Cub Scout Frequently Asked Questions

Joining Cub Scouting

How old (or young) can a boy be to join Cub Scouting?

Cub Scouting is for boys and girls in the kindergarten through fifth grades, or 6 to 10 years of age. 2016 is the first year 6 year olds or kindergarten aged boys and girls can join scouting! Children who are older than 10, or who have completed the fifth grade, can no longer join Cub Scouting. 

New for 2022: those who are ten years old as of March 2022 may immediately join a Scouts BSA troop instead of joining a pack to earn the arrow of light award to enable them to join a troop.  This is a great new tool to allow interested youth to join the fun outdoor program of Scouts BSA.  

Why are some packs Co-Ed and others single gender?

While Cub Scouts is a family orientated program, before 2016 only boys could join the program.  After 2016 girls were allowed to join packs that were able to accept girls into their programs by their charter organizations.  Pack 700 is a boy only pack, but there are many packs in the area that is Co-Ed.  Please visit www.beascout.org to search for Co-Ed packs in our area. 

How can I become an adult volunteer in Cub Scouting?

Express your interest to the pack leaders—the committee chair, Cubmaster, chartered organization representative, or members of the unit committee. While there’s no guarantee that a specific role or position will be available—and there may be a selection process among several candidates even if the position is currently vacant—there is usually some way in which you can contribute. Most units are glad for any offer of help. There are many single-instance volunteer opportunities such as popcorn chair or pinewood derby chair.

The Cub Scout Program

Are Cub Scouts the same as Scouts BSA or Boy Scouts?

No. Cub Scouting is a program of the Boy Scouts of America—so in that sense, Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA are both 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 children.

How often do Cub Scouts meet?

Cub Scouts meet in their dens once or twice a month, and a pack meeting is held for all Cub Scouts and their families once a month. Pack 700 meets on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Monday of each month.  A den may hold a special activity, such as a service project or visit to a local museum, in place of one of the weekly meetings or in addition to the weekly meetings. Likewise, a pack may conduct a special event such as a blue and gold banquet as an additional event, rather than a substitute for its monthly pack meeting.

May parents attend den meetings?

Cub Scout den meetings are intended to be an activity for the individual boys without parental help. However, parent a involvement is encouraged, and all meetings are open to your participation so you can see what your son is doing.

Dues

What are the dues and membership fees?

Yearly membership costs $84 to be a member of cub scouts. This is paid every February and covers membership, insurance, and registration into BSA's scoutbook advancement program. If you join later in the year, your yearly membership is prorated to a lower rate.  

Pack 700 has set yearly dues at $50 unless the unit committee feels unit dues are not needed. This covers the 7 mandatory adventure awards (loops or pins), helps reduce cost of camping to around $20 per family (covers reservation and wood, not food), and helps with pack operations in getting supplies for outings and meetings.  This must be paid by the end of November.

Uniform and Supplies

What supplies and equipment are needed to participate in Cub Scouting?

At minimum, each boy in Cub Scouting will need a uniform and a handbook. Each year, the handbook changes, as does the cap and neckerchief, but other uniform parts remain the same for at least the first three years. Total cost for all of this is between $90 to $115 and can be bought when you are ready.  When a boy enters a Webelos den, he may need to obtain a new uniform if the parents in the den opt for the khaki-and-olive uniform. Additional supplies and equipment may be needed for certain activities such as camping trips or field days. Den and pack leaders should provide parents with information about any supplies that will be required at the beginning of each program year.

Where can I purchase BSA literature, uniforms, and other program materials?

Our uniforms, literature, and other Scouting merchandise is available at your local council, Scout Shops, and other licensed distributors. Visit the Supply Group website at www.scoutstuff.org to find a list of distributors in your area. If there aren’t any suppliers near you, you can order directly from the Supply Group by telephone.

How can I save money on the cost of uniforms and equipment?

Pack 700 does not require the purchase of the shorts or socks for the uniform.  All other items and badges are required for the uniform.

Advancement and Awards

If a boy joins a Bear den, may he go back and earn the Tiger Cub and Wolf badges?

No. In the Cub Scout program, all boys in a den work toward the same badge. If a boy joins Cub Scouting as a 9-year-old or in the third grade, he must earn the Bobcat badge (all boys in Cub Scouting earn this badge), and then he will begin working on the Bear badge with his fellow Cub Scouts. He is not required to have earned the Tiger Cub or Wolf badges. Since those badges are for younger boys (first grade or age 7 and second grade or age 8), the requirements for those badges are below a third grade or 9-year-old’s current level of ability, so “going back” to pick up those badges is not permitted.

If a boy completes the Wolf badge early, may he begin working on the Bear badge?

No. In the Cub Scout program, all boys in a den work toward a badge that is geared to their level of development. If the Wolf badge is completed before the end of the program year, a boy may work on electives to earn Arrow Points, or Academic and Sports belt loops and pins, Nova awards, or the religious emblem of their faith. He may not begin working on the requirements for the Bear badge. His work on the Bear badge will begin the next program year, when he graduates into a Bear den.  The program year ends June 30th.

May Cub Scouts earn badges such as the 50-Miler Award or Mile Swim BSA?

No, Cub Scouts are not eligible to earn these awards, which are part of the Scouts BSA program. All of the awards that Cub Scouts may earn are listed in their handbooks or in online resources.

When a Cub Scout earns the Arrow of Light (AOL), may he immediately join a Scouts BSA troop?

Yes.  However in March 2022 a new provision allows any ten year old the chance to join a Scouts BSA unit without having earned the AOL award.  This is mainly for interested youth looking to join a Scouting unit to enable them to join one unit instead of a pack then joining a troop.  BSA encourages all currently enrolled cub scouts who are Webelos 1s to earn the Arrow of Light award before joining a troop.  

How does a Cub Scout earn a Nova award?

A Cub Scout, with his counselor, acquires the Cub Scout Nova Awards Guidebook or looks online at the NOVA website from BSA. The Cub Scout decides which Nova award he wishes to work on. He will then work with his counselor to understand the procedure and begin completing the requirements. Once he has completed his first Nova award he will be presented the Nova patch for Cub Scouts. For each Nova award he completes after that he will be presented a “pi” pin to put on the Nova patch.

If he chooses to work toward the Supernova award, he will need a Supernova mentor. You can contact your local council for a list of mentors in your area, or someone who is qualified can register through the council to become a Supernova mentor. This information can be found at www.scouting.org/stem.aspx.