Thank you for your interest in Cub Scout Pack 278!

Below are some of our Frequently Asked Questions:

MISSION STATEMENT:

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

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF CUB SCOUTING?

Cub Scouting is a year-round, family-oriented part of the Boy Scouts of America program designed for boys who are in kindergarten through fifth grades. Parents, leaders, and organizations work together to achieve the 10 purposes of Cub Scouting:

• Character Development
• Spiritual Growth
• Good Citizenship
• Sportsmanship and Fitness
• Family Understanding
• Respectful Relationships
• Personal Achievement
• Friendly Service
• Fun and Adventure
• Preparation for Boy Scouts

All the activities leaders plan and boys enjoy should relate to one or more of these purposes.

MY SON WILL BE ENTERING KINDERGARTEN THIS FALL; CAN HE JOIN NOW?

Absolutely! Those entering Kindergarten in the Fall can join as early as June 1st so they can attend all our FUN summertime activities.

MY SON WILL BE ENTERING 5TH GRADE THIS FALL; CAN HE JOIN NOW?

Absolutely! The great thing about Cub Scouting is it is a year round program and they can join at any time of their Kindergarten through 5th Grade years. 5th Grade is an excellent year to join as it will prepare him for the transition to Boy Scouts by learning the fundamentals of scouting, how the Boy Scout program is structured with the boy-led method as well as visiting many local Boy Scout Troops and events in the area.

WILL MY SON BE WITH HIS GRADE LEVEL FRIENDS?

YES! In Cub Scouts boys are grouped by their same age/grade level and not how long they have been involved. So what that means is your son doesn’t have to worry about being in a different rank or den than his same grade level friends.

IS IT SCOUTS ONLY THAT CAN ATTEND?

Cub Scouting we are proud to say is one of the few programs that is family oriented. What that means is we encourage the whole family to participate and attend events to help their son as he grows in preparation for Boy Scouts. It’s so much FUN even siblings will look forward to coming! No babysitters required here to participate with your son.

SCOUTING IS KNOWN FOR THEIR GOOD TURNS (DEEDS), WHAT TYPES OF COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES WILL MY SON HAVE?

• Every 4th Tuesday of the month during the school year our scouts do the packing for the MVPHP school food backpack program.
• In the beginning of May our Scouts participate in the yearly FSK District sponsored event “Scout Sweep” as a community clean-up initiative. (Historically they have collected trash from locations such as the field next to Middletown Safeway, Baker Park, or Thomas Johnson Drive).
• In August our Pack conducts a stream study which is not only fun and wet but records valuable research data for DNR to determine the health of our local streams.
• We assist in the Braddock Heights yearly Park Clean-up and pick up trash along Deer Spring Road prior to our yearly Pack Fishing Activity at Seven Ponds Farm.  
• Every November the Scouts are involved in the nationwide scouting event “Scouting for Food” where they collect nonperishable food donations from our community and donate it to the local food bank. This is Scouting’s largest community service event as up to 70% of the food banks yearly supply is collected during this single weekend!
• At each month’s Pack Meeting scouts will have the opportunity to donate items to the local food bank or other local charitable organizations such as Toys for Tots, Frederick County Animal Control, or Middletown Clothes Closet; organized and collected by our Good Turn Coordinator.

MY SON IS INVOLVED IN OTHER ACTIVITIES, WHAT KIND OF TIME COMMITMENT WILL SCOUTING BE?

The best part about our Pack is your time commitment is up to YOU! It can be as little as 3 hours a month by just attending the Den and Pack meetings or it can be much more! Just remember your FAMILY is welcome to attend ALL our Pack events, siblings included! Don’t just be content sitting on the sidelines, Scouting is one of the few organizations that allows families to be an integral part of the journey to help your son grow and have fun!

Scheduled Den & Pack Meetings: plan your attendance…

• Starting in September your son’s den will host 2 meetings a month (1 hour long each) to learn skills for his rank requirements, these are a must to attend for your son to obtain his rank each year.
• Den meeting dates/times are dependent on the members of the den. What that means is the den families decide which day of the week and time works best with everyone’s schedule to allow the most participation. Our Pack Leaders ask that it follow a regular schedule for consistency and ease of planning. For example, one Den chose to meet the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month from 3-4pm.
• On the 3rd Wednesday evening of each month the Pack will host a 1 hour Pack Meeting. We will recognize Scouts for their monthly achievements, host an activity or guest speaker, and provide details on upcoming events.

Pack Activities: where YOU decide your family’s commitment, the “A La Carte Menu”

• Each month your son will have the opportunity to attend an outdoor pack activity, anywhere from hiking to fishing to snow tubing to the maple syrup festival to a model rocket launch and a pack community service project such as the MVPHP school food backpack program.
• Five times a year your family will have the opportunity to break out their tent to join the pack on a Family Camping weekend at a local campground or one of our many state parks in MD or PA. Did anyone say Hockey or Baseball? Join us in March for the Hershey Bears Hockey overnight or summertime for the Frederick Keys Baseball overnight where you watch the game and camp out in the stadium and on the outfield.
• Can’t forget the derbies: Pinewood, Raingutter Regatta, Klondike and our Space Water Bottle Rocket Launch. We even host parent and sibling races!
• Our local FSK District and NCACouncil will host yearly events you are more than welcome to attend with us. Shooting Sports Invitational in April, Bike Rodeo in May, Day Camp in June and July/Aug, as well as Webelos Mountain in the Fall to name a few!
• We also invite you to join in many Middletown and Braddock Heights Community Events such as the flag raising and lowering at our local schools, the Braddock Community show and parade, Middletown Heritage Day Parade, Veteran’s Day Memorial Services, 4th of July Flag Ceremony and many more!

(select ‘For Fun’ on the top left menu board of our website to see event photos and our program activity calendar)

WHAT OPPORTUNITES WILL I HAVE TO BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN MY SON’S SCOUTING PROGRAM?

Our focus is on helping build strong families as we build stronger boys. Families are encouraged to lend their expertise to the program in their areas of interest as each family has something to contribute and should feel vested in our Scouting program. Volunteer opportunities range from event aids to activity organizers to committee members to program leaders. Most positions include a shadowing period in addition to online and/or in-person training sessions so you always feel supported. The extent of your family’s involvement will always be up to you and as a Pack we are very thankful for the time and talents our families are able to share whether it is helping transport supplies, picking up ice for the coolers, teaching the scouts an activity such as fishing, being a guest speaker, or diving in as a Den Leader. We couldn’t do it without everyone’s support!

WHO WILL BECOME MY SON’S DEN LEADER AND ASSISTANT DEN LEADER?

Scouting is structured just like your local sports program where you have a Den Leader (coach) and Assistant Den Leader(s). And just like in sports, parents of Scouts in that age group (den) become those Leaders. If your son happens to join as a 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th grader there may already be an established leadership team in place or we may be looking to add to our leadership team.

WHAT TYPES OF TRAINING DOES THE PACK PROVIDE TO IT’S LEADERS?

To ensure our Pack delivers a consistent program our senior leaders will serve as guides to all new volunteer leaders and dens for their first meeting(s) and continue to provide support throughout the year. Our Pack follows the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) National Program by providing all our leaders with supporting materials, outlines, and recommended practices for all meetings as well as multiple training opportunities at the District, Council, and National level. All members in leadership positions are required to complete position specific training according to the BSA. We also host meetings each month for our leadership team to monitor our Pack’s progression. All pack families are invited to attend the Pack’s monthly Committee Meeting to provide their input on upcoming activities and feedback for improvement.

WHAT’S THE COST TO JOIN?

For a June start the joining fee is a prorated cost of only $47.50 for your BSA Registration Fee, NCAC/BSA Insurance, and Den Dues OR a total of $53.50 if you would like to add the optional subscription to Boys Life Magazine. We do not charge the yearly Program Fee when you join, that cost is only included in our yearly December invoicing. The reason for this is so our scouts have the opportunity to fundraise during the Fall through the Trails End Popcorn Fundraising Program to offset or earn FREE Program Dues ($200 per year). We want everyone to have a chance to join scouting and benefit from the fundraising program. We don't ever want cost to be the reason not to join; our Pack offers financial assistance for those in need. Scouting also offers camperships for Scouts requesting financial assistance to attend Summer Camp.

FUNDRAISING? HOW OFTEN IS THAT?

We want our Scouts to spend their year enjoying the outdoors, learning, and having fun. We don't want them to spend most of the year alternating through different fundraisers. Pack 278 only fundraises through the Trails End Popcorn program in the Fall. The selling season is from September 1st to October 31st for take orders and through November 30th if you choose to take online orders. We provide many table selling opportunities for those who prefer not to sell door to door. Many of our Scouts have earned FREE Pack Dues and additional District, Council, and Trails End rewards such as Stomp Rockets, LEGO sets, Wal-Mart gift cards, FREE Summer Camp, and College Scholarships. It is very doable!

WHAT IF OUR FAMILY CHOOSES NOT TO FUNDRAISE?

That’s fine too; there is a buyout option! If you choose not to fundraise you will receive an invoice in December for the full amount of the annual scouting costs including program fees. As of December 2017: $269 annually not including uniform costs or the optional subscription to Boys Life Magazine. That’s a full year program for approx. $22 a month.

Questions? Contact our Parent Coordinator, Lauren Dutrow at laurendutrow17@gmail.com