Q & A for Parents
Questions and Answers for Parents
-What’s the purpose of Cub Scouting for the kids?
-What are the aims & methods of Scouting?
-What’s “in it” for the Cub Scout?
-How much time is really involved?
-How many meetings are there for my son to attend?
-How many meetings are there for the parents to attend?
-What’s expected of the parents? What is the minimum level of activity?
-What are the costs?
-Where do we buy uniforms and other Scout supplies?
-Why the numerous fundraising activities?
-What’s this “rank” business?
-What does an older boy work on when he joins Cub Scouts?
-What does Pack 1218 do during the Summer?
-How do we sew on all these cool patches?!
Q: What’s the purpose of Cub Scouting for the kids?
A: Boy Scouting in the US was founded in 1910. The Cub Scouts were finally founded in 1930 to give the younger boys some outdoor activity and an introduction to Scouting. Cub Scouting is fun with a purpose. There is a reason for everything we do, the aim being to “help boys grow into good citizens who are strong in character and personally fit.”
(http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home/CubScouts/Cub%20Scouts/BeingACubScout/WhatIsCubScouting.aspx).
Q: What are the aims & methods of Scouting?
A: All levels of Scouting share three objectives: Character, citizenship and fitness. Character is the growth in moral strength – what the boy is to himself, his values and his outlook. Citizenship is the boy’s relationship to others. Fitness refers to the development of physical, mental and emotional fitness. The methods of Cub Scouting include living the ideals, belonging to a den, using advancement, involving family and home, participating in activities, serving the community, wearing the uniform and making character connections. You will find more information online: http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Aims_and_Methods
Q: What’s “in it” for the Cub Scout?
A: Fun, friendship and experiences not readily available at home. Achievements, accomplishments, self-reliance, responsibility and camping. The stars, raccoons, tarantulas and hiking. Firemen rushing off on a call in the middle of a station tour. You can’t arrange that! Police cars, water balloons, Pinewood Derby cars and boat racing. And more!
Q: How much time is really involved?
A: We touched on this briefly above. You can spend a minimum amount of a few hours a month just to get by. You may find that you or your Scout are enjoying Scouting so much, that you volunteer to spend more time. Or you may find that between the Scout Handbook and the activity books available at the Scout Shop, you may find yourselves spending more time on the weekends having fun with your Scout. A wise man once told me, "Scouting doesn't take more time out of your day, it just creates more fun with your time." How much time minimum? Two 1-hour den meetings and one 1-hour pack meeting each month plus a couple of hours to work on Scout activities at home.
Q: How many meetings are there for my son to attend?
A: Your son will typically have two den meetings and a pack meeting to attend each month. Each den will determine its own meeting night. There may be an extra outing during the month. Webelos may have three or four den meetings, depending on what they’re working on. A parent must attend each Tiger Cub Den Meeting, but not necessarily each den meeting of Wolves, Bears or Webelos. Bear in mind, parents are always welcome at den meetings. The more hands the better.
***You can also check the pack’s online schedule to see when the Dens meet: http://pack1218.ocbsa.org
Q: How many meetings are there for the parents to attend?
Parents are encouraged to attend the Pack Committee Meeting to hear what is being planned for the pack. Pack Committee Meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month and are located in the Raymond Elementary School MP room during the school year. Better yet, participate in the planning and help make it great for our families! There are also other Scout leader meetings that parents may attend, such as the monthly district Roundtable. Roundtable is a Scout Leader meeting held once-a-month. It is a place for Scout Leaders to bounce ideas off each other, exchange ideas for future den & pack meetings, and to hear about upcoming Cub Scout events. Parents are also encouraged to take the many Scout training modules online. It’s a great way to see what your son’s den leader is up to. http://scouting.org/Training/Adult.aspx
Q: What’s expected of the parents? What is the minimum level of activity?
A: We need you to get your son to the Den Meetings. Is that the best situation? No! You’d be missing out on opportunities to have fun with your son and his den buddies if you did stick around for the meetings. Once you get a look at the activities in the Scout Handbook, and the things the dens & pack are doing you will find an area you would be interested in assisting with. Ideally, the parent(s) will help the Scout with his activities outside of the den meetings, join in the fun at the den meetings, attend the monthly pack meeting to see their son receive the awards he earned, and donate some time to the pack’s activities so that a few parents aren’t doing everything. Bear in mind, everyone you see at our pack meeting started out just the way you are today, and they would love the chance to share their knowledge, experiences and tips on joining in the adventure!
Q: What are the costs?
A: The initial costs are minor, especially compared to the fun & rewards your Scout will experience. Not to mention the fun you parents can have if you too are bitten by the Scouting bug!
Don’t be scared off by the costs. Scouting, at the minimum level, is much cheaper than most sports and activities you may already have going. Pack 1218 has a minimum requirement for uniforms, the Pack has a $55 annual fee, which includes the National registration fee, and your son’s den will typically set up monthly dues. Your son’s den leader will be spending considerable time attending meetings, planning & preparing for that 1-hour den meeting. Let’s not ask him or her to buy all the snacks & supplies out of pocket. Dues are usually in the range of $4/month.
The basic financial requirements for your son are:
1. Blue button down Cub Scout uniform shirt: $22.99
2. Cub Scout patches & insignia for the uniform shirt:
• World Scout Crest with Scouting Anniversary ring patch: $2.37
• Council Shoulder Patch: $2.50
• ‘1’, ‘2’, ‘1’, ‘8’ numeral patches: $4.76
3. Cub Scout hat for his rank: $12.99
4. Cub Scout Handbook for his rank: $6.99 - $8.99
The Pack will provide:
1. The appropriate neckerchief & slide.
Optional items for Pack 1218 are:
1. Cub Scout rank socks
2. Cub Scout belt with appropriate rank belt buckle
3. Blue pants.
**Fair warning: Your son will look mighty sharp when dressed in a full uniform, but it isn’t required at this stage. In the near future, you will probably want to invest in an official Cub Scout belt to show off the many belt loops your boy can earn.
Other costs include our pack family overnight campout and summer Cub Scout day camp. Our overnighter usually costs $35 – 40 per family. We provide dinner Friday night and breakfast & lunch on Saturday. Summer day camp is a week of Scout activities. Fees start at $130. Discounts are available for early registration. Camperships, Camp scholarships, are available.
So, the minimum to get started as a Cub Scout is in the $50 range, not counting the annual registration fee of $55. How does that compare to Little League, soccer, football…? Putting my son in Little League this year cost me just over $200.
CUB SCOUTS IS A BARGAIN!
Q: Where do we buy uniforms and other Scout supplies?
A: There are 3 local Scout Shops:
• Anaheim Scout Shop:
1501 North Raymond, Ste. “O”
Anaheim, CA 92801
(714)774-3270
• Santa Ana Scout Shop:
William Lyon Home Center for Scouting
1211 E. Dyer Rd. Santa Ana, CA 92705
(714)979-4554
• South County Scout Shop:
25292 McIntyre, Ste. P
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
(949)639-0320
Q: Why the numerous fundraising activities?
A: Fundraising is the main revenue source for local Scouting. National gets the big donations from individuals & large corporations, and with the economy the way it is, they aren’t getting nearly as much. The district and local packs & troops get most of their funds from fundraising. Our main fundraiser is Trail’s End Popcorn sales in the fall. About 1/3 of the money raised comes back to the Pack. This money goes to fund the ranks your Scout earns, the patches, the badges, trophies & awards your Scout may earn and part of their uniform – neckerchiefs & slides. It also goes to fund outings, such as our overnighter in the summer, our Blue & Gold Banquet and various outings Pack 1218 participates in each year. We may put a price on these events for families & friends, but the Scouts are always paid for by pack funds. All funds raised go directly back into Scouting. Our Cubmaster and other pack leaders are all volunteers.
Q: What’s this “rank” business?
A: Lord Baden-Powell developed the Boy Scouts in England based on his experience in the military and, for the Cub Scouts, was influenced by Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book. Thus, the Cub Scout’s leader is called an “Akela” and the dens are labeled Tiger Cub, Wolf and Bear. Cub Scout dens are based on grade levels. First graders are Tiger Cubs, second graders are Wolves, third graders are Bears and fourth & fifth graders are Webelos. Webelos is a secret name your son will learn as part of his Bobcat Badge. Webelos is a year-and-a-half-long program to prepare your boys for Boy Scouts. As your son advances through Cub Scouting, less and less of your time is required. The higher levels are designed to make the boys more self-reliant. Boy Scout Troops are almost entirely boy-run!
The ranks also indicate the age level of the Cub Scouts. All of the requirements & activities you see in the Scout Handbooks is aimed specifically for each age group. The Tiger Cubs work closely with their adult partner in completing their achievements & electives and are simple and easy to complete. Not to mention fun! As Wolves, they have a little more independence and the activities take a step up in complexity. As Bears, the requirements step up another level of complexity, becoming more involved and requiring more time & effort. As Webelos, the boys are preparing for the independence of Boy Scouts. They move closer to a boy-run patrol and the activities require more work, more research, more time, etc.
Q: What does an older boy work on when he joins Cub Scouts?
A: All Cub Scouts, the 1st grade Tigers through the 5th grade Webelos IIs, earn the Bobcat Badge first. The ten steps to earning the Bobcat are detailed in each rank’s handbook. While working on fulfilling the Bobcat Badge requirements, a Cub Scout may also work on the achievements & the electives for the rank their den is working on.
A Scout is eligible to receive their current rank badge only if they have completed the Bobcat Badge requirements. We say the boys are in the Wolf den, for example, when they become 2nd graders. We usually call them Wolves. But they are working on their Wolf badge and do not get to wear the Wolf badge until they have completed the requirements for the Wolf rank. Then they finish out the year with other activities, such as electives or Sports & Academic Belt Loop and Pin activities.
Q: What does Pack 1218 do during the Summer?
A: The Pack loses its regular meeting place at Raymond Elementary. Aside from our Pack Overnighter, typically a June or July event, we have had Sports Night at Byerrum Park. Everyone dressed in their favorite team’s colors and we had a massive whiffle ball game! Other activities we have held include a Space Derby and the Raingutter Regatta. Many Scouts have attended the Los Amigos Summer Day Camp, five full days full of Scouting activities that put a jump start on your son’s Scouting year. Many boys come out of day camp with belt loops, achievements and electives. In other words, a head-start on their new rank.
Q: How do we sew on all these cool patches?!
A: My how times have changed! When I was a Cub Scout, mom sewed my patches on my uniform using her sewing machine, in her sewing room. Do homes even have sewing rooms anymore? If you don’t have a seamstress or tailor in your house, check with the other parents in your son’s den. They may have a parent or relative who does sew. No luck there? Check with your pack…Scouts help out other Scouts. That goes for Scouting families as well. We’ll help you with some patches; you’ll help us out in some other way in the future. Do you want the patches on quickly and expertly? Look for a tailor in your local shopping centers. My tailor has a lot of experience with Scout uniforms and doesn’t charge too much to put patches on. Some dry cleaners also do alterations and can probably sew your son’s uniform. They may not work the way you want them to, but low cost may be a trade off you’re willing to accept. Example: I want my pockets & my son’s pockets to work. They’re on the uniforms for a reason. My tailor removed a pocket to put a patch on and reattached the pocket. The dry cleaner sewed a patch on through the pocket.
Another alternative is a kit for sticking the patches on the uniform. This is available at the Scout Shop. The kit shows you where the patches go on the uniform. Another plus: The kit has pieces sized for the most popular patches. The downside is the material will only last so long. Eventually, with many washings, the patches attached this way will probably start peeling off. One good way to use the kit is to stick the patches on where they are supposed to be so you can sew them on more easily.
One last suggestion: If your son is a Tiger Cub, think about buying his uniform shirt a little big so he can grow into it.
A guide to insignia placement is in the inside covers of each rank handbook, in the page below, and online as well at http://www.bsauniforms.org/.
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