Cub Scout Resources
PROGRAM
SUPPORT
A wealth of
information and resources is available to help you run a successful year-round
program. In addition to the training courses and in-person support provided by
your district and council, you have access to many support materials that can
help you succeed in your role as a Cub Scout leader.
- The Leaders' Library
- A brief description of some of the key publications available to Cub Scout leaders. Includes item numbers, images, and links to online versions, where available.
- Online Resources
- Many publications are available online for quick, convenient access. These items cover everything from general program information down to step-by-step instructions for planning activities.
- Resources for New Leaders
- If you are a new leader in Cub Scouting, here are some key resources that you should review so that you can get your den or pack up and running, right from the start.
- Cub Scouting Highlights
- Updated annually, the Cub Scouting Highlights brochure provides an overview of all the resources available to you as a Cub Scout leader, including literature, training opportunities, special programs, areas of emphasis, and other tools for success.
- Scouting Magazine
- Published by the Boy Scouts of America, Scouting magazine offers a mixture of information, instruction, and inspiration, designed to strengthen readers' abilities to better perform their leadership roles.
- Cub Scout Program Helps
- The annual Cub Scout Program Helps is such an important resource for Cub Scout leaders that it has often been called "the foundation for successful Cub Scouting." These program helps provide a detailed, easy-to-follow program to assist leaders in planning meetings.
- Cub Scout Program Themes
- Here's a look ahead at the monthly program themes for Cub Scouting for the next few years.
- Clip Art
Trading Post Order Form
ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
Cub Scouting is an active
program—boys learn by doing,
and there's no end to the fun things that Cub Scouts do in their dens, as a
pack, and at special events. As a leader, you should be aware of the wide array
of activities that can be included in the Cub Scout program, and do your best to
include as many of them as possible in your annual schedule.
- Den Meetings
- A den is a group of six to eight boys that meets several times a month between pack meetings. The den structure allows boys to build relationships with leaders and other boys.
- Pack Meetings
- The monthly pack meeting brings together boys from every den, their leaders, and their families, to participate in a large-scale event that serves as a showcase for all that the boys have learned and done in their individual den meetings.
- Cub Scout Camping
- Organized camping is a creative, educational experience in cooperative group living in the outdoors. It uses the natural surroundings to contribute significantly to physical, mental, spiritual, and social growth.
- Cub Scout Outdoor Program Highlights
- This section in the annual Cub Scouting Highlights provides an overview of outdoor program opportunities for Cub Scouts.
Leave No Trace Frontcountry Guidelines- Leave No Trace is a plan that helps people to be more concerned about their environment and helps them protect it for future generations. This plan applies in a backyard or local park as much as it does in the wilderness.
Excursions and Field Trips- Cub Scouts enjoy many outdoor experiences as they participate in the variety of activities that can be held outside, such as field trips, hikes, nature and conservation experiences, and outdoor games.
- Blue and Gold Banquets
- During the month of Scouting's anniversary, packs across the country hold blue and gold banquets. In nearly all packs, the banquet is a highlight of the program year.
- Cub Scout Derbies
- Cub Scout derbies—the pinewood derby, raingutter regatta, and space derby—teach Cub Scouts craft skills, the rules of fair play, and good sportsmanship.
- Service Projects
- Participating in service projects as a group is one of the ways in which boys in Cub Scouting fulfill their promise "to help other people."
- Age-Appropriate Guidelines for Scouting Activities
- These program-specific criteria are designed to assist unit leaders in determining what activities are age-appropriate for their participants.
- Guide to Safe Scouting
- Use the Guide to Safe Scouting to help you plan and conduct Scouting activities in a safe and prudent manner.
UNIFORM AND
AWARDS
Wearing a uniform gives youth and
adult members a sense of identification. The uniform is a reminder of the
member's commitment to character development, citizenship training, and personal
fitness. Awards displayed on the uniform mark the progress of every Scout and
leader in achieving these goals and successfully practicing Scouting's
ideals.
An overview of the uniforms of Cub Scouting, from Tiger Cubs through Webelos Scouts, along with male and female leader uniform options.
The Boy Scouts of America provides a myriad of awards to recognize Cub Scout leaders for their training, experience, and service to youth and the community.
The Cub Scout Advancement Program
Advancement is the process by which a boy progresses from badge to badge, learning new skills as he goes.
Cub Scout Academics and Sports Program
The Academics subjects and Sports activities allow boys to learn new techniques, increase scholarship skills, develop sportsmanship, and have fun.
In addition to the awards available through the Cub Scout advancement and Academics and Sports programs, Cub Scouts may earn several individual awards.
Several awards and recognitions are awarded to an entire unit—a den or a pack—rather than to individual members.
Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award
Tiger Cubs, Wolf and Bear Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts have the opportunity to earn the Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award.
The emergencies of today's world demand more than ever that our young people and adults be trained as individuals and as units to meet emergency situations. This program fosters skills in our youth and adult members so that they can participate effectively in this crucial service to their families, communities, and nation.
The BSA Physical Fitness Award is designed to heighten fitness awareness and to help change the lifestyles of American youth and adults to improve the quality of their lives.
To encourage members to grow stronger in their faith, religious groups have developed religious emblems programs.