Cubs : An Introduction to the Cub Scout Section

Information for parents/carers of new Members and adults new to the Section.

• Introduction
• Who is the Cub Scouts for?
• The Cub Scout Uniform
• How are Cub Scouts organised?
• What do Cub Scouts do?
• Cub Scout Programme
• Programme Zones
• Methods
• Underlying Ways of Working
• Badges and Awards
• Pack Holiday and camping
• Cubs on-line
• Resources for Cubs

Introduction

Cub Scouting began in 1916, and has gone from strength to strength ever since. Currently there is somewhere in the region of 140,000 Cubs in over 8,000 Packs! Many Cubs Scouts will have been Beaver Scouts, but some will join Scouting for the first time as Cubs looking for fun, adventure and friendship.
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Who is Cub Scouting for?

Cub Scouts is open to young people aged between eight and ten and a half years old of all major denominations and faiths who can make the Cub Scout Promise.
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The Cub Scout Promise

Scouting differs from many organisations in that it requires its Members to make a Promise, the wording for Cub Scouts is slightly simpler than that of the Scout Promise. it is:

I promise that I will do my best
to do my duty to God and to the Queen,
to help other people
and to keep the Cub Scout Law.

Different wordings of the Promise are available for those of different faiths who may prefer not to use the word 'God' and for those with special needs and circumstances.

By making the Promise a young person becomes a Member of the worldwide Movement; they become a Scout.
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The Cub Scout Law

Every Cub should know their Cub Scout Law, put simply it is something they should try to remember in their everyday lives. The Cub Scout Law is:

Cub Scouts always do their best,
think of others before themselves
and do a good turn every day.
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The Motto

The motto for all Members of the Movement is: Be Prepared.
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The Cub Scout Uniform

Cub Scouts wear a green sweatshirt. They will also wear a scarf (sometimes called a “necker”), the colour of the scarf they wear vary from Scout Group to Scout Group. They will also have a woggle, to keep their scarf up. The woggle will normally be of the colour of the six they are in (see below on how Cub Scouts are organised). There are many other items of optional uniform.
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Cub Scout Programme

Every Cub Scout participates in a Balanced Programme over a period of time. This ensures that all young people experience a quality programme covering a wide range of subjects. To help, the Balanced Programme is divided into a number of Programme Zones, Methods and Underlying Ways of Working to ensure Cubs develop in all the Personal Development Areas.
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Programme Zones

The following are the Programme Zones for Cub Scouts, as part of the Balanced Programme they will task part in activities from all the zones regularly. There are seven Programme Zones for Cubs they are:

Outdoor Scouting	Beliefs and attitudes
Fitness	Caring and Community
Discovering the world around you	Global
Creative

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Methods

Make things	Help other people
Play games	Themes
Singing, stories and drama	Prayer, worship and reflection
Visits and visitors	Teams and challenges
Go outdoors	Try new things
Activities with others

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Underlying Ways of Working

Underpinning the programmes offered to Cub Scouts are seven ways of working, which should be present in every programme. This gives the opportunity for Cubs to:

Have fun	Keep the Promise
Get on with others	Personal development
Do activities	Work together
Take responsibility

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Badges and Awards

Even though the emphasis is on a Balanced Programme of activities, there are still badges and awards for Cub Scouts to aim for during their time with the Pack. Badges and awards are given in recognition of the effort made by each young person at their own level.

• The Membership Award

This award helps the young person understand the commitment they are making when they make the promise and become a Member of the Movement, if they have not been a Beaver Scout. It covers the history, traditions and practices of Scouting.

• Joining In Badges

The Joining In Awards recognise a commitment to Scouting. They celebrate Cub Scouts participating in a Balanced Programme over a period of time. They are awarded on the anniversary of the young person joining Scouting.

• Challenges

The Challenges complement the Balanced Programme. These have been developed to extend Cub Scouts' skills and experience in a particular area. There are five Challenges in the Cub Scout Section, they are:

• Outdoor Challenge
• Creative Challenge
• Fitness Challenge
• Global Challenge
• Caring Challenge

• Activity Badges

Activity Badges are optional, but they provide an opportunity to reward a young person who has taken part in an activity over a period of time. They should raise interest and extend a young person's skills throughout their time in Scouting. There are 32 Cub Scout Activity Badges, ranging from Book Reader to Navigator to Water Activities

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• Staged Activity Badges

In addition to the Cub Scout Activity Badges, there are four Activity Badges staged across the all Sections, which gives a young person the opportunity to develop an area of interest throughout their time in Scouting from 6 –18. These are:

Information Technology	Musician
Nights Away	Swimmer

• Group Awards

The Group Awards are designed so that all members of the Scout Group can take part in the Award, to encourage Sections to work together. There are three Group Awards:

The International Friendship Award	The Faith Award
The Environment Award

• Chief Scout’s Silver Award

This badge is the highest award available in the Cub Scout Section. It is gained by completing:

• the Outdoor Challenge, plus
• any two other Challenges
• a personal challenge

The Chief Scout’s Silver Award can be worn on the Scout Uniform once the Cub moves onto Scouts.

• The Moving-On Award

This badge helps ease the transfer of a Cub Scout to the Scout Troop. It also allows the Cub Scout to be invested into the Troop immediately, recognising that they are already Members of the Scout Movement.

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Pack Holidays and Camping

Ask any current or former Cub about what they remember most (and enjoyed most!) about being in Cubs they will probably say Pack holidays or going camping. Camps give the Pack the opportunity to go away together. Camps and Pack holidays are an opportunity for Cubs to take part in activities that they would not otherwise be able to do at regular Pack meetings. The experience of being away with the Pack is a very special experience for Cubs.

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Why get involved?

Cubs gives young people a taster of the exciting activities they will do more of in Scouts, they will go camping, try adventurous activities outdoors. Importantly, they will make new friends and enjoy themselves whatever they are doing!

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Cubs on-line

Cub Scouts have their own exciting pages on The Scout Association’s website where they can play games, do quizzes and complete puzzles. Find out more at: http://www.scouts.org.uk/cubs
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Resources for Cubs

Cubs have their own special handbook called the Powerpack it’s full of useful information about badges and what Cubs do. Its full of facts and fun things to do!

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