Hello, and welcome to Cub Scout Pack 295! We’re back for another great year with your Scouts!
I’m Lisa Scarbrough, Cubmaster for the Pack. I’m here to help your family have a memorable Scouting experience. Throughout this virtual open house, I’m going to answer some questions you may have prior to joining us. If you still happen to have questions, you can use the contact form on our site or email me directly at cubmaster@pack295ga.org.
Let’s get started!
Open House
We will have our in-person Open House on Tuesday, August 10th, 7 pm at Camp KT Wallace just outside of Guyton. Please make your plans to attend. You’ll bring any forms with you downloaded through this virtual open house. Cubs will get a taste of both a den meeting and pack meeting at that time. We will have a climbing wall and snowcones available to entertain the Cubs while our leaders meet with parents.
Registration and Fees
Our registration for new members is available online this year. You can click here to register. Registration fees are $72 per Cub per year plus $3 for insurance through our council. There is a one time $25 new member registration fee. Our program runs all year round, so you average $8.33 per month for Scouting.
We also have a $15 dues for members at each renewal, typically in November. This is a fund used to pay our utilities and supplies for our Camp KT Wallace, where we meet each week.
Cubs who re-registered in November 2020 do not pay a new registration fee. You will do a renewal in October/November.
If you are in need of financial assistance, you can complete our scholarship application here. Scholarship funds are limited. You’ll need to bring your form with you to our Open House on August 10th for consideration.
Dens
All Scouts are grouped into Dens according to their grade level in school:
- LIons: Kindergarten
- Tigers: First Grade
- Wolves: Second Grade
- Bears: Third Grade
- Webelos: Fourth Grade
- Arrow of Light: Fifth Grade
Dens will meet in their individual classrooms at 7 pm every Tuesday night at Camp KT Wallace.
While the majority of our Cubs come from Guyton Elementary, we have several from Sandhill as well as home schoolers. We welcome any Cub that wants to join and make new friends!
Parent Participation
All parents are expected to participate with their Cubs. This means a parent must attend the den meetings, pack meetings, and all outings with their Cub. We also recognize that you may have skills that can help us throughout the year. Please complete our Family Talent Sheet and bring with you to Open House.
Pack Committee
In addition to Cubmaster, the Pack is led by a Pack Committee. Our committee chair is Brian Campbell; secretary is open; and treasurer is Michele Patterson. The Pack Committee and den leaders meet monthly on the Thursday following a Pack meeting. Parents are invited to all committee meetings. Open positions will also be announced at the Open House for new parents to join the committee.
COVID Procedures
We have a hand washing station outside of our main building. All participants will be required to wash hands before entering the building and engaging in any activities. We will also be doing temperature checks before the start of each meeting.
Pack Meetings
We would normally meet as an entire Pack the last Tuesday of the month at 7 pm in the social hall at Guyton United Methodist Church. We are not doing that at this time. Information regarding Pack meeting location will be discussed in mid August.
Health Forms
Before any Cub, parent, or sibling can participate in activities, they must have a completed BSA Health Form. Parts A & B must be completed in their entirety and turned in at the Open House. The Part C physical is only required for summer camp.
Handbooks
Each Cub needs to have their own handbook for their meetings. Books are available for purchase online, or we will have an order form at the Open House on August 10th (payments required at time of request). Use the links below to order online:
Lion $9.99 | Tiger $16.99 | Wolf $16.99 | Bear $16.99
Webelos/Arrow of Light $16.99 | Handbook Cover $9.99
Pack Calendar
Our Pack Calendar will be handed out at Open House so you have our full schedule for the year. Any announcements of council activities may need to alter the calendar. Dens will also do some of their own activities, so den leaders will note those at your meetings.
Uniforms for 2021-2022
We recognize that families had many challenges due to COVID this year. As such, the rank specific hats, neckerchiefs, and slides are OPTIONAL for this year. Please do be sure that your Cub has the appropriate field uniform shirt (aka Class A) for our outings. You are welcome to purchase the rank-specific items, and we probably have families who would be happy to sell you their items from last year if your Cub wants to be in full uniform. We will have a used uniform sale at our August Pack meeting.
Class A uniform shirts should have the Coastal Georgia Council strip and 295 Cub Scout numerals on sleeves. Rank patches will be earned and provided by the Pack.
Class B (Pack) shirts will be available for sale at our official open house on August 10th.
Official BSA pants are NOT required. Cubs may wear bottoms that are not ripped and look appropriate for outings.
A Cub Scout belt IS RECOMMENDED for putting on the belt loops that are earned for Lions, Tigers, Wolves, and Bears. Webelos and Arrow of Light Scouts will receive pins that may be worn on the Webelos colors pinned to their sleeve.
Fundraisers
We typically do three fundraisers a year: popcorn sales in the fall, BBQ sales in February (actual BBQ is in March), and camp cards in the spring.
Scouting and Sports
We are a sports-friendly Pack. We recognize most of our Scouts participate in a sport at one time or another. Your den leader can work with you on missed requirements. Additionally, we do our best to have all Scouts earn their rank by our Blue and Gold in February as the majority participate in spring sports.
Scouts who participate in sports AND keep up with their scouting requirements receive a special recognition certificate from the Cubmaster at the end of their sport season.
Special Awards Programming
NOVA
NOVA, our STEM program for Wolves through Arrow of Light Scouts, meets alternating Tuesdays at 6:15 pm before den meetings. Cubs participating in NOVA must complete additional requirements at home in order to earn their awards. It typically takes two months of meetings to earn one NOVA award. Cubs are also eligible to earn a Supernova award, which includes a medallion. Learn more about the NOVA awards here.
PRAY Religious Emblems
Scouting has Duty to God as a core value. Scouts are not required to be active in a religious congregation to participate. Each year, we will offer the various religious emblems awards program through PRAY. This is an optional program in which your Cub may participate. Information and dates will be announced later. You can learn more about them here.
Camping Gear
A big part of our Scouting is camping. We will have a Camping 101 campout in September which can be incredibly helpful for new families. We do have some starter gear that can be borrowed for a first campout while you figure out your exact needs, or you can use our checklist to start looking for secondhand items now (a Scout is thrifty!).
Communication
We utilize two forms of communication with our Pack. First, is the Team App. This is the app we will use to send a quick notification regarding any meeting changes or reminders of items to be turned in. Information for joining our Team App will be given at Open House.
Our second means of communication is our parents-only Facebook group. This group is used for us to share information on upcoming events and opportunities as well as photos from our outings and activities. Parents must have a registered Cub on our roster before they will be added to the Facebook group.
Wrap Up
I understand this can seem overwhelming, but we are here to help. Scouting is very much a “learn as you go” program. We are always available to help answer your questions, just ask.
Summary of Links and Downloads
Links
Downloads