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How can we join Cub Scouts? It's easy to join Cub Scouts and Pack 46 -- simple come to any of our regular meetings and ask for a leader. Boys in grade 1 through 5 can join Cub Scouts at any time, although many signup in late August. Many elementary schools have Cub Scout information available at the beginning of school and at Open Houses and Scout School Nights. Many churches also sponsor Cub Scout Packs. You can find a complete list of Charlotte-area Cub Scout Packs at http://www.mccscouting.org/. When do you meet? We generally meet every Monday from late August through early June. Meetings begin at 7:00PM and conclude by 8:00PM. Where do you meet? We meet at Matthews Presbyterian Church located at 207 W. John St., Matthew, NC 28105. Our Scout Rooms are in Fellowship Hall (the old building). What does my son wear? Pack 46 requires a Cub Scout uniform with all pieces except the pants (jeans, khakis, and shorts are acceptable. Uniforms are available at The Scout Shop located at 1410 East 7th Street (704-333-5471) OR The Carolina Scout Shop located at 2121 Westinghouse Blvd. (704-583-2127) Please call ahead for business hours. Unless otherwise noted, boys should wear these uniforms to Monday night meetings. These uniforms are called CLASS A’s. Pack 46 issues a Pack t-shirt with our logo for each boy. These shirts are referred to as CLASS B’s. What are the different Cub Scout Ranks? 1st Grade Tiger Cubs (orange uniform accessories) 2nd Grade Wolf Cub Scouts (yellow/red uniform accessories) 3rd Grade Bear Cub Scouts (light blue uniform accessories) 4th Grade Webelos I Scout (Boy Scout uniforms---green/khaki) 5th Grade Webelos II Scout (Boy Scout uniforms---green/khaki) What is the Achievement, Awards & Advancement System for Cub Scouts? 1st Grade Tiger Cubs: earn the Tiger Paw emblem for their uniforms by learning Cub Scout basics. Each Tiger has the opportunity to earn up to 15 beads for participating in 5 den activities, 5 family activities, and 5 Go See It activities. Tiger can then move toward the Rank of Bobcat. Bobcat (all grades): All boys who have finished their Tiger OR have entered as new Cubs must complete the Bobcat badge to be eligible for further rank advancement. Typically, the material required by Bobcat can be completed in a single meeting. Cubs only have to earn the Bobcat Rank once. 2nd and 3rd Grade Wolf & Bear Cubs: must earn the rank of Bobcat in order to progress. Like Tigers, these boys work with their dens and families through a series of fun and educational achievement requirements. Pack 46 strongly encourages participation in local Cub Scout Summer Day Camps (each June). 4th & 5th Grade Webelos Scouts: work on transitioning from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts by working on twenty achievements. These boys are strongly encouraged to participate in Webelos Residents Camp (each July) and Webeloree (each October) to earn the most possible. Boys who complete all twenty Webelos achievements are eligible for the “Twentier,” or Super Achiever, recognition at their Blue & Gold Banquet their fifth grade year. Most 2nd year (5th grade) Webelos earn Cub Scouting’s highest award, the “Arrow of Light.” Please refer to your son’s Webelos handbook to note the current requirements. 5th grade boys cross over from Pack 46 to Troop 46 (Boy Scouts) at our annual Blue & Gold Banquet each February. Both the Troop and Pack leadership work together to ensure a smooth transition for both boys and families into Boy Scout life. Do I have to remain at each meeting with my son? Tiger Den (1st grade) parents must remain at the meetings with their sons. All other parents are encouraged to stay and offer assistance to the den leaders. A common misconception is that Cub Scouts is a “Monday night babysitting service.” Please understand, if you are looking for a place to drop off your son with no additional commitments, Pack 46 is not the place for you. All Pack 46 parents engage in this experience with their sons. What does it cost? Annual dues are $50.00. This fee covers yearly dues, a year’s subscription to Boys’ Life Magazine, BSA insurance, a Pack 46 Tshirt and the required handbook. Popcorn Sale: Each Fall the Pack participates in the local Scouting Council’s Fundraiser with Trail’s End Popcorn. Boys have the opportunity to sell popcorn door-to-door with an adult; sell at local business; and at other preset locations. Boys are compensated with prizes. The 27% of the profit goes directly into our treasury to fund Pack 46 activities. Friends of Scouting: Each Spring families can contribute or pledge to contribute to the local council, Mecklenburg County Council, to help fund camp operations and pay the costs of operating Scouting in Mecklenburg. Are parents expected to help lead den meetings? Yes, every parent should be willing to volunteer some of his/her time to work with the trained den leader(s) to provide quality meetings. Den leaders generally set the schedule. What volunteer opportunities are there for parents? The Pack is totally volunteer led. We always need parents to become den leaders, serve as committee members and volunteer to assist with Pack Meetings. What is the difference between a Pack Meeting and a Den Meeting? Den Meetings are held the first three Mondays of each month, the boys and their respective den leaders meet in groups by rank to work on activities, achievements, and other planned events. Pack Meetings are held the last Monday of each month with the entire pack together in the main meeting hall, and feature presentations, skits, etc. and give the boys the chance to receive awards for their hard work all month. Advancement ceremonies are held during Pack Meetings, and we frequently have special guests attend. Do we camp? Pack 46 has both a Fall and a Spring camping trip. The Spring trip is called “Supertrip” and is the highlight of our scouting year. We have several trips planned for the year, and there may be additional overnight camping opportunities for those trips. All camping trips will be in campgrounds with running water and showers nearby. No primitive camping for Pack 46 Cub Scouts. What other trips, outings or special events do Cub Scouts get to participate in? Here's an overview of our 2010/2011 calender: Aug – Skating Night (Early Sep) Sep - Apple Picking, Matthews Alive Parade and Booth Oct – Annual Popcorn Fundraiser, Fall Campout, Webeloree Campout Nov – Raingutter Regatta, Aw Shucks Corn Maze Dec - Ashboro Zoo Trip Jan - Shiel Planetarium and Natural History Museum Feb - Blue & Gold Banquet , Raptor Center Mar - Supertrip Apr - Grandfather Mountain (Linville Gorge/Blowing Rock) May - Spring Campout Jun - Cub Scout Day Camp, Summer Swim Party Jul – Webelos Resident Camp, Aquarium Trip Aug – Recruiting EXPO Are there summer camp opportunities? The Etowah District of the Mecklenburg County Council hosts several camps each year. They include Cub Scout Day Camp (June); Webelos Resident Camp (July); Webeloree (October); Cuboree (April) and others. You will be notified well in advance of these camps to give you ample time to register for these opportunities. How much training have Pack 46 leaders received? Every uniformed Pack 46 leader has completed at least 2 basic training classes. They include: from Boy Scouts of America (1) Youth Protection and (2) Basic Leader/Cub Scout Fast Start/Position Specific Training. We are serious about maintaining Pack 46 as a child safe environment. How are Pack activities determined and plans made? The Pack leadership is made up of the cubmaster, assistant cubmaster, den leaders, committee chairperson, advancements coordinator, treasurer, secretary, events coordinator and pack trainer. The Pack Leadership Committee generally meets on the 2nd or 3rd Monday of each month at 7:00pm for approximately one hour to set plans and make policy for the Pack. All parents are encouraged to attend. |