How is BSA Organized?

• The smallest unit in the Cub Scouts is called a Den, and is comprised of scouts, organized by age/grade. Each Den has a Den Leader, who is typically a parent of one of the scouts in the Den. If there are enough scouts of a particular grade in the Pack, then the Den might have an Assistant Den Leader or the Den might be split into multiple Dens.

• A Pack is composed of multiple Dens. Each Pack has a Cubmaster, a Committee, and a Chartering Organization. This is this highest level of organization that most parents will interact with.

• The District is a regional construct that Packs are a part of. Pack 882 is part of the George Mason District. Pack leadership will often interact with volunteers and paid employees of the District.

• Above the District, there is a Council. George Mason District is part of the National Capitol Area Council. Of note, NCAC serves the U.S. Virgin Islands in addition to the region around Washington, D.C.

• Councils combine to form Sections, which form Regions, all of which are part of the National Council of the BSA.

See also: Organization of the Boy Scouts of America

What Do Adult Volunteers Do in the Pack?

• Den Leaders and Assistant Den Leaders - An adult, usually a parent, serves as a Den Leader. They carry out the activities related to adventures as they are presented in the Cub Scout’s handbook and the Den Leader Guide. Reference

• Cubmaster - The leader of the pack meeting is the Cubmaster. In addition to serving as the master of ceremonies the Cubmaster provides support to Den Leaders. Reference

• Pack Committee - Every pack has a pack committee. By handling administrative and support tasks, the pack committee allows the Cubmaster, den leaders, and their assistants to focus on working directly with the Cub Scouts. Reference 1 | Reference 2

  • Committee Member - Any parent can be a member of the Pack Committee. Reference

  • Treasurer - The unit treasurer is appointed by the committee chairman to handle pack/troop/crew/ship funds, pay bills, maintain accounts, coordinate the annual Friends of Scouting campaign, and supervise fundraising. Reference

  • Secretary - The Secretary takes notes at Committee meetings, communicates with the Pack, and makes sure all forms are available. Reference

  • Committee Chair - To make Cub Scouting work it takes a team made up of each Cub Scout’s parent or guardian and other caring adults who agree to take on roles that best fit their individual talents. Together this team makes up the Pack Committee. The Pack Committee Chair is appointed by the Chartered Organization to oversee the Pack Committee as they provide support to Den Leaders to ensure a quality program.

Cub Scout Uniform

The Scout Store is located at 5232 Port Royal Rd, Springfield, VA 22151. They have uniform parts and a variety of Scout-related apparel. There's a website, too!

• Uniform shirt

  • Lions wear the official Lion t-shirt

  • Tigers, Wolves, and Bears wear the blue cub scout shirt

  • Webelos wear the tan Boy Scout shirt

• Uniform hat (rank specific)

• Uniform belt

• Neckerchief (rank specific, provided by pack)

• Neckerchief Slide (rank specific, provided by pack)

• Scout handbook (rank specific)

• Plastic badge holders are available if you don't want to sew rank patches on

• The Scout Shop will sew patches on, for a fee

• Guidance on where to sew patches is here

Dues and Fundraising

Pack 882 raises funds in two main ways.

The first is dues, which are collected annually, and almost entirely go to covering the cost of re-chartering the Pack with BSA. BSA's costs are primarily for insurance. Each council in BSA is organized as its own non-profit, so all fundraisers that provide any revenue to "BSA" are actually supporting local Scouting activities.

The primary source of revenue for funding Pack 882's operations is the Peanut Sale that coincides with Election Day. This is the only fundraiser that Pack 882 does, so we need the full support of the Pack to make it successful. As election cycles have varying participation at the polls, we sometimes have extra peanuts that we need to sell outside of Election Day.

Additionally to raising funds as described above, the Pack recoups costs for parent and sibling participation in events like the Pinewood Derby, Rocket Launch, and campouts.

Pack, Den, and Committee Meetings

Other than the activities described in this wiki, Pack 882 typically meets 2-3 time per month from September through June.

• Pack meetings happen once per month. Led by the Cubmaster, Pack meetings typically consist of

  • A flag ceremony and the pledge of allegiance

  • Announcements

  • Awards

  • A fun activity (examples include Joint Scouting night, pumpkin roll, ornament build, and the Earth Day cleanup)

• Den meetings happen 1-2 times per month, and are led by the Den Leader or parent volunteers. Typically held in the same location as the Pack meeting, Dens will split up and work on rank and elective requirements. On occasion Dens will meet on their own for special activities (like a tour of the police station).

The Pack has a Committee that usually meets once a month (but will skip if there's no reason to meet). Typically the Committee meets in the place as Pack meetings. The committee will plan upcoming activities, discuss finances, and make any decisions necessary to keep the Pack running smoothly.