The Cub Scout Pack is for young people aged between 8 and 10 ½ years old
How is Cubs organised?
The Cub Scout Leader runs the Pack with a team of Assistants who all give their time freely and have special training to help them do an effective job. If you have a skill or job/evening activity that you think the Cubs will enjoy, then please volunteer to share it with us.
Our Cub Scout Pack using Rudyard Kipling’s story “The Jungle Book” as our theme. This means they use the characters and events as inspiration for activities and names (such as Akela for the Cub Scout Leader).
Cut Scouts work in small groups called Sixes, led by an older Cub Scout called the Sixer.
Fun and Adventure
Cubs have loads of fun and adventure. The Cub Scout programme encourages activities such as:
- Camps and sleepovers
- First aid
- Exploration
- Helping other people
- Taking care of the environment
- Creativity
- Fire lighting and cooking
- Working in a team
- Leading a team
- Lots, lots more #SkillsForLife
It is all designed to provide an interesting and challenging programme for the Cubs.
Our programme has been designed to offer young people the opportunity to experience a wide range of subjects within which Cub Scouts will have the opportunity to gain awards and badges. Fundamentally, we have a learn-by-doing approach. Most of the time, we learn by doing and playing games.
We plan our programme and events using Online Scout Manager – an online tool for Leaders and parents to communicate through. You can log into the Parent Portal to see what is planned each week. We’ll also post on Facebook too and you’ll receive email reminders for events. Knowing what/when is happening is important. Please help us to help you by responding promptly to emails from us.
The Challenge Awards
Completing most of the Challenge Awards is part of our weekly programme at meetings. We’ll take care of your Cub achieving the Challenge Awards provided they attend all the evening meetings and events. If they miss some, it would be nice to make up for the missed experience at home. The Challenge Award can then be awarded at the same time as the other Cubs.
Chief Scout’s Silver Award
The Chief Scout’s Silver Award is the highest award in the Cub Scout section.
To complete the Award, Cubs must complete six Activity badges and all of the Challenge Awards.
The Chief Scout’s Silver Award shows that Cubs have given new things a go, played their part, and stuck it out, even when the going got tough. It’s a really big achievement, and they should be proud.
Pack Holidays and Camps
The weekly Cub Pack meeting is only part of the Scouting experience. It is through the opportunity of living and learning together in the great outdoors that the real development and fun begin. In Wardle Cubs, we’ve had special weekend trips to London, PGL Paris and a visit to Disneyland too!
What do Cubs wear?
Cub Scouts wear a uniform consisting of a practical green sweatshirt and a Scout Group scarf (necker). The necker is held in place with a woggle which as also used to distinguish which Six the Cub Scout belongs. The Cubs also wear navy activity trousers which are great for our activities.
These are available online for our County Shop based in Middleton. The shop is open Mondays 7:15 PM – 9:00 PM if your Cub needs to try on their uniform.
More information on Badge placement.
To get the best out of their Scouting experience, your Cub needs to be appropriately equipped.
- Wellies
Your Cub needs a good pair of wellies that come up to just below their knees and fit with a pair of thick welly socks. Check the fit every 6 months. - Waterproofs
Please buy a waterproof jacket and trousers and ensure your child’s name is written inside. - Torch
A torch at least 6 inches (15cm) in length will be ideal so that can be found in their bags in the dark. - Sleeping bad
Keep an eye on the outdoor shops’ Winter sales and buy a four-season sleeping bag. This will see them through and past their Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award when they are 20. - Day bag
Decathlon does a good 15-litre day sack, especially for children.
There is no such thing as bad weather – just inappropriate clothing and equipment.
DON’T wear leggings. They can be unsafe for some of our outdoor activities (nettle stings, brambles, fires, etc.).
Discounts
Take your necker to the outdoor shops and you may be given 10-15% off. Some shops will accept your OSM login screen on your phone.
What do Cubs do?
There are over 30 activity and staged badges for the Cubs to gain whilst in the Pack. You should encourage your Cub to do badges at home – either with you or a friend or family member. It’s great fun and as parents, you’ll learn some new skills too. Cubs whose parents take an interest and help them achieve badges enjoy their Scouting experience more. It helps them achieve, learn new skills, gain confidence and enjoy themselves.
A full list of badges can be found here.
Whatever activities the Cubs attend, they will usually need to attend in full uniform. Leaders will also need to have a contact number for you. Please ensure your personal details are updated regularly on OSM.
How can parents or grandparents help?
First, by showing interest and giving encouragement to your Cub Scout. Please remember that Cubs is about joining in. Those who do not attend regularly find themselves missing out, become disinterested and then leave.
Cub Scouting is fun for the adults too if we all give our support. So, get involved!
Secondly, by being prepared to help. This does not necessarily mean every week, but perhaps occasionally. Please be prepared to assist at least twice a year. There are many ways of providing support and we all have skills that are useful either directly to the Pack programme or to the whole Group. The parents’ committee would welcome your help with any of the following:
- Catering at a camp. Whether it’s for one meal or the whole weekend, your help is essential.
- Preparing refreshments for an event
- Sharing a skill or hobby
- Supporting the Group’s social events
- Providing transport of our equipment
Thirdly, make sure that your Cub Scout arrives on time and you are there on time to collect them after meetings or activities. he Leaders will be ready for a rest after a hectic evening!
Please show your support by attending the Annual General Meeting (AGM), awards ceremony and race night. This takes place in July. A short meeting will be held, and then the Beaver, Cub and Scout awards will be announced.
Our awards ceremony seeks to identify members of the Group who have made a great contribution to Scouting excellence in Wardle.
Money
Scout Groups are run entirely by volunteers and are self-financing. On joining, each young person is required to pay a subscription to help cover the cost of premises, resources needed to run the activities and also the National Membership fee / activity insurance. Once we are sure your Cub likes us, we’ll send you an email to set up monthly payments through OSM/GoCardless. Subs cost £12.50 per month.
We can make money if you complete the Gift Aid authorisation in OSM. The tax you have paid already on the monthly subscription can be claimed by the Group for the direct benefit of Wardle Scouts.
Safety
The Scout Association takes pride in its safety record as over 500,000 young people Scout weekly. Guidance is provided to Leaders through their Districts and County support. Safety issues are covered in our Leader training. For more adventurous activities such as water sports, caving and mountaineering, we have special authorisation agreements to ensure Scouts are in safe hands.
All of the activities that we plan have a risk assessment which is reviewed at the end of each meeting.
Parades
There are two parades in that attendance is required from the Cubs. These are the St George’s Day parade and Remembrance Sunday.
St George’s Day Parade is held on the nearest Sunday to 23rd April. In Scouting, St George’s Day is when we renew our Promise.
Remembrance Day is held on the nearest Sunday to 11th November. It is when Wardle Village meet in remembrance of these friends, relations and ex-villagers who fought for us in the wars of the last century through to present-day conflicts.
Absences
If a cub is not able to make it due to holidays or illness, it really is important to let the cub leader know beforehand (if that is at all possible). This is so that they can plan the programme and know how many items to prepare and what Leaders are needed. If there is a school concert – or other village activity that is likely to affect more than one cub, again, let us know – we may not know about it already.
Leaving Cubs and moving on to Scouts
We’d really love it if you stay involved in Scouting and try our Scouts when you are 10½ – 11. You’ll have more adventures in Scouts and develop your outdoor, leadership and life skills there too.
If you decide that Cubs is not for your child then please tell us and cancel your standing order at the bank. It is important for us to know why someone should not wish to come anymore – and we will need to know whether to keep the name on the waiting list for entry into the Scout Troop.
If you are moving house to a different location, your Cub could be transferred to a nearer Group. Let us know, and we will complete a transfer to arrange this.
