Membership

Welcome to Cub Scout Pack 508

We’re glad that your family has joined Scouting and we hope you and your Scout will have a great adventure with Cub Scout Pack 508. Pack 508 has been meeting at McKinley Elementary School in Ham Lake, MN for more than 50 years and continues to thrive due to the dedication of its volunteer leaders and parents like you! We all believe that Scouting is an important part of physical, mental, and spiritual development of your child.

Pack 508 is in the District J, one of several districts in Anoka County that are part of the Northern Star Council, Boy Scouts of America. The Northern Star Council is the largest BSA Council in the US. We are chartered annually by the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America, which is chartered by the Congress of the United States of America.

About Our Chartered Organization

All Cub Scout Packs are associated with a chartering organization that sponsors them, and approves selection of leaders. Pack 508 is chartered by the Ham Lake Lions Club.

Pack Organization

A group of approximately 5 to 10 Scouts of the same age who are working on earning the same rank make up a Den.

In kindergarten, Cub Scouts are Lion Cubs and work on adventures appropriate for kindergarten age Scouts. First grade Cub Scouts work on the Tiger rank by completing 7 or more adventures. The Wolf rank is earned in second grade by completing an additional 7 or more adventures. In third grade, Cub Scouts work on the Bear rank. Fourth grade Cub Scouts are known as Webelos, and work on preparing for Scouts BSA. In fifth grade, Cub Scouts will earn Arrow of Light and bridge to a Scouts BSA Troop. This is the highest Cub Scout rank and may be worn on the Scouts BSA uniform.

Individual dens have Den Leaders and Assistant Den Leaders. With the help of the other families in the den, the Den Leader coordinates regular den meetings and outings. The Assistant Den Leader assists the Den Leader in all den meeting activities and assumes the role of the Den Leader in their absence.

All of the Dens together make up the Pack. The Pack is led by the Cubmaster and Assistant Cubmaster. The Cubmaster runs the pack meetings and is the face of the pack to the scouts and the community. The Assistant Cubmaster assists the Cubmaster in all pack meeting activities and assumes the Cubmaster role in their absence.

The Pack Committee is headed by the Committee Chair who presides at pack committee / parent meetings and helps make sure all pack activity is conducted in accordance with the rules and guidelines of Scouting. Pack Committee Members are interested parents, leaders, and members of the Chartered Organization. They support the pack in areas such as planning and implementing pack activities, fundraising, events, field trips, outings, camping trips, banquets, derbies, etc.

Meetings

Most Dens in Pack 508 meet for one hour each week at an agreed upon time and place. Your Scout’s Den Leader will discuss your den’s meeting schedule and location and will inform you of any changes. Please try to arrive at meetings on time.

The Pack Calendar is in ScoutBook and on the Pack Web Site. Updates are communicated via email.

Den Meetings

Den Meetings are held weekly and provide your Scout with opportunities to enjoy various planned activities, learn new skills, and have great fun. While parental attendance is not required at all Den Meetings (except for Lion and Tiger Cubs), it is certainly encouraged! Some Dens will require parent participation at specific meetings. Please keep in touch with your Scout’s Den Leader so that you will know what activities are taking place and can track the progress your Scout is making.

Pack Meetings

Once a month all Dens meet together for a “Pack Meeting”, which all Cub Scouts and their families are encouraged to attend. The Pack Meeting is a fun time for everyone. Dens show off projects they have been working on, lead songs, perform skits, and awards are presented to the Scouts. It is a time for the family to get information about upcoming activities and share in the Scouting spirit. Be sure to attend and join in the excitement while watching your Scout advance!

BSA Health and Safety

All Scouting activities are in accordance with national BSA health and safety standards and dictated in the Guide to Safe Scouting.

Health Forms

All participants must complete a BSA medical form (parts A and B) each year. The form can be found online at: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/680-001_AB.pdf

Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco Use

Illegal drugs and alcohol are not allowed at any Scouting activity and persons under the influence of drugs or alcohol are not allowed to participate or be present at any Scouting functions. Any violation of this rule will result in immediate dismissal from the event and possible intervention by law enforcement agents.

Scouting provides a tobacco-free environment for the Scouts and smoking is not allowed in the presence of the Scouts. If you must smoke or use tobacco products, please do so outside and out-of-site of the Scouts and always remember to keep the area free of cigarette butts and trash.

Knives and Firearms

A Cub Scout can only carry a pocket knife once he has learned the safety rules for using a knife and earns his Whittlin' Chip card in the Bear Den or Webelos Den. Knives can then only be used under direct adult supervision. If a Scout is found handling his knife improperly, it will be taken away from him and given to the parents. Each time this happens a corner of the Whittlin’ Chip card is to be snipped off. If all corners are removed the Scout no longer is allowed this privilege. In addition, any adult who sees a Scout with a knife can ask him to produce his Whittlin’ Chip. If he cannot do so, the knife will be taken away from him and given to his parents.

Archery equipment, air rifles and B-B guns are not allowed in the Cub Scout program except under stringent supervision by a trained adult on a safe firing range at a council or district-sponsored event. Pistols are not allowed. Firearms are not allowed except under certain demonstration conditions and can only be handled by qualified adults. Use of firearms by Cubs is not allowed. See national BSA Health and Safety standards for details. Contact the Cubmaster before planning any den meetings that involve firearms. Except for police officers in their jurisdiction, there are to be no firearms at any of our activities.

Aquatic Activities

All aquatic activities must be supervised by trained, qualified adults while strictly following the BSA's Safe Swim Defense Plan for swimming activities and Safety Afloat Plan for boating. There are no exceptions. See national BSA Health and Safety standards for details. Contact the Cubmaster before planning any den meetings that involve aquatic activities.

Communication

In this busy society we live in communication is at the heart of every successful organization. The same is true for Cub Scouts.

We want to avoid using meetings for the purpose of communicating information. The pack meetings and den meetings are for fun, not announcements.

Our pack leverages the following forms of communication:

· Email

· Pack Web site

· Facebook

The possibility of phone calls exists as well, though this is rare and impractical for a pack of our size.

Email

The primary communication mechanism of the pack is via email. The list is controlled via ScoutBook. If you are unsure if you are on the email list, please contact the Cubmaster immediately.

If for some reason email does not work out for you, contact the Cubmaster and your Scout’s Den Leader so that an alternate arrangement can be made.

Pack Web Site

Pack 508 maintains a site on the World Wide Web as a mechanism to keep parents, Scouts, Leaders, and members of our chartered organization informed of our activities, progress, and changes of plan. The address of this website is http://www.pack508mn.org

We encourage parents to bookmark this site and check it often – it’s an excellent tool for us to keep you up to date.

The pack calendar is maintained on this web site.

Facebook

The Pack has a private Facebook group which is used to share Pack and Scouting related information.

Website, Media Coverage, and Privacy Issues

We will occasionally post photographs of den and pack activities on this website. It is also possible that local newspapers and television stations may provide coverage of some of our activities and your Scout’s name and photograph may appear in a publication or on TV. If you object to having your Scout appear on the website or in the media, please let our Pack Leaders know (in writing) as soon as possible.

For maximum protection of your Scout, it is our policy that:

· No Cub Scout will ever be identified on the website by his full name. Scouts will be referred to by first name only.

· No addresses or phone numbers will be posted on the website, except for Adult Leaders who consent to making this information available.

· If you determine that any of these policies have been violated or if you have any other concerns about the website or privacy issues, please contact a Scout Leader in our Pack immediately.

ScoutBook

Pack 508 tracks advancement using an online tool owned by BSA known as ScoutBook. You should receive an invitation to create an account in this service so that you can help record and track your Cub Scout’s advancement as they progress through the Cub Scout ranks. The address of this website is http://www.scoutbook.org

In addition to advancement, ScoutBook has the capability of sending email, tracking the Pack and Den calendars, and even texting.

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