Interested in scouting but not quite sure yet?
Need more information before deciding?
Here are some answers to some of the questions that are most frequently asked.
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Who can join Cub Scouts?
- Any boy in 1st grade (or going to be in the next school year) through 5th grade (or 7 - 10 years old) can become a Cub Scout; without regard to where he lives or to what school he attends.
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When can I join Cub Scout Pack 843?
- We typically have two recruiting meetings - one in May, right before school ends, and one in August, right after school starts. We hold Recruiting Nights at the school to introduce cub scouting to the parents and boys, as well as answer any and all questions they may have regarding scouting. At the meeting, you will receive an Application form to complete.
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Do I have to wait until a Recruiting Night to join?
- Absolutely not. You can join at any time during the calendar year by contacting us. Once you are assigned a Den, you can start working on achieving your advancements for your cub scout rank.
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Will I have to pay a fee to become a Cub Scout?
- Yes. Fees are needed to cover your registration with the Boy Scouts of America and your subscription to the "Boy's Life" magazine. Some of the fees stay with Pack 843 to help us pay for activities, events, and advancement recognitions throughout the year. Currently the annual fee to join Pack 843 is $75.00.
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What is a Den?
- The Pack of Cub Scouts is divided into smaller groups of 8 to 10 scouts. Each group is called a Den. A Den of 1st graders are Tiger Scouts, 2nd graders are Wolf Scouts, 3rd graders are Bear Scouts, 4th graders are Webelos 1, and 5th graders are Webelos 2.
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Why, when, where, and how often do the Dens meet?
- Dens meet as a group on a regular basis - usually at least monthly - to work on projects and activities that will help the scouts achieve their rank advancement requirements. Generally the Den can find a date and time that works for most of the scouts in that Den, most of the time. Dens can meet at the school, a local church, the township hall, or any location that is amenable to meetings. The typical Den meeting lasts 1 - 1.5 hours. Often Dens may also go on a field trip, called a Go-See-It, once a month.
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How will I know which Den I belong to?
- After you complete your application and submit your fees, the Committe Chairperson and the Membership Chairperson will assign you to a Den that can accommodate you. (We try to not to have more than 10 scouts in a Den because it makes it difficult to accomplish the rank advancements). The Leader of that Den will then contact you about when and where they meet.
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Who leads the Den and the Den meetings?
- Each Den has one parent who volunteers to be the Den Leader. The Den Leader is responsible for organizing the meetings and events in such a way that all of the scouts have the opportunity to accomplish their advancement requirements. They are also responisible for tracking accomplishments, for submitting accomplishments to the Boy Scouts for official recognition, and for the general health and safety of the Den during meetings and events. The Den Leader needs to have a lot of help and cooperation from the other parents of the scouts in that Den. Most Dens also have another parent who helps as the Assistant Den Leader. Some Dens ask the parents to lead some of the Den meetings.
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As a parent, what can I expect to have to do?
- Cub scouting is not a "drop off" event. Parents should plan on having at least one parent attend the meeting with the scout for the Tigers, Wolves, and Bears in order to help maintain discipline and to assist with the planned activity. (It is not as important for Webelos, depending upon what they are working on.)
- Parents may also be asked to plan, organize and lead a Den meeting and/or a "Go-See-It" with some direction from the Den Leader.
- The most successful Dens are those who have a lot of parental assistance and support.
- Each Den also must have a representative attend the monthly "Leaders" meeting, during which planning for the Pack events occurs.
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Can I be in the same Den as my friends and do I have to stay in the same Den every year?
- Certainly you can be in the same Den as your friends as long as you are all the same rank and the Den is not already full. Den members do usually stay together throughout their Cub Scouting years; however, if there is another Den that can accommodate you, you can change to that Den if you want.
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If I join Cub Scouts, can I still play on sports teams?
- Yes, in fact most of the scouts do play organized sports all year round such as soccer, basketball, wrestling, hockey, and baseball. You should still try to make as many Den meetings and Den "Go-See-Its" as you can. But if it is not possible due to conflicts in your schedule, you just need to work with your Den Leader in finding ways to make up what you missed.
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Do all of the scouts from all of the Dens ever get together to meet?
- Yes, once a month, all year round. For Pack 843, we usually meet the 3rd Thursday of the month. The Pack "event" is a time for all of the Dens to get together either for a meeting, a fun activity, or camping.
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Can the rest of my family come to the Pack meetings?
- Yes. In Cub Scouting, brothers and sisters of the scouts are welcome to come to the meetings and events and to participate as much as possible. Cub Scouting is very family-friendly.
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When do the scouts get their awards?
- In Pack 843, we typically award the scouts their achievement awards at the Blue & Gold Ceremony in February, with Rank Advancement at the Graduation Ceremony in May, and summertime achievements at the Welcome Event in September.
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