Cub Scouts -- Why Your Son Should Join

Young boys these days are encouraged to try all kinds of extracurricular activities from the moment they begin school. There are community sports teams for baseball, soccer, football, and basketball. Kids can go to swimming classes, piano lessons, art classes, tennis lessons, and martial arts classes. There are really so many choices available for elementary-aged boys. But one of the best choices is one that I have not yet mentioned-the Cub Scouts.

Why is joining the Cub Scouts such a great idea for young boys? First and foremost, it is fun for boys. What good is an extracurricular activity if it isn't fun? If your child is not enjoying himself, he will not want to stick with the activity, which will result in wasted time and money. But Cub Scouts involves such a variety of activities, so it is pretty certain that your son will not get bored. Also, Cub Scouts is a family endeavor; parents are encouraged and expected to take part in the meetings, projects, and field trips. Wouldn't your child love to have an opportunity to spend more time doing exciting activities with his parents?

Cub Scouting is for boys ages 7 to 10, and the boys are divided into groups, or dens, by grade level. So, your child will be in a den with other boys from his class and/or neighborhood. This breeds a sense of familiarity and family among the den, which helps to bring the boys together as one unit. The grade your child is in will usually determine which type of Cub he is, as follows:
--First Grade= Tiger Cubs
--Second Grade= Wolf Cubs
--Third Grade = Bear Cubs
--Fourth and Fifth Grade= Webelos Cubs

Is Cub Scouting just about having fun? No, there is much more to it than that. In fact, there are 10 purposes of Cub Scouting (according to www.scouting.org):

1. Character Development
2. Spiritual Development
3. Good Citizenship
4. Sportsmanship and Fitness
5. Family Understanding
6. Respectful Relationships
7. Personal Achievement
8. Friendly Service
9. Fun and Adventure
10. Preparation for Boy Scouts

Just looking at the list above should tell you how much a boy will learn from participating in Cub Scouts! It would be difficult to think of any other extracurricular activities that can help young boys work with their families to accomplish so much.

Now, exactly how do boys go about achieving all of these tasks? Each Cub Scout receives a handbook, and the handbook is filled with information about Cub Scouting as well as what the Scouts call 'electives.' Electives are activities that the Scouts must complete in order to earn badges. These activities are done with the parents' guidance and assistance as necessary, and they are designed to help the Scout to learn about and explore new concepts. Some examples include making leaf rubbings, making a bird feeder, playing a clean-up treasure hunt game, and collecting food and toys for the needy.
The boys also do activities with the other Scouts in the den. Den meetings are usually held at least once or twice a month. These are social events where group events take place. The Den Leader might direct the group in putting on a skit, completing an arts and crafts activity, or in working on an ongoing project.

Each month, all of the Scouts will get together for Pack meetings, too. These are rather large gatherings because all of the Scouts in the area come together-all of the Tiger Cubs, Wolf Cubs, Bear Cubs, and Webelos Cubs. Pack meetings are a chance for the younger Cubs to learn Scout traditions from the older Cubs. But, these meetings are also a great deal of fun for the kids and the parents because they are often combined with an activity such as a nighttime hike or haunted hay ride.

This isn't all that the boys get to do, either. Every month the Scouts get to go on field trips with either their den or their pack! These outings might include visiting museums or ballparks, bowling, and more. Many Cub Scout packs even have a summer day camp! Parents can help plan all of the field trips-ideas and input from parents are always welcome.

Now, you may be wondering how parents are supposed to pay for all of these activities and field trips. Well, no one wants the parents to have to fork out a lot of money, so the Scouts try to work to pay their own way. How do they do this? Cub Scouts sell Trail's End Popcorn. If a Cub Scout sells his goal of popcorn (which is set by his pack), most of his expenses for the year are paid. Trail's End Popcorn is rather tasty, too, and comes in several varieties (including microwave popcorn, caramel corn, and chocolate-covered popcorn), so it isn't too difficult to sell. Kids can go door-to-door for sales (along with a parent, of course)-and, parents are welcome to take the sales forms to their workplaces.

Being a Cub Scout brings such a sense of pride to a young boy. Earning badges and getting recognition for doing projects and activities with friends and family-what could be better? And Cub Scouts is a lot of fun for parents, too; parents get to spend quality time with their kids, watching their kids grow and learn. This is one extracurricular activity that a family can enjoy together-why not let your son give it a try?