Akela. The Cub Scout helps the pack go. The pack helps the Cub Scout grow. The Cub Scout gives goodwill.

3 Cub Scouting Purpose

Character Develop- ment

Good Citizen- ship

Sports- Spiritual manship & Growth Fitness

Respectful Friendly Relation- Service ships

Family Personal Fun & Under- Achieve- Adventure standing ment

4 Cub Scouting Core Values Citizenship Compassion Cooperation Courage Faith Health & Fitness Honesty Perseverance Positive Attitude Resourcefulness Respect Responsibility

5 Cub Scout Program

Grade 1st Grade/Tiger 2nd Grade/ 3rd Grade/ 4th Grade/ 5th Grade/ Wolf Bear Webelos I Webelos II Rank Tiger Badge Bobcat Badge Wolf Badge Bear Badge Webelos Arrow of Badge Light (AOL) Goals •Focus on Introduction to •Physical Fitness/ •God & Family •Understand •Demonstrate Family Cub Scouts Health •Country/ Webelos Badge & knowledge of •Den/Team including: •Flag traditions Citizenship Uniform Boy •Cub Scout •Emergency contacts •Conservation •Fitness requirements •Go See Its Promise & Community •Law Enforcement •Citizenship •Readyman (Police and Fire •Law of the Pack •Safe Tool Use •Cooking •Understand •Outdoorsman Station) •Sign & Handshake •Cooking & Eating •Emergency requirements to •Participate in •Community •Motto & Salute •Conservation Readiness be a Boy Scout Boy Scout Troop History •Webelos Meaning •God & Me •Handling money •Complete Faith- meeting and •Flag Ceremony •How to Protect •Making Good •Safe Cycling related outdoor activity •Home Safety Your Children from Choices •Fitness requirements •Join a Troop •Personal Safety Child Abuse •Home and Street •Communication •Making Good Safety •Whittling Chip Choices •World Conservation •The World Award Around Us

6 Cub

DO YOUR BEST In society where your son is often taught that winning is everything, Cub Scouting teaches him to "do his best" and be helpful to others as expressed in the Cub Scout Promise. • Cub Scouting is a home- and neighborhood-centered program designed to support family life for boys in second through fifth grades. • Each Cub Scout learns to respect his home, country, God, and other people. The program also helps boys this age to: – Learn new physical skills through sports, crafts, and games. – Learn how to get along with others through group activities. – Develop new mental skills such as writing and calculating. – Develop personal independence. • A Cub Scout den provides your son with a group of boys his own age in which he can earn status and recognition. • He will gain a sense of personal achievement for the new skills he learns.

7 The Advancement Plan

BOBCAT All boys, Tiger through Webelos, must first earn their Bobcat badge, by learning the Cub Scout Promise, Law of the Pack, handshake, salute, sign, motto, and meaning of "Webelos." After receiving his Bobcat badge, each boy works on the badge requirements for his grade level.

8 The Advancement Plan

TIGER CUB: Search, Discover, Share Tiger Cubs, BSA, is a one-year program for first-grade boys. Each boy participates with a parent (or another adult family member) in family oriented activities. – These include activities from family camping to preparing for emergencies. The time you and your son spend in Tiger Cubs is meant to be fun, a chance to get to know one another better, and an opportunity do things with your family as well as other members of the Tiger Cub group whom you see at monthly meetings .

9 The Advancement Plan

TIGER CUB There are five achievements in Tiger Cubs: – Making My Family Special – Where I Live – Keeping Myself Healthy and Safe – How I Tell It – Let's Go Outdoors Each achievement has three parts: a family activity, a den activity, and a Go See It outing. A boy receives totem beads at each den meeting as he completes each part: – A white bead for each required family activity part he completes – An orange bead for each required den activity part he completes – A black bead for each required Go See It part he completes

10 The Advancement Plan

WOLF A Cub Scout who has completed first grade (or is age 8) works on 12 achievements to earn the Wolf badge. After he earns his Wolf badge, a boy may work on electives in different interest areas until he is old enough to begin work on the next rank. Work on electives earn Arrow Points.

For both Wolf and Bear badges, a boy can earn immediate recognition beads by advancing on achievements. These are awarded at den meetings. Yellow beads for Wolf.

11 The Advancement Plan

BEAR A Cub Scout who has completed second grade (or is age 9) works to complete 12 of 24 achievements to earn the Bear badge. After he earns his Bear badge, a boy may work on electives in different interest areas until he is old enough to begin work on the next rank. For every 10 electives a boy completes, he earns an Arrow Point. A boy may earn as many Arrow Points as he is able. For Bear badge, the immediate recognition beads awarded at den meetings are red in color.

12 The Advancement Plan

WEBELOS When a Cub Scout has completed the third grade (or becomes 10 years old), he transfers to a Webelos Patrol, led by an adult Webelos leader. Webelos is a bridge to Boy Scouting. The boy works on requirements for the Webelos badge, 20 activity badges, and the Arrow of Light Award (the highest award in Cub Scouting).

In February of a Webelos Scout's fifth-grade year, he graduates from Cub Scouting into the adventure of Boy Scouting at an impressive graduation ceremony.

13 The Cub Scout Pack

Pack 442 There are five types of dens— at least one for each rank: Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos I and Webelos II. Dens meet at varying locations and days of the month - and Cub Scout families are expected to participate. Pack meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month – Led by the Cubmaster (Mike Hess) – Ceremonial presentation of awards and badges that boys earned in the previous month – Highlight Den meeting and Pack activities past and upcoming – Games, skits, theme-events All Leadership Positions in Scouting Units are volunteer. Parents are the volunteers!

14 How Does the Pack Operate?

The Pack 442 Committee Our Pack is run by a Committee which is made up of den leaders and pack leaders who are all volunteers. It meets on the first Thursday of the month. – Led by a committee chairman, Matthew Steakley, who is a volunteer. – Plans den and pack meetings. – Selects leadership, performs recordkeeping, manages pack finances, finds meeting places, orders badges, maintains pack equipment, helps train leaders, and recognizes leaders. – A leader or substitute from each den is expected to attend, all are welcome.

15 How Can I Help as a Parent?

Know the Rules Adults are encouraged to support the attitude that young adults and children are better off without tobacco and should not allow the use of tobacco products at any Boy Scout of America activity involving youth participants . Possession or use of alcoholic beverages or controlled substances is prohibited at any Scouting activity. Foster Good Behavior A Scout lives by a moral code—which extends to all participants. A Scout is Reverend.

16 How Can I Help as a Parent?

Participate All Den Leaders are parent volunteers. Each den will need you to volunteer to run a Program— have no fear, there are Program Helps. The Pack has many other volunteer opportunities. Get trained to provide appropriate programming.

Boys learn from the example of their parents—volunteering in some capacity can help the Pack. There are volunteer opportunities that just take a few hours at an event you will attend anyway and opportunities exist to help from home on your own schedule. We recognize that there might be those that cannot volunteer, we still want your son in Scouting. Just by having your son participate in Scouts you are contributing to the Pack.

17 How Can I Help as a Parent? Help Fund Raise with your Scout Patches, badges, crafts, awards, supplies, camping fees, and snacks all cost the Pack. Fall Popcorn sales is the only fund-raiser to operate the Pack. Each boy tries to sell $200.00 in popcorn. Youth Protection Training All adults attending Pack activities (like campouts) are required to take a 20 minute web-based computer training briefing on keeping boys safe and two-deep leadership. A face-to-face training is required if you are attending a Scout Camp Medical Forms Each year, a medical form is required to be filled out by the parent including immunization records and insurance card.

18 Special Programs Rain Gutter Regatta A Rain Gutter Regatta race is similar to the Pinewood Derby race, except that the models are small sailboats. These sturdy crafts sail by Cub wind- power the waters of a 10-foot Pinewood Derby length of a water filled rain Parents and son work together to gutter. build a gravity-powered miniature race car from a special BSA racer kit. Trophies and prizes are awarded. The Derby is usually held in mid- January.

19 Special Programs Dads and Lads Cake Bake The men-folk try their hands at making Scout theme-based cakes. This event occurs at the Blue and Gold Banquet and supplies desserts to the dens. Space Derby Parents and son work together to build a rubber band and propeller-powered miniature rocket from a special BSA kit. Trophies and prizes are awarded. This Derby is usually held in early December.

20 Special Programs Cub Scout Camp Cub summer camps are four-day adventures (four hours/day in the early evening in June) at a local County Park. Cub Scouts who have completed the first grade and through fourth grade may attend. Activities include Pack Campouts crafts, archery, BB shooting, This is a family event in the fall hikes, advancement, good food and spring with activities that and fun! include good food and fun, games, rank achievement opportunities, campfire stories and skits.

21 Additional Programs

Pack 442 Programs are year-long and include: • Summer Swim Party • 4th of July Parade • Summer Skate Party • God & Me / God and Family P.R.A.Y. programs • Webelos campouts with Boy Scout Troops • Christmas Caroling • Christmas Parade • Christmas Joy Service Project – Sponsoring a family • Scouting for Food Service Project • Blue & Gold Banquet These are additional opportunities to help pitch in and volunteer !

22 How Much Will Scouting Cost?

Not as much as you think… Annual Registration (December): $50 Dues/Year Boys' Life Magazine: (included in Registration) Uniform Cost: $ +/- 65.00 (only hat, neckerchief and slide changes with rank) Handbook Cost $ +/-9.00 Dues/Fees for all Scouts are collected in the fall to allow the Pack to re-charter with the BSA. Additional fees for specific activities, like campouts.

Scholarships are available for Scouts whose situation makes it difficult to afford all costs of membership.

23 Important Information

Pack 442 Chartered to Friendswood United Methodist Church. • Sign up for the pack e-mail list at http://bacpack442.org/mailman/listinfo/parents_bacpack442.org Cubmaster is Mike Hess: [email protected] • Committee Chair is Matthew Steakley: [email protected] • Pack Website: http://www.bacpack442.org/ • Pack Meetings Monthly at FUMC, third Tuesday of the month. Bay Area Council – Northern Star District • Council Website: http://bacbsa.org/ BSA National Headquarters is in Irving, Texas. 2.7 million boys are in Scouting across the 294 Councils.

24 Where Can I Buy Scouting Supplies like Uniforms and Books? Official Scout Stores Bay Area Scout Shop • United Way Building at Bay Area Blvd and Saturn Galveston Scout Shop • 3020 53 rd St, Galveston

You will need Bay Area Council, Pack (442) and den (#) patches; shirt; neckerchief; slide; and belt. The Scout Shop sells a no-sew adhesive for patches for those who do not sew. Official Scout Store The online catalog – www.scoutstuff.org or eBay or Craigslist …

25 Welcome to Scouting

Welcome to Pack 442!

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