Cub Scout Pack 826 strives to uphold the ideals of scouting for all 1st through 5th grade boys. Our Pack is chartered through the Castle Pines North Master Association (CPNMA), although the Pack is run autonomously from the CPNMA and funds itself with activities not associated with the CPNMA. Pack 826 is in the Pioneer Trails District of the Denver Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. The activities of the Pack are planned and coordinated by the Pack Committee. The Commiteee is composed of the Pack Committee Chairperson, a Cubmaster, an Assistant Cubmaster, Den Leaders, Assistant Den Leaders and other dedicated volunteer parents.
Pack meetings for all scouts, parents, guardians and families are usually held monthly on Monday nights. The Pack meeting schedule for 2005/2006 is included in this packet. Pack meetings begin at 6:30 pm and end before 8:00 pm, and are held in the Castle Pines North Community Center located at the corner of Castle Pines Parkway and Yorkshire. Highlights of each Pack meeting include an awards ceremony where scouts are acknowledged for their progress and achievements toward their next “rank”. A rank usually requires five or more months to achieve and consists of approximately 20 different activities the scouts must learn and do throughout the school year. Each boy obtains an age-appropriate manual that includes these activities. Ranks include ”Tiger” cubs (1st grade), “Wolf” cubs (2nd grade), “Bear” cubs (3rd grade), and “Webelos” (4th and 5th grades). In addition, each Pack meeting involves skits and other activities designed around a monthly theme.
Internally in the Pack, scouts are divided by grade level into “dens”. A “den” consists of 6 to 8 scouts under the supervision of a den leader. Dens usually meet weekly to work on activities involved in earning their next rank.
First graders are part of a “Tiger” cub group. Tiger cubs meet at least twice a month under the direction of parents of the Tiger cubs who rotate responsibility for Tiger cub meetings monthly. Tiger cubs must complete 9 activities throughout the school year.
All scouts (except the Tiger cubs) must complete their “Bobcat” rank before they can begin working on their other activities. The Bobcat rank is earned quickly and consists of the scout learning the Cub Scout “motto”, “promise”, “handshake” and “salute”.
Fifth grade “Webelos” scouts are actively “courted” by Boy Scout troops meeting in the Castle Pines North area. Upon graduation from Cub Scouts, these 5th graders may choose any of the Boy Scout troops to join. Most of our Pack’s 5th graders join either Boy Scout Troop 316 or Boy Scout Troop 637 both of which meet nearby. The 5th grade Webelos graduation occurs at the annual Blue & Gold Banquet held in their honor in February/March each year. The entire Pack and their families attend this ceremony where the Webelos are awarded an “Arrow of Light” signifying their graduation into the Boy Scout program. Additionally, our Wolves, Bears and first year Webelos are honored for completing their “rank” requirements and receive their badges.
Other annual Pack activities include our September “Rocket Shoot”, Good Turn Week, a “Pinewood Derby” model car race, our year-end graduation, Scout Night at a Nuggets and Rockies game and summer family camping.
A scout may join the Pack at any time. However, the beginning of the school year is recommended as it normally takes all five months to fulfill the achievements necessary to graduate to the next “rank” at our Blue and Gold banquet. A scout comes into the Pack at his grade level and does not have to achieve the ranks associated with lower grade levels. Registration consists of completing a registration application and paying the appropriate dues.
Each scout is required to pay National dues of $10.00 per year. It is slightly confusing in that the Pack registration goes from February to February each year, although most scouts join in the Fall of a new school year.
In addition, each scout is urged to subscribe to Boy’s life magazine($10.80 per year), the monthly publication of scouting. This magazine is a wonderful compliment to the activities and ideals learned in scouting.
Each scout also may pays “Den” dues that are used by each den to offset the cost of crafts and field trips.
Pack 826 raises funds to pay for the costs of awards and activities of the Pack through two major funds raisers. The first is the Cub Scout Popcorn sales that occurs in September and October. The second fundraiser is our Annual Sprinkler Blowout that our parent volunteers perform along with parents from Boy Scout troop 316. Through parent involvement in these fundraisers we have not had to charge any additional dues to support our successful Cub Scout program..
Each scout is also required to purchase a uniform that consists of a shirt with a number of Pack and Den patches, a neckerchief, and a neckerchief slide as well as their rank manual. The uniform with all accessories costs between $35.00 and $40.00.
Cub Scouting is a family program and family involvement is vital to Cub Scouting’s success. We strongly encourage parents to actively work with their boys on advancement projects and activities, attend pack meetings with their Cub Scout, help at an occasional den meeting on a specific project or activity badge and to assist in den outings. Additionally, the parents of Cub Scouts in each rank, with guidance from the Pack committee, are assigned the responsibility of planning, organizing and hosting one of our major Pack events each year. The assignments by rank are as follows:
| Tiger cubs: |
|
Holiday refreshments (December)
|
| Wolf cubs: |
|
Good Turn Week (November) |
| Bear cubs: |
|
Pinewood Derby (January) |
| 1st Year Webelos: |
|
Blue and Gold Banquet (February) |
| 2nd Year Webelos: |
|
Rocket Shoot (September) |
Finally, the Pack Committee, which oversees the activities of the Pack is open to all parents who wish to become involved and help continue to improve our program. The Pack committee has several open positions and we are eagerly looking for parent volunteers to fill them.
‘05/’06 Pack Meeting Schedule
| Date & Time |
|
Special Activities |
| |
Unless otherwise noted above, all Pack Meeting will be held at the Castle Pines North Community Center located at Castle Pines Parkway and Yorkshire Drive.
“The Cub Scout follows Akela. The Cub Scout helps the Pack go. The Pack helps the Cub Scout grow. The Cub Scout gives goodwill.”
“I, (your name), promise to do my best to do my duty to God and my country, to help other people, and to obey the law of the Pack.”
“Search, Discover, Share.”
“I promise to love God, my family, and my country and to learn about the world.”
2901 W. 19th Avenue
Denver, Colorado 80204
(303) 455-5522
(303) 455-4689 Fax
6399 S. Fiddler’s Green Circle, Suite 320
Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111
(720) 482-7646
Denverareacouncil.org : Information on scouting activities in the Denver area.
Pioneertrails.org: Information on scouting activities in Pack 826’s district
Scouting.org: Lots of information on scouting including links to the online scout store
Cubmaster.org: Resources for parents and leaders including the all important virtual uniform guide (that direct link is http://www.geocities.com/~pack215/cubinsignia.html
