Who can participate?
Anyone in kindergarten through fifth grades! (Starting in 2018, we welcomed girls to join the cub scouts.) We will be establishing dens at the outset of the Scouting season based on the number of Scouts who sign up in each grade. Den sizes are 10 or fewer.
Albany’s Pack 3 has always prided itself on being an inclusive unit that represents the diversity of our community. We are strongly committed to creating a welcoming environment for all children who wish to join our Pack. We are proud to be designated as an Inclusive Unit by Scouts for Equality and our leaders wear the “Scouts for Equality” badge on their uniforms to signal our dedication to a Scouting movement rooted in equality and free of discrimination.
PROGRAM
How does Cub Scouts work?
Cub Scouts is a family program for all kids interested in having fun, learning life skills, building community, exploring the outdoors, becoming leaders and good citizens, and making friends.
The basic structure of the group is a “pack” – which includes the whole group of Scouts, from kindergarten through fifth grades. Each grade has one or more “dens” that meet in smaller groups to work on adventures to earn their rank.
Cub Scouts complete adventures as they work to achieve their rank for that year. The adventures are different for each rank, allowing Cub Scouts to learn new age-appropriate skills and explore new topics each year. At the end of the year, if a Scout has met all of the requirements for that year, he or she will receive the rank (i.e. a first grader would receive the “Tiger” rank).
What are the ranks?
Kindergarten = Lion
First Grade = Tiger
Second Grade = Wolf
Third Grade = Bear
Fourth Grade = Webelos (We Be Loyal Scouts)
Fifth Grade = Arrow of Light (AOL)
In their fifth grade year, scouts “bridge” to Boy Scouts. This involves visiting local troops and choosing one that the scout will participate in and contribute to during their further adventures in Scouting.
How are dens formed?
After registration closes, we assess how many children are in each grade level and divide the group into dens of approximately 6-8 children (10 max). Some grade levels may have only one den, while others have multiple dens. We may ask for parent volunteers as needed to form new dens. Please let us know if you are interested in being a den leader!
How often do the Cub Scouts meet?
The Pack meets once a month, usually on the fourth Thursday of the month. The Pack meets at Veterans Memorial Hall in Albany (1325 Portland Avenue) from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Our first pack meeting of the school year is in September.
In addition, individual dens will meet once or twice a month on a day and time to be selected by the den at the beginning of the year.
During the Scouting year, the Pack also has a number of pack-wide activities (averaging about one a month).
What activities do you do?
Check out our Pack Calendar and Activities page to learn more about what we do. The Scouts do outdoor activities (family and den campouts, pack and den hikes), community service activities (e.g. Scouting for Food, beach clean-up, flag placement on veterans’ graves at Sunset View Cemetery), our annual fundraiser, a Pinewood Derby, Egg drop, swimming excursions, etc.
Can I drop my kids off?
Pack 3 is run by parent volunteers. An important element of the Scouting experience is the role parents play in leadership in the pack and in guiding young people to learn about the world around them. Parents attend pack and den meetings and activities to learn and contribute with their Scouts and support other scout leaders.
TIME AND MONEY COMMITMENT
How much does Cub Scouts cost?
Annual registration fee is $275.00 per child paid by check to our treasurer. Fees cover activities, achievements, badges and a “Class B” Pack t-shirt for your Scout. Lion and Tiger Scouts also require a parent to register with Pack 3 as an adult leader for $15.
The basic uniform consists of a shirt, hat, neckerchief, neckerchief slide, and the pack and council patches. This can add up to $100 or so. (Our pack re-uses shirts and gear so check with us before buying!) The hat, neckerchief and slide will change with the different grades, but the same blue shirt can be used from kindergarten through third grade. In fourth and fifth grades, Scouts switch to a tan-colored shirt like the older kids' Scouting uniform.
A limited number of scholarships are available for those in need.
Parents are asked to make an additional one-time donation to our Local Boy Scouts of America Council through the annual Friends of Scouting (FOS) Campaign. We also ask families to contribute to family campouts (usually $15 per adult, $10 per sibling – Scouts are always free). The Pack gets most of its funding through its popular fundraiser, the annual Pancake Breakfast. This year, we will have an alternate fundraiser, to be determined.
What is the time commitment?
The Pack meets once a month on a Thursday evening from 6:30 to 7:30. The dens meet once or twice monthly on a day selected by the den. In addition, there are two family campouts, one in fall (October) and one in May, which are usually Friday to Sunday or Saturday to Sunday. (No fall campout for 2021, unfortunately.)Our Pinewood Derby is on a Sunday in January. The Pancake Breakfast, our only fundraiser, is on a Sunday in March and tickets sales take place approximately three weekends before that (Scouts do both sidewalk sales with their den and individual sales to friends, family, neighbors, etc). A few community service projects take place during the course of the year (usually on weekend day). We also do a fall and spring hike as a Pack. Dens may have additional weekend activities associated with rank requirements.
Lion and Tiger parents also need to complete a Youth Protection Training session online (this is easy and takes about one hour). All Cub Scout parents are encouraged to take the training, and it is required for all Scout leaders. In addition, each Scouting family is asked to take on a “family job” during the year (see further information below). Here is a link to the Youth Protection Training: https://www.scouting.org/training/youth-protection/
(You will need to register an account with the Scouts of America to take the training.)
We strongly encourage Scouts and their families to participate in as many of the Pack and den-organized activities as possible, as many are necessary to complete adventures required to achieve rank.
We understand families are busy. Many of our families are two-parent working families, single-parent families, have Scouts and other children with a variety of other activities… we get it. If you are not able to make a particular event or meeting, there are always to make it up or complete the requirements at home. That said, if you are unable to complete many or most of the activities, your Scout may not get as much out of the program and may have a difficult time making rank by the end of the year.
Family Jobs
One of the core tenets of Scouting is volunteerism and service to the community. Pack 3 is run entirely by parent volunteers who give their time and energy to make the program happen. There are always informal opportunities for parents to help with the operating of the scouts (helping scouts set up and clean up after meeting, assist leaders during meetings, etc.)
In addition, every family is expected to do a formal “family job” during the Scouting year. On the registration form, parents need to indicate at least three family jobs they would be willing to do. After registration has closed, you will contacted by Pack leadership about your family job assignment.
More on family jobs can be found at this link: [Family Jobs]
REGISTRATION
How Do I Register?
Registration opens August 31, 2023 and closes October 15, 2023.
All new and returning Scouts are required to:
- fill out the Pack 3 Registration Form on our website
- Pay $275.00 pack dues by October 31 (Pack dues)
New Scouts also need to register with the Boy Scouts of America.
Lion (kindergarten) and Tiger (first grade) Cub Scouts also require an additional registration with Pack 3 and the Boy Scouts of America for an adult partner.
ADMINISTRATION
What is Scouttrack?
Scouttrack is an internet-based service we use to track Scouts’ accomplishments and progress toward their rank during the year. It also allows us to communicate with families through email. Historically, we have also used the calendar function in Scouttrack, but starting in 2018-2019, the calendar will be available on Google Calendar only through our website.
Here is a link to Scouttrack https://www.scouttrack.com/ and a video from one of our leaders showing how it works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9NazoN93s8&authuser=1 (The video was made with an older version of Scouttrack, so some screens may look a little different.) We will hold a short training session for parents about to use Scouttrack at our first pack meeting.
What is our Unit? What is our Council? What is Our District?
Cub Scouts is part of the Boy Scouts national organization. There is an administrative structure that helps support our Pack.
Pack 3 belongs to:
Golden Gate Area Council
Herms District
Our “unit” is 3 (for Pack 3)
For more information on the organization of the Cub Scouts, visit:
https://www.scouting.org/about/
The Golden Gate Area Council website is at:
