Cub Scout meetings... Are they every week? And where?

Cub Scout Meetings

Are they every week?

Yes, most times you will have one every week. 

We have a den meeting every Tuesday unless we have a pack meeting or camping trip.

If we have a pack meeting, we basically count that as our weekly meeting.Usually held on a Thursday!

If we go camping as a pack then we use our camping time as our meeting. 

I'm sure most packs are the same way.

Where are they held? Always in the same place?

Ours is held at our local Elementary school cafeteria. We have a stage and everything there so it makes it easy.

But sometimes we do our meetings in other places. Like we have one coming up that will be at our library, our local Fire Department and just some in the park. It really depends on what the den leader decides. If we are working on a certain achievement, then we go there if need be. My son couldn't care less about the library but he is super excited about the tour of the Fire Department.

What if my son has practice on the day of the den meeting?

We lost 2 boys in our den because of sports. They have practice every Tuesday, which is our meeting day. But here is something you may look into. If you are still looking for a pack, ask what days they do their meetings for your sons den. If it conflicts with your sons sport schedule, don't give up. In a 10 mile radius here, we have over 30 packs. I'm sure they do not all meet on the same day! So, call and ask around till you find one that has their meeting days that your son can still go to. Because the boys in his den are boys that he will grow up with. They can make some great friendships! But if your son doesn't go to the meetings, then he will not get as close as the other boys. 

Do I have to wait for a den meeting to complete an achievement?

NO! I do a lot of achievements and requirements at home.. It makes it easier than having to wait once a week to do something. Actually a lot of requirements are designed to do at home with your family. Remember, your participation is VERY important! I try and make it a fun homework assignment 3 times a week .A lot of times he is bored with it but there are some things he gets excited about. Like planting a tree, designing his own game for his den, and basically anything that does not require memorization or staying home.

Hopefully this post will help with making a decision for which pack to join!

Good Luck!

Cub Scout Camping! What do you need?

Camping Anyone?

Well, we LOVE camping with our pack. We go twice a year.
Other packs I have talked to sometimes go every 3 months. Or Dens go camping by themselves.

Our pack selects the campsite and pays for it. The pack that goes every 3 months has the parents pay. So ask your pack how they do it

You provide basically everything else!

First, you will get some medical forms that you need to fill out. I was told, make multiple copies. This way you don't have to fill out the same form EVERYTIME you go camping.

Next, you need to be up to date on your tetanus shot. Not just your son or siblings. Adults too! So, that is one thing my hubby and I still have to do. My husband just started a new job, so at the moment we are still filling out insurance paperwork. That means, we get to get the shot at cost, which is $63.99 a pop. Walgreen's does it or check your local clinics.

Next, get all your supplies. This means tents, cooking stuff, clothes, ect.

So, I'll tell you what we bought. When we signed up, someone told us that if need be, we can borrow a tent. Ok, no problem, we have a tent. But for those of you that don't, ask around in the pack to see if anyone has extra.

Next, we thought we can cook on the campfire. But, our pack also brings a flat top grill and we all share it. We have to provide, as a den, breakfast and lunch for Saturday. The pack does dinner. But Sunday's breakfast the scouts will all participate to make breakfast for everyone. So you and your den provide a couple of meals and snacks and the pack provides 2. ( Now remember, this may just be my pack. Ask questions before you sign your son up to a pack. You may not like somethings about one pack but you may like other things about another. To transfer packs costs money so do your research and meet your leaders before signing up. There are packs everywhere and each one has their own set of rules and activities. That's one of the reasons I write this stuff.)

Also, you need his uniform ( our pack doesn't do the uniform , just the pack shirt), a tent, I have a blow up mattress for my hubby and I.If you want sleeping bags for adults, Academy has them for $10 each.  My son wanted a batman sleeping bag ( $19.99 at Toys R US), so that's what he has. I also bought him a new backpack in orange ( Go Tiger Cubs!) from a discount store for $10. I bought a 3 pack of LED flashlights for $5.99 at Burlington Coat Factory.  (One is orange for my son!) I also bought him a cub scout safety whistle. That thing is loud and costs at the Scout store $4.99. Even though we are going with him, I still feel better that he has one. I already have 3 thermos cups for my son's school that we are taking with. But I am also bringing a case of water and snacks.

Note- All of our camping sites that we have been to has electricity somewhere. Also they have bathrooms and showers within walking distance.  

You know how they say a scout is always prepared? Yeah, so will this Mama! Toilet Paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap to wash with, you name it, I will have it. Always better to be safe. I really would hate to run out of toilet paper! Oh, and dishes with silverware. I'm bringing my Tupperware Microwave plates. They are plastic and will hold up well. Usually our pack has paper plates that we just throw away.

Mosquito repellent,   sun screen, rain wear ( buying some cheap ponchos), hats, and extra clothes in case you need them. Actually, here is the paper we got for the camping stuff we will need.

I also bought those glow necklaces and some glow games that the kids can play with at night. Bring cards, the scouts love them.

Soccer ball, football, something the kids can do to be entertained.  These kids are young and camping can get boring quickly with them.

Oh, and fishing gear. Bring extra if you have it because there will be kids that didn't bring poles or bait. And a hammock bc the kids like to lay on it. 

And just to let you know, the Cub Scouts have lots of opportunities to camp at one of the Council locations. We just signed up to do one for new scouts. There will be BB guns, Archery, Crafts, Fishing, and many other things to do. This costs us $24 a person ( adults have to pay too!) and it seems like a lot of fun. But sleeping bags will be a must for each of us and a tent. So there are many opportunities that come up for camping. Don't feel bad if you can't afford or go on the one with your pack. 

Cub Scout Tiger Badge! How to earn it!

Guess what? When you sign up for cub scouts, your son HAS to earn his Bobcat Badge first. I have a whole posting on that and how to earn it. But AFTER they get their Bobcat badge, he can start earning his next animal badge. If he is a bear, then that is the badge he would work for. My son is a Tiger, so that is the badge he is working towards. I kind of mixed it up to make it fun. I mean, the Bobcat badge is all about memorizing. And the tiger badge is all about activities mostly.  Like planting a plant/tree, making snacks for your den, learning what "Duty to God" means to your family.. it's a lot of stuff that is educational and helps them learn more about family, outside, manners, ect. It was more fun for my son to memorize a little everyday, then do some kind of activity that is fun.

Ok, in your Tiger handbook you have chapters. Each chapter/adventure is something your son has to complete to earn the adventure belt loop in that adventure. Example: First adventure in the tiger part of your handbook is the "Backyard Jungle."There are 5 requirements that has to be done for him to get his Backyard Jungle loop.

#1- take a 1-foot hike. Sounds weird but really it is just finding a spot somewhere outside, roping off a 1 foot square and having your son look at the area, up and down. Then it asks him what he sees. Does he see grass that has been eaten by bugs? Maybe he sees the bugs. Or a bird in a tree, a nest? It even tells him what he might need for his "adventure."

So it makes it easy for the kids to learn without having to go in a forest or something. After your son has completed his requirement, then his "Akela" must sign and date it ( that would be a a guardian or parent). Then when you see his den leader or other leaders, ask them to sign off on it.

Usually we have like 4-5 things at one time that our den leader has to sign. I usually tab them off with little post its so that I don't forget which ones. It's aggravating to have to flip through a 286 page book looking for one specific page while trying to get your little tigers to do something. But once they sign off, that requirement is officially done!

There are 6 required adventures before they can be a tiger! Plus they need one elective and they have to earn the cyber chip for their age. I'll explain the cyber-chip in a later post.  My son in a month has completed his Bobcat Badge, 2 required adventures and 2 elective adventures. 

Remember, Tiger Day or little camps can help your scout earn multiple adventures for multiple adventure loops. 

To become a Tiger, your scout HAS to finish certain required adventures! Here is a list:

1. Backyard Jungle

2. Games Tigers Play

3. My Family's Duty to God

4. Team Tiger

5. Tiger Bites

6. Tigers in the woods

Also he has to complete one elective, and his cyber chip.

Cub Scout Popcorn Sales at the store!

Popcorn Sales at the store!

Well, we did our first popcorn sales at the store. You know the ones. The kids have a table set up and ask every single person who walks in if they want to buy popcorn or donate. Just like with the girl scout cookies!

Have to say, with tigers its a little hard. They get bored so easily! My son was trying to climb the walls, play tag with the other tiger and generally really hated standing still. I even made him do push ups because he wasn't listening. Then he asked if he could do more because he was bored! Then he started picking up the trash around the area.

 I will say he made 2 really good sales. One was $25 from a former Girl Scout and one was a former boy scout for $55. My son offered to help them bring their new popcorn to the car for them. They thought it was so sweet and my son was just super happy to walk around. 

Please do NOT tape your business cards onto the popcorn. We had 1 person do that in 2015. It was embarrassing and has nothing to do with scouts.

Go Tigers!
By the way: my son made $75 in sales that day!

Update- my son is now working towards his bear rank. We sold popcorn at Lowes and Sams this year and the responses were awesome. We sold over $5,000 in like 3 weekends. So location is important! Also, reading back..all that hard work for $75. Wow. Now when we sale, its like each kid sales between $350- $450 in 3 hours.
We usually have to scouts working each shift and it seems to work better. Good luck!
And if you would like to help James with his popcorn sales, please click Here
Thank you

Cub Scout Tiger Day!

We had Tiger Day last weekend. It costs $5 to go, which is a steal. The kids get to play games for 2 hours. Some alone, some with other Tigers in your council area. This means it will not only be your den invited but all the other dens in your area. My son had a blast! There were games like balloon toss, tug a war, and a bunch of team building games. Which is great because my son is a loner most times. He either plays video games, watches videos on playing video games or building things with the 1000's of legos that he has. I tried the Tball, soccer, swim... it doesn't click with him. But at the Tiger games, he loved it. Oh, they also supplied 2 snacks, drinks, a patch for doing Tiger Day, he has finished 2 elective belt loops, he finished his bobcat badge, and one other belt loop. All for $5! In only 2 hours! Well worth it. If your area has this for your Tiger, then sign up! Here are some pictures to see some of the stuff they do:

Cub Scout Meetings... What do they do?

What do they do in a meeting?

Do we really need to go?

YES! Go! My husband is engaging sometimes and bored other times. But he has gone to every meeting that we have had after work. ( lol. This was 2 years ago. Now i am tge one that goes but he does help with special events) That means the world to my son!
 When we were still new, i had questions for everything. I even helped our den leader. Last year I took over as den leader and i love it! Still sometimes have questions, so don't be afraid to ask. 

You will have 2 meetings in scouts. You have Den meetings ( where all our group meet up and work on specific achievements) and you have pack meeting ( where everyone in your pack comes together for important info and some fun games). Now, at one of our Tiger den meeting, one of the boys designed a game for the den boys to play. My son made a nutritious, healthy snack for the boys. We made our Den flag with the boy's hand prints. We did our 1st flag ceremony. We discussed our next meeting. It's a lot that we cram into 1 hour. That way the boys  don't get bored.

At one of our Pack meetings, they had the boys build a tent ( we had a camping trip coming up and they wanted the boys to practice.) I sent my son off with my husband to do that activity so that he could take pictures. I stayed with the moms asking lots of questions about camping and popcorn sales. And it's nice to see the older boys helping out our little tiger cubs. They also practiced the Scout Oath and the Scout Law. The kids were allowed on stage, state a superhero and demonstrate their powers. My son was the flash... The lesson was that not all super heroes wear large capes. So it gave the kids a chance to feel like super heroes, which was a huge hit. Here are some pictures of our pack meeting. 

Every meeting should be different. It should be informative and fun. 

Scout Popcorn Fundraiser!

Popcorn Fundraisers

We joined scouts just in time to do our Popcorn Fundraiser. Girl scouts has cookies, cub scouts has popcorn. Did you know that? Nope, me either! I know about the coupon books but I have never heard of the popcorn fundraiser until my son joined scouts. But guess what... there are lots of people that WAIT for popcorn fundraiser so they can buy it again. Because they LOVE it! Have I tried any? Nope, not yet. Our pack didn't get any for us to try. Does that stop my son from doing good? Nope!

He is doing great! 

And you know what is awesome about that? HA, let me tell you. I think I am more excited than my son on this one!

1. Ok, just like most fundraisers, a percentage of your sales goes toward your pack. In this case, it is 73% goes toward local scouting. Which means your council gets a %, your district, and your pack.   This helps pay for supplies, camping trips with your pack, ect...

2. Like a school fundraiser, your kids can earn prizes... anything from boy scout knives to an Xbox one. Just depends on the sales. ( you need a certain badge to be able to get the knives)

3. They earn a popcorn selling patch for selling just 1 item. This is from 2015.

This is from 2017. It has multiple patches that make a robot.

My son is super excited. Each arm, leg, ect is earned separately.   

4. You have bonus levels. One is at $650 ( in 2015 you receive a Nerf toy or a multi-tool with hammer. 2017 is a headlamp.) and at $1800 in sales they receive a $45 gift card to Walmart  in 2015 but i think this year, 2017, there isnt anything.( on top of other bonuses and prizes) AND they get to go to a Top Seller Bash, where the top sellers can win  a $600, $400 or $200 Amazon gift card.

Now here are the ones that I consider are worth bringing your child door to door to sale:

5. At $2,500 sales, they start earning a scholarship. 6% of your sales for the rest of scouts (I believe that is correct) will be put into a scholarship for your child.

6. I don't know if all packs offer this, but my son's pack pays for his cub scout fees, his Summer Camp and he gets a $25 gift card to the scout store....AND he gets to throw a pie in any leaders face. Here is me in 2016 getting a pie smashed in the face by LJ.

My son dresses in his full uniform everyday at 6pm and knocks on doors until 7pm. ( I have had to wash that uniform A LOT) He shakes peoples hands, introduces himself, tells them why he is selling popcorn, and then even if they don't buy, he always says that he wishes them a wonderful day/week. He is hot, sweaty, carrying around a thermos of ice cold water and is still cheerful to everyone who answers the door! Even if he doesn't make that $2,500 goal( which he did!) ( this year his goal is $21,000), I am so proud of him. He has learned to look people in the eye, to use his manners, and to be confident. Score one for scouts!
I'm also proud of him because he gets home late off the bus, he snacks, does homework, eats dinner, then goes out door to door. This also causes him to get home late, wash up, play for 20 min and then when bedtime comes around, within 10-15 min he is asleep! Love, Love, Love it! Which causes him to wake up earlier, eat breakfast earlier, get ready earlier... and still make great grades in school! A lot of pluses to this!

Update 2015: My son is a top seller with $2,880 in popcorn sales! He still had 2 weeks left that he could have sold but he said he reached his goal and would like to stop now. I said ok, that's fine. DON'T force it on them. Make it as fun as possible so that they want to do it. And if they say they don't want to anymore, let it be. As my son put it, " I just want to play and have fun now."
Oh, and please take pictures of all order forms you turn in. Luckily I did that. When our popcorn coordinator texted me and said that my son's prizes were $600 more than what he could have, I knew something was wrong. I wrote every single order in an excel sheet and took pics of ALL his order forms. I was out shopping, so I called her and said that I was at the store and if she could wait 20 min, I will be back home. She said it needed to go in ASAP. Well, I asked her to count the order forms, she was missing one. So, I sent her texts with a picture from my phone of each order form. She found the missing order form and everything worked out. So, lesson learned. Document EVERYTHING! 

Also, we had some problem with the council having the wrong #'s... so please keep everything.

Also, our district did something for our top 3 sellers,  which included my son. He recieved a gift card for Baskin robins (finally used this in 2017)..and a camping chair and a sleeping bag.

Thank you Copperhead district!
If you would like to help support James in his scouting adventures,  please click
Here

Is scouts Expensive?

Is Scouts expensive?

Depends on how you look at that. You have pack dues I think 2 times a year ( could be wrong). And ours are $50. Good thing is, with our Pack, the kids can earn it by doing the fundraisers. ( I'll write a whole post on that next!)

When I signed up, they only charged me $40, which also included the new Tiger Handbook, the Neckerchief, the Neckerchief slide and a boy scout flashlight. Tiger Handbook can be bought on Amazon kindle for $8.99, on the scout website for $12.99 or get one with coil bound for $18.99. ( would suggest this one bc it holds up way better.) The Neckerchief is $8.99 and the slide is $5.99.
And this year 2017, each new recruit here in Houston and surrounding areas gets a rocket. Then we will have a rocket launch day with our council and the kids earn a patch for it!

Now here is where it gets expensive. You NEED the uniform.. Hint: go to a scout store, find the actual sizes you need and look on ebay for used. Cheapest way! And you HAVE to try on the clothes at the store to find out what size. My son on shorts wears a size 7. On Boy scout shorts, he wears a 10. And buy your shirts BIG... you want it to last at least 3 years so you don't have to keep buying. At the scout shop, the shirt is $24.99, the shorts were $19.99, the belt ( yes they need it) is $9.99 ( you can buy the cub scout belt larger bc it adjusts and use that for all his ranks.) and then you need the badges that say your council, your den #, your pack #, and 2 more that goes by the heart. I spent that day $75 on a uniform.  Later on, it gets cold, So you can buy the pants that unzip below the knee to turn into shorts. I bought these this year and i love them! I threw in the socks only because if you do, you save 10% and basically that covered the socks. He never wears them now. Oh, and if you don't know how to sew on a badge, there are youtube videos that show you. I went to a seamstress and paid $12 for her to sew all that on. But this is the result, a great confident kid!

By the way, at my son's school, they wear uniforms. But on the days that he has scouts, he is allowed to wear his scout uniform to school. He gets really excited about that!
Also this does not include all the stuff you have to buy for camping. If you plan on camping with your pack, you will need a tent, flashlights, sleeping bags, food, ect...
Ask people in your pack if they have a uniform that their kid outgrew. Or ask if they have extra camping supplies if you need it. Someone usually has something. 

Cub Scout Bobcat Badge

What is a Bobcat badge? I thought my son was a tiger, a wolf, a bear or higher.
Yeah, that was my reaction too. But there is a rule in the cub scouts that says your son must earn his Bobcat badge before anything. It's nice that my son joined this year ( 2015) because apparently this is the 1st year the boys have to memorize the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Before they had to memorize the cub scout promise, which is no longer needed. So at our meetings we go over the Law and Oath. All the kids have to participate.

Now, how do you earn your Bobcat Badge? Easy! But it does require some memorization.  You have 7 things they have to do before they receive that badge.  Now because they are only Cub Scouts, they have to learn and say, with help if needed, the Scout Oath, the Scout Law, the cub Scout Motto.. they have to show they know the cub scout salute, the cub scout handshake and the cub scout sign. All that is shown in your  Handbook, along with the 7th requirement of discussing the child abuse brochure. For each one they do, they can color in a paw track in the back and have their Akala ( leader) sign off on the page so that they get credit. 

There should be someone in your pack that keeps track of your child's achievements, so make sure your den leader knows to let them know too 

Cub Scout Sign up...now what?

What do you do when you sign up for scouts? What is the next step? Well, if you are anything like me, I was curious to see how this works. So, I looked at every single page in the Tiger Handbook. There is a pamphlet in the beginning that comes out. You the adult has to read it and go over it with your son. It talks about abuse of all kinds, including sexual/physical abuse and bullying. It teaches you how to discuss this and to teach your children about safety. Even has some websites with videos to help explain stuff to your boys. Oh, and parents, cubs scouts is a family thing. If you go camping or anything at this age with the scouts, a parent or guardian has to be present. No one leader can be alone with the boys. Parents or guardians are a must. I actually really like that! And by the way, discussing the brochure is actually a requirement for your son to get his Bobcat badge.
Also, discuss with your leaders what you can do to help. Tell them if you have a truck that can help transport supplies for Pinewood Derby or campouts. Someone crafty can make awards for competitions. Anything will help your pack.

Does your son want to be a cub scout??

So your son wants to become a cub scout, huh? Well, actually, mine didn't and I talked him into it. We have an eagle scout in the family that we are all proud of. And amazingly, it has opened doors for that boy. So I wanted my 1st grader to start scouts too. And I thought it would be a great opportunity for father and son to bond. We went to a recruiting meeting at his school a month after school started. He was nervous but after eating some smore snacks and playing with some of the other scouts, he said he wanted to join. And his Daddy was right there with him, thinking it could be fun. The other scout dad's and mom's said that don't worry about camping equipment because there will be enough that you can borrow. So, we paid our $40 pack/scout fees and $12 for the magazine. We received his Tiger . Handbook,his Neckerchief, his slide and a  schedule of activities coming up What now? 


Now one thing they didn't mention was the fact that parent volunteers are needed. It is VERY important. Most adults in scouts go through training and volunteer their time to help the kids out. Some parents will only help with certain events like Pinewood Derby. Some are designated grill masters at campouts.  There is always something parents can do to help make this more fun for the kids. And I noticed that the parents that are involved have more fun too. So think about what you can do to help your pack. Do you work in a STEM field or have hobbies that might be STEM related? Volunteer to be a NOVA counciler. Are you an accountant or are great at balancing a checkbook? Be a treasurer.  Mom, Dad, grandparents or guardians are always welcome to help.