CROFTON
PACK
115

Forms

Information and Resources for Parents of a Scout

What is a Scout Parent?
A Scout Parent is a parent or adult mentor of a Scout who enthusiastically participates with their Scout and also helps other volunteers to provide the best quality program experience to all youth in every unit. They also lead their family in obtaining the values, benefits, experiences and rewards from their family’s scouting participation, and in sharing these with others, enjoys participating with his or her Scout and inspires their child to persevere in Scouting with their tenure, activity participation and achievement. The program will give you opportunities to take part in activities with your son that you normally couldn't do thus provides a positive way for you and your son to grow closer together and spend quality time together. Cub Scouting is a program for the entire family, and your involvement is vital to the program's success.

Participate in monthly pack meetings
The monthly pack meeting is for the entire family of every Cub Scout. At pack meetings, parents see their son’s interaction with their friends, meet other parents, and join in sharing. The pack meeting is also an opportunity for the boys to showcase all that they have worked on in their den meetings. Craft projects are on display, skills are demonstrated, and skits are performed to show the boys' command of the monthly theme. Your presence at these meetings is vital to underscore the importance of the lessons your son has learned and to show him you are proud of him.

Work on projects with your son
At our monthly den meetings boys might start projects, but will need to finish them at home with the help of a parent. These opportunities give parents and boys—often joined by siblings—to interact with each other in a positive, informal way.

The purpose of our monthly projects is to teach new skills, these projects will be challenging. It's not uncommon, for a scout to need help from his family in order to complete some of his projects. It’s helpful for a parent to assist a cub scout with any task that he is unable to do on his own, so long as he does his best to do as much as he's capable of first.

Help your son along the advancement trail
Following along with the Cub Scout handbooks as a resource, parents and boys work together to do the achievements required for each badge. The advancement plan provides fun for the boys, gives them a sense of personal achievement as they earn badges, and strengthens family understanding as adult family members work with boys on advancement projects.

As a parent, you remain as the guide to the advancement program. As each task is done or each skill is demonstrated, you can record its completion and sign the Cub Scout's handbook. When your scout has completed all the requirements to earn an award, he will be presented with that award at the next monthly pack meeting.

Campouts with your son
As one of the highlights for the boys, family camping is a chance for quality time together and an enriched family life. Family leadership rests with the parent, along with other den members, to take part in activities designed to help your scout achieve additional badges and learn new skills. All while making it fun for the boys to sit by the campfire, sing songs, perform skits, assist in making their own meals, and learning skills like knot tying and compass reading that will help you camp in the future.

Volunteer and support your den and pack
All of the adult leaders of your son's den and pack are volunteers who give their own time to provide a quality program for your son. While they have been carefully selected and extensively trained for their roles, there are always times when they could use help from parents in the pack. Pack events such as the pinewood derby, blue and gold banquet, or popcorn sales days take a lot of time and effort to plan. The pack's leaders need volunteers to assist with these roles and welcome any help you can give. When on camping trips or outings, den leaders will be grateful to parents who can lend a hand. By pitching in as needed, you can show your son the importance of helping others. So be on the lookout for opportunities for you to help the den, the pack, and its leaders.

Uniform: The Cub Scout Uniform
Wearing uniforms has been a method of the Scouting movement from the beginning. Decades of experience show uniforming to have many benefits, including these:

Equality. The uniform represents a democratic ideal of equality. Boys from various cultures and different economic levels wear the same uniform and cooperate as equals.

Identification. The uniform identifies a boy as a member of the Cub Scouts. Badges on the uniform tell other members that he belongs to their den, pack, and council. The uniform itself identifies a good citizen to the entire community.

Achievement. The uniform displays badges and other awards so the accomplishments of each Cub Scout can be immediately recognized.

Commitment. Wearing a uniform is a constant reminder to each Cub Scout of his commitment to the ideals and purposes of Cub Scouting: duty to God, loyalty to country, and helpfulness to others.

For these reasons, among others, all parents should emphasize to their Scouts the importance of wearing the correct and complete uniform on all suitable occasions. Please reference the “scout stuff” page of the website for more specifics regarding the uniform.

Your role as a parent is the secret to success of the Cub Scout program!