The New Scout Guide is available for download here, as a Microsoft Office docx/Google Drive File, or you can view the same information on this site below.
New Scout Guide DownloadWhy Join Cub Scouting?
The Cub Scout program helps to meet your child's growth needs. As children develop, they have specific developmental needs such as:
1. To learn new physical skills. They can do this through games, sports, and crafts. As they develop their coordination, they gain a sense of worthiness and acceptance by their peers.
2. To learn to get along with children of the same age. They need to form friendships with other children. They need to belong to a group of children their own age. Being a part of a Cub Scout den helps fulfill these needs.
3. To develop their mental processes. They can develop their mental process by reading, writing, and calculating. They need opportunities to use language to express ideas and to influence others. They must move from a preoccupation with self to understanding how and what others think of them. Opportunities for observation and experimentation will help them learn self-reliance. Den activities and meetings, along with the advancement program, help them developmentally.
4. To develop a value system. They are developing a sense of what is right and wrong and what is fair and unfair. They will do this by cooperating with other children, by being taught, by seeing and following examples of adults, and from receiving positive reinforcement. They begin to develop democratic social attitudes.
5. To develop personal independence. They are becoming less dependent on adults. Their peers become more important to them. In their den, and in the pack, they exercise their independence while learning to get along with others.
Your child also needs to belong to a group of children his or her own age. This group, or “den” of around six to eight children, is a key component of the Cub Scout program. It fulfills the developmental needs of your child. In it, like in a neighborhood group, your child will make and meet goals, earn status and recognition, while practice team-building skills, learning, playing, and enjoying new experiences.
As you learn more about how Cub Scouting works and what goes on in a den and a pack, you will see that the program helps your child in these five important developmental needs. The uniqueness of Cub Scouting is that you, as their family, join the program with your child. You will help them all along the way.
Scouting is fun with a purpose!
How Does Cub Scouting Work?
The Cub Scouting program takes place at two levels. Your child will be a part of a den, a small group of children in the same grade level. Dens meet twice a month as scheduled by the Den Leaders. The dens then make up the Pack, which meets once a month during the school year. Due to COVID restrictions and precautions, we will not be holding traditional Pack meetings each month.
Dens
● The LION Den (Kindergarten) o Per BSA regulations, a parent or adult partner must accompany a Lion at all functions.
● The TIGER Den (Grade 1) o Per BSA regulations, a parent or adult partner must accompany a Tiger at all functions.
● The WOLF Den (Grade 2)
● The BEAR Den (Grade 3)
● The WEBELOS Den (Grade 4)
● The Arrow of Light (AOL) Den (Grade 5)
Pack
Cub Scout Pack 548 is made up of the dens, led by the Cubmaster, and typically meets at 6:30 pm on the 4 th Tuesday of the month at Our Saviour’s Corner of Hope Church. There are games, skits, songs, ceremonies, and presentations of badges and awards that Scouts earned during that month. The Pack, including families and siblings, also participate in other special events throughout the year, including:
● Pinewood Derby —Building and racing a model car
● Blue and Gold Banquet — Cub Scouting’s birthday party
● Camping — Overnight, indoor, outdoor, and day camp opportunities
● Service Projects — our Pack participates in food drives or other community activities.
● Special Outings — Great ways to learn about the people and places in your community. View the Pack calendar on our website at www.cubscoutspack548.org.
Pack Committee
Pack committee members are all volunteers and perform administrative functions of the pack. The committee meets monthly to discuss and plan pack activities, fundraising, leader training, and advancement. All parents, guardians, and adult partners are invited to attend pack committee meetings.
Pack Communications
Cub Scout Pack 548 New Scout Guide (2023-2024) 4 You will receive emails from your den leader at their email address and from Cubmaster Fleming at cubscouts548@gmail.com. Please save these email addresses to your contacts so as not to miss important communications.
Scout Advancement
Pack 548 uses Scoutbook.com to track our advancements and awards. Parents have access to view their Scout’s achievement throughout the year and can enter advancements completed at home. Once your Scout is registered with the Pack you’ll receive an emailed invitation to log on.
How is Pack 548 funded?
Pack 548 is funded through the Cub Scout popcorn sale fundraiser (September-October). Details on the popcorn fundraiser are on page 5. Pack 548 does not collect dues for Pack membership; popcorn sales fund our entire year of Scouting; normally all Scouts are required to participate but popcorn sales will look a little different in 2020.
What forms and payment are required?
In addition to completing the online registration or paper registration form, you’ll need to submit the appropriate registration fees. The 2020 annual BSA registration fee is $66. This money goes directly to BSA, not our Pack.
The Boy’s Life Magazine subscription is $12 per year. The subscription is not required but Scouts really enjoy receiving the magazine. Check the box on the application to begin receiving your Scout’s copy.
What uniforms are required?
Cub Scouts (1 st -3 rd grades) wear a BSA Field Uniform (also called a “Class A”) which is a blue Cub Scout shirt with the required patches, hat, and belt, neckerchief and slide. Lion Scouts wear a Lion T-shirt and hat. Webelos and AoL can switch to the tan Boy Scout shirt.
All uniform elements are available at the Denver Scout Shop located at 10455 6th Ave #125, Lakewood, CO 80215. Tell the staff that you are joining Pack 548 and they will help you find everything you need.
The Pack provides “Class B” activity T-shirts for the Scouts (except Lions) to wear during messy, casual or busy activities. Please contact your den leader if your Scout needs a Class B T-shirt.
Pack 548 has a limited number of uniform elements available for families whose financial situation may prevent the purchase of a uniform. Please contact the Cubmaster for more information.
We do not require BSA pants or shorts, though Scouts are expected to wear pants/shorts with belt loops.
Periodic uniform inspections will be conducted to insure all Scouts meet the uniform requirements.
How Can You Help?
The most important help that a parent/adult partner can give your Scout is to ensure their attendance at den and pack meetings so you can support and celebrate their achievements. The den and the pack also rely on parent/adult partner participation to run a successful program. Cub Scouting operates through volunteer leadership – we need you! Consider volunteering as a member of the pack leadership team or as an event coordinator.
Family Talent Survey
Please complete and return the Family Talent Survey Sheet to your child’s den leader or pack leadership. Completing this quick survey is a great way to support your Cub Scout Pack. Den leaders are always busy with den activities, and everyone has some talent or skill or could share a resource that will help in the operation of our pack. Although your help may not be on a full-time basis, whatever you can do will be appreciated.
Cub Scout Popcorn Sales
Popcorn sales provide the entire annual income for our Pack, so it is important for all families to participate in sales. Please read through this information so you understand the program and are ready to help your Scout reach his sales goal.
Who sells popcorn?
Everyone! We encourage each member of the Pack to sell popcorn to support the Pack.
What do we do with the money we raise?
We use it to fund all of our Pack activities for the year, including Pinewood Derby, Blue & Gold Banquet, Scout Day at the National Western Stock Show, den activities and advancement awards.
When do Scouts sell popcorn?
Our Popcorn Kick-off will be at the August Pack meeting and our popcorn inventory will arrive in early September. While you can take orders using the order form and distribute the popcorn later, we have found that a “Take and Deliver” approach is more successful. People are less likely to say no if an adorable uniformed Scout is standing there with a wagon full of popcorn, and it saves you time of having to return to deliver popcorn after someone has ordered it.
We will have storefront sales scheduled at King Soopers on Alameda and Union every Saturday and Sunday in September and will give everyone an opportunity to sign up to sell.
All popcorn money must be turned in at the October Pack Meeting, if not earlier. We will distribute the prizes at the November Pack meeting.
Where can Scouts sell popcorn?
Everywhere! Door-to-door, online, at storefront sales, at parents' workplaces, to friends, family, etc.
Why do Scouts sell popcorn?
My answer is that selling popcorn not only supports our Pack financially, but also gives the Scouts a sense of ownership and pride, boosts confidence and teaches responsibility, respectfulness and creativity. The Scouts' answer is usually something about earning cool prizes.
How can I support my Scout to help them reach (or exceed) their sales goal?
● Set up an online account and share it on social media (perhaps with a video of your Scout’s sales pitch);
● Take your Scout to your workplace to sell to your co-workers;
● Make time to go door-to-door together;
● Work together to brainstorm a list of "easy" sales (Grandma, the neighbors, your friends);
● Post the sales goal sheet on the fridge and track progress;
● Sign up for a storefront shift
● Figure out what prizes your Scout has earned so far and how many sales to the next prize level
What if we don’t sell all the popcorn we take?
First, I encourage you to revisit the sales techniques listed above. The wagon sale boxes are stocked based on previous years’ sales, so your Scout should be able to sell it with just a few hours of effort.
The last day for the Pack to return popcorn to the district is in mid-October. If your family still has popcorn after that date, it now belongs to you. You can take longer to sell it than the October deadline, but you must pay for the full amount at the October Pack meeting.