Cub Scouts and Field Trips

I taught a class about cub scouts and field trips today at the annual University of Scouting in the Utah National Parks Council. Some class participants asked for the Class Handout in digital format, so here it is.

Locally we are seeing a trend towards family packs that meet at the same time and place for den meetings as well as pack meetings. While this works well to streamline family time requirements, it makes it a little harder to plan a den outing.

Hopefully this handout will be useful in planning field trips that can accommodate requirements for several dens. It should also give a quick overview of all the obvious outings recommended for adventures in all the dens.

Don't forget to get your activity consent forms signed, and bring a copy of each person's health form when you have activities away from your regular den meeting location!

Put the OUT in scouting, and get your pack out to see some fun things.

Leader Basic Training ~ Great Salt Lake Council - Cub Scout Monthly Themes - PowWow Books - Pack Meeting Plans

Leader Basic Training was a bonus section in the 2002 Great Salt Lake Utah Council PowWow book.  This is a great set of ideas, and many of the ideas that were used back then can still be used today.

To open the PDF for this theme, CLICK HERE


Some of the things you will find in this PDF are:

• Pack Leaders Job Descriptions
• Charter Organization Rep (COR)
• Committee Chair (CC)
• Members of Committee (MC)
• Secretary/Membership:
• Treasurer
• Advancement
• Youth Protection/Safety
• Activities
• Pack Trainer
• Cubmaster (CM)
• Asst Cubmaster (CA)
• Den Leaders (DL)
• Den Assistant (DA)
• Webelos Leader (WL)
• Webelos Assistant (WA)
• Den Chief
• Tiger Cub Den Leader
• Unit Commissioner (UC)
• Tiger Cub Basics
• Highlights of the Tiger Cub Program
• What is my role with Tiger Cubs?
• Pack Outings Chairman
• Pack Membership Chairman
• Cubmaster
• Pack Trainer
• Tiger Cub Den Leader
• Tiger Cub Advancement
• Tiger Cub Ceremonies
• Jungle Book Advancement Ceremony
• Tiger Spelldown
• Den Leader Basics
• In the Beginning
• Get Registered
• Get a Uniform
• Get a Wolf or Bear Book!
• Get Trained
• New Boys
• Be a Good Scout - Be Prepared!
• Working With Your Den
• Be Prepared!
• Keep Records
• Make a Calendar
• Den meeting Format
• Parts of a Den meeting
• Before Den Meeting
• Gathering Time Activity
• Opening
• Business Items
• Activities
• Closing
• After the Meeting
• Good Den Communications
• Good communication between leaders and families is essential in obtaining family cooperation.
• Advancement
• Bobcat Trail
• The Cub Scout Sign
• The Cub Scout Salute
• The Cub Scout Handshake
• The Cub Scout Promise
• The Law of the Pack
• The Cub Scout Motto
• Arrow Points
• Webelos Den Leader Guide
• Introduction
• Webelos Den Organization
• Leadership
• Compass Points
• Outdoor Program
• Webelos Day and Resident Camping
• Webelos Scout Advancement
• Activity Badges
• Activity Badge Groups
• Frequently Asked Questions
• When do the Scouts change to the Khaki and olive uniform?
• Do we wear the activity pins on the hat or on the shoulder ribbons?
• Does the Webelos Leader teach the boys about the activity badges?
• Do we follow the Pack's Cub Scout monthly theme?
• Is there a certain order we should follow in covering the activity badges?
• Should we try to achieve all twenty activity badges?
• Can the Scouts continue to earn activity badges after they bride into Boy Scouts?
• Where can I get more information?
• Cubmaster Basic
• So - - What is a Cubmaster?
• Resources
• Books, Manuals and Magazines
• Cub Scout Leader Book
• Program Helps
• Scouting Magazine
• Wolf, Bear and Webelos Boys' Handbooks
• Boys' Life
• Cub Scout Leader How-to Book
• Webelos Leader Guide
• Ceremonies Book for Dens and Packs
• Insignia Guide
• Guide to Safe Scouting
• Cub Scout Songbook
• Cub Scout Academics / Sports Leader Guide
• Group Meeting Sparklers
• Den Chief Handbook
• Council Activity Guide
• Trainings
• Monthly Round Tables
• Where to Find It
• The Uniform
• The Pack Meeting
• Pack Planning Meeting
• Before the Meeting
• Gathering
• Opening
• Song
• Welcome and Introductions
• Den Participation
• Awards and Recognitions
• Program
• Closing
• After the Meeting
• More Thoughts on your Pack meetings
• Pack Committee Basic
• Basic Pack Committee
• Pack Committee Position Description
• Monthly Pack Leaders meeting Agenda
• Motivational Thoughts
• Lessons on Unity From Geese
• Youth Protection
• Reporting
• Pack Committee Responsibility
• Unit Leadership Enhancement Outline

To see more Theme Ideas, and other PowWow books go to this page CLICK HERE

Helps For Leaders ~ Great Salt Lake Council - Cub Scout Monthly Themes - PowWow Books - Pack Meeting Plans

Helps For Leaders was a Bonus Section in the 2002 Great Salt Lake Utah Council PowWow book.  This is a great set of ideas, and many of the ideas that were used back then can still be used today.

To open the PDF for this theme, CLICK HERE
To open additional information for this theme, CLICK HERE

Some of the things you will find in this PDF are:

• Cub Scouts with Special Needs
• Helps for Leaders
• Teaching Acceptance of Boys with Special Needs
• Resources
• A Leader's Special Scouting Promise
• Den and Pack Recognitions
• Why Do We Recognize?
• What Do we Recognize?
• In The Pack
• When do we recognize
• In the Pack
• Tenure
• Den Chief
• Service Stars
• Advancements
• Thank You's
• Induction (Welcome) of New Leaders, Volunteers, and Families
• Volunteer Recognitions for Service to the Den and/or Pack, Special Visitors, donations of supplies
• Special Event Certificates - Pinewood Derby, Raingutter Regatta, etc.
• Family Members
• Parents
• Adult Leader Recognitions
• Tips for Effective Recognitions
• What do we recognize?
• Paper Awards
• Food/Candy Awards
• Project Awards
• Props and Ceremony Equipment
• Hand Made Awards
• Key to Successful Scouting
• Measure Up
• Order of the Bear
• Lifesaver Award
• Helping hand Award
• Fire Hat Award
• Broom Award
• Thanks a Bunch
• Bug Award
• Survival Kit
• Spark Plug
• Wet Sponge Award
• Transportation Award
• M A R F Award
• Stickers, Balloons, and Flowers
• Flower arrangement or house plant
• Box or Bag of Mint Candies
• Marathon Candy Bar
• Big Hunk Candy Bar
• Box of Chocolates
• Loaf of Fresh Bread and a jar of Grape Jelly
• Loaf of Nut Bread
• Gift Certificate Pizza Shop
• More Adult Recognition Ideas
• Peppy Pachyderm Award
• Jolly Giraffe Award
• Jungle Journey Award
• Jungle Jingle Award
• India Ink Award
• Boys Awards
• Story Book
• Arrow of Light Arrow
• Neckerchief Slide - Dehydrated Water
• Leader Helps and Hints
• Advancement
• Record Keeping
• Recipe for a Good Leader Poem
• Den Discipline
• Denners and Assistant Denners
• Den Chiefs
• National Den Award
• Den Doodles
• Den Flags
• Den Ceremonies
• Available Resources
• Helpful Hunts
• Why I'm a Den Leader Poem
• Flag Etiquette
• Saluting the Flag
• Cub Scout Salute
• When in Uniform
• When Not in Uniform
• National Anthem
• Parades and Reviews
• Do's and Don'ts
• Basic Flag Ceremony
• Plan your work then work your plan.
• There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child; there are seven million.
• You can give a child too much of everything except yourself.
• I will pass this way but once; any good I can do, or kindness I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.
• Character is what you do when no one is looking.
• It isn' t the load that breaks you down; it' s the way you carry it.
• Anybody can grab a tiger by the tail. You only survive by knowing what to do next.
• The mark of an effective
• Cub Scouter is to see something in a mud puddle besides the mud.
• Praise does wonders for a boy' s sense of hearing.
• The wishbone will never replace the backbone.
• I know you believe you understand what you think I said; but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.
• The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one has to do.
• The world is still full of willing people; some willing to lead and the rest willing to let them.
• No man stands so tall as when he stoops to help a boy.

Extra PDF of Helps for Leaders

• Planning your Blue & Gold Banquet
• Planning Time Table
• 4 Months Before
• 3 Months Before
• 2 Months Before
• 1 Month Before
• 2 Weeks Before
• Banquet Day
• Committees to Organize
• Planning Committee
• Dinner Committee
• Decorations
• Program
• Publicity
• Pack Planning Sheet
• I am America's Future Flag Ceremony
• America Opening Ceremony
• What is Your Scouting Commitment IQ? Multiple Choice Quiz
• Leader & Parent Recognition Poems
• Thanks! You're a Lifesaver
• A Small Part

To see more Theme Ideas, and other PowWow books go to this page CLICK HERE

Patches and Awards Too! - Cub Scout Themes - PowWow Books - Pack Meeting Plans

Patches, Patches, & More Patches!!! And Awards Too!  was an additional section in the 2008-09 Utah National Parks Council PowWow book.  It had many ideas that were used back then and can still be used today.

To open the PDF for Patches, Patches, & More Patches!!! And Awards Too!, CLICK HERE

Some of the things you will find in this PDF are:

• Crime Fighting Patch
• Crime Prevention Award
• Hutchings Museum of Natural History
• Sons of the Utah Pioneers
• Monte L. Bean Life Science Patch
• Museum of Peoples and Cultures
• Utah County Fair Patch
• Utah County Freedom Festival Patch
• Utah County Trails Patch
• Utah's National Monuments Tour Patch
• Utah's National Parks Tour Patch
• Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area Patch
• Ouray National Wildlife Refuge Patch
• Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award
• Leave No Trace FrontCountry Guidelines
• Cub Scouting's Leave No Trace Awareness Award
• Cub Scout World Conservation Award
• Boy Scouts of America Family Award
• The BSA Physical Fitness Award
• National Den Award
• Donor Awareness Patch
• Boys Life Patch
• Cub Zoo Trail
• Kennecott's Bingham Canyon Mine Tour Patch
• Wheeler Historic Farm Walk
• This is the Place Heritage Park Utah State Fair Patch
• Utah Firefighter's Museum and Memorial Tour Patch
• Ability Awareness Patch
• The Heart of Scouting Pin
• The Heart of Scouting Patch for Cub Scouts
• Centennial Award Program
• Cub Scout Leader Recognition Plan
• Miscellaneous Award Cards

To see more Theme Ideas, and other PowWow books go to this page CLICK HERE

Spreadsheet of all the requirements completed for each den meeting plan for Wolves, Bears, and Webelos

A special thank you to Charity Bartholomew who is in the Utah National Parks Council, Black Diamond district (Spanish fork area) for donating this amazing information.  It is a hand-out that lays out all the requirements completed for each den meeting plan for Wolves, Bears and Webelos.

• Click here to download this spreadsheet

** PLEASE do not download these files and email or send them digitally to others.  These are for your personal use only.  If you would like to share these files with others, please copy the link to this post and send them to our site so they can print off their own.  We would love to have everyone that would like a copy to come here to get their own copy absolutely free.  We receive money to keep our website open where we store all of our documents and PDF files by people visiting our blog.  Please don't take money out of our pockets by bypassing our blog.

How Akela's Council Cub Scout Leader Training Changed My Mind About Cub Scouting

How Akela’s Council Changed My Mind About Cub Scouting

This post was copied from the Blog of the Utah National Parks Council. 

To see the blog post, CLICK HERE 

I went to Akela’s Council Cub Scout Leader Training 6 years ago when I was only a member of the Pack committee (serving in our LDS ward primary presidency). I wanted our pack to have a great program but I didn’t know much about Cub Scouting so this seemed like a great chance to learn.

Many people in my life didn’t have a great opinion of Scouting in general and thought of it as largely a waste of time. Not having had anything to do with it up till then I must admit I wasn’t too excited about my new position. But I’m the kind of person who likes to do things right so I wanted to get a good idea of what I was supposed to do and what a good Scouting program should be, so my husband (the Cubmaster at the time) and I decided we should go.

I was expecting 4 days of roundtable-like training’s and a lot of sitting around taking notes. Boy was I surprised! It was an adventure from start to finish and I came away with a passion for cub scouting.

At Akela’s Council I had life changing experiences and made lifetime connections. Being able to step away from the bustle of life for a few days and learn and grow with all the people there was unforgettable. We got to work on projects, share ideas, complete challenges, have a great time, learn and laugh a lot.  It is such a neat program and the individuals that made it all happen were so generous and kind, their examples and friendship really touched me and I still draw on the things I learned from them.

There were many things that our pack just wasn’t doing and I got to see first hand how much better things go when the right systems and tools are in place. I also realized how significant the small things could be to the boys and the importance of belonging, and I came away determined to help the boys in my pack feel wanted and loved. I wanted to share with my pack how fun cub scouting could be.

Our pack program improved so much when we started implementing the things we learned. We even had life long Scouters approach us at some of the pack meetings to say how impressed they were with the quality of program that they saw. I don’t say this to brag only to say that it was because we were using the things we learned at Akela’s council and it really really did make a difference in our pack. I’m so glad that I went.  I am now serving as a Den Leader, and this time I am very prepared.

To learn more about Akela's Council, please visit our website AkelasCouncil.com

If you want to know more check out this YouTube video:

By Celeste Hunt - Hurricane, Utah

This post was copied from the Blog of the Utah National Parks Council. 

To see the blog post, go to http://blog.utahscouts.org/training-2/how-akelas-council-changed-my-mind-about-cub-scouting/ 

Parent Orientation Letter as their boys begin Cub Scouts

A special thank you to Charity Bartholomew who is in the Utah National Parks Council, Black Diamond district (Spanish fork area) for donating this amazing information to give to parents as their boys come into Cub Scouts.

• CLICK HERE to view the editable document 
• CLICK HERE to open an editable document 
• CLICK HERE to see other Helps for Den Leaders

** PLEASE do not download these files and email or send them digitally to others.  These are for your personal use only.  If you would like to share these files with others, please copy the link to this post and send them to our site so they can print off their own.  We would love to have everyone that would like a copy to come here to get their own copy absolutely free.  We receive money to keep our website open where we store all of our documents and PDF files by people visiting our blog.  Please don't take money out of our pockets by bypassing our blog.

Boy Orientation Letter as they begin Cub Scouts

A special thank you to Charity Bartholomew who is in the Utah National Parks Council, Black Diamond district (Spanish fork area) for donating this amazing information to give to boys as they come into Cub Scouts.

• CLICK HERE to view the editable document 
• CLICK HERE to open an editable document 
• CLICK HERE to see other Helps for Den Leaders

** PLEASE do not download these files and email or send them digitally to others.  These are for your personal use only.  If you would like to share these files with others, please copy the link to this post and send them to our site so they can print off their own.  We would love to have everyone that would like a copy to come here to get their own copy absolutely free.  We receive money to keep our website open where we store all of our documents and PDF files by people visiting our blog.  Please don't take money out of our pockets by bypassing our blog.

Welcome to Cub Scouts!

We are excited to have you join our Den!

These are some things you need to know:

What you do:

-       Weekly Den meetings include FUN activities and field trips (_____Day, Time, and Location__________)

-       Annual summer day camp

-       Work on Adventures! (Wolf book and (if applicable) Faith in God)

-       Monthly Pack meetings

o   FUN games and activities

o   Awards

o   Participate in skits, songs, and flag ceremonies

o   Special events

§  Pinewood Derby

§  Raingutter Regatta

§  Cub-Annapolis

Your responsibilities:

-       Be on time

-       Wear uniform to all Cub Scout events

-       Behave – Show respect and listen to your leaders

-       Bring your book to den meeting each week

(keep updated)

-       Invite your family to pack night each month

-       Advancement – work on your adventures regularly

-       Work hard and have fun!!

The fun begins ____________!  See you there! 

Rolls for Cub Scout Den and Pack Meetings ~ Den Leader Records

Den Leader’s Records

1. It is so important to have something you can always look back on to verify records.  This is a fast and simple way to have a permanent record.  If I mark a roll, I can go back at any point to update the rest of my records.  
2. Do not rely on the books the boys carry as your record of what they have earned.  You need to keep a current record for each boy as he completes each requirement.  A lot of times the books are not accurate.  It takes too much time for me to sign each boys book each time we pass off something, and there is not a place to record other awards or Faith in God.  You need to have a good system.
3. As boys come to den meeting, take a roll
4. Write down what achievements were accomplished during the meeting
5. Record on each boys record sheet what was accomplished.  I have a section in my binder for each boy that includes a chart for Bear Requirements, one for Belt Loops and pins, one for Faith in God, and one that I write on telling which month they earned patches and other scout awards.
6. Once a month, a newsletter is sent home with information on what is going on in cub scouts this past month, in future months, and goals we have passed off by week so parents can mark it off in the cub’s binder.  If the cubs missed a week, the parents know what to do at home to catch the cub up so he can earn awards with the other cubs at the next pack meeting.

• CLICK HERE to download a roll for 10 boys
• CLICK HERE to download a roll for 15 boys

** PLEASE do not download these files and email or send them digitally to others.  These are for your personal use only.  If you would like to share these files with others, please copy the link to this post and send them to our site so they can print off their own.  We would love to have everyone that would like a copy to come here to get their own copy absolutely free.  We receive money to keep our website open where we store all of our documents and PDF files by people visiting our blog.  Please don't take money out of our pockets by bypassing our blog.

Welcome Packet for New Cub Scouts and their Parents that can be given by their Den Leader

Cub Scouting can be a whole new world for Cub Scouts and their parents.  It is a new language and sometimes confusing.  This 8 page welcome packet is meant to help the family to know more about what Cub Scouting is all about.  This booklet gives lots of good information including:

• Contact Info
• Purpose of Cub Scouting
• History
• Den/Pack Info
• Special Events
• Parent Expectations
• Scout Expectations
• Advancement
• Rank & Awards
• Funding
• Camping
• Website
• Uniforms
• Books

A big thanks to Kimberly Pearson for donating this amazing document.  Kimberly is a Cubmaster & District Roundtable Cub Scout Commissioner in the Tiburon District, Orange County Council.

• Click here to download a Word document that can be edited to meet the needs of your Pack.

** PLEASE do not download these files and email or send them digitally to others.  These are for your personal use only.  If you would like to share these files with others, please copy the link to this post and send them to our site so they can print off their own.  We would love to have everyone that would like a copy to come here to get their own copy absolutely free.  We receive money to keep our website open where we store all of our documents and PDF files by people visiting our blog.  Please don't take money out of our pockets by bypassing our blog.