I promise to do my best

To do my duty to God and my country,

To help other people, and

To obey the Law of the Pack.

It's important not just to say the Promise, but to know what it means.

 I promise

 When you say "I promise," it means you will do your best to keep your word. It is very important to keep your promises and to stand by the things you say. This shows people that they can trust you and rely on you.

 To do my best

 Giving your best effort is right and honest. Always remember that your best is not the same as someone else's best. Doing the best you can is more important than trying to be better than someone else.

 To do my duty to God

 Doing what is right and not doing things we know are wrong is one way to do our duty to God. Another way is to practice our religion at home and at our place of worship. We should respect other people's religious beliefs even if they are different from our own.

 And my country

 Duty to country starts with being a good citizen. This means caring about the people in your community and helping people. Good citizenship also means obeying the law. It means standing up for the rights of all Americans. Good citizens also take care of America's land, water, and natural places.

 To help other people

 Helping other people means doing things to help those around you—your family, friends, classmates, neighbors, and others in your community—without having to be told.

 And to obey the Law of the Pack

 Besides obeying the Law of the Pack (below), you should obey the laws in your community and state, the rules in your school, the rules at home, and the code of conduct in your den.

 From www.scouting.org

The Cub Scout follows Akela.

The Cub Scout helps the pack go.

The pack helps the Cub Scout grow.

The Cub Scout gives goodwill.

Each part of the Law of the Pack has a meaning.

 The Cub Scout follows Akela

 Akela means "good leader." To a Cub Scout, Akela may be a parent, a teacher, a religious leader, a Cub Scout leader, or another guide. A Cub Scout should choose a good leader to follow.

 The Cub Scout helps the pack go

 Your pack needs you to be a good member. A good member goes to all meetings, follows the leaders, and pitches in to make the pack better. Being a good member of the pack means doing your share, and sometimes a little more, to help the pack.

 The pack helps the Cub Scout grow

 With the leaders and Cub Scouts all working together, the pack helps you grow into a better person. You will learn new things and new skills. You'll learn the right way to do the right things. And along the way, you will help others.

 The Cub Scout gives goodwill

 Doing good things for others doesn't just make them happy. It also gives them the desire (or the "will") to do good things for others in turn. In this way, the good things you do for others make ripples that pass the goodwill from person to person. The spirit of helpfulness and good cheer spreads from you to others in your neighborhood.

 From www.scouting.org

Cub Scout Handshake  means that you "HELP" and that you "OBEY" the Law of the Pack.  Hold out your right hand just as you do to shake hands. Put your two fingers along the inside of the others boys wrist.

Cub Scout Sign Hold your arms straight up, two fingers up like wolf ears ready to listen to Akela.  The two fingers stand for the two parts of the Cub Scout Promise - "TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE" and "TO OBEY." Give the Cub Scout sign when you say the "Cub Scout Promise" and the "Law of the Pack."

Cub Scout Salute is a way to show respect to your leaders. It shows that you look up to them and respect them. We salute the flag to show respect to our country.

1. STAND AT ATTENTION, SALUTE WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND.
2. HOLD YOUR FINGERS AS YOU DO FOR THE CUB SCOUT SIGN.
3. KEEP THE TWO STRAIGHT FINGERS CLOSE TOGETHER.
4. TOUCH THE TIPS OF THOSE FINGERS TO YOUR CAP.
5. IF YOU ARE NOT WEARING A CAP, TOUCH YOUR EYEBROW.

Cub Scouting's 12 Core Values

Citizenship:

Contributing service and showing responsibility to local, state, and national communities.

Compassion:

Being kind and considerate, and showing concern for the well-being of others.

Cooperation:

Being helpful and working together with others toward a common goal

Courage:

Being brave and doing what is right regardless of our fears, the difficulties, or the consequences.

Faith:

Having inner strength and confidence based on our trust in God.

Health and Fitness:

Being personally committed to keeping our minds and bodies clean and fit.

Honesty:

Telling the truth and being worthy of trust.

Perseverance:

Sticking with something and not giving up, even if it is difficult.

Positive Attitude:

Being cheerful and setting our minds to look for and find the best in all situations.

Resourcefulness:

Using human and other resources to their fullest.

Respect:

Showing regard for the worth of something or someone.

Responsibility:

Fulfilling our duty to God, country, other people, and ourselves.

Character can be defined as the collection of core values by an individual that leads to moral commitment and action.  Character is "values in action."

Character development should challenge Cub Scouts to experience core values in six general areas: God, world, country, community, family, and self.