FAQ

What is Cub Scouts all about?

• You can find a great summary on the official Cub Scouts website

• You can also read BSA's family information guide (Welcome new Cub Scouts)

  • English

  • Español

Who can be a Cub Scout?

• Boys and girls in from Kindergarten through 5th grade follow achievement trails to earn ranks ranging from Bobcat (all new scouts of any age) to Lions (Kindergarten), Tigers (1st grade), Wolves(2nd), Bears (3rd), Webelos (4th), and into Arrow of Light (5th grade) planning to transition to Scouts.

Who is "Pack 2831"?

• Friends of Pocahontas State Park is our incredibly generous charter organization. Heart of Virginia is our BSA council and we are in BSA's Arrohattoc District.

• Pack 2831 is based in the Woodlake area of Midlothian VA in Chesterfield County. Most of our scouts are students at Woolridge Elementary School, but also Millwood School(private), Clover Hill, Winterpock, and Grange Hall. 

• Most families in our pack live near West Chesterfield communities like Woodlake, Hampton Park, Foxcroft, Foxfire, and Foxcreek.

How much does it cost to join?

• BSA and pack annual dues covering January 1st 2024 through December 31st 2024 (payment plans available).

• See the following table to find the available options for new and continuing cub scouts in our pack.

• When paying by check, make check payable to the order of "Pack 2831" (credit card payment also available via our pack store)

Where can I buy the uniform?

• The Scout Store sells all things for Cub Scouts

• It is located at the headquarters of the Heart of Virginia Council, 8090 Villa Park Drive, Henrico, VA 23228

• Scout store: For a map and hours visit http://hovc.org/contact/

How much do I have to pay for the uniform?

• A brand new uniform at the scout store is about $76.  It includes

  • Shirt

  • Rank neckerchief and slide.

  • Rank hat

  • Belt

  • Standard patches: Heart of Virginia Council Patch, Pack numerals 2, 8, 3, 1, Den number patch, World Scout patch

• Free: Some hand-me-down uniforms available at New Parents meeting and the monthly Pack Meetings

• Adult leaders also get their position patch (den leader, asst den leader, etc), and Trained patch.

• This reference document tells you exactly what uniform and what badges to buy

Can I order the uniform online?

• Order online www.scoutstuff.org (the Official Scouts supplier)

• Kindergartner Lion uniform

• First grader Tiger uniform  (Council patch "Heart of Virginia Council" not available online, get at Scout Store)

• Second grader Wolf uniform 

• Third grader Bear uniform   

• Fourth grader Webelos blue uniform 

• Fifth grader  Arrow of Light khaki uniform

Uniform: Where do the badges go on the shirt? Who is good at sewing on all these badges?

• The BSA Insignia guide answers "where does it go". That info and lots of other good stuff is found here.

• VIP Cleaners sews at $2 -$3 per patch, in Woodlake Commons Shopping Center 6904 Woodlake Commons Loop, Midlothian, VA 23112. Near Police Station, ABC Store.

• Badge Magic adhesive: available at the Scout Store and www.scoutstuff.org.  These are adhesive sheets pre-cut to typical Cub Scout badges, with some space for custom cutting for unique badges. Works pretty good!

Are there any other costs throughout the year?

• Optional events like campouts may require additional costs, but its always worth it! Watch the calendar in scoutbook, and emails for notices

• Some events require us to register as a pack, so you may be asked to visit the Pack Store link on this website to register and pay

• We use Square for online payments on the Pack Store function

How much time is involved? When do you meet?

• We have Dens organized by age that meet twice monthly, then the entire Pack meets once monthly

• Den meetings are typically 1 or 2 hours long and held in various locations around Woodlake.  Locations are determined by the parents and den leaders- typically a classroom at Woodlake United Methodist Church.

• Some skills require time outside of meetings, and time commitment varies by how committed the parents are to helping their scout

• Pack meetings get all the Dens together.  Pack meetings are held at 6:30pm on the second Friday of the months between September and June.  Typical location is at Woodlake United Methodist Church, but depending on availability sometimes we go to local elementary schools and/or outdoors.

What happens in Den Meetings?

• Den Meetings follow nationwide-standard plans established by the Boy Scouts of America designed to help the cubs gain exposure to life lessons. They get time to burn some energy, and sometimes go on field trips (Go-See-Its).  A major focus is learning to work together and at home to earn achievements along the way that prove how much they learned.

• Google "den meeting plans scouting.org". Select the first link, and plans are linked from there, under the picture on the page. 

When does Scouting start and end?

• Scouting has an annual cycle that follows the school year, becoming active in September through May

• Summer activities are planned, and scouts are encouraged to attend three or more to help the Pack win Summer Activity Participation awards.  Summer activities include:

  • Overnight scout camps

  • Day camps

  • Water bottle rocket build and launch

  • Flying Squirrels baseball games and campout at the Diamond

  • Airport tours, 

  • Maymont Park tours

  • Anthem LemonAID cancer fundraiser

  • BMX bike racing day, and more.

  • NASCAR September race

Can we sign up via the Internet?
Yes - follow these important detailed steps to join our Pack 2831...

• After selecting the link, type your zip code

• Select "Cub Scouts"

• Select "Find and Apply"

• Look for "Pack 2831 Woodlake United Methodist Church"

• Select one of the options ("Request More Information" or "APPLY NOW")

• Follow the instructions

How do we keep track of all the events and achievements?

• Pack 2831 uses www.Scoutbook.com for calendars, member info, purchases, and emails. Each new family will be provided an invitation via email to setup a user ID and passcode

• This site www.pack2831.com is our public facing site and additional source of info

• You will be invited to our Facebook closed site when your cub joins

Additional questions? 

• Ask our Cubmaster at cubmaster@pack2831.com