I’m new to this, what do I do? And what is that?
What is the difference between a Den and a Pack?
A den is a group of 6-12 boys in the same grade level (i.e. 1st grade, 2nd grade, etc…). 1st graders are Tiger Cubs, 2nd graders are Wolf Scouts, 3rd graders are Bear Scouts, 4th graders are Webelos 1, and 5th graders are Webelos 2. At den meetings they work towards earning their badge or other activities.
The pack is all of the dens together. The biggest part of the Pack Meetings is to showcase what the Scouts have worked on at their meetings and to recognize Scouts for their Achievements.
Can there be more than 1 den in a grade level (i.e. Tiger Cubs, Wolf, etc…)?
Yes, if we have more than 12 boys in a grade level sign up. We will divide them into 2 dens.
Does this mean the boys won’t be together?
No. We divide the group into 2 dens so that it is more manageable for our leaders. It is up to the den leaders as to when and where they meet. Most prefer to meet together. There will be parts of the meeting that they will do as a group and there are parts where they will split into their respective dens to do “work”. This makes the den meetings more enjoyable for everyone involved.
How many meetings will we have?
There are 3-4 meetings each month. Dens will meet 2-3 times each month depending on the den leader. This could be 2 den meetings or 1 den meeting and a field trip/Go See It or 2 den meeting. Please meet with your individual den leaders for dates, times, and location. And the Pack meets 1 time each month in the Sacred Heart Parish Center; meetings starting promptly at 6:30pm. See Pack Calendar for exact dates, times, & locations.
What about all the other things on the calendar?
The Pack plans activities each month. These activities are not mandatory. However, we do encourage the Scouts with their adult partner to participate. These activities are designed to educate the boys, help them towards completing advancement requirements or electives, and most of all to have fun together!
Do I have to be at every event or meeting with my Scout?
The Scouts’ age, leader, and activity will determine this. For the Tiger Cubs this is a parent-scout team and 1 adult is required for each Tiger Scout. We highly encourage parents to come to the Pack Meetings with their Scout as Scout recognition is a big part of our Pack Meetings.
We also encourage parents to help out at the Den Meetings. The Scouts very much enjoy having their own parent present. It makes them feel special. The Den Leaders appreciate you being there as you can help them run games, execute activities, etc…
What if my Scout cannot make it to a den meeting?
Attendance at all meetings is not required. However, you will want to let your den leader know in advance so that you can find out what the den will be working on at that meeting. Our den leaders will work with you and your Scout so that he can get caught up.
While attendance at all meetings is not required; your Scout will get the most out of Scouting by attending the meetings.
What is a Go See It?
A Go See It is just another way of saying Field Trip.
Who is Akela?
Akela can be a Cubmaster, Den Leader, parent, or teacher depending on where the guidance takes place. At Den meetings Akela is the Den Leader. At home Akela is the parent. At Pack meetings is the Cubmaster.
As you notice at the end of each Achievement or Elective there is a spot for “Akela’s OK”. This is where you as the parent, or the den leader would sign to say that your Scout did an activity to the best of his ability.
Since we are using Scout Track do I have to record in the Scout Manual?
Scout Track is a great way for parents, den leaders, and other pack leaders to keep track of a Scout’s Achievements. It also communicates quickly and efficiently amongst all parties as to where your Scout and all the other Scouts stand on completion towards their badges. And as we all know sometimes we just forget to send our Scout to the meetings with his book.
With that said…whether or not you record in your Scout’s manual is up to you. However, Scouts love to look in their manuals and see all the things that they have done. Their scout manual is a tangible item for them. I would highly recommend recording in their books all the Achievements and Electives that they have completed, as well as seeing what they still need to complete. This will be a great keepsake for them to have as they get older.
Who enters my Scouts achievements into Scout Track?
Akela enters this information for your Scout. As a parent you can log into Scout Track view your Scouts profile and record the activities he has completed. Your den leaders will do the same.
What is Character Connections?
Character development is an important part of Scouting. You will see that some of the activities that you Scout is to complete will have the Character Connection symbol. This means that in conjunction with doing the activity your Scout will reflect on the dimensions of character (Know, Commit, and Practice). It is recommended that Akela help the Scout with his reflection. (See your Scout Manual for more details).
What is the Father/Son Cake Bake?
The Father/Son Cake bake is an amazing opportunity for father and son to bond while making a cake. This activity is focused on prompting and strengthening family bonding. At the October Pack meeting the Scouts will bring in their Father/Son creations, each cake will be judged by a group of impartial judges. Each boy will receive recognition. This event is also a fundraiser to give back to the Sacred Heart community via a Silent Auction. Families will receive more information about this event at the September Pack meeting.
What is Pinewood Derby?
Pinewood Derby is A TON of fun. It is basically a car race. Each Scout will receive a Pinewood Derby kit. From this kit they will design with their adult partner a car to race at the Pinewood Derby. Again, this is an activity to promote family bonding. The Scouts should be involved with all aspects of designing and building their car.
What is the Blue and Gold Banquet?
The Blue and Gold Banquet is a yearly banquet; it is the one “formal” event for Cub Scouts. Blue and Gold Banquet is held in February with is the Birthday month for Scouting and is a celebration of Scouting. At this event we recognize our Scouts, our leaders, and our parent volunteers. We also have 2 special ceremonies that we hold. If any of our Webelos 2 has earned the Arrow of Light we will have an Arrow of Light ceremony. While this is a major recognition for these Scouts, the younger boys love to watch the ceremony; which usually features an archer. The other ceremony is the Cross Over ceremony; where the Webelos 2 cross over into Boy Scouts.
What is the Arrow of Light?
The Arrow of Light is the highest rank a Scout can achieve in Cub Scouting. It is also the only badge from Cub Scouts that he can wear on his Boy Scouts uniform. A Webelos Scout should set his sights on this early, as it is harder to earn than the Webelos badge, but he can do it!
What is Friends of Scouting?
It is a fundraising effort to raise funds for our local Scout council (Mid-Iowa Council). Friends of Scouting income supports many aspects of the council’s program including leader training, camp program and properties, council service center and council staff. By donating you help ensure a quality scouting program for you son. Also, you could receive a Norman Rockwell print. Also, if our pack hits its goal we can also earn special incentives (i.e. free badges).
What is the Academic and Sports program?
The Academic and Sports program is designed to expose the Scouts to a variety of academic areas and sports. There are 2 levels of recognition in this program. The first being belt loops; which rewards the Scout for being exposed to an activity and having had some level of participation. The second level being pins; which rewards the Scout for showing a higher level of proficiency in the activity.
How does my Scout earn the Academic and Sports belt loops/pins?
Your Scouts den leader may present opportunities through out the year for the boys to earn belt loops. The Pack also sponsors during its April Pack meeting a Loopapalooza; where the Scouts can earn up to 3 belt loops at this event. Also, there are some instances in which the Scouts can earn a belt loop from activities outside of Scouting that they are participating in or at home with Akela. If your Scout will be completing the requirements for any belt loop at home or in an outside activity please coordinate this with you den leader.
Pins are offered to scouts who have earned their belt-loop and met the requirements for the pin. The pin requirements beyond the belt-loop can be earned outside pack/den meetings.
What are the requirements for earning Belt Loops and/or Pins?
The requirements vary depending on the activity. The Pack has several Academic and Sports manuals available for you to go through. You den leader may also have an Academic and Sports manual. However, the quickest and easiest way for you to check out all the requirements is to go to The Virtual Cub Scout Academic & Sports Guide at: http://www.geocities.com/~pack215/academics-sports.html
What is LOOPAPALOOZA?
LOOPAPALOOZA is an event that Pack 95 sponsors at its April Pack Meeting in which the scouts can earn Academic and Sports Belt Loops. In order for LOOPAPALOOZA to be a success we rely on parent volunteers to run the stations. Both the Scouts and the parents who participate have had lots of fun.
What is the difference between resident camp and day camp?
The biggest difference is that resident camp is an overnight camp and day camp is during the day w/ no overnight. We encourage all Scouts to go to camp. There are 3 different resident camps: Me & My Pal is 2-days/1-night and open to everyone, but is the only resident camp that Tiger Cubs (who will be in 1st grade come September) can attend. Cub Scout Camp is 3-days/2-nights and geared towards Wolf and Bear Scouts and Webelos Camp is 4-days/3-nights and for Webelos.
At both Day Camp and Resident Camp the Scouts will have an opportunity to participate in many activities that help them to work on (and in some cases) complete Achievements, Electives, and Belt Loops/Pins.
How do I find out/get a list of all the Achievements, Electives, and Belt Loops/Pins my Scout completed at camp?
The Day Camp directors usually hand out a list of all the activities that the Scouts participated in at camp on the last day. Sometimes Scouts only participate in 1 day of Day Camp. Due to this fact the Day Camp director will e-mail that list to all participants.
For Resident Camp, the Mid-Iowa Council upon completion of all the camps at Camp Mitigwa will post on its website a document of all the activities that your Scout may have completed. If you were at camp with you Scout then you will know which of the activities he did or did not complete. If you were not at camp with your Scout, then whoever the adult leaders were will notify you of which areas were or were not completed.
How many activities do they complete at Camp?
It varies depending on which level of scouting your Scout is in (i.e. Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelo), as each level of Scouting has different requirements. However, I have seen the lists and your Scout can expect to complete anywhere from 8-20 areas. This is not inclusive of Belt Loops/Pins. Since Archery and BB Guns are only sanctioned at Cub Scout Camps you Scout can expect to earn those Belt Loops as well as potentially earning the Pins for each of those activities.
What is the Summertime Award?
This award can be earned both for an individual Scout and for the Pack as a whole.
Scouts who participate in three pack events (1 event each month) are eligible to receive the National Summertime Pack Award pin, which they can wear on the right pocket flap of their uniform.
Qualifying packs receive a colorful streamer for their pack flag. Dens with an average attendance of at least half their members at the three summer pack events will be eligible for a colorful den participation ribbon.