If you're between the ages of 7 and 20, you might
be interested in one of the Scouting programs. If you're a parent,
you might be interested in volunteering to be a Scout leader.
Scouting offers a time-tested set of activities that have produced
fine citizens, dedicated family members, and strong community
leaders for more than 95 years.
It's
more than a motto, it's a way of life.
Being prepared means having the ability to deal with the
many tough challenges life presents - that's what Scouting
is all about. Through its time-tested program, Scouting
provides young people with opportunities to mentor to their
peers, build character, and enrich their faith. These activities
build stronger family bonds and help youth reach their
full potential by instilling values that last a lifetime.
One of the strengths of the Scouting program
is the unique relationship between religious and community
organizations, parents, and leaders. Working together, they
are able to focus the necessary resources and leadership on
the single task of serving youth. The result is children, families,
and communities that are stronger and better prepared for the
future.
Looking
for a program that teaches positive values to boys your son's
age? Looking for activities that build personal fitness, social
skills? leadership? Scouting offers a time-tested set of activities
that have produced fine citizens, family men and community
leaders for 93 years.
The purpose of the Boy Scouts of America—incorporated
on February 8, 1910, and chartered by Congress in 1916—is
to provide an educational program for boys and young adults
to build character, to train in the responsibilities of participating
citizenship, and to develop personal fitness.
Cub
Scouts
Cub
Scouting is a year-round program uniquely
designed to meet the needs of young boys and their parents.
The program offers fun and challenging activities that promote
character development and physical fitness.
Service projects, ceremonies, games, and other
activities guide boys through the core values and give them
a sense of personal achievement. Through positive peer group
interaction and parental guidance, boys also learn honesty,
bravery, and respect.
Family involvement is an essential part of Cub
Scouting and parents are encouraged to play an active role
in the program. Through interaction between parents, leaders,
and friends, boys learn citizenship, compassion, and courage.
This family-and community-centered approach to learning means
that Cub Scouting is truly time well spent.
Frequently
Asked Questions
Q What
are the requirements to join Cub Scouts?
Tiger Cubs (first grade or age 7), Cub Scouts
(second or third grade, or age 8 or 9), Webelos Scouts (fourth
or fifth grade, or age 10).
Q What
does Cub Scouting offer my son?
Cub Scouting uses specific methods to achieve
Scouting's aims of helping boys to build character, train
in the responsibilities of citizenship, and develop personal
fitness.
Q How
does Cub Scouting develop character and values?
Character is part of everything a
Cub Scout does. Character development lessons can be
found in every aspect of the Cub Scout experience. In an effort to
make character development an integral part of Cub Scouting,
the 12 core values are integrated throughout the boy's
handbooks and advancement programs.
The
core values are:
Citizenship
Compassion
Cooperation
Courage
Faith
Health and Fitness
Honesty
Perseverance
Positive Attitude
Resourcefulness
Respect
Responsibility
Q What
are the responsibilities of a parent?
Provide help and support for the den and
pack.
Work with you son on advancement projects
and activities
Attend pack meetings with your son and
present his advancement awards to him at the pack meeting
Attend and assist with den outings
Attend Cub Scout Family campouts with your
son.
Q Do
Cub Scouts go camping?
Yes, but they ease into it, beginning with
what we call "soft camping." They may go camping
with a parent, or even with the entire family.
Q How much is it going
to cost?
The national registration fee to join Cub Scouts is $10
per year. Boys Life magazine, the official publication of
the Boy Scouts of America, is $9 per year. Other costs include
uniforms, insignia, and handbooks. Youth members participate
in fund-raising projects and pay dues to cover the cost of
the events, activities, and equipment. This teaches boys
to earn their own way and teaches the value of money.
Additional Cub Scout
Program Resources
The
Pack's First Three Months in English (7.1 Mb)
This booklet will help you get your new or reorganized
Cub Scout pack off to a great start.
The
Pack's First Three Months in Spanish (3.9 Mb)
Este manual te ayudará a que el pack de Cub Scouts,
nuevo o
reorganizado, tenga un comienzo exitoso.
Most
people associate Boy Scoutingwith
outdoor adventure- and with good reason. Scouting is an
outdoor program designed to develop character, citizenship,
and fitness. With the Scout Oath and Law as a guide, Scouting
helps a boy develop into a well-rounded young man.
Through the advancement program, a Scout can
progress in rank through achievements, gaining additional knowledge
and responsibilities. Earning merit badges provides opportunities
for Scouts to be introduced to a lifelong hobby or a rewarding
career.
In Boy Scouting, youth take responsibility for
the activities of the troop. By planning and organizing activities,
they develop teamwork and learn to lead as well as follow.
Through the support of parents and religious and neighborhood
organizations, Scouts develop an awareness and appreciation
of their role in their community.
Frequently Asked
Questions
Q What
makes Boy Scouts different from other youth organizations?
The Scouting program has a lot of unique
features; the most unique is that Scout troops are boy-led
and boy-run. Adults train youth members to assume leadership
positions, and boys are allowed to plan the program and
carry it out.
Q Can
a boy be a Scout and still be active in sports and other
activities?
Scouts are encouraged to be active in their
community, and many do. Athletic programs are seasonal,
but Scouting is year-round. The values youth learn in Scouting
may help them excel in other activities.
Q Why
would a parent want their son to be in Boy Scouts?
Parents want their sons to be in an organization
that teaches values. The Boy Scouts of America is a values-based
organization that has its own code of conduct: the Scout
Oath, Law, motto and slogan.
Q Do
you have to have been a Cub Scout to become a Boy Scout?
No. Any boy between the ages of 11 and
17 may be eligible to join the Boy Scouts.
Q Isn't
Scouting just about tying knots and camping?
Scouting was chartered by Congress as an
educational organization. Every year, Scouts earn over
1 million merit badges, every merit badge is an educational
experience. Currently, there are 120 different merit badges.
Q What
is the significance of the Eagle Scout Award?
The Eagle Scout Award is the highest rank
a boy can achieve in Scouting. A boy who has earned the
Eagle badge will have all the fundamental outdoor skills
and be proficient in camping, hiking, cooking, and first
aid. He will have earned at least 21 merit badges that
symbolize knowledge and achievement. He will also have
held leadership positions and participated in numerous
community service projects, one of which he personally
planned and directed. More important, the lessons of discipline,
character, and service learned in earning this highest
honor last a lifetime.
Year-Round
Guide to Boy Scout Recruiting
Having a year-round growth plan in place to attract new members to your Scout
troop will bring energy and enthusiasm to the troop program.
Troop
Open House The Boy Scout troop open house allows a troop to swing
open its doors and roll out the red carpet to welcome guests.
It provides a forum to show off Scouting activities and the
troop's accomplishments. It is an effective tool to reach youth
who have never tried Scouting.
Manual
for Chaplains Aides and Chaplains This manual will orient volunteers to the duties, responsibilities,
and opportunities of chaplain service in Boy Scout troops.
Varsity
Scouting is a program for young men who
are at least 14 years of age but not yet 18. It provides
options for young men who are looking for rugged high adventure
or challenging sporting activities and still want to be
a part of a Scouting program that offers the advancement
and values of the Boy Scouts of America. Organization Varsity
Scouts are members of a Varsity Scout team chartered to
a community organization, such as a church or service club.
The
Denali Award is available to Varsity
Scouts who have already earned the Varsity Scout letter,
and who complete the following six requirements:
Be registered as a Varsity Scout.
While a Varsity Scout advance one rank
toward Eagle, or earn an Eagle Palm.
Hold a Varsity Scout leadership position
for at least six months.
While a Varsity Scout serve as a leader
of an activity in two of the five fields of emphasis
While a Varsity Scout participate in
an activity in the remaining three fields of emphasis.
Satisfy to the team captain that you
know and live the Varsity Scout Pledge.
Complete a board of review by the team
committee with a district/council representative.
Venturing is for young men and young women ages 14 to 20.
It includes challenging high-adventure activities, sports,
and hobbies
for teenagers that teach them leadership skills, provide
opportunities to teach others, and give them an opportunity
to learn and grow
in a supporting, caring, and fun environment.
Venturing's purpose is to provide positive experiences to help
young people mature and to prepare them to become responsible
and caring adults.
Venturing is based on a unique and dynamic relationship between
youth, adult leaders, and organizations in their communities.
Local community organizations establish a Venturing crew by matching
their people and program resources to the interests of young
people in the community. The result is a program of exciting
and meaningful activities that helps youth pursue their special
interests, to grow, to develop leadership skills, and to become
good citizens.
Frequently
Asked Questions
Q Does
joining Venturing require previous Scouting background?
Any young person ages 14 to 20
can join Venturing. No previous Scouting background
is required.
Q Is
a uniform required?
A uniform is not required in
Venturing. Many Venturing crews create their own T-shirts
or other way of identifying themselves as a group.
Q Does
a male Venturer working on his Boy Scout advancement
have to be registered as a Boy Scout?
No, he can register only as a
Venturer, if preferred.
Q Can
crews be all male, all female, or coed?
Yes, it is up to the chartered
organization. However, one of the aspects of Venturing
that makes it popular with young people is that it
is coed.
Q Can
a girl in the Venturing program earn Boy Scout advancement
such as merit badges and the Eagle Scout Award?
No. Girls are able to earn only
Venturing advancement.
Q Why
would a parent want a son or daughter to join Venturing?
A recent survey concluded that
96 percent of Venturers made new friends, 93 percent
had opportunities to go places and do things they
had never experienced, 91 percent said Venturing activities
helped develop more self-confidence
Since
its beginning days in 1910, the Boy Scouts
of America has been concerned with extending the Scouting
program to boys in isolated areas or those who find it
impossible to join a nearby Scouting unit. The Lone
Scout Plan serves such boys who cannot take part in
a nearby Cub Scout pack or Boy Scout troop on a regular
basis because of such factors as distance, weather, time,
or disability. These boys apply for membership as individual
Lone Cub Scouts or Lone Boy Scouts.
Although the Lone Scout member might miss the opportunity
to participate in activities in the pack or troop, the program
makes it possible for such boys to become members of the
Boy Scouts of America and to know the fun, values, and achievement
of Scouting.
The Hispanic Youth Leadership Council is a collaborative
effort between the Hispanic Leadership Council of Stanislaus
County and the Greater Yosemite Council, Boy Scouts of America.
The objective of this effort is to provide opportunities for
young people to learn leadership, community awareness, and to
develop confidence in their own ability. All of the high schools
in Stanislaus County have HYLC Venture Crews. These young people
are active in a variety of endeavors such as improvements to
Tuolumne River Regional Park. In addition to these community
service efforts there is time for fun, too. The month of August
is slated for the HYLC High Sierra Adventure at Camp John Mensinger.
This is a weekend of outdoor recreation for these hard working
young people.
The organization registers about 700 youth in several Venture
Crews. Each of the Crews is located in the high school to which
it is registered. Schools also provide the On-Campus Advisors
for the Crews. There are also Off-Campus Advisors from the membership
of the Hispanic Leadership Council.
Character is part of everything a
Cub Scout does. Character development lessons can be
found in every aspect of the Cub Scout experience. In an effort to
make character development an integral part of Cub Scouting,
the 12 core values are integrated throughout the boy's
handbooks and advancement programs.
The
Denali Award is available to Varsity
Scouts who have already earned the Varsity Scout letter,
and who complete the following six requirements: 
