Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a Pack and a Troop?
A Pack is for elementary aged scouts in k-5, and ranks are organized by grade. When a 5th grader “crosses over”, they will start their scouting career in a Scouts BSA Troop which is for scouts aged 11-17. In Scouts BSA, grades/age don’t matter, a scout may be in a patrol with scouts a few years older/younger than themselves.
Cub Scouting, and Scouts BSA are programs of the Boy Scouts of America — so in that sense, Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA members are all members of the same organization.
However, they are entirely different programs: Cub Scouting is a family-oriented program designed specifically to address the needs of younger boys and girls. Scouts BSA is designed to achieve the aims of Scouting through a vigorous outdoor program and peer group leadership with the counsel of an adult Scoutmaster. In Cub Scouts, we try to get kids interesting and learn the basics of scouting. If they’re interested, they continue on in Scouts BSA to learn more complicated skills and work together as peers.
Are any Pack leaders paid?
No. All Pack leaders are volunteers are parents like you. So please take that into consideration before taking too much of their time or attention. They are trained to monitor your children, not you.
How can I get involved?
We need parents to help with everything. From setting up camp, to pulling the trailer, to handing out T-shirts. We need parents to volunteer as den leaders. We need parents to volunteer to be Cubmaster and Committee Chair. The program will fail without parent involvement.
Please visit this signup genius for volunteer opportunities https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0a44a4af2ca3fa7-20231#/
The biggest volunteer needs at this time are
1) Advancement Chair – someone who can goto either scoutshop (near Braves Stadium or Lawrenceville), purchases awards, and get them organized for pack meetings.
2) Spring Camping – without someone taking the lead on spring camping, we won’t have a spring campout
3) Big Trip – someone who can follow Sammy this year (her last year), so they know how to plan next years Big Trip
4) Popcorn Kernel in training – someone who can follow Sammy this year (her last year), so they know how to coordinate popcorn next year
What is popcorn?
Selling popcorn is a fundraiser. From August through mid-October, scouts can sell popcorn to reduce/eliminate their scouting expenses.
Is Cub Scouts a Charity?
No. Cub Scouts is not a Charity. All parents are asked to contribute equally to the finances of the pack through dues or by selling popcorn. It’s actually a big no-no with the IRS to use Pack funds in a way that’s not equitable to all participants. Pack funds are used to pay for the youth program. Pack funds are not allowed to be used for parent expenses unless the expense benefits all scouts equally. This is why the Pack will pay for all leader dues, but we will not pay for one parent to attend an activity.
Our Pack is affiliated with Johns Creek UMC which does have some groups that operate as a charity, but we are bound by additional BSA rules and we cannot be treated like a charity.
Can Women be leaders?
100% absolutely. Not only can women be leaders, but we need women to be leaders. For any scouting event with a female scout present, we must have a registered female leader present. If we don’t, we might send everyone home. Steve and Glyn only have daughters in the Pack – who would be in charge if they went home because there’s no female leaders present?
What are the expectations of registered leaders?
At a minimum, registered leaders must complete Youth Protection Training (YPT – see https://www.scouting.org/training/youth-protection/), and register as a leader. We ask you attend planning meetings, and keep an eye out to ensure YPT rules are being followed. Beyond that, it depends. Have the conversation with Pack leadership. We need people to fill leadership holes all over the pack. We need people to get trained to go camping. We need people to be den leaders. We need people to lead the pack. There are also opportunities to register to help lead the STEM programs, to run shooting ranges, and get involved at the district and council activities.
What are the benefits of Scouting?
Scouting helps youth develop academic skills, self-confidence, ethics, leadership skills, and citizenship skills that influence their adult lives.
The Boy Scouts of America provides youth with programs and activities that allow them to
- Try new things.
- Provide service to others.
- Build self-confidence.
- Reinforce ethical standards
See https://www.scouting.org/about/why-scouting/ for more information.
What do I take on Campouts?
Here is a list of items for the Campouts:
We typically camp in warmer weather conditions at facilities with a good amount of space and good facilities/infrastructure (access to bathrooms). If we are doing a tent only campout, families should plan on bringing:
A tent big enough for everyone. Please note, a 4 person tent can fit 4 people, but it’s not comfortable, and it’s only big enough for all 4 people to sleep shoulder to shoulder with minimal “stuff”. You can’t fit a suitcase. And 4 people. If you’re coming with 2 people, you can get a 4 person tent and be comfortable. If you’re coming with 4 people, we suggest a 6-8 person tent. There are wooden platforms that are 9ft x 7ft and most 4 person dome tents fit on those platforms. Larger tents are ok, but there might not be enough ground space if everyone brings a 10-12 person tent. If you get a tent from Walmart or Target, we strongly suggest you set it up at home first to make sure it has all the zippers in the right place and all the poles are intact/properly functional. It’s not uncommon for walmart tents to have a backwards/broken zipper, and the tent holes intended for the outside were sewn on the inside (making the tent unusable). Please do your best to not show up at camp with unusable equipment. We will not have backups for your use.
Sample tent options (stuff does not mean a queen air mattress for everyone it means a single sleeping pad per person)
Ozark Trail 4 person tent (good for 2 people and stuff) –
Ozark Trail 6 person instant tent (good for 4 people and stuff) –
Coleman 6 person dome tent (good for 4 people and stuff) –
Sam’s club members – Members Mark instant 6 person tent
These tents are better quality (you don’t need to worry about zippers and poles),
Core 4 person tent (good for 2 people and stuff) –
Venture Forward 5 person dome tent (good for 2-3 people and stuff)
Alps Mountaineering 4 person dome tent – Alps Mountaineering 4 person dome tent (very good qualiy tent!). Account required to see link, create account say you’re with Pack 2143 during account creation process.
Advice about sleeping pads
Big air mattresses do not fit well in tents. Plus sometimes having access to electricity is a problem. Air mattresses need to be filled up inside a tent or they won’t fit through the door. So if you do use an air mattress, the smaller the better. Also, please note that air mattresses tend to get holes over time. If you’re comfortable with a camping sleeping pad, they’re a great option. If it’s colder/cool at night, you will be cold on an air mattress even in a -30F sleeping bag, you’ll need to add insulation (blankets) on top to stay warm. Many camping air mattresses have insulation built in.
Coleman slim twin air mattress Walmart Slim Twin air mattress (needs separate air pump)-
Bestway budget air mattress with pump
Good quality, less expensive, lightweight, easy to inflate camping sleeping pad – Klymit camping Mattress
The Coleman self inflating sleeping Pad with Pillow is a decent option as well.
Advice about sleeping bags
A big note about sleeping bags. They should all have a temperature rating (i.e. 0F, 40F, 30F, etc). The temperature rating of a sleeping bag doesn’t necessarily mean it’s comfortable. It means it will keep you alive at that temperature. If it’s 40 degrees F outside, you have a 40F bag, you will live. You will be cold, uncomfortable, and likely won’t sleep much, but you will live. Most bags now include a comfort rating on the bag (but not online) that will indicate what the temperature will be to be comfortable in that bag. (so a 0F bag may indicate a comfort rating of 25F, meaning you’ll be comfortable if it’s 25 degrees F overnight, but you’ll still live if it drops to 0F)
We rarely sleep in temperatures under 55 degrees. Most of the time a sleeping bag rates for 60F will suffice, including kids Disney sleeping bags you got them when the were kids. If the overnight temp is under 60-65F, you should consider getting a sleeping bag with a rating of 30F. A bag rated to 0F to 10F is suggested if it’s 40F outside. If it’s 55F, a 30F-40F rated bag will be comfortable.
Ozark Trail 30F Mummy bag (my kids love these, and they have hoods to keep kids in bags)
Camping chairs
Get comfortable and sturdy camping chairs. It’s also nice to have arm rests and cupholders. You won’t enjoy sitting in a $7 camping chair from Kroger or Walmart.
Walmart Oversized quad chair is ok.
Walmart combo packs
Walmart often offers combo packs which can be good deals, you can pay one slightly discounted price for multiple items. You might have to settle for less comfortable chairs, and the temperature rating of the sleeping bags are not obvious, but here are some examples
4 person instant tent, 2 chairs, and a camp table
6 person tent, 2 sleeping bags, 2 chairs, 1 lantern, 1 fan, and a bunch of other stuff. Sleeping bags are 55F I think
4 person tent, 2 sleeping bags, 2 chairs, and a table. Sleeping bags are rated 40F
You could also rent gear from REI, but nowadays, you might pay more than purchasing budget gear which should work just fine for cub scout camping (and is also reusable).
Benefits – preparing and eating food together accomplishes multiple goals. Our camping program has done more to build our scouting community than anything else. We have nearly 100% participation in camping because we remove the pressure of meals. We also have increased volunteerism, our adults have gotten to know one another, and we use this time to get adults committed to other volunteer roles.
Volunteer jobs – it takes several committed families to run a food program on this scale. Every adult gets a job of some sort that they are told about before they arrive. As our program increases in size, jobs are becoming more specific.
Pre-camping
– Registration must include number of family members per meal, ability to transport bins/equipment
– Determine budget – we spend $10-15/person on 4 meals
– Assign jobs by den or to key families.
– Plan Menu (consider religious needs & allergies). We have a lot of families that don’t eat pork so we usually buy turkey/beef sausages and hotdogs. We tell families the menu ahead of time and while we try to accommodate needs, they are on their own if it’s something really unusual. Vegans and Jains may need to make their own meals.
– Plan groceries – we go to Costco and Wal-Mart
– Pack by meal and category and label all bins and coolers (this is key)
– Make sure several families are bringing coolers with ice for the drink coolers and replenishing the food coolers.
Can I submit Medical Forms Via Email?
No. BSA policy does not allow us to receive or keep electronic med forms. Hard copies need to be turned in to the individual in charge of the activity.