About Pack 39

What is the Cub Scout Program?

Cub Scouts is for boys and girls, kindergarten through fifth grade. It is a division of the Boy Scouts of America, which is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States. The program encourages boys and girls to make friends, be helpful to others and do their very best no matter the outcome.

 

How is Cub Scouts organized? Where does Pack 39 fit in?

The Boy Scouts of America is a national organization that administers programs through more than 270 councils in the United States, each of which covers a geographic region that varies in size from a single city to an entire state. We're part of the Connecticut Yankee Council, which covers parts of Fairfield, New Haven and Hartford counties. Pack 39 is chartered by Green's Farms Church in Westport and the vast majority of our families reside in town.

 

Are there multiple packs in Westport? Does it matter what school my child goes to?

Pack 39 is currently the only pack in Westport. We have scouts from all of the public elementary schools in Westport and a number of the local private schools. Everyone is welcome!

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Tell me more about the pack. How is it organized?

In the Cub Scout program, after a scout joins a pack, he or she is assigned to a "den" based on the child's grade in school. All of the dens together make up the "pack." Scouts will spend most of their time in the Cub Scout program with their den, but will have the opportunity to come together with all the other dens at least once a month for a pack meeting or activity. Kindergartners join the Lion Den, first graders the Tiger Den, second graders the Wolf Den, third graders the Bear Den, and fourth and fifth graders the Webelos Den.

 

We recently moved to Westport. Our old Pack was all [boys/girls]. Is Pack 39 co-ed?

Yes, Pack 39 is a "family pack," meaning that we welcome boys and girls to participate.

 

What do the kids actually do?

Our dens generally meet once per month at a date/time chosen by the Den Leader with input from the families in the den. Dens meet at different locations depending on the activity for that month's meeting. Sometimes dens meet at our charter organization (Green's Farms Church), sometimes at a Den Leader's house and sometimes at the location of a specific activity (e.g., Earthplace, Compo Beach, the Westport Fire Department, etc.). At the den meetings, the scouts work on a series of "adventures" as laid out in the handbook for their age. These adventures focus on core Scouting themes -- things like camping, outdoor skills, emergency preparedness, first aid, citizenship, leadership, duty to country, duty to God, helping others, physical fitness, etc.

 

Great. What else? Didn't you say something about monthly Pack meetings and activities?

Yes! These are some of our most popular events. At least monthly, all of the dens come together for a pack meeting or activity. Our calendar typically includes: Scout Day at West Point and an Army football game; a harvest campfire event at Earthplace; a carnival organized and presented by the Bear Den; ice skating at Longshore; our annual Pinewood Derby; a Blue and Gold banquet; a fishing derby at Deer Lake in Madison, Connecticut; marching in Westport's Memorial Day Parade; an end of the year picnic at Compo Beach; and of course several opportunities to go camping, among service activities, and other outdoor adventures!

 

Sounds like fun! Who organizes all of this stuff?

Pack 39 is run entirely by parent volunteers. Our Pack Committee handles the administrative side of things, our Den Leaders plan and run Den meetings and our Cubmaster leads Pack meetings and activities. That said, your child will need your active involvement to make the most of the program. Whether it's accompanying your scout on her first camping trip, helping your scout craft the perfect Pinewood Derby car or helping your scout complete the last adventure needed to earn the rank badge, Cub Scouts is a family activity. For better or for worse, we're not like those birthday party invitations that say "drop offs ok" (although we love those parties just as much as you do).

 

How much does all of this cost?

The annual registration fees for 2023-2024 are $325 for new scouts and $300 for returning scouts. This fee covers the vast majority of our program, although there may be an additional cost for certain of the larger activities run by outside organizations (e.g., tickets to the Army football game). In addition to the registration fee, your child will need a uniform and a handbook, both of which can be ordered online or purchased at the Connecticut Yankee Council store in Milford.

 

Although we believe we offer a compelling value at $300 for a program that lasts the entire academic year (and even includes some summer activities), one tenet that we feel very strongly about is that cost should never prohibit anyone from participating in Cub Scouts. For this reason, the pack offers confidential financial assistance to any family for which the cost of the program would present a hardship.

 

Can we attend an event to see if it's a good fit? How do we sign up?

Yes! We always welcome prospective families to attend one of our events to see if it is a good fit. Please reach out to us to set something up.

 

Where can I get more information?

There's lots of good information on Scouting online. In addition to the official site of the Cub Scout Program, we'd recommend checking out the site for Scout Life magazine (which your child will begin to receive after they've registered). 

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I have friends who might be interested, can I invite them to join the pack too?

Please do!