New Scout and Join Scouting Night Information

Welcome! This page should provide you with the basic information as you consider signing up your son or daughter to become a Cub Scout.

Join Scouting Night (JSN) is a special night dedicated to recruiting new scouts and families into a Cub Scout Pack. This year, JSN takes place on September 11th 2023 at Mill Run Elementary Cafeteria at 7pm.

All new cub scouts entering Kindergarten through 5th grades are welcome to attend.

You will learn about the Cub Scout Program and Pack 1484’s scouting way from members of our wonderful leadership team. You will be able to complete your online application (https://my.scouting.org/VES/OnlineReg/1.0.0/?tu=UF-MB-082paa1484) and register with our pack once we are done.

Dues are TBD for National, Council and Pack (to be finalized by 9/1), National is making changes in August 2023 to the process

Estimate:

New Scout Fee: $25 (paid online)
New Scout Pro-Rated 2023 Dues: $35 (paid online)
2024 National: $80 (TBD may be paid online or to pack)
2024 NCAC: $80 (paid to pack)
2023-2024 Pack Estimate: $130 (paid to pack)

Please scroll down for more Information that new Parents and Scouts will want to know

New Scout Information

Where do I begin?

The Parent’s Guide to Cub Scouts has all the information you need!

What age requirements are there to join scouting?

To become a Cub Scout, your son or daughter must be in Kindergarten through Fifth grade. When your scout joins and is assigned a den, they will work towards their age-specific rank and will not be required to earn the previous ranks for younger scouts. So all elementary school aged boys and girls can join!

What does a year of Scouting cost?

See estimates above for 2023-2024

This covers the following:

Pack dues – Awards, books, neckerchief and slide, pinewood derby cars, raingutter regatta boats, Pack T-Shirt
National Application/Registration Fee from January – December, 2024. Please note that when you sign up online, you will pay additional national dues for the balance of 2023.
Boy’s Life magazine (TBD)
Insurance

What does Pack 1484 supply?

In addition to a fun-filled year, Pack 1484 provides the following when your Scout signs up:

Neckerchief
Neckerchief Slide
Book
Pack 1484 Class B t-shirt

What do I need to buy and where can I buy them?

You will need to purchase:

Blue Cub Scout Short Sleeve Shirt (K-3) or Tan Boy Scout Shirt (4-5)
Purple Scout Crest patch and centennial ring patch
Den number
Hat
NCAC Patch
Cub Scout Belt (K-3)
Optional Red Brag Vest
Optional Scout Pants: Blue (K-3) or Green (4-5) (can use dark pants/jeans)
Optional Scout Socks

These supplies are available at Scout Shops such as:

National Capital Scout Shop
9190 Rockville Pike,

Bethesda, MD 20814

301-564-1091

Northern Virginia Scout Shop

5232 Port Royal Road

Springfield, VA 22151

703-321-4836

You can also buy Scout stuff on-line at Scoutshop.org

Where do I place everything?

You can look at the Cub Scout Uniform Inspection Sheet, and Webelos Uniform Inspection Sheet for guidance and correct placement. Leaders can use the official Scout Leader Uniform Inspection Sheet. To see how the uniform changes as your scout progresses through the ranks of Cub Scouts, see the Uniforms page.

New Parent/Leader Information

If I’m a Den Leader, what do I need to do?

If you can volunteer to be a Den Leader or Assistant Den Leader – THANKS! I’d love to say it’s an easy job and it’s only one hour a week but that would be misleading. As a Lion or Tiger Den Leader, there is a lot of new information, processes, meeting preparation, etc and, honestly, it can take 2-3 hours to prepare for your first few Den meetings. After than, you’ll get into a groove and things will go much faster. Plus, you can always ask for advice from previous Den Leaders.
One thing you’ll need to do before your adult application will be processed is complete Youth Protection Training (YPT) – Youth Protection is our #1 Priority! Just go to my.scouting.org, create an account, and complete the training. Make sure to print the certificate to attach to your application.

How do I plan and run my first meeting?

There is a wealth of information out there on how to be a Den Leader including how to plan and run Den meetings. Keep them simple at first doing things to get to know one another. Here are a few fundamentals:
1) There is not only one way to do this. The kids will not know. The key is to keep them occupied. While there are Den Meeting Plans, use these as a guide, not an absolute.
2) Each rank has defined requirements. These requirements are included in the rank-specific handbook and as long as you’ve got one of these, you can plan as you see fit.
3) Within a rank, you can do anything in about any order. So, just because the book goes 1, 2, 3 doesn’t mean you have to. You might do them in a 2, 1, 3 order. No problem.
4) Ask for help – your Cub Master and other Den Leaders are here to help.

What do I, as a parent need to know or do?

Scouting is not only a journey for your son or daughter – it’s a journey for the whole family. And, that means your involvement.
As a Lion or Tiger parent, you are REQUIRED to be at all the meetings and Go See Its (field trips). As your Scout moves up in the ranks, or if your new scout is older, there is more opportunity to drop off your scout; However, the Den Leaders will need assistance and your time and talents are important to make the program successful.
As your Scout works through the requirements, he or she will need assistance. This is a great time to help them grow and strengthen the bonds between child and parent.
Finally, we do need several volunteers at the Pack level. Those positions are noted on the “Volunteer” list on the “Sign-Up Sheets” tab. Please consider how you can help the “Cub Scout Grow and the Pack Go.”

How does Cub Scout Advancement work?

Your Scout will advance through the ranks of Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos, and earn awards for academic and sport activities as outlined in Scoutbook, the Cub Scout Advancement site. This is basically the same info that’s in the rank-specific handbook, but in a convenient online location.
In addition to these, there are several awards that scouts can earn: the Outdoor Activity Award promotes being active outside over the summer, while the NOVA award involves integrating STEM into their scouting adventure. Offering these additional awards is one method of addressing the third aim of Scouting: the development of physical, mental and emotional fitness. Fitness includes the body (well-tuned and healthy), the mind (able to think and solve problems), and the emotions (self-control, courage, and self-respect). As in most activities in Cub Scouting, this is not meant to be a highly competitive program, instead, the boys and girls are encouraged to DO THEIR BEST.
And there are many more opportunities that you will come across to earn and learn while having fun!

Are the leaders employees of the Boy Scouts of America or volunteers?
Our pack leadership is made up entirely of parent volunteers! Parents will need to volunteer in some way for our pack to continue!

Positions include: Cubmaster/Assistant Cubmaster (runs the monthly pack meetings, entertaining the scouts, running awards ceremonies and events), Den Leaders/Assistant Den Leaders (runs the regular den meetings, goes through the rank requirements and teaches the scouts their required and elective adventures to earn their ranks by the end of the scouting year), Committee Chair (runs the committee meetings, sets the annual schedule and makes sure everything is being taken care of to run a successful program), Treasurer (manages the pack finances, scout accounts, and reimbursements to leaders for expenses), Registrar/Membership Chair (handles our annual membership renewals, new leader and scout registrations, and our annual rechartering process), Awards Chair (prepares any awards or ranks earned for distribution, manages our inventory for awards, handbooks, neckerchiefs, slides, t-shirts, and orders things as needed), Popcorn Kernel (manages our annual popcorn fundraiser), Pack Trainer (manages training requirements for the pack- ensures YPT and position-specific training is completed, makes sure we have BALOO trained leaders at all camping events), and several other volunteer roles!