Cub Scouts Teaches Boys Volunteerism and More

We are not parents who put our kids in every activity available. We are selective about what we let our son participate in, because it is important to us that he finishes what he starts. We want him to think before he commits to something, because he isn't allowed to quit halfway through a program or sports season. We let him know that after a year or when the season is over, he can evaluate if he wants to continue.

One year ago, the Boy Scouts of America program was foreign to me. I had heard of Boy Scouts and assumed that the program was the male counterpart to Girl Scouts, but that was about it. After some research, I realized that this would be a great opportunity for my son and we would evaluate after a year. One year later and after having participated in Cub Scouts, I am confident that this program is very beneficial to my son.

Cub Scouts is the program within the Boy Scout organization available for young boys. Cub Scouts begins with Tiger Cubs which is for boys in first grade and/or age 7. After one year of Tiger Cubs they graduate into a Wolf Cub den, followed by a Bear den, and then they become a Webelos Scout. After two years, they will become a Boy Scout where they can eventually earn the Eagle Scout rank, the highest rank in Boy Scouting.

The up front cost is minimal. There is a registration fee, cost of the uniform, and then throughout the year, there may be a fee for an activity or two. At least in our Cub Scout Pack, most everything was covered and we did a lot!

Parent participation is strongly suggested during the first year. You are encouraged to participate in the den meetings and activities with your son. We took the whole family to several events and had a great time. There is a lot of opportunity for volunteering; some positions are during an event and other times they need volunteers to be on a committee for the whole year. Fundraising is a small part of Cub Scouts, but it is important because the pack uses the money raised for the activities throughout the year.

The program promotes the development of strong character, good citizenship, and a healthy lifestyle. Respect for self, others, and country is a constant theme. The first activity they will participate in relates to safety issues; keeping yourself safe from others, being safe during all activities, and following safe practices when outdoors are what they will discuss.

The social element is wonderful. Your son will develop friendships that will carry into school. Right now there are four Cub Scouts in my son's class at school and they will be sharing wonderful experiences this year together.

Cub Scouts are encouraged to help in the community and they are given many opportunities to do so. Our area has a food drive where the Cub Scouts collect food throughout neighborhoods and then donate them to the local food pantries. Packs across the country do similar types of activities to enrich the boys.

The activities that we participated in were fun and great learning opportunities. We visited the firehouse, post office, local pizzeria, pumpkin patch, and they even got to go skiing. They were given tours of the different places and learned a lot! The annual Pine Wood Derby race is a blast! Your son gets to make a car and then race it! This was one of the highlights of the year for my Scout. The activities offered will depend on the Cub Scout Pack in your area. I can assure you that there will be many fun things for you to do.

Your son will have the opportunity to earn badges, pins, and beads. What a sense of accomplishment this will bring! I can tell you that every time I sewed a new patch on my son's uniform, he wore it proud!

According to the Cub Scout Tiger Cub Handbook, scouting is fun with a purpose! If your son is interested in becoming a Cub Scout, I encourage you to consider this program for him. It does require time commitment and parental participation, but it is well worth your time and effort.

Source: Cub Scout Tiger Cub Handbook