Who are we? We are the leaders and parents of Pack 679. We are a pack, a group of families interested in scouting and the benefits it offers our young men. A few of us have been in Scouting quite some time, and others are brand-new. All of us are committed to bringing the boys of our Pack the best cub scouting program possible, while remaining committed to graduating them to Boy Scouts. The goals of Cub Scouting are ten-fold: Character Development, Spiritual Growth, Good Citizenship, Sportsmanship and Fitness, Family Understanding, Respectful Relationships, Personal Achievements, Friendly Service, Fun and Adventure, and Preparation for Boy Scouts. A continuous reinforcement of these tenets will result in a well-rounded boy and ultimately a great citizen. It is important for everyone involved in Scouting to remember that the things learned and discussed in scouting should not simply remain at the most recent meeting. Instead, they need to be taken home, and reinforced by parents. No boy ever achieved Eagle Scout without the help of adults who cared about his future. Following are a few fundamentals about the Cub Scout organization:

• Cub Scouts is the younger boys program of the Boy Scouts of America. The BSA has a charter from the Congress of the United States to provide a quality, extra-curricular program for young men. The BSA is broken down by regions, and further by Councils. Councils are broken into Districts, and Boy Scout Troops and Cub Scout Packs are formed under these various geographical districts. Our Pack is chartered under the Northstar District of the Boulder Dam Area Council, Western Region.
• A Pack is a unit of boys of different ages/grades. It is an officially chartered organization of the Boy Scouts of America, which agrees to follow the guidelines and policies set forth by the BSA and local council.
• The Pack organizes boys by grade into Dens: Tiger (1), Wolf (2), Bear (3), and Webelos (4 & 5). There may be more than one den for each rank depending on how many boys are in the Pack. A typical den will have from 3-10 boys.
• The Pack is run by adults who volunteer. Leadership positions required include a Cubmaster, Den Leaders, Committee Chairman, and Chartered Organization Rep. Usually there are one or more Assistant Cubmasters, Committee Members that handle rank advancement, outings, treasury, and other tasks, and parents that help out on a rotating monthly basis to organize snacks, games, etc. A pack functions only as well as the parents who run it.
• The BSA strives to educate and train volunteer leaders to become effective at running the scouting program. These trained leaders are called 'Scouters', and those who invest years of their time to help these boys are professional scouters. Volunteers all, they continuously donate their time, energy, and passion into honing their abilities and program skills so that they can provide the best possible experience for our scouts. Trained leaders possess knowledge and abilities concerning safe scouting, including child safety and protection. All leaders are registered with Council and are checked against known offender lists. These leaders are taught about two-deep leadership, which provides both oversight and protection. Each and every activity is always overseen with at-minimum two-deep leadership, and at-minimum 50% "Trained" ratios. These policies are meant to protect all parties, and provide a great 'not-a-concern' program. Trained leaders are also covered under the BSA insurance for accidents and other incidents that might occur during an outing or event.

When a boy joins the pack, he begins with whatever age group is relavent. For example, a new fourth-grade boy that has never been a scout before will still jump in as a Webelos scout. However, regardless of when he joins, each boy must meet the requirements for the Bobcat rank, which teaches the fundamentals of Cub Scouting such as the Cub Scout Oath and Cub Scout Pack Law. Following is a brief synopsis of the cub scout ranks and their objectives:

• Tigers: Tigers are the youngest scouts, joining at First Grade. They learn about Akela and the Pack, and have many adventures to complete during their first year in scouting. They generally meet once per month as a Den, and then once again with the whole Pack. The Den meetings typically take place on a rotating home basis between the parents of the boys. The Tiger Cub Den Leader is responsible for planning the adventures and helping to orient the new scouts to the program.
• Bobcat: This is a rank achievement only, which must be completed by all Cub Scouts of Wolf age or older. Bobcat teaches the fundamentals of Cub Scouting that the boy will use until he graduates to Boy Scouts.
• Wolf: These second graders really begin their road to scouting by achieving many different learning adventures, including family life, community, home safety, outdoor fun, and more. The Wolf Den Leader will usually have a weekly meeting at his or her residence, and coordinates with the parents of the boys to rotate snack assignments, etc. Parents do not have to stay during the Den meeting, but are encouraged to do so in order to be cognizant of the boy's requirements. All Cub Scouts must earn part of their required achievements outside of the Den meeting, speaking strictly from a time perspective. Ideally, the boy's parents will be involved and help him to grow in scouting.
• Bear: By now, these scouts are advanced enough in their program to understand more intrinsic rules of self-governance, as they are introduced to the pocket knife, fundamentals of camping, knot-tying, etc. Much more emphasis is placed on achieving requirements outside of the den meeting. Bear Scouts are preparing for Webelos, which is the rank before Boy Scouts. The Bear Den leader will usually be the same person that had the Den when they were Wolf, so the families are usually fairly close knit by this point as well.
• Webelos: The word stands for "WE'll BE LOyal Scouts", and it is aptly named. Webelos is the rank for two years, fourth and fifth grades. The objective is to prepare the boy for Boy Scouts, subtly the first year, and briskly the second. Webelos wear the same uniform as the Boy Scouts (tan), and are organized into Patrols instead of Dens. While this is simply a change of name and color, it signifies a changing wind in the boy, and forebearance of the Scouting adventure ahead. By the second year, the Webelos scout will be have several campouts with our local Troop, will have earned the Webelos rank and many of the Webelos Activity Badges, and will be working toward the highest achievement in all of Cub Scouting: The Arrow of Light. The AOL is no small achievement. It is difficult to gather all of the requirements necessary before graduation to Boy Scouts and those who do achieve it are celebrated. It takes a dedicated Patrol leader and parents to help a boy achieve it, and he will wear it proudly throughout his scouting career. In fact, it is the only award he will be able to wear as a Boy Scout, and even later as an adult scouter.

On graduation night, the Cubmaster, Webelos Patrol Leader, and Webelos Coordinator from Pack 679 will officially "crossover" the boy to the Scoutmaster of Troop 430 or Troop 555, who will provide him with his new epaulets, scout handbook, and neckerchief. It is a celebrated night of achievement, one that the boy and his family will not soon forget. The boy now begins an exciting time in his life, participating in bigger and bolder adventures with his new Troop.