INTRODUCTION
 
As a parent, you want your son to grow up to be a self-reliant, dependable and caring individual. Cub Scouting has these same goals in mind for him. Parents, leaders, and organizations work together to achieve the purposes of Cub Scouting for boys in first through fifth grades. The purposes of Cub Scouting are:
 
- Fun and Adventure    - Good Citizenship
- Sportsmanship & Fitness    - Character Development 
- Family Understanding     - Spiritual Growth
- Personal Achievement    - Friendly Service
- Respectful Relationships   - Preparation for Boy Scouts
- Connect you with your son and his peers
 
At the same time, Cub Scout age boys do not join Scouting just to get their character built. Boys join because it is fun.  SCOUTING IS FUN WITH A PURPOSE!
 
We look forward to having your son join Bronxville Cub Scout Pack 5!
 
 
CUB SCOUT PROGRAM
 
DENS: Your son will become a member of a den. Most dens have six to twelve boys in them and usually meet once or twice a month.  Boys are grouped by grade level in dens (more detail on this is in “The Advancement Plan” section below).  
 
Den meetings are a time for learning new things and having fun. Dens are led by a team of adult volunteers – the den leader and assistant den leader(s). Den leaders are usually parents of boys in the den.  
 
 
THE PACK: Your Cub Scout is also a member of Bronxville Pack 5.  Our Pack is made up of all our dens.  Our Pack typically meets the third Friday of each month during the school year.  Our Pack meetings take place at the Scout Cabin at 1820 Midland Rd. in Bronxville.  To get there, turn down the
driveway at the top of the hill just east of the railroad bridge.
 
Pack meetings usually follow a suggested theme. We also recognize boys for their accomplishments during the month, let the boys perform skits and songs they’ve learned in den meetings, and generally have fun with the entire group. Packs are led by a Cubmaster and pack committee. Like the den leaders, the Cubmaster and assistants are volunteers and are usually parents of boys in the pack.
 
FUN PACK 5 ACTIVITIES

In addition to participating in pack meetings and den meetings, your son will be able to participate in all of our other Pack 5 events throughout the year.  A sampling is below and a more specific calendar is attached.  Please note that the calendar shows pack activities but not den activities.  Dates for den events
will come from your den leader in the Fall.

• Weekend tent camping trips in the Fall and Spring at beautiful campgrounds owned by local scouting organizations.  These are “car camping” trips, meaning you can drive very close to the area where we set up our tents.
• Camping trip in the winter where we “camp” indoors, for example on a battleship, in a museum, etc.
• Indoor rock climbing evening every winter
• Pinewood Derby race – an annual highlight.  For this event, boys and their adult partner shape a car from a seven-inch long block of wood and race their car on our track.  Minor or major league baseball game
• End-of-year Blue and Gold Dinner featuring games, awards, and lots of fun.
• White water rafting trip during the summer.  The river is not rough, and boys love the rafting as much as they love squirting each other with squirt guns and throwing buckets of water at each other.
 
OTHER ACTIVITIES

Our pack is active in other events hosted by our regional scouting organizations, the Four Rivers District and the Westchester Putnam Council. One example of a fun Council-level event is the Thunderbird Games which takes place every fall.  At this event, boys and their parents travel to a park along the Hudson River and participate in good old-fashioned games, make crafts and see fun demonstrations by varying acts.  Theses acts have included boy favorites like fireboats, falcons and police dogs.  
 
We also try to teach good values through some of our events.  For example, we participate in an annual bowling event organized by the Westchester-Putnam Council called Bowl-O-Ree.  This event raises money to make scouting available to boys with special needs.  We also go holiday caroling as a Pack at a senior living center.  
 
COST

Our annual fee is $165, which covers all dues, insurance and fees for all of your sons’ activities during the school year such as camping, rock climbing, pinewood derby and the Blue and Gold Dinner.  It also includes a subscription to Boys’ Life magazine for your son.  All checks should be made out to
Bronxville Pack 5.
 
VOLUNTEERS

We are a 100% volunteer-run organization.  We request and would appreciate your help.  Volunteering for the pack is also a very rewarding experience!  Please let us know what skills or interests you have because we probably can put them to good use.  To give you just a few examples, we need help: leading dens, inputting the names of new members into our roster, helping boys with tools during our Pinewood Derby workshops, tracking planned attendance at a few events, serving as our assistant treasurer, ordering
food and setting up the cabin for events, or helping keep our website updated.