It’s Official: Lions are Here to Stay
The Boy Scouts of America have announced that the Lion pilot program was such a success that it has been officially converted to a permanent scouting rank and den, along with an official uniform, belt loop adventures, and neckerchief and slide. That means this fall Cub Scout Pack 279 will once again offer a Lion Den to kindergarten age children (That’s 5 years of age on or before September 1, 2018).
And as we announced last week, Cub Scout Pack 279 is now a Family Scouting Pack. That means the Lion Rank will be open to boys and girls in kindergarten.
The uniform for Lions will be an activity Class B Pack 279 T-Shirt, available for purchase when your Lion joins the Pack in September. They will also wear a Lion rank hat and earn their gold neckerchief and slide.
The Lion Adventures will be belt loops earned like other Scout ranks: with the guidance and help of an adult partner. The Adventure loops will include 5 required adventures and completing 1 or more of 7 electives in a range of age appropriate topics like Fun on the Run!, Animal Kingdom, Gizmos and Gadgets, Ready, Set, Grow, and more. Loops are worn on the official Cub Scout belt as part of the uniform.
Lions who earn their rank will wear it on their Class B t-shirt. Once they advance to Tiger Den, the scout will earn a Lion Rank Bar that will be worn on the lower left of their Class A (Field Uniform) below the diamond of den ranks.
The goal of the leaders of Pack 279 is to carry out the mission of the Boy Scouts of America. We provide an educational program for children to build desirable qualities of character, to train in the responsibilities of participatory citizenship and to develop personal fitness. The scouts of Pack 279 learn leadership skills while taking part in many activities and community projects.
We have a year-long program where our scouts have the opportunity to camp, hike, learn, and cook and have other rewarding outdoor adventures 12 months a year. Highlights of our pack include going to Boy Scout camps in the area, visiting local parks, hiking on the Appalachian Trail and at Hawk Mountain, racing in the Pinewood Derby, holding the annual Blue and Gold Banquet, attending Hershey Bears and Harrisburg Senators games, snow tubing, performing community service projects, and running the annual Raingutter Regatta. Pack 279 is chartered by St. James Presbyterian Church on Orr’s Bridge Road in Mechanicsburg. We partner with Boy Scout Troop 276, which is also chartered at St. James. We are grateful to be affiliated with these organizations and look forward to continue to strengthen these relationships in the future.