Joining Cub Scouts can be confusing an overwhelming for people that are not familiar with Cub Scouting. The first rule we have is have fun! The second rule is that Cub Scouts supports family friendly activities, so please participate. The third rule is to have fun!
This website contains a list of things new members should do upon joining the Pack:
1) make sure you create an account on this Pack website. We use this website for calender management, RSVPing for free activities, and paying for scouting activities organized by the pack when there’s an extra cost (such as for campouts and the Big Trip). While you’re creating an account, you’ll be asked what rank your scout is. This is important for calendaer syncing (see #2). Kindergarteners = Lion. 1st Grade = Tiger, 2nd grade = Wolf, 3rd grade = Bear, 4th grade = Webelos, 5th grade = AOL. You can register here.
2) Once you’ve created an account, I strongly suggest you sync the Pack calendar to your calendar. All pack activities and den/grade level activities will sync to your calendar. To do this, login, then goto the Pack calendar, scroll down to where it says “Sync to your Calendar”, right click and “copy link address”. Then goto your preferred calendar and sync using URL. All Pack and Den activities will populate, and when new activities are added, they will be added to your calendar.
3) Let us know your Scouts T-Shirt size (email Steve Ferguson), we have YXS through AXXXL sizes available. Extra T-shirts (or T-shirts for adults) can be purchased here for our cost. We need to buy shirts for everyone, so we need to know everyone’s T-shirt size. If you don’t tell us your T-shirt size, you may be limited to inventory we have left (you might not get the correct size). We call these Class B T-shirts
4) If you are interested in selling popcorn to fundraise – to offset your scouting expenses, you should receive an email from our Popcorn Kernel (Haewon Roh). If you want to get started ASAP, and you haven’t heard from her yet, please email Steve Ferguson.
5) Make sure you can login to Scoutbook, This website tracks scout advancement. This will be foreign to you now, and that’s ok. The goal is for everyone to complete their rank requirements by April. Our leaders input completed requirements into Scoutbook after meetings, and if you miss a meeting and need to do some requirements at home you’ll need to update your scouts requirement status in Scoutbook. If you have joined, but you have not received emails from “Steve Ferguson via scoutbook.scouting.org” contact Steve Ferguson.
6) Uniforms – If your scout is selling popcorn, you should get a uniform shirt ASAP. If not, we’d like to see your scout in Uniform by the Holiday party in December. This webpage has all the info you might need about uniforms.
7) Pack activity fees – The $85 you paid to BSA registers your scout with the National organization. In addition, we charge Pack activity fees in November for all families. Activity fees cover stuff on this page.
8) Volunteering – Almost everything we do is parent volunteer run and organized. In the fall, we ask you to help out when you see people working at activities. By next year, we’d like you to volunteer to help out in a more official manner. This page outlines some of the general information about volunteering, and this signupgenius lists all of the volunteer spots that need to be filled or an activity just won’t happen. Carly Haynes is our volunteer coordinator, and she will get to know you over the fall and may ask for your help.
9) Pack 2143 Facebook Page – This is a place to share pictures and memories from scouting activities. If you don’t share a last name with your scout, please let me know. I only accept family members to this private group, so if I can’t figure out how you’re connected to our Pack, I won’t accept the request.