During my years as a Cub Scout Leader, I don't think anyone explained exactly what a "Pack" is and how it functions. I will attempt to do this for you now. A Cub Scout Pack is a group of boys ages 7 -10 and adult volunteer leaders filling different functions within the Pack. Sounds simple? Not so much!
Yearly Rechartering:
- Every year, each Cub Scout Pack and Boy Scout Troop must recharter with Boy Scouts of America. To do this, there must be a minimum requirement of adult volunteer leadership positions filled. If these adult positions are not filled, the Pack or Troop cannot recharter and ceases to exist.
- Remember, this is the "bare minimum" adult leadership required for rechartering! If you have more volunteers, there are plenty of other positions that could be filled not listed below.
1 Executive Officer (Head of the sponsoring organization)
1 Chartered Organizational Representative (Liaison between the pack and sponsoring organization)
1 Cubmaster (Oversees the operations of the Pack)
1 Committee Chair Person (Oversees the business end of the Pack and Leadership)
3 Committee Members (Works with the Pack and Committee Chair on developing the yearly program)
At Least 1 WEBELOS Den Leader if there are any 4th or 5th Grade scouts
At Least 1 Den Leader for the 2nd and 3rd Grade scouts
1 Tiger Den Leader for the 1st Grade scouts
- Every Adult that volunteers regardless of position must complete an adult application as well as take the online BSA Youth Protection Training before the application can be submitted to your local Scout Offices. If these 2 items have not been completed, you cannot work with the boys in the Pack and this is for your safety as well as theirs!
- Additionally, every adult volunteer must complete several other online trainings within 4 months of submitting their applications. These would be "This is Scouting" and the "Leader Specific training for the position" you applied for such as "Den Leader", "Committee Member" etc.
- In addition to the adult leadership required for the Pack to be rechartered each and every year, you must have a minimum of at least 5 scouts.
These are the requirements each February that must be met to recharter. The difficulty in this is getting adult volunteers to take on the various responsibilities which leads to just a few people doing to bulk of the work just to keep the Pack afloat. Those that do volunteer to register with the Pack tend to like the experience however when more and more gets put on their plates to cover the empty gaps, it leads to adults dropping out which makes those gaps even bigger! Parents should be informed that when they register their son(s), they too will also be expected to take on some sort of role no matter how small.
Duration of Leadership Positions:
- While there is no set "term" for any of the Leadership positions, it is usually recommended that they do cycle from time to time. For example, a Cubmaster, Committee Chair or Committee members could keep their positions indefinitely but really should be replaced about every couple of years. The tendency is for the Pack to get comfortable with these key positions because these Leaders have experience and to teach someone else would take time.
- Den Leaders should actually advance when the scouts they currently have graduate to the next level. For example, if you signed up to be a Wolf Den Leader, the following year you would become the Bear Den Leader. Most adults that volunteer to be in a specific den, it is because their son is in that den along with his friends. Moving up to the next level along with your scouts helps to build a bond between you and these scouts. Working with them more than a year would give you an advantage of knowing the boys likes and dislikes and what will interest them.