Learn more about Scouting

We developed this section to answer some common questions:

What is scouts about?
Will scouts help my son grow?
Why should I sign my son up?
How is Boy Scouts organized?
What can I expect from scouts?
What is expected of me?

Popular Questions

What is the Mission of Boy Scouts?
…to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

 

What Do Scouts Do?
Some of the best things about Cub Scouting are the activities the boys (and sometimes you) get to do: camping, hiking, racing model cars, going on field trips, or doing projects that help our community and the people who live here. Cub Scouting means “doing.” All our activities are designed to have the boys doing something and by “doing” they learn some very valuable life lessons.

Do Parents Have a Role?
Yes. As a program for the entire family, Cub Scouting can teach your boy a wholesome system of values and beliefs while building and strengthening relationships among family members. Scouting gives you a pretty neat platform to equip your son. We provide other mentors to help your son grow but you are also an important part of his development in scouting. Your role decreases as your son gets older.

But your role in the troop can be passive. We don’t expect a parent to leap right in. But, be warned, Cub Scouting might touch you as it touches your son and you might eventually get ‘the fever’ that many of our leaders got from Scouting. But you are encouraged to go at your own pace.

How Old (or young) Can a Boy be to Join?
Cub Scouting is for boys in Kinder through fifth grades or 5 to 10 years of age. Boys who are older than 10, or who have completed the fifth grade, can no longer join Cub Scouts, but they are eligible to join a Boy Scout Troop.

How do our Scouts Achieve Their Goals?
Activities are used to achieve the aims of Scouting—citizenship training, character development, and personal fitness. Many of the activities happen in the den (with the children in their grade) or with the entire pack (with all the grade levels). Our Scouts always have Go-and-See’s and plenty of outdoor and indoor activities to help them achieve goals.

What Supplies and Equipment are Needed?
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. 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.

What are the Scout Oath and Scout Law?

Scout Oath
On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

Scout Law

The Scout Law has 12 points. Each is a goal for every Scout. A Scout tries to live up to the Law every day. It is not always easy to do, but a Scout always tries.

A Scout is:

TRUSTWORTHY. Tell the truth and keep promises. People can depend on you.

LOYAL. Show that you care about your family, friends, Scout leaders, school, and country.

HELPFUL. Volunteer to help others without expecting a reward.

FRIENDLY. Be a friend to everyone, even people who are very different from you.

COURTEOUS. Be polite to everyone and always use good manners.

KIND. Treat others as you want to be treated . Never harm or kill any living thing without good reason.

OBEDIENT. Follow the rules of your family, school, and pack. Obey the laws of your community and country.

CHEERFUL. Look for the bright side of life. Cheerfully do tasks that come your way. Try to help others be happy.

THRIFTY. Work to pay your own way. Try not to be wasteful. Use time, food, supplies, and natural resources wisely.

BRAVE. Face difficult situations even when you feel afraid. Do what you think is right despite what others might be doing or saying.

CLEAN. Keep your body and mind fit . Help keep your home and community clean.

REVERENT. Be reverent toward God. Be faithful in your religious duties. Respect the beliefs of others.

A parents call to action

“There is a battle of significant consequence taking place in the lives of boys in America today. In simple terms, it is the battle between doing what is right or wrong. A recent study conducted by Louis Harris & Associates indicates that the proportion of boys choosing to do what is wrong is alarmingly high. Even basic values such as not cheating on schoolwork and not stealing seem to be unstable.

Clearly, the results of this study indicate that our nation’s youth are struggling with ethical and moral decisions and that these difficulties can only increase with age. Therefore, the need for reinforcing and rewarding strong moral standards and providing positive role models at a young age is more important than ever before.

Cub Scouting creates a climate of cooperative and collaborative relationships between adults and children–a laboratory for adults and children to get to know one another. It provides opportunities for children to acquire the capacity for accomplishment. The program affirms to the child that the world really is an interesting place.

Cub Scouting is fun! But it is fun with a purpose. Woven through all the fun is an inspired program that really works. Tried and proven methods are used that transfer traditional values, build character, and develop leadership skills — all in the context of fun and family togetherness.”

What are the Scout Oath and Scout Law?

Scout Oath
On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

Scout Law

The Scout Law has 12 points. Each is a goal for every Scout. A Scout tries to live up to the Law every day. It is not always easy to do, but a Scout always tries.

A Scout is:

TRUSTWORTHY. Tell the truth and keep promises. People can depend on you.

LOYAL. Show that you care about your family, friends, Scout leaders, school, and country.

HELPFUL. Volunteer to help others without expecting a reward.

FRIENDLY. Be a friend to everyone, even people who are very different from you.

COURTEOUS. Be polite to everyone and always use good manners.

KIND. Treat others as you want to be treated . Never harm or kill any living thing without good reason.

OBEDIENT. Follow the rules of your family, school, and pack. Obey the laws of your community and country.

CHEERFUL. Look for the bright side of life. Cheerfully do tasks that come your way. Try to help others be happy.

THRIFTY. Work to pay your own way. Try not to be wasteful. Use time, food, supplies, and natural resources wisely.

BRAVE. Face difficult situations even when you feel afraid. Do what you think is right despite what others might be doing or saying.

CLEAN. Keep your body and mind fit . Help keep your home and community clean.

REVERENT. Be reverent toward God. Be faithful in your religious duties. Respect the beliefs of others.

Building Leaders

Since 1910, Scouting has helped mold future leaders by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. 

 

Scouting helps meet six essential needs of young people:
 
 
Mentoring
Scouting provides youth with good role models who can have a powerful impact on their lives. We have a process that screens, selects, and trains the leaders who can provide the attention all young people need to succeed in life.
 
Lifelong Learning
Scouting provides structured settings where kids can learn new skills and develop habits of continual learning that will help them succeed. Scouting offers a proven program of discovering, sharing, and applying knowledge and skills that last a lifetime.
 
Faith Traditions
One of the key tenets of Scouting is “duty to God.” While Scouting does not define religious belief for its members, it does encourage each young person to begin a spiritual journey through the practice of his or her faith tradition
 
Serving Others
Scouting is deeply rooted in the concept of doing for others. “Do a Good Turn Daily” is a core Scouting precept. Scouting encourages young people to recognize the needs of others and take action accordingly.
 
Healthy Living
Young people need to be well. To get the most from life, one must be both mentally and physically fit. A commitment to physical wellness has been reflected in Scouting’s outdoor programs such as hiking, camping, swimming, climbing, and conservation. First aid, lifesaving, and safety programs are synonymous with Scouting. Our programs today include strong drug abuse awareness and prevention programs emphasizing the value of healthy living habits.
 
Building Character
Few will argue with the importance of teaching values and responsibility to our children – not only right from wrong, but specific, affirmative values such as fairness, courage, honor, and respect for others. Beginning with the Scout Oath and Scout Law, the Boy Scouts of America program is infused with character-building activities that allow youth to apply abstract principles to daily living situations.