Frequently Asked Questions
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Below you will discover a handful of frequently asked questions about scouting. Clicking on the questions will link
you to the answers listed on the lower portion of this page. Alternatively you can simply scroll down and review all of the questions and answers.
These questions and answers have been rounded up and assembled on this page for the benefit of our Pack and those who are
interested in joining it. If you have any additional questions which you think should be listed below please do not hesitate to contact us with your suggestions.
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How old (or young) can a child be to join Cub Scouts?
Must I be a U.S. citizen to join Cub Scouts?
Are Cub Scouts the same as Scouts BSA?
What is a Charter Organization?
How and where do you get the Cub Scout leaders?
How often do Cub Scouts meet?
How active will we be as parents of a Scout in your Pack?
What supplies and equipment are needed to participate in Cub Scouts?
Why do Scouts and adult leaders wear uniforms?
Where can I purchase BSA literature, uniforms, and other program materials?
How can I save money on the cost of uniforms and equipment?
How early can I drop my Scout off before a meeting?
If a child joins a Bear den, can they go back and earn the Tiger Cub and Wolf badges?
If a child completes the Wolf badge early, may they begin working on the Bear badge?
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How old (or young) can a child be to join Cub Scouts?
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Cub Scouting is for girls and boys in kindergarten through fifth grades, or 5 to 10 years of age. Scouts who are older than 10,
or who have completed the fifth grade, can no longer join Cub Scouts but may be eligible to join Scouts BSA or one of the BSA's older youth leadership programs (Venturing, Sea Scouts or on of the BSA Explorer programs).
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Must I be a U.S. citizen to join Cub Scouts?
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Citizenship is not required of youth or adult members. However, if you live outside the United States and are not
a U.S. citizen, it may be more beneficial to join the Scouting association in your own nation.
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Are Cub Scouts the same as Scouts BSA?
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Cub Scouts is a program of the Boy Scouts of America—so in that sense, Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA
are both members of the same organization. However, they are entirely different programs: Cub Scouts
is a family-oriented program designed specifically to address the needs of younger children.
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What is a Charter Organization?
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A Charter Organization is the sponsoring organization for a Cub Scout Pack, usually a church,
PTA, homeowners' association or other community group. The primary responsibilities of the Charter
Organization are to select the leadership of the Pack and provide a meeting place. Each year, the
Pack must renew its Charter with its local council. The Charter Organization must approve the re-chartering
application in order for the Charter to be renewed.
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How and where do you get the Cub Scout leaders?
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The leadership of this Cub Scout Pack is made up of volunteer parents and adults just like you who
want to be involved in their child's growth and take full advantage of their influential years. We think
enough of our scouts and their friends that we want to provide the best possible opportunity for them to
become upstanding citizens of their community.
We need both registered and unregistered adult participation volunteering to help with the success of our
Cub Scouting Program. If you are interested in becoming a registered adult leader please check out our
volunteering page and let a member of the Pack leadership know so they can assist you in getting started.
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How often do Cub Scouts meet?
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In Pack 802, our Lion Dens meet once per month (aside from the monthly Pack meeting), our Tiger, Wolf and Bear Dens meet every other week (aside from the monthly Pack meeting) and our Webelos and Arrow Of Lights (AOLs) may meet weekly as they prepare to transition into Scouts BSA. A Pack meeting is held for all Cub Scouts and their
families once a month. Beyond that, a Den or the Pack may hold a special activities
such as service projects or visits to local attractions (museums, parks, historical sites, etc.) in place of or in addition
to the regularly scheduled meetings. Likewise, the Pack may conduct a special event such (Blue and Gold banquet) as an
additional event, rather than a substitute for the monthly Pack meeting.
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How active will we be as parents of a scout in your Pack?
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We optimistically expect that all parents will get involved in some capacity, whether it be at the Pack,
Den or home level. You can help the Pack by serving on our Pack committee, as a volunteer helping with one
of various activities, as a den leader or assistant leader and most importantly you can help in the home to
see that your Scout successfully advances through the ranks. The more involved you get with the Cub Scout
program the more your child will get out of it - oh and don't forget it is also a lot of fun for you as well as the Scout!
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What supplies and equipment are needed to participate in Cub Scouting?
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At minimum, each boy in Cub Scouting will need a uniform and a handbook. Each year, the handbook changes,
as does the cap and neckerchief, but other uniform parts remain the same for at least the first three years.
When a boy enters a Webelos den, he may need to obtain a new uniform if the parents in the den opt for the
khaki-and-olive uniform.
Additional supplies and equipment may be needed for certain activities such as camping trips or field days.
What equipment is needed, as well as whether it will be provided by the unit, will vary from Pack to Pack.
Den and Pack leaders should provide parents with information about any supplies that will be required at
the beginning of each program year.
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Why do all scouts and adult leaders wear uniforms?
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The Boy Scouts of America has always been a uniformed body. We uniform because it is a
means of identifying ourselves openly with the principles to which we are committed:
character development, citizenship, values, physical and mental fitness. The uniform is
not intended to hide our individuality. It is a bond which ties millions of scouts throughout
the United States. It is a way of making visible our commitment to a belief in God, loyalty to
country, and to helping other people.
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Where can I purchase BSA literature, uniforms, and other program materials?
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Uniforms, literature, and other Scouting merchandise is available at your local
council, Scout Shops [Aardvark Furniture SR 26E], and other licensed distributors.
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How can I save money on the cost of uniforms and equipment?
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The Cub Scout Pack may provide assistance to families. Some Packs operate a uniform exchange or
uniform bank, or they may hold fund-raisers to enable the scouts to earn their uniforms. Also,
some Packs will award rank-specific uniform components (hat and necherchief) and/or the
program books that the Cub Scout needs each year - so parents should inquire as to what the
Pack provides before purchasing the items themselves.
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How early can I drop my boy off before the meeting?
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It is important that you understand that Scouting is a family program - the success of your son
depends upon it! As a parent of a scout will be expected to stay at the meeting with your son
and help him out if you can in any way possible, along with the other scouts parents, to make
your sons den runs as smoothly as possible. As a parent of a Tiger Cub it is actually a requirement.
Additionally, studies have shown that drop-off scouts have a higher rate of being a scout drop-out
than compared to a scout whose family participates in his activities so please consider getting involved.
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If a boy joins a Bear den, may he go back and earn the Tiger Cub and Wolf badges?
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No. In the Cub Scout program, all scouts in a den work toward the same badge. If a boy joins Cub Scouting
as a 9-year-old, he must earn the Bobcat badge (all scouts in Cub Scouting earn this badge), and then he
will begin working on the Bear badge with his fellow Cub Scouts. He is not required to have earned the
Tiger Cub or Wolf badges. Since those badges are for younger scouts (7- and 8-year-olds), the requirements
for those badges are below a 9-year-old's current level of ability, so "going back" to pick up those
badges is not permitted.
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If a boy completes the Wolf badge early, may he begin working on the Bear badge?
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No. In the Cub Scout program, all scouts in a den work toward a badge that is geared to their level of development.
If the Wolf badge is completed before the end of the program year, a boy may work on electives to earn Arrow Points,
but he may not begin working on the requirements for the Bear badge. His work on the Bear badge will begin the
next program year, when he graduates into a Bear den.
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