A Family Affair
Cub Scouting is a family activity. The Pack will not function without the help of parents. Family involvement is essential to having a great Pack and the best possible program we can give our kids. It is important for you to stay involved with your child’s participation in Cub Scouts. Experience shows that Cub Scouts will do much better in the program if their parents stay involved.
Supporting Activities
The Pack also runs a variety of events for the kids. Parents and other volunteers are needed for these activities and parents are expected to support these activities and assist with running them as much as possible. These opportunities are typically of short duration and will still allow families to spend time with their child while assisting with Pack responsibilities.
Meeting Attendance
Each parent is responsible for getting the Cub Scout to meetings and we expect each Cub Scout to regularly attend Den and Pack events. The Cub Scout should arrive on time for those events in the appropriate uniform. Rules and regulations of the meeting location must be followed at all times. Parents of younger Cub Scouts (Lions and Tigers) must be present with their child during meetings.
It is a parent’s responsibility to purchase uniform items. Although your Cub Scout will be issued some items from the Pack as they progress through the ranks, a majority of the items must be purchased by the parents.
Fundraising
Parents are also expected to support fund raising activities and to make sure that the Cub Scout stays current on dues required to run the Den and Pack.
Discipline
Cub Scouting is full of fun activities and the kids are very active at this age. Rarely does a disciplinary situation rise. If one does, however, we ask that the Den and Pack leadership attempt to resolve the issue first. Parents may be asked to assist with their child if the situation requires it.
Appropriate Behavior
Boy Scouts of America policy states that smokers must smoke out of site of the Cub Scouts. In larger run events, there may be a designated smoking area. BSA policy also states that there will be no alcoholic beverages at any Scouting event.
Leadership
The Leadership / Committee Meeting occurs on a monthly basis and is used to discuss the issues and future activities of the Pack. There should be an assistant at every leadership position to enable representation if the person shouldering the primary role is absent for any reason. It is also vital for effective succession planning. When the Scout of a leader bridges to Scouts BSA (and as a result the leader moves on) we do not want to be left with a big hole to fill and no knowledge handoff. In order for our Scouts to have the best experience possible, it is important for you to volunteer not only at the Den level but at the Pack level too!
Volunteering
Volunteering is fulfilling, rewarding and important!
When we have a large pool of volunteers like parents, grandparents, or other adult participants:
- Work is spread out so that it isn’t overwhelming for a single person.
- We maintain talent and know‐how across generations of Scouts.
Turnover in Pack leadership and other positions is much quicker than you might think. The average parent is involved in Cub Scouting for only 4‐5 years. Since it takes a couple years just to see everything once, leaders typically serve for about 2-3 years. If you’re just starting out, volunteer somewhere, with just a little or a lot, whatever your comfort level. You’ll learn what worked, what didn’t work and what you’d like to add yourself. That’s how we can keep our events functioning and fun!