Orientation Presentation for New Parents

1. Welcome to Cub Scouts pack 529 holy cross! (how it all works)

2. Which Den does my son belong to? As a boy begins the Boy Scout Trail, he joins other boys his own age. He can start the scouting program from 6 (starting 1st grade) to 17 years old. The Cub Scout age program is for 1st graders through 3rd graders - Tiger cubs, Wolf scouts, and Bear scouts. After completing Bear scout requirements, scouts begin their Webelos program.

3. Where does my Son fit in the Pack? Every Cub Scout is a member of a Cub Scout pack. A pack is a large group of boys. The pack is divided into smaller groups called dens. Each den has about six to eight boys. All of the Cub Scouts in a den are about the same age and generally live in the same area.

4. Where does my Pack fit in the District? 24 Packs, as well as Boy Scout Troops, Varsity Scouts, Explorers, and Sea Scouts Units form the Seminole Trails District.

5. Where does my District fit in the Council? 14 Districts form the Central Florida Council

6. Where does my Council fit Nationally? 93 Councils make up the Southern Region. 4 Regions make up the National Council. BSA National Council is in Irving, Texas.

7. Who runs the Pack? The Pack includes not only the boys in those dens, but also their families, and their leaders. The Cubmaster is an adult volunteer who serves as master of ceremonies at all Pack meetings and leads Pack activities of all kinds. Pack leadership positions may be held by women or men. The Pack Committee is a group of adult volunteers who plan the Pack program and individual activities as well as managing such things as record keeping, finance, leadership recruitment, and registration. The Pack Committee meets monthly and meetings are open to any interested parent.

8. How often do we meet? The Pack includes not only the boys in those dens, but also their families, and their leaders. Den Meetings within the Fast Tracks system are twice a month. The Pack meets once a month with Cub Scouts, leaders, parents and other family members attending. The Pack meeting is the climax of the month's den meetings and activities. It gives the dens something to look forward to and work toward. This is a chance to recognize the boys, their parents, and their leaders. . The Pack Committee meets monthly and meetings are open to any interested parent. These meetings are designed for strategic planning of all aspects of the Scouting Program.

9. What’s all this going to cost? TIGERS Cub CapPrice: $12.99 WOLVES New Tiger Cub Web BeltPrice: $7.99 BEARS Cub Scout Uniform ShortsPrice: $19.99 - 22.99 WEBELOS Cub Scout Ankle SocksPrice: $5.99

10. Where does the Pack go? Field trips – Fire Station, 911 Call Center, Airport, Sherriff’s Dept, Parks Camping – Ft Wilderness ( Disney ), Camp LaNoChe ( Paisley Fl ), Moss Park, St Augustine, Jetty Park, and more Events – Sanford Christmas Parade, Scouting for Food, Pinewood Derby, Blue and Gold Banquet

11. What will my Son be working towards first? When a boy is between the ages of seven and eleven years old or is (at least) in the first grade, he can become a Cub Scout. But, regardless of a qualifying boy's age, he must complete the Bobcat Trail as the first step in his Cub Scouting adventure. In Rudyard Kipling's story, The Jungle Book, the black panther Bagheera is the mighty hunter that teaches the cubs the skills of the jungle. In Cub Scouting we use the symbol of the Bobcat. You'll find his trail in the Tiger Cub Handbook (BSA 34713), and the Wolf Handbook (BSA 33450), the Bear Handbook (BSA 33451), and the Webelos Handbook (BSA 33452) Along this trail the Cub Scout learns the Cub Scout Promise, the Law of the Pack, and the Cub Scout Motto. These are the three most important things a boy must learn because they will help him through all of the trails of Scouting

12. What will my Son be learning as a Tiger Cub? Tigers TIGER CUB SCOUT ACHIEVEMENTS Starting the path to the Tiger Cub Rank, a scout first earns the Bobcat badge - this is the first step for all Cub Scouts. But, a Tiger Cub will really earn his Tiger Cub Totem first because its requirements are very simple and it gives him something tangible to receive at the first pack meeting, even if he did not complete all the Bobcat requirements. The Tiger Cub Totem requirements are: Learn the Cub Scout Motto Learn the Cub Scout Sign Learn the Cub Scout Salute He can then use the totem to display his achievement beads as he earns them. The Tiger Cub badge is presented to boys who have completed all 15 parts of the five separate achievements - five Family activities, five Den activities, and five Go See It outings. Once a boy, or all the boys in a den, earn their Tiger Cub badge, it should be presented to the scout's adult partner at a pack meeting, who then presents it to the boy. The badge is sewn on the left pocket of the Tiger Scout uniform. The den activities and Go See It events should be completed with the entire den. Attendance at den events is important - for both the scout and adult partner. Of course, if a scout has a conflict with a den event, he can perform that activity with his adult partner at some other time. Tip: While your scout is working on advancement, his den leader will track his progress on the Tiger Cub Den Advancement Chart. Make this easier by tracking progress in the Tiger Trail chart of the Tiger Scout handbook. Have your tiger bring his book to every den meeting so the den leader can transfer marks from book to chart. Tip: Keep in mind that participation is the key goal of the Tiger Cub program. There is no level of competence or skill required to earn the rank badge. Don't push your scout to succeed, just participate and enjoy the time together.

13. What will my Son be learning as a Wolf Scout? Next, the Wolf Badge is earned by boys who have completed first grade, or who are eight years old. As a Cub Scout completes his achievements towards the Wolf (and Bear) ranks, the Den Leader recognizes a boy's hard work with the Immediate Recognition patch and beads. This is used as an incentive towards continued achievement. After a boy earns his Wolf badge, he works on Wolf Electives which consist of special projects and activities. Completing them allows him to earn Arrow Points to display on his uniform under his Wolf badge. There is also a very special award that Cub Scouts can earn. By completing a specific set of conservation-related achievements and electives a Wolf Cub can earn International Scouting's World Conservation Award. Earning this award allows Scouts of all ages to heighten their awareness and appreciation of nature and the environemnt.

14. What will my Son be learning as a Bear Scout? The Bear Badge can be earned by boys who have completed second grade, or who are nine years old. As a Bear-aged boy progresses, he too can earn the Immediate Recognition patch and beads. One of the Bear achievements involves earning the "Whittling Chip" wallet card. Earning this card shows that a Bear has learned the fundamentals of knife safety. After earning the Bear badge, a special collection of age-appropriate Bear Electives are also available to allow Bear Cub's to earn Arrow Points too! There is also a special set of requirements to allow a Bear Cub to earn the World Conservation Award.

15. What will my Son be learning as a Webelos? The Webelos Badge is for boys who have completed third grade, or who are ten years old. The Webelos rank is the first step in a boy's transition towards a Boy Scout troop. As he completes the requirements in the Webelos Scout Book, he will work on Activity Badges. These are age-appropriate projects for older Cub Scouts. Activity badges are sorted into five discipline-related groups. They are the Community Group, the Mental Skills Group, the Outdoor Group, the Physical Skills Group, and the Technology Group. Activity Badges can be displayed on the front of the Webelos cap or on the Webelos Colors. During this period, the Webelos Scout should also begin to attend meetings led by adults, and become more familiar with the Boy Scout requirements. After earning the Webelos badge, the Webelos Scout may recieve the Compass Points emblem and gold 'devices' to pin on it as an incentive to complete additional Activity Badges. Completion of the Forester, Outdoorsman, and Naturalist Activities Badges, and completion of a special consevation project allows a Webelos Scout to join the Wolves and Bears in earning the World Conservation Award as well.

16. What will my Son be learning? After a boy has completed the fourth grade and earned the Webelos badge, the next step on the Webelos trail to becoming a Boy Scout is earning the Arrow of Light Award. This is the highest award a Cub Scout can earn, and is the only Cub Scout badge that can be worn on the Boy Scout Uniform. As a boy works on the Arrow of Light, he gets a chance to practice some Scout skills that he has already learned, earn more Activity Badges, and REALLY learn what a Boy Scout is. Because this award is so special, a special ceremony should always be performed by the Pack! Finally, a boy is ready to become a Boy Scout! This has been a long road filled with fun and learning. Working with your Pack's "Troop-Webelos Resource Person" you should prepare Webelos Scouts and their families for a good Boy Scout experience. Visit our Webelos-To-Scout pages for more information on this important transition.