So my 2 sons just joined Scouts, Lion and Bear. Our pack is very small, 8 kids total (3 new this year, 2 are mine). Leadership is just the cub master and his wife as committee chair. They seem very excited to have new members and I can tell they are definitely trying. They wanted me to get my clearances done "just in case" I wanted to volunteer or whatever. None of the other parents seem to be moving forward with that. After talking with the committee chair recently it seems her and her husband are hoping I'll take over as cub master in a few years when their son moves to the troops so the pack doesn't just fold. I guess our town had a pack before but it folded and they got it going again last year. I went ahead and did the youth safety training, and I have my clearance/fingerprinting from my kids school. So I really could easily jump in a position. However I'm hesitant to jump right in or get their hopes up to much... My boys just joined so I'm not sure if it's something they will want to stick with. I believe they might but you never know. I have done a lot of research on cub scouts but I'm sure there is still a LOT I don't know. Plus I'm still nursing my baby so I'm afraid of the time commitment. My husband is way to busy to be able to volunteer but is willing to help where he can for events. My plan is to try and hold off on committing to a leadership position to see how things go. But I do want to help with because I'm sure they are in need of help. So any advice on how to go about everything?

I was just wondering if the whole pack could participate in the 10,000 for the Troops. Our pack has no Webelos this year. I’ve finally planned ahead this year and want the Pack to participate.

Thoughts and comments would be appreciated. TIA

Pretty much the title. Trying to recruit a new one within the pack but need to verify if they need to be a fully registered adult leader or is SYT sufficient. Thanks!

I’m currently serving as a Cubmaster, and I’m trying to figure out whether what we’re experiencing is normal or if I have legitimate reasons to be concerned.
Over the past couple of months, several things have raised some red flags for me:
No budget for two years. Our pack has operated for the past two years without an approved annual budget. I’ve raised concerns because I believe we should have a clear understanding of our finances, especially when planning camping trips, activities, and other events.
Multiple bank changes. Our pack has gone through approximately three or four different bank accounts or banking changes over the past couple of years. I’m not suggesting anything improper is happening, but that seems unusual for a Cub Scout pack.
Trail’s End Popcorn Portal access removed. After questioning some decisions involving popcorn sales, storefront opportunities, and fundraising, my leader access to the Trail’s End portal was removed. I was told to step back because the individuals managing popcorn had everything under control. However, families continue reaching out to me about limited storefront opportunities, and I’ve noticed potentially profitable locations being passed over.
Limited access to the new bank account. I’ve been informed that I will not have direct access to our pack’s new bank account, although I will receive bank statements. I understand that being Cubmaster doesn’t automatically mean I need to be an authorized signer or have control over the account. My concern is whether we’re maintaining appropriate financial transparency and accountability.
Inconsistent committee decision-making. Some decisions are put to a vote among whoever happens to be on a committee call, while other decisions seem to be implemented without a vote. It feels like there isn’t a consistent process for determining which decisions require committee approval.
I want to make something clear: I’m not trying to take control of the committee, the popcorn fundraiser, or the pack’s finances. I understand that the Cubmaster, committee chair, and treasurer have different responsibilities.
However, as Cubmaster, I’m responsible for helping deliver a quality program for our Scouts. It’s difficult to plan activities, camping trips, and other events when we don’t have an approved budget or a clear understanding of what the pack can financially support.
I also believe that asking reasonable questions about fundraising and finances shouldn’t result in having leadership access removed.
I’m not accusing anyone of stealing or mismanaging funds. I’m simply concerned about transparency, accountability, and how decisions are being made.
My questions for other Cubmasters, committee chairs, treasurers, and experienced Scouters are:
Is it normal for a Cub Scout pack to operate for two years without an approved annual budget?
Is changing banks or bank accounts three or four times in a couple of years unusual?
Should a Cubmaster have access to financial reports beyond bank statements, such as budgets, income and expense reports, and fundraising summaries?
Is it normal for a committee chair to remove a Cubmaster’s access to the popcorn leader portal, particularly after concerns have been raised?
Should major decisions like changing banks, restricting leadership access, or making significant financial decisions require a committee vote?
At what point should concerns about financial transparency and pack governance be brought to the chartered organization representative or council?
I genuinely want our pack to succeed. We have great Scouts, dedicated parents, and a lot of potential. I’d much rather spend my time growing the program and creating opportunities for our Scouts than dealing with internal disagreements.
Am I overstepping my responsibilities as Cubmaster, or are these legitimate concerns that should be addressed?
I’d appreciate hearing how other packs handle their finances, committee decisions, and leadership access.

I’m gearing up for my first year as Cubmaster at camp. What’s the general responsibility? I’ve heard of campfire vespers. Being available to answer questions and put out small fires. I’m helping with dinner and plan to prep our dish washing station. My son is in the Webelos den and I’d love to spend as much time with him as I can as our days in Cub Scouts are numbered.

Edit: this is a council event weekend. I don’t need to run program other than communicate it.

I thought this might be a helpful way for den leaders to reference their dens level when looking for what religious awards are available. Please let me know any additions or corrections!

Lion: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1sg9DZe3gUERFtocd4Wt4E4iHw6k-2ACSFpF95s-M0QE/edit?usp=sharing

Tigers: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1SAzK1ORyZJKSZdojSVhX4bruwRD64Baem-kY-v9exHg/edit?usp=sharing

Wolves: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1YFcKjQa0ZHwE2YmT8eUpfHxzl4T0z49Agk8ZoTc74E4/edit?usp=sharing

Bears: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1CvA6Lt-zoJUqAa4Ksxzs6oi47XGRQKXKZsfdEGX61vA/edit?usp=sharing

Webelos/AOLs: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KlV1sDrKgFS30eUOhnFH_U3ZPwwe1wb1coh2ULjxWz0/edit?usp=sharing

My 7 year old daughter heard about the scouts in school and has been asking to join the since last week. I had a few questions that I was hoping to get answered.

What is the joining process like, I assume it is online now and I just sign up and pay the fees, but after that do I just show up to a meeting with her? For that matter how many girls are in the scouts now, she wouldn't be out of place or anything?

What is the time investment? While her mother and I have free time, I would end up having to be the one to do a lot of the outdoor activities with her and am afraid she would have to miss a lot of things if I can't always be available.

Is there anything else that I should know or consider?

Edit:

I'm taking her to the local pack meeting tonight. They don't seem to have any girls her age but there are some older ones.

Edit 2:

We went to a meeting with the local Pack, and I talked to other parents and the local sub/pack/den leaders. She spent her time playing with the kids her age (den?). They meet every Wednesday and occasionally have outings that they plan though this month they didn't have anything more than a hike because of Spook-o-ree.

My daughter still really wanted to join and was really excited about it, so I registered and paid her fees. They said there was no hurry to get the uniform and everything and that the only time they really wear the whole thing is when there are parades or things of the sort, the rest of the time they tend to wear partial uniforms or class B uniforms.

My daughter's interests are that she wants to camp, fish, hike and look at animals. (Her other interests are art, video games, anime and fast amusement park rides.)

My hope is that she'll make some more friends and come out of her shell around people more often since she can be a little awkward and unsure of things around anyone she doesn't know well.

Our first activity of each school year is a Pack Hike at a large park. We split into dens. Den leaders lead there dens with scouts and parents in all different direction. Great time to chat with the parents u don’t know. How kids handle the little freedom with an open path and a parent with will tell you all about their personality.

Campout second, we do a rotation of activity for a few hours. One is always a hike.

Third hike is over a train lift bridge and through an abandoned railroad tunnel.

Fourth hike is through the Xmas lights at the same local park as the first hike.

This is all done before Xmas. Our retention increased last year and the kids are always asking when they can do the next one.

Half are part of the Den Schedule. Half are optional weekend events.

Or what does your child call their Den Leader?

Our councils Webelos and AOL camping weekend is coming up. My pack leadership has decided to transport scouts to the campout, if parents are not going. As for transportation one scout is a girl, is she aloud to be in the car with a female leader and other boy scouts? Personally I don't agree with the parents not attending.

I can’t figure out how to search this since everything comes up with our amazing popcorn leaders. 😅

Do we sell jars of kernels anymore? That was my own favorite and some of my family would buy those as well. I can’t tell if we don’t sell them altogether or if our pack may need to order some more? Thanks!

“Participate with your den in at least one pack camping activity.”

What does this mean? Initially I thought it meant go on a pack camp out with your den. Now I read it as participate in an activity at a Campout. Can anyone explain the intent of this requirement?

I did Snack Time with my Lion Den last year using the USDA MyPlate printout that is still linked in the adventure directions and it was great for the kids. This year, the link doesn’t work as it looks like everything got changed to the whole eat real food thing.

Putting aside the politics of it all (of which I have many many opinions), I want to continue to teach these kids how to make conscious choices with food and I’ve found the new website really odd to navigate and none of the new materials I’ve found so far are suitable for kindergartners. Again, that’s based solely on reading level, emphasis on calculations, and quantity of text v pictures and is not a political assessment.

I’m trying my darndest to stay neutral and apolitical around the kids but I’m also not about to have them sit through a Super Bowl commercial about how people who look like me and many of their parents are nasty as a replacement for myplate. I genuinely don’t care what the resource is as long as it is based in science, age appropriate for the lions, and focuses on food as fuel rather than having to do with how someone looks.

What resources are out there that my fellow lion leaders/parents are using? Please keep comments to resources/suggestions only as this is all about the kids. That’s a reminder to myself as well!

Good afternoon, I have a COR who needs to do some training, but I am having trouble finding what the courses are. A lot of the codes listed in the training report do not seem to correspond to a class in the training center. Does anybody have an updated code list that points to what the course is?

If somebody could provide that list, I would appreciate it and look over it myself. That being said, I am specifically trying to figure out what courses D 72, SCO_267, SCO_268, SCO_269 and SCO_270 are.

Thank you!

My son is a Webelos and recently earned his HAM Radio license. He's very excited about it, and he's looking forward to doing some scouty things with it, especially when he joins a troop. I found out that there used to be an "Amateur Radio Operator" strip, but it was discontinued. I'm picking up one from Ebay for him, but I have some uniform questions:

1- are cubscouts allowed to wear discontinued patches? Once official, is it always official?

2- was the Amateur Radio Operator strip ever official for cubscouts (blue uniform)? Being a licensed operator with a single-digit age is extremely rare, so I'm sure they never made one for cubs; but were they allowed while it was being manufactured? I saw something that said "all adult and youth members," but I'm not sure how accurate that is.

If he can't wear it officially, he has a backpack he can put it on; but I'm sure he'd love to put it on his uniform if it's allowed. Please advise.

In an attempt to help teach the scout law to the pack this year I printed off scout law tokens. Now I’m stuck trying to figure out how to get the scouts to earn them and if I should come up with a display to give everyone to put them in. Ideally each scout would earn a full set. What would you do?

I’ve been using the trails end app the last several years to sign up for and manage my scout’s popcorn sales. We have a shift scheduled for this weekend but there is a hurricane headed our way so I am trying to cancel. But for the last 2 days the trails end app just shows the spinning compass loading screen. It never actually gets into the app to see anything. Is this happening to anyone else? Is there a workaround?

Hey everyone I'm trying to figure out something. If a scout doesn't use the money they earn from popcorn sales what happens to it in trails end? I understand the rewards points expire but what about the money?

New wolf den leader! Bobcat is first on the to-do list. I’m one of the nervous overplanning types. I have this planned:

Opening&Oath

Get to Know you Bingo

Law wordsearch

Code of Conduct

Is this likely to be reasonable for a first meeting? I’ve done the trainings online but I need things to be very literal.

i was also thinking about doing a Simon says type game if the words each is boring for the wolves.

any pointers for me?

Update:

With Get to Know you Bingo I managed to get the kids excited because instead of dabbers we used coins which they were allowed to keep so they got intense over it (in a good way).

It was a 50/50 on interest in the wordsearch but it was a nice option for the kids who wanted to shy away from chaos for a moment.

For our code of conduct I stained watercolor paper and 'antiqued' it with coffee and burnt the edges for dramatic effect (pre-meeting), and brought a dramatic quill pen for them to sign their agreed rules. That went over great in terms of interest but it was total madness and a little messy on the mits.

Thanks for all of your suggestions! I think I'm starting to get a better picture of it all!

Let me start by saying I am a Key 3. I took over as cubmaster. I'm trying to edit the dens, but when I click on Roster I'm not seeing any option to edit the dens. Anyone have advice or know where I need to go. I'm waiting on our on our Organization Rep to give me a call back.