What We Do

About Cub Scouting

Cub Scouting is a year-round program designed to meet the needs of kindergarten through fifth grade boys and girls and their families. The program offers fun and challenging activities that promote character development and physical fitness. Family involvement is an essential part of the program and parents are encouraged to play an active role both as a parent-partner and in a leadership role. Cub Scouting helps parents make the most of the time they have to impact the lives of their children.

Parents are REQUIRED to attend and actively participate in all events if their Cub Scout is a Lion (kindergarten) or Tiger (1st grade).  

Cub Scout Ranks

                        Kindergarter:     Lion

    First Graders:             Tiger

                        Second Graders:        Wolf

                        Third Graders:            Bear 

                        Fourth Graders:         Webelos

                        Fifth Graders:             Arrow of Light  (transition to Scouts BSA in February/March)

All new Scouts joining Cub Scouts, start by earning the rank of Bobcat regardless of grade/age joined.

More information on Cub Scouting is available at CubScouting.org.

How Our Pack is Organized

Each Cub Scout starts out as a member of a Den, but is also a part of a much larger group of Cub Scouts that will support their growth and development throughout their Cub Scouting adventures known as a Pack. 

Each Cub Scout is assigned a Den based on their current grade level:  Lions (K), Tigers (1st grade), Wolves (2nd grade), Bears (3rd grade), Webelos (4th grade), and Arrow of Light (5th grade).  A Den is usually made up of six to ten Scouts and meets about twice a month. The Den allows scouts to get to know each other better and engage in age appropriate activities that would be difficult in a larger group. Each Den is led by a Den Leader who may be assisted by a co-leader or an Assistant Den Leader. Den leaders are trained parent/adult volunteers.  Den activities focus on rank advancement requirements. The Den Leaders may ask for special help from parents like hosting or helping with a meeting, sharing a special skill, or just providing a snack for the Den.  Parents of Lion (K) or Tiger  (1st grade) are REQUIRED to attend and ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE in Den and Pack activities with their Cub Scout.

At least once a month, all of the Dens, with their families, join together at the Pack meeting, where Scouts show off the new skills they have learned during the month and are recognized with the badges and adventure belt loops they have earned. The pack is led by a Cubmaster with one or more Assistant Cubmasters and an army of parent volunteers!  The Cubmaster is an adult volunteer who serves as master of ceremonies at all pack meetings and leads pack activities of all kinds. 

The Pack Committee is a group of adults leaders and coordinators, led by the Committee Chairman.  The Pack Committee meets monthly and any interested parent is welcome to attend. The Pack Committee takes care of the administrative needs of the pack such as event planning, record keeping, finance, leadership recruitment, and registration. The committee is responsible for:

• Planning and coordinating the pack programs 

• Carrying out the policies and regulations of the Boy Scouts of America

• Setting the pack policies in accordance with BSA and the chartered organization

• Executing the annual pack charter renewal

• Providing the finances and fundraising coordination for the pack

• Accounting and maintaining the pack property 

• Ensuring quality adult leadership by making sure leadership is recruited and trained.

• Coordinating between the pack and other Scouting units.

Parents are highly encouraged to take an active role in the Pack.  The entire Pack is operated by the efforts of parent volunteers.  The more involved the parents are in making the Pack operate, the more fun and engaging experiences your Scout is having.  Don't be a sideline parent! 

What Our Pack Does

PACK MEETINGS  Once a month, all Dens meet together for a Pack Meeting. All Cub Scouts and their families are encouraged to attend. The Pack Meeting is a fun time for everyone. Dens show off their new skills, there may be a unqiue program (2-liter bottle rockets, Scout Olympics) or a special visitor presentation.  Awards earned since the last Pack Meeting are also presented to the Scouts. It is a time for the family to get information on upcoming activities and share in the Scouting spirit. Be sure to attend and join in the excitement while watching your scout advance! We encourage scouts to wear their uniform.

DEN MEETINGS   Den Meetings are where your scout gets together with other scouts in their grade level.  Each Den is lead by a Den Leader.  This leader, working with the parents, provides your scout with opportunities to enjoy various planned activities, learn new skills, and have great fun all while working on requirements for their rank. While parental attendance is not required at Den Meetings (except for Lions and Tigers), it is certainly encouraged! Some Dens will require parent participation at specific meetings. Please keep in touch with your scout's Den Leader so that you will know what activities are taking place and can track the progress your child is making. 

CAMPING   Pack 843 typically has two campouts during the school year; one in the fall and one in the spring.  The campout is an opportunity for scouts to get out into the outdoors.  During the campouts the scouts have a chance to work with their Dens on advancement requirements, hike, fish, shoot BBs, archery, creeking, learn camp skills, campfire skits and songs, and eat a s'more or two.  Meals are provided for the Scouts and their parents.  Scouts bring their own personal equipment: tent, sleeping bags, flashlights, bug spray. The campout is typically held at Camp Lazarus on Rt 23 south of Delaware, Ohio.

SERVICE PROJECTS  Citizenship and Service to our community are important aspects of the Cub Scouting program.  The Pack typically has 2-3 service project per year that they participate in.  Scouting for Food is the Boys Scouts of America annual nationwide service project that Pack 843 is always a participant in.  While the program is nationwide, the food gathered by our Pack stays right here in Delaware County supporting our community.

POPCORN SALES   Every Fall the Pack participates in Scout Popcorn sales. The campaign runs from August through October, with product deliveries in November.  All scouts participate in this event and receive prizes and other recognition for their efforts.  In addition to raising money for the Pack, the Scouts gain confidence in speaking with adults, learn about work and reward, and show their Scout spirit in the community.  In addition to door-to-door and online sales, the Pack also arranges sales in front of local retail locations.  The Pack relies heavily on the funds generated by this fundraiser. Everyone's participation is expected and appreciated. The Pack retains 30% of the proceeds of the popcorn sold and is the single largest source of funding for all Pack activities.

BLUE & GOLD BANQUET  Each year, Cub Scouts celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the Boy Scouts of America on February 8, 1910, by having a Blue and Gold Banquet.  The Banquet typically has refreshments and entertainment.   Blue & Gold Banquet is also a time to celebrate the achievements of our Arrow of Light (5th grade) Scouts as they cross-over into the Scout BSA troops.

PINEWOOD DERBY   The Pinewood Derby is a Cub Scouting classic!  It is one of the most popular and successful activities in Cub Scouting and often the image that comes to mind when people think of Cub Scouting.  Scouts work with their family to cut, shape and fashion a pine block of wood into a racing machine.  On Derby Day, the Pack comes together to race their cars!   The cars are powered by gravity down a track.  There are prizes for speed, design and creativity but the real prize is the excitement your Scout has seeing their car race down the track.  And parents, you will have pride knowing your Scout is learning new skills and experiences. The Pack provides the car kits along with rules and instruction for design and competition. The Pack 843's derby is typically held in March.

PACK GRADUATION   The Pack Graduation ceremony in May marks the completion of the Scout's experience for the year and celebration of "Ranking Up" to the next rank.  At the ceremony, each scout is awarded their new rank and any other badges they have earned since the last Pack meeting.  It is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of the Scouts and to get the details on the summer events and camps.

CUB SCOUT DAY CAMP   Each summer, Packs from around the area come together for a week-long day camp.  The Day Camp staff sets a theme and a program to match.  The 2021 theme was "Weird Science" and included classic summer Scouting activities like fishing, sling shots, archery, swimming and creeking but also had rocketry, STEM stations and a visit from internet star Coyote Peterson of the Brave WIlderness YouTube channel.  Pack 843 usually sends a large contingent from our Pack.  Scouts are grouped with their Pack.  And if this sounds like fun to you adults, there are opportunities to volunteer for a day or the week to make this action-packed week a reality!

WEBELOS SUMMER CAMP   Older Cub Scouts have the opportunity to participate in Webelos camp.  Held at Camp Falling Rock near Newark, Webelos will stay overnight and get a taste of the typical Scouts BSA summer camp program.  The Camp typically run Monday - Thursday, it is a great introduction to the program at the next level of Scouting, Scouts BSA.