Thanks for your interest in Scouting! In a nutshell, Cub Scouting is designed to be fun! Plain and simple. We teach skills through hands-on activities, engaging in the outdoors, and sports and crafts.

The formal mission of Cub Scouting and the BSA 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. Scouting aims to encourage youth to grow in character, citizenship, personal fitness, and leadership. Scouting uses methods such as organization into small units called dens, advancement, family involvement, activities, service, and even the uniform among other things to achieve these goals.

The oath and law are pretty simple. Scouts pledge in the oath that

On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

And the law states

A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.

The cub scout motto is

Do your best.

Organization

The local scouting unit is called a pack and the smaller units within a pack based on age and gender are dens.

Cub scouting is for youth from Kindergarten through 5th grade, and the dens by age are known as

Lions (K)**,
Tigers (1)**,
Wolves (2),
Bears (3),
Webelos (4)
Arrow of Lights (5).

** Parents are required to participate at den meetings with Lions and Tigers, but not with older scouts.

Scouts who complete the 5th grade program, Arrow of Light, receive a patch that they can take as they transition to the 11+ scouting program called Scouts BSA.

Our unit is chartered by Trinity Presbyterian Church. We’re part of North Star District of Occoneechee Council (Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville area).

Rank and Advancement

Using the cub scouting method, leaders and youth work together through grade-level appropriate programs with both required and optional units to earn a final rank at the end of the program year.

As scouts complete units in their rank, they receive belt loops or pins for their achievements. Rank is awarded at the end of the program year in May, but loops and pins are awarded monthly at pack meetings.

Uniform and supplies

See Uniforms for details about what to buy, where to buy, what's included in dues, and how to place patches, insignia and awards.

See online den handbook here.

Meetings

We meet weekly, currently at our chartering organization, Trinity Presbyterian Church.

Trinity Presbyterian Church
3120 N New Hope Rd
Raleigh, NC 27604

Our typical meetings, den meetings, are from 7-8pm. Lions only meet for den meetings once a month between pack meetings.

Once a month, usually the last Tuesday, beginning in October, we meet as a whole pack (all dens) from 6:30-8pm for a Pack Meeting. The cubmaster will send reminders before these events.

Den Meetings

Each meeting begins with all of the pack gathered for the flag ceremony - a pledge to the US flag and recitation of the scout oath and law. Each week a different den helps lead the ceremony. After announcements for parents and scouts, scouts are dismissed to their dens.

Note: Lions only meet generally every other week for a den meeting or pack meeting, typically meaning only one den meeting each month.

Den meetings are with scouts of the same age, although smaller dens may meet together for a better experience. Dens follow a program from the den handbook. They work on units with individual requirements. Most of the time, requirements will be completed during the meeting, but occasionally den leaders may ask that certain things be completed at home. Den meetings usually consist of games, lessons, and hands on activities.

Den meetings end at 8pm. The den that leads the flag ceremony stays an extra few minutes and helps clean up.

Pack Meetings

Pack meetings begin at 6:30 instead of 7 (unless otherwise noted). Pack meetings are fun nights of community building and celebration of achievements. All dens meet together during pack meetings. The meetings generally follow this structure

Opening activities, such as a craft or activity
Flag ceremony, including recitation of Scout Oath and Law
Group activities, which could include a potluck, competition, games, skits, or special guests
Awards (belts, pins, rank advancements)
Closing thoughts

Camping, events, and outings

As a pack, we try to have outings, events, or campouts at least once per month.

Note: Medical forms are required for all participants in overnight outings, including scouts, adults, and siblings.

Camping

Scouts generally love camping and the outdoors. It’s a refreshing change of pace for many scouts and it offers many exciting activities in which they can participate. All camping is family camping. Non-scout siblings are welcome as well as other close family. Our pack typically goes camping 2-3 times per year, always including a fall pack camping trip and spring council-wide “Cuboree”. We usually coordinate meals as a pack and typically pay around $10 per participant for a weekend of delicious camping meals. Cuboree in the spring has an additional small fee. We use fundraising to keep fees at a minimum.

Service Events

The pack usually has at least a couple service events every year. For the last several years, for example, we have volunteered to bus tables at Golden Corral on Veterans Day when that restaurant serves free meals to veterans. Other service opportunities may arise throughout the year.

Pinewood Derby

Every January, scouts turn a small pine wood block into a racing machine. We usually have an overnight sleep-in at the church where we cut out the cars; then scouts take them home to complete preparing them to race in our annual derby the first Saturday in February. Winners in speed, craftsmanship, and originality receive trophies and go on to compete at a district-level event as well. While this is a competitive event, we encourage scouts to focus on “doing their best” which is the scout motto and we ask parents to focus on this as scouts work on and compete their cars in the three categories.

Blue & Gold Banquet

During February, we celebrate scouting’s birthday (founded Feb 8, 1910) at the Blue & Gold Banquet. We share a meal together, have lots of games, activities, and crafts - it’s a night to celebrate and have fun!

Special Outings

Each year, the pack tries to schedule a special outing. In the past we have slept with the fishes at the NC Aquarium or camped on the USS Yorktown in Charleston harbor. Fundraising helps subsidize these trips and reduce costs for scouts and families.

Other Events and Outings

The pack and dens will periodically schedule additional outings and events throughout the program year to keep scouts active, having fun, and engaging their community. Part of the scouting program involves service to the community and outdoor activities, so lookout for communications from your den leader to participate in activities that meet these requirements.

Communications and Social Media

The pack and dens try to communicate with scout families and the community through various channels depending on scenario. The primary tool for tracking advancement and communications is Scoutbook -- it uses email or texting to distribute communications. Social media is only used as an addition to this primary method -- primarily through the private parent communication group. The pack maintains additional social media profiles to promote scouting and our pack. We may introduce other communication methods as needed.

Scoutbook

When you register your scout, each parent will receive access to the scouts advancement record via Scoutbook.com, a tool provided by BSA. The website is used by the leaders and committee to send email and text communication to parents. If you need help setting up your account or have difficulty receiving these emails, please let the cubmaster know. If using Gmail, the emails will likely be automatically sorted unless you drag them to your primary inbox.

https://scoutbook.scouting.org

Website

Our website is one of our primary tools for promotion and we often send out emails linking to the website for additional information. The welcome and registration kits will be available on the website as well as online links to join our pack.

Calendar

We use a Google calendar to keep organized. Find out more information on how to subscribe at our website so you can see events on your smartphone.

Calendar instructions

Facebook Group

We have a private Facebook group for parents of current scouts only. This group allows parents to communicate and share pictures securely with one another. It is not used as a primary communication method, but upcoming events or notices will also be promoted privately through the group.

Pack Parents Facebook Group

Remind

Our pack uses Remind text messages for quick communications.

Click here to subscribe to Pack 236 messages. Once you join the main Pack distribution list, you will be added to the various den distribution lists.

Facebook Page

We also have a presence on Facebook as a “page”. You can like or follow our page to see our public promotional posts. You can share these posts with friends.

Pack Facebook Page

Scout Expectations

Scouts should

Abide by the oath and law
Follow instructions
Treat others with respect
Follow the buddy system
Work together
Participate in meetings and activities
Arrive on time to events
Wear scout uniform to meetings and when otherwise required
Be positive
Do his or her best

Also, remember that we are active at nearly every meeting, so

Wear closed toe shoes to all meetings
Be prepared to go outside during meetings (e.g. bring a jacket in colder weather)

Health and Safety

Scouting is very serious about the health and safety of scouts and families involved in scouting.

Adult volunteers are required to be trained for youth protection and follow two-deep leadership principals - this same training is encouraged for all adults in the pack and two-deep is always required with at least one trained leader. See Training for more information.

While participating in activities, scouts are required to always stay with a buddy when away from the rest of the unit.

Parents are annually required to review safety practices with their scouts. See Parents Guides to Youth Protection or the front of any scout den handbook for more information. Each year, scouts also review how to treat others as well as safety with their den, including cybersafety.

Scouts should also follow good hygiene practices, such as hand washing, and avoid coming in contact with others when known to be sick. Scouts should follow local, state, and national regulations regarding safety and health.

Overnight activities also require medical forms for all participants (scouts, siblings, and parents), so that in the case of an emergency, information will quickly be available.

Finances and Fundraising

See Costs for full details

Volunteering and Leaders

See Leaders page for more information.

Forms and Documents

Looking for forms and documents, such as medical forms or assistance forms? See Forms for details.

Updated 2024-08-11

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