FAQs
When and where are the meetings?
In a typical month, your Cub Scout will have four meetings: Three Den Meetings and one Pack Meeting.
Den Meeting: Den meetings take place on Monday evenings from 7pm-8pm during the school year, except during school holidays. Meeting are typically held at Deer Park Elementary, but some Dens may meet elsewhere during the year for special events like hiking or fire station tours, etc. Dens are the grade-specific small groups within the Pack. At each Den Meeting, your Cub Scout will work on the Rank Achievements or other activities planned by their Den Leader.
Pack Meeting: Pack Meetings occur once a month on last Monday of each month (except school holidays). During Pack meetings all of the Dens meet as a unit to celebrate any awards followed by a special activity. Many months will have a theme such as Outdoor Campfire, K-9 unit, or other special guests.
Throughout the year we will meet at other times for special events, such as camping, Pinewood Derby, the Blue and Gold banquet, and other special events. Take a look at our Calendar page for this year’s schedule.
What is the financial commitment?
We are committed to delivering the Cub Scout program to all interested boys and girls and confidential financial assistance or accommodation is available to families. Please contact us with any questions about the program fees!
Annual registration fees cover the national application fees to Scouts BSA, Scout’s Life magazine, rank neckerchief, rank slide, and Pack uniform patches. Cub Scouts purchase their own uniform, which includes button-down shirt and belt. Uniform pants and socks are available but are optional (any shorts and socks of uniform color are acceptable). Printed and bound rank handbook and pack activity t-shirt are also optional.
Monthly pack dues are $20 per Cub Scout, with a discount available for siblings and families with registered Pack volunteers. The monthly dues cover materials, patches, achievements, and special event entry and meals, and camping trip costs for each enrolled Cub Scout. We have several optional fundraisers throughout the year which can be applied toward the Cub Scout’s monthly dues and future registration fees.
For boys and girls who have never been a registered Cub Scout, 2023-2024 registration fees are approximately $14 per month, or $178. This includes a BSA New Member fee of $25, BSA National and Tampa Council registration for 12 months ($113), ScoutLife print magazine ($15), and a $25 annual Pack 7 fee. Pack T-shirts are $15 (optional). Handbooks are $26 (optional). The official uniform shirt and belt are required. We do have some used uniforms available from time to time. The uniform shirt and belt will typically last for several years if you size up one size at purchase.
For youth previously registered to a Pack, the registration fee is adjusted depending on whether the registration was during the current enrollment year, and the $25 BSA New Member fee is waived. Registration for Cub Scouts who were enrolled in 2023 and are re-enrolling for 2024 is $153.
How are families involved in the Cub Scout program?
Not only is Scouting a youth development program, but it is a special time for families to spend together enjoying activities and the outdoors, during the short time they are youths. Your children will develop lasting friendships and have fun, and so will their adults! While you may be concerned about trying an unfamiliar adventure like camping, our Pack has many resources, equipment, and volunteers ready to help you get started and make it as easy as possible. (However, you are on your own for post-campout laundry and dirt-scrubbing elbows and knees!)
The Cub Scout journey transitions the Scout slowly as they age from a hands-on parent led program to the more youth-led Webelos years, preparing him or her for the full leadership training of the Scouts BSA Troop program. In Kindergarten, the Lions Den is team-lead by the Lions parents and because of your Cub Scout’s age, he or she will need lots of parent support! The fourth and fifth-grade Webelos and Arrow of Light Dens are a patrol-style more similar to a BSA Troop and the boys and girls practice independence and self-motivation, and being to spend time with a boy or girl Scouts BSA Troop. Throughout all program levels the boys and girls cover many topics, including nutrition, outdoorsmanship, camping and first aid skills, knife safety, outdoor shooting sports (archery, wrist rockets, and BB-guns), STEM topics, aquatics, and more.
During Pack camping trips and outings, siblings and family members are always welcome. Some of our trips include a NASA campout, Legoland campout, Ft Desoto, and Fort Wilderness. The Webelos and Arrow of Light Dens each year have a Webelos-only sibling-free campout in conjunction with our affiliated boy and girl Scouts BSA Troops, which is always a fun and exciting weekend.
One adult member of each family is required to take the annual Youth Protection Training (YPT) Program provided by Scouts BSA. This is a free program that takes approximately one hour per year to complete. The adult who is most likely to accompany the Cub Scout to meetings, campouts and events is the most appropriate person to take this training your family. The YPT course will familiarize you with BSA rules regarding adult-to-youth and youth-to-youth contact, so that we can continue to provide a safe environment for our boys and girls. All volunteer leaders also undergo an annual background check.
The pack always welcomes registered volunteer leaders to assist with other activities such as fundraising, camping and outings, special events, camping cooking, and more. Our Pack is only as strong as our volunteers and we encourage active family participation. Free training on various topics including leadership development, camping, shooting sports, climbing, and aquatics is also available to volunteers.