Don’t Panic!

Sounds a little overdone, doesn’t it? However, first impressions being what they are, we want you to know that Scouting is about having fun with a purpose in teaching character to your son or daughter, learning responsibility, citizenship and leadership along the way. Of course, we will learn some outdoor skills, visit interesting places, and have lots of experiences that are hard to find outside of the Scouting program, but ultimately what we are about is providing Cub Scouts opportunities to grow by broadening horizons, setting goals and achieving them. Ranks, badges, and pins really are just outward symbols that help remind your child that they can achieve much through the application of perseverance and commitment toward an achievable goal. That is more than just a Scouting skill – it’s a life skill.

Your participation, guidance and encouragement as a parent is a key ingredient for success. If you asked our Pack parents about why they like Scouting, you will receive a variety of answers, yet the common thread uniting them is participation in a program that helps their kids grow in to successful young adults. The Scouting experience can often be just as rewarding for the parents as it is for the Scouts. So, with this in mind, we offer this short list of things you need to know to get started:

• Everything You Need To Know Is In Writing Somewhere. Whether it’s your Scout’s handbook, or Pack program materials, or this website, odds are that if you can ask the question, someone has asked it before and there is an answer that has been published. If you can’t find the answer to your Scouting question, please don’t hesitate to fire off an email or make a telephone call. Your Pack leadership is here to support you as well as your Scout. We are your resources for helping your Scout meet their goals.
• Read The Book. Both of You (You And Your Scout). The handbook for each level of Cub Scouting is age and grade level appropriate. You can purchase the handbook at the Scout Shop (See No. 7 below for location). To earn rank or badges, there will be requirements, which are in the book. Better than that, where the requirements are knowledge based, the book will tell you what you need to know. The test and the answers are indeed in the same place. We will do many of the activities in our den meetings, but there are a few requirements that your Scout will have to do on their own outside of the meeting, with your help. Make sure that you Scout reads whatever section he is working on, or read it together, or read it to him – the point is that your Scout should be actively involved in their own growth. Which brings us to point 3…