HOW THE CUB SCOUT PROGRAM
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Cub Scouting is a “family participation” activity. All members of the family are welcome at all Pack 150 Meetings. If we have a planned activity, or planned craft, we will do everything possible to include the Cub's sibling in the Cub Scouting experience. Our focus, of course, is on the Cub, but we understand that no child should feel left out of the fun!
Cub Scouting is not just another thing for your son to do. It is a value oriented learning program with specific aims. Those aims include building good character, citizenship, moral responsibility, and physical / mental fitness. We reach these aims by following methods that are tried and true as outlined by the Cub Scouts of America program, which is a part of the Boy Scouts of America.
The leaders of Pack 150 look forward to participating with each family in the development of these values and helping your Cub grow. This growth comes because of participation in various Community service projects, Family Involvement, Growth of the Pack – Adults and Cub Scouts, and helping guide your Cub along the trail to earning his Arrow of Light. We do all of this with the goal of moving your son into a Boy Scout Troop. Once in the troop, the support continues as your son works his way along the trail to becoming an Eagle Scout.
The Scouting experience is not a one way street where your son and your family attends meetings and leaves with what they learned from the leaders, instead, it is a two-way learning experience. The leaders learn from you, your family, your son, and by sharing our collective experiences in life. Everyone is an expert in something, and we ask that you share that expertise with all of us. As you read the Cub Scout handbooks, flag the areas where you know you can help. Let us know! If you do not tell us, we will miss the unique experiences that you might share with us. One way to look at Scouting as a whole is the old saying about ‘it takes a village to raise a child.’ Without interfering with personal or family values, Scouting strives to provide a wide array of activities for Scouts giving them a well-rounded experience as they grow. Since the children of society cannot grow without guidance, Scouting depends on parents and other adult volunteers to provide some of the unique growth experiences.
Adult Scout leaders, who have direct one-on-one contact with the youth, must undergo a criminal background check to ensure your son's safety. This does not relieve any adult leader, or the parents of the boys, from the responsibility of maintaining vigilance over the Cubs. If you ever feel uncomfortable about the treatment of your son, the way someone speaks to, or handles various situations, etc., your Pack 150 leaders encourage you to let us know. All Scout leaders should have the policy of becoming insulted only when you do NOT bring these issues up with them. The adult leaders in Scouting undergo continuous training about a variety of topics. Some of the topics regard protecting your child from harm from many sources. Leaders attend training seminars to help leaders understand the basic precepts of Scouting and learn how to pass information along to your son in a safe and fun setting.
You may feel that a Den meeting is not the appropriate setting for your son to learn about that topic, and we understand that! The most obvious topic is that of child exploitation and personal safety. You will always know when we plan to cover those topics, and you will always have the option of skipping that meeting (or that portion of the meeting) without any type of "mark against attendance" or other types of reprisals. Our method of discussing these topics will be straightforward, serious, yet without causing panic. Speaking of panic, part of the training will include the importance of the Cub remaining calm and in control of his own emotions as he handles potentially threatening situations. Following some of our lessons, we will use role-playing situations to help solidify the lessons we learn. The role-playing also allows us to inject a little fun into such a serious lesson. Again, you will know ahead of time when we plan role-playing, or other types of mock situations. For those situations, you may elect to come to the meeting late to avoid them, or you may play an integral part in the process. During the role-playing, we want to avoid overreacting when a Cub makes the wrong choice. Instead, we shall direct the Den’s attention to how another method could work better. None of us wants your Cub walking around looking at every adult as a potential threat. We want him to develop a sense for when things "feel wrong" and how to react without panic in order to preserve his safety and that of his friends. That is one of the fringe benefits when your son plays with his non-Scoutng friends. He may be the one to recognize a potential hazard, react appropriately, and avoid some type of calamity. Think of the role-playing exercises as the first time your Cub touched the hot stove and learned what you meant when you told him it was hot. Some kids simply have to have the tactile response in order to imprint the lesson. (I know, I am one of those!) That is why we plan role-playing and situational exercises, but have strict controls that ensure that there is no panic or traumatic impact. That is also one of the reasons that we encourage parents to attend every meeting.
Especially during role-playing, but at any meeting/gathering, we ask the parents to be aware of anything that might be sliding out of control. We invite you step in to bring the situation back under control. By now, you have heard us refer to Akela, and you should know that Akela is a group effort at being a leader of Scouts. YOU are an integral part of that Akela spirit. The volunteer leaders of the Den and Pack simply accept responsibility for guiding the Den through the Cub Scout program, keeping track of the administrative side of the experience., and obtaining the awards that recognize your Cub’s progress. Your family is still the major focus and the major source of teaching your Cub the values important to your family. The Cub Scout program exists to help you, your Cub, the Cubs in the Den, the Cubs in the Pack, Scouting in general, and eventually the communities in which we live, produce solid citizens with strong values.
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