The Purposes of Cub Scouting
Since 1930, the Boy Scouts of America has helped younger
boys through Cub Scouting. It is a year-round family
program designed for boys who are in the first grade
through fifth grade (or 7, 8, 9, and 10 years of age).
Parents, leaders, and organizations work together to
achieve the purposes of Cub Scouting.
The ten purposes of Cub Scouting
are:
Character Development
Spiritual Growth
Good Citizenship
Sportsmanship
Family Understanding
Respectful Relationships
Personal Achievement
Friendly Service
Fun and Adventure
Preparation for Boy Scouts
Membership
Cub Scouting members join a Cub Scout pack and are
assigned to a den, usually a neighborhood group of six
to eight boys. Tiger Cubs (first-graders), Wolf Cub
Scouts (second graders), Bear Cub Scouts (third
graders), and Webelos Scouts (fourth and fifth graders)
meet weekly.
Once a month, all of the dens and family members gather
for a pack meeting under the direction of a Cubmaster
and pack committee.
Volunteer Leadership
Thousands of volunteer leaders, both men and women, are
involved in the Cub Scout program. They serve in a
variety of positions, as everything from unit leaders to
pack committee chairmen, committee members, den leader
coaches, and chartered organization representatives.
Like other phases of the Scouting program, Cub Scouting
is made available to groups having similar interests and
goals, including professional organizations; government
bodies; and religious, educational, civic, fraternal,
business, labor, and citizens' groups. These "sponsors"
are called chartered organizations. Each organization
appoints one of its members as a chartered organization
representative. The organization, through the pack
committee, is responsible for providing leadership, the
meeting place, and support materials for pack
activities.
Who Pays For It?
Groups responsible for supporting Cub Scouting are the
boys and their parents, the pack, the chartered
organization, and the community. Packs obtain income by
working on approved money-earning projects.
Advancement Plan
Recognition is important to young boys. The Cub Scout
advancement plan provides fun for the boys, gives them a
sense of personal achievement as they earn badges, and
strengthens family understanding as adult family members
work with boys on advancement projects.
Tiger Cub. The Tiger Cub
program is for first grade (or age 7) boys and their
adult partners. There are five Tiger Cub achievement
areas. The Tiger Cub, working with his adult partner,
completes 15 requirements within these areas to earn the
Tiger Cub Badge. These requirements consist of an
exciting series of indoor and outdoor activities just
right for a boy in the first grade.
Bobcat. The Bobcat rank is
for all boys who join Cub Scouting.
Wolf. The Wolf program is
for boys who have completed first grade (or are age 8).
To earn the Wolf badge, a boy must pass twelve
achievements involving simple physical and mental
skills.
Bear. The Bear rank is for
boys who have completed second grade (or are age 9).
There are 24 Bear achievements in four categories. The
Cub Scout must complete 12 of these to earn the Bear
badge. These requirements are somewhat more difficult
and challenging than those for Wolf rank.
Webelos. This program is
for boys who have completed third grade (or are age 10).
A boy may begin working on the Webelos badge as soon as
he joins a Webelos den. This is the first step in his
transition from the Webelos den to the Boy Scout troop.
As he completes the requirements found in the Webelos
Scout Book, he will work on activity badges, attend
meetings led by adults, and become familiar with the Boy
Scout requirements—all leading to the Arrow of Light
Award.
Activities
Cub Scouting means "doing." Everything in Cub Scouting
is designed to have the boys doing things. Activities
are used to achieve the aims of Scouting—citizenship
training, character development, and personal fitness.
Many of the activities happen right in the den and pack.
The most important are the weekly den meetings and the
monthly pack meetings.
Cub Scout Academics and Sports
The Cub Scout Academics and Sports program provides the
opportunity for boys to learn new techniques, increase
scholarship skills, develop sportsmanship, and have fun.
Participation in the program allows boys to be
recognized for physical fitness and talent-building
activities.
Publications
Volunteers are informed of national news and events
through Scouting magazine (circulation 900,000). Boys
may subscribe to Boys' Life magazine (circulation 1.3
million). Both are published by the Boy Scouts of
America. Also available are a number of Cub Scout and
leader publications, including the Tiger Cub Handbook,
Wolf Cub Scout Book, Bear Cub Scout Book, Webelos Scout
Book, Cub Scout Leader Book, Cub Scout Program Helps,
and Webelos Leader Guide.
Cub Scouting Ideals
Apart from the fun and excitement of Cub Scout
activities, a number of ideals are expressed in the
day-to-day life of the boy and his leaders.
Colors
The Cub Scout colors are blue and gold. The blue stands
for truth and spirituality, steadfast loyalty, and the
sky above. The gold stands for warm sunlight, good
cheer, and happiness. Together, they symbolize what Cub
Scouting is all about.
