Communication Cub Scout Pack 84 uses a variety of communication methods to communicate to Scout families. The primary method to track Scouts' progress, contact info, and awards is ScoutTrack at www.scouttrack.com. RSVPs to events are done via the website SignUpGenius. Invites are sent to the emails listed in ScoutTrack. The schedule for upcoming events can be found in both ScoutTrack and the Pack 84 Google Calendar. The Google Calendar is especially useful to parents who choose to connect their smartphone to the calendar app. Simply add packevents@holyrosarypack84.org as a shared calendar to your Google account. Note that all Scout-related events are listed, to include leader meetings. Similarly, each den has its own calendar. If you are in Den 1, for example, add den1events@holyrosarypack84.org to your Google account. For a list and calendar display of all pack and den events, check out our Upcoming Events page. Pack Planning An annual pack planning meeting takes place each summer to lay out the next year of activities for the Pack, coordinating with the upcoming school year. Monthly pack planning meetings take place the first Tuesday of each month, typically meeting at a leader's house at 6pm and including dinner. All parents are welcome to attend the meetings. Please check the calendar to confirm dates and times. Pack Leadership Cub Scout Packs are led by a committee whose key members include the Committee Chair, Cubmaster, and Treasurer. Den leaders and assistant den leaders also serve on the committee. Other positions may include coordinators for Advancement, Activities, Fundraising, Religious Emblems, and others. The volunteer who coordinates popcorn sales each fall is called the Popcorn Kernel. Pack 84 Uniform Guidelines   Cub Scouting 101 Cub Scouting is a family program. In general, all siblings and family members are invited to Cub Scout events. Cub Scouts rely heavily on their parents and leaders for planning, logistics, transportation, safety, etc. Each Cub Scout level - Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos I, and Webelos II - are mapped to grades 1-5 in school. When a Cub Scout moves up a level, it is called Advancement. A Cub Scout group is called a Pack; a Boy Scout group is called a Troop. Both Packs and Troops are "sponsored" by their own Charter Organization - usually a church, school, or civic group. The Charter Organization provides oversight, resources, and facilities to the Scout group. Local Cub Scout Packs are organized by District; Districts are organized by Councils; Councils all fall under the umbrella of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Pack 84 belongs to the Hermitage District of the Middle Tennesee Council of the BSA. It's Charter Organization is Holy Rosary Church and Academy. Links to all three are below. Throughout Webelos I and II, there are many opportunities for the Cub Scout to interact with Troops in his area. Similar to picking out a college after high school, a Webelos looks for a Troop to join. The Cub Scout himself makes the decision to advance into Boy Scouts in a ceremony called Crossover. A Boy Scout takes on a lot of the responsibility he previously relied on his parents to provide. For example, Boy Scouts plan their own meals for camping trips - and cook them in the field! A boy may enter Cub Scouting at any age or any time of year, and he may apply to enter any Pack - even Packs at Charter Organizations different from his own school or church. The ideal time to join is at the beginning of the school year, which is when Packs do their membership drives and the boys start working on completing requirements to earn a badge or optional special awards. The Scouting year ends with the school year, so Packs complete requirements and present awards in the spring. Scouting continues throughout the summer with fun summertime events. Often, the Council or District will host day and overnight camps for Cub Scouts in the summer. Ranks:
Advancement Cub Scouts advance based on grade level alone. Whether the Scout earns each badge is up to him completing the rank requirements. Rank requirements were updated in June 2015 to include a list of core and elective requirements. These requirements are now called "adventures." In addition to the adventures required to earn a badge, there are many other optional special awards a Scout can earn. Religions emblems, awards specific to a Scout's religious preference, is an example of an optional special award. Resources There are many online resources available to parents. Here are a few: www.scouting.org - Official website of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) www.cubscouts.org - Official website of Cub Scouting www.myscouting.org - Official website for leader training www.mtcbsa.org - Official website of the Middle Tennessee Council of the BSA www.mtcbsa.org/Parents/scout/aboutus/districts/hermitage.html - Official website of the Hermitage District of the MTCBSAwww.holyrosary.edu - Official website of Holy Rosary Church and Academy |