Many parents in Cumberland County seek out ways to get their children involved in activities after school that teach them about leadership, sportsmanship, good behavior, and positive relationships with peers and adults. Church youth groups and sports leagues like soccer, baseball, and football continue to be extremely popular in our area for elementary age boys. But have you ever considered scouting?

I was looking for a scout pack for my boys because I was in scouts when I was a young boy, and I largely enjoyed it. I also wanted to find an activity that was not as heavily scheduled as sports, but got them outside and interacting with children younger and older than them.

I was surprised to learn that Scouting has experienced a renewal of interest and growth over the last two decades. Millions of boys in America take part in the program in the United States. I have also been pleased to see changes to the program in the past few years that make the program more inclusive, and the leadership of the BSA tell us more changes are certainly in store.

September is right around the corner and you are shopping for a new and challenging activity for your child. Let’s consider “Why Scouting?”

Five Reasons to Consider Joining Scouts with Your Boy

Scouting is not just a program for your son, grandson, or nephew. It is a program where an adult partner or partners actually take part month to month alongside the scout. This is part of the secret sauce that makes Scouting so successful. So here are the Top 5 Reasons to consider joining scouts with your boy this September.

1. The Laughter

Come to any event with Cub Scout Pack 279 and you will see boys laughing and having fun. Scouting does a great deal to promote positive, healthy relationships among scouts and between scouts and adults. Respect and fun are at the core of everything we do. If we are planning camp outs, parade costumes, service projects, family friendly outings or others, our first consideration is “how can this be something the boys will find fun and relevant to scouting?” The second question is “how do we respect the time and financial commitments of families?”

But the boys aren’t the only ones you’ll see laughing. Adult leaders and parent partners have just as much fun laughing and enjoying the quality time alongside their boys. There are also friendships and bonds that form among the parents who put in the time to participate. Nearly everyone comes and goes from a Cub Scout Pack 279 event with a smile on their face (we all know there are exceptions).

2. The Challenge

So how is the Pack set up? Every boy is part of the Pack but they are also part of smaller dens where their rank specific work is largely done. Every rank (Lion through Webelos) has a minimum of five required challenges to be completed each scouting year. The dens in Pack 279 go above and beyond to encourage our boys to explore electives that also pique the boys’ interests. These required “adventures” and electives often include at least one character lesson, one healthy habits lesson, one outdoors lesson, one hobby or craft lesson, and multiple lessons meant to push them to explore and discover new activities.

My oldest son, Jackson, who is in the third grade just started his Bear rank. He is going to be learning how to cook a meal on a camp fire. He is also going to complete a series of lessons on how to safely use a pocket knife (yeah, I’m nervous about that but he’s pretty excited and the program is full of safety and guidelines). He is also learning how to rescue a peer who is drowning or needs help in a pool, lake, or river. In fact, he’s already completed this requirement while at summer camp this past June.

But what is most compelling is the education is not book learning. They might read about proper fire safety, but 90% of the lesson is showing, demonstrating, and giving them a chance to try it for themselves. The Cub Scout program is a hands-ons, get the boys up and moving type of instruction. They learn from peers as well as adult leaders. They listen, watch, and try to learn.  They are pushed to move outside of their comfort zone and challenged to grow year after year.

3. The Connectedness

Being wrapped up in week after week of work and home life can create routine but also distance. Scouting really allowed my boys and I to gain some quality father-son time as well as mother-son time for the events my wife has done with them (That’s right, we have many female leaders and mom’s involved in the Pack). Scouting really brings you closer to your child as you participate in events and activities together.

Feeling connected to other families and a community of shared purpose is powerful. As we start our third year of scouting, we feel a kinship and connectedness to the parents and children who are part of our Cub Scout Pack 279. We camp with them, cook with them, and hike with them. We sweat side by side with them performing community service. We stand next to them as we recite the Pledge of Allegiance, Scout Oath. and Scout Law. We laugh with them around the campfire and march with them in parades.

Our boys have developed friendships with children outside of their classroom. It has broadened their horizons and helped them develop healthy friendships not linked solely to the 8 am – 3 pm school day.

Scouting also connects us to our country through reverence of our institutions and stewardship and conservation of our natural resources.

4.  The Longevity

Our boys now look forward to the start of the new scout year. They are eager to earn their next loop (part of earning a rank). They are excited to put on their uniform and head out to an event with other scouts. Because scouting now spans from kindergarten through fifth grade, it has a reach that coincides with their entire elementary education experience.

5. The Free Fishing Rod

Bass Pro Shops and the Boy Scouts of America are offering every new scout a free fishing rod and reel to every new scout who enrolls with dues paid by September 30. New Scout dues are $100 for grades 1-5 and $55 for kindergarteners for our Pack. But if financial considerations are a concern, we have a scholarship program that ensures that cub scouting is available to every boy in our area who wants to participate. Contact the Cubmaster for a confidential conversation about how to get financial help for your scout. To coincide with the “Hooked on Scouting” theme for new scouts, the New Birth of Freedom Council of which Cub Scout Pack 279 is a part is organizing fishing derbies across our area in early October for new scouts to try out their new rods with their mom, dad, grandmother or grandfather.

Want to Learn More?

Cub Scout Pack 279 will host a Parents Informational Night on Thursday, September 7th at 7 pm. Parents can meet Den Leaders and Pack Leadership. They can ask questions about time commitment and see and hear more about the types of activities planned for 2017-18. Parents can receive help completing their Youth Enrollment Application and Paperwork, pay dues to enroll, and get information and a full schedule of events for Scout Year 2017-18.

Cub Scout Program Background

The Cub Scouts Program is a extracurricular program designed to develop essential skills of character and leadership in boys enrolled in kindergarten through fifth grade (K-5).

Every year the Cub Scout program grows to reflect the ever changing interest and needs of the latest generation of Boy Scouts. Today more than 2.4 million boys across the United States are registered and actively participating in local troops and packs of the Boy Scouts.

The Cub Scouts has been a part of the Boy Scouts of American for more than 70 years, formally getting its start in 1930 in the USA. The six year program offers boys the chance to explore challenging activities in science, technology, math, communications, nutrition, boating, fishing, marksmanship, art, history, civics, community service, faith and worship, hobbies, sports, and many more.

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