Year B ® ® ® ® ® ® ® Alternative Cub Scout Lesson Plans Manual Contents Year B Explanation .............................................................3 Meeting 20: Do the Right Thing! .....................................139 Advancement ...........................................................3 Meeting 21: Snack Time ................................................143 Reminders ................................................................3 Meeting 22: Physical Fitness and Basketball Belt Loops.....147 Welcome to Cub Scouting ..................................................4 Meeting 23: Be Prepared! ..............................................149 What Is This Cub Scouting Thing? ......................................5 Meeting 24: Makeup Meeting ........................................157 What Is Cub Scouting? ..............................................5 Meeting 25: Let’s Go Outdoors .......................................159 Understanding Cub Scout–Age Boys ........................15 Meeting 26: Marbles Belt Loop ......................................165 Cub Scouts With Disabilities ....................................18 Meeting 27: Soccer Belt Loop ........................................171 Uniforms and Insignia..............................................22 Meeting 28: Kickball Belt Loop .......................................174 Leader and Family Roles and Responsibilities ...................31 Meeting 29: Duty to God ................................................177 Leaders ..................................................................31 Meeting 30: Webelos-to-Scout Transition ........................180 Parents and Families ...............................................48 Meeting 31: Awards Banquet .........................................186 Materials Needed for Each Syllabus Week ........................59 Progress Toward Rank Awards .......................................188 Advancement Help ..........................................................62 Organization, Roles, Ranks, and Advancement ................191 Belt Loops—All Cub Scout Ranks ....................................64 How Cub Scouting Is Organized .............................191 Advancement Request for Awards Ceremony 1 .................65 The Tiger Cub, Cub Scouting, and Advancement Request for Awards Ceremony 2 .................66 Webelos Scouting Programs ..................................199 Webelos Arrow of Light Check-off Sheet ...........................67 Webelos-to-Scout Transition ..................................200 Advancement Report .......................................................69 Advancement and Awards .....................................204 Meeting 1: Welcome to Cub Scouts ..................................70 Keeping Cub Scouts Together and Growing .....................211 Meeting 2: Feats of Skill ...................................................73 Membership .........................................................211 Meeting 3: What Makes America Special ..........................76 Cub Scout Pack School Night/Roundup Agenda .....213 Meeting 4: Family and Community ...................................82 Insurance and Unit Assets .....................................215 Meeting 5: Sports, Sports, Sports .....................................86 Charter Renewal ...................................................216 Meeting 6: Friends and Collections ...................................91 Financing the Pack ...............................................221 Meeting 7: Leave No Trace ...............................................94 Oh, the Things You Can Do in Scouting! ..........................227 Meeting 8: Song and Fun Time .........................................98 Managing Boys .....................................................227 Meeting 9: Preparing for the Party ..................................100 Pack Activities .......................................................230 Meeting 10: Recognition Party .......................................102 Health, Safety, and First Aid ...................................239 Meeting 11: More Leave No Trace ..................................106 Outdoor Activities ..................................................253 Meeting 12: Reading Is Fun ...........................................109 Cub Scout Camping ..............................................260 Meeting 13: Building Things ...........................................115 The Cub Scout Academics and Sports Program. .....270 Meeting 14: Preparing for the Pinewood Derby ...............118 Unit Leadership Enhancements .............................271 Meeting 15: P utting the Finishing Touches on the Pinewood Derby Car .........................121 More Activities and Songs ..............................................276 Meeting 16: Pinewood Derby .........................................124 Add Sparkle to Your Meetings ................................276 Meeting 17: Game Playing and Healthy Eating ................127 Set the Tone With a Song ......................................283 Meeting 18: Communication/Fitness ..............................132 Resources, Forms, and Applications ...............................300 Meeting 19: What’s Cooking?. ........................................135 Glossary ........................................................................330 1 Year B Explanation This syllabus is designed for packs that have all the leaders to break into dens for each rank or for leaders who do not have the adult assistance to break a pack up into dens for each rank. This syllabus is also designed for units that do not have enough boys per den. Although there are not requirements for each rank every week, the program is set up so the Bobcat, Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos, and Arrow of Light awards can be earned over a 31-week period for boys in coinciding rank/grade levels. Year B is designed to fit in with the school year schedule, which is what most Cub Scout packs follow. Due to day camp and the closing of many chartered organizations, we do not hold Cub Scout meetings in June or July. Advancement The boxes at the end of each syllabus week list the actual requirements from the Cub Scout handbooks that are completed during that particular week. Advancement is tracked by attendance, so it is very important to keep track of boys each week. Using a sign-in sheet for each meeting will help with this. You should also use an attendance summary sheet so after each meeting leaders can record attendance on a sheet that shows all 31 weeks of program and all of their boys. Use the “Advancement Help” section in this book to determine which advancement awards each rank of Cub Scouts should get at each awards ceremony. All rank badge requests should be submitted online at https://scoutnet.scouting.org/iadv/UI/home/default.aspx or on an Advancement Report, No. 34403, provided on page 69. Throughout the school year, you will only need Bobcat badges for Cub Scouts who are new to the program. Other badges such as Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos, and Arrow of Light will be earned until the end of the school year after all syllabus weeks have been completed. The Arrow of Light is an individual award that Webelos II Scouts can earn. The requirements for earning this award can found on page 67. It is the responsibility of the Cubmaster, den leader, or parent to make sure each requirement has been met. Items such as progress beads, belt loops, and Webelos pins do not need to be turned in on an Advancement Report. For convenience, we have included two (one for each awards ceremony) Advancement Request forms for these items. You can also give out Progress Toward Rank/Immediate Recognition kits, usually in the first meeting. Tracking beads can be a little confusing since Tiger Cubs earn one bead for every achievement they complete, and Wolf and Bear Cub Scouts earn one bead for every three achievements completed. To make this easier, you can find charts to help you figure out which beads to give out for each awards ceremony in the “Advancement Help” section of this book (pages 62 and 63). The other awards we supply are certificates for perfect attendance, consistently wearing uniforms, Good Turns, and popcorn sales. Reminders At the end of each syllabus week, there is a list of reminders and coming events. Many Cub Scout resources are available online. Go to Scouting.org/CubScouts/Leaders or scan this QR code with your smartphone. Download a free QR reader for your smartphone at scan.mobi. 3 Welcome to Cub Scouting Welcome to Cub Scouting! Since 1930, Cub Scouting has offered fun with a purpose to millions of American boys. Thanks to volunteers like you, these boys have developed values, learned skills, made friends, strengthened family relationships—and had a great time in the process. This book is designed to help you make the most of your time as a Scouting volunteer. Whether you are a den leader, a Cubmaster, a committee member, or a program manager, or you take on some other leadership role, you’ll find the resources here to make your Cub Scouting experience the best it can be. Our goal is to help you get started quickly; that means quick introductions to some important topics and deeper content where appropriate. Where more detailed information is necessary, we’ll refer you to other Boy Scouts of America publications, including content you can find at www.scouting.org, the BSA’s website. We also encourage you to seek help from experienced leaders in your pack, as well as commissioners—volunteers in your Scouting district whose sole purpose is to support people like you. 4 What Is This Cub Scouting Thing? What are Cub Scouting’s foundational aims, beliefs, and values? How do we go about achieving these aims? What about boys? All this and more . . . What Is Cub Scouting? Cub Scouting is a program of the Boy Scouts of America, whose overall mission is to help young people build character, learn citizenship, and develop personal fitness. While the BSA serves boys from ages 6 through 20 and girls from ages 14 (or 13 with completion of eighth grade) through 20, Cub Scouting focuses on boys in the first through fifth grades (or from ages 7 through 10). Cub Scouting Is for All Boys. Cub Scouting is for boys of all sizes, shapes, colors, and backgrounds. Some are gifted students or talented athletes; others struggle in these areas. Some have strong, stable families; others face social and economic challenges. Some live in cities, some live in suburban areas, and some live in rural communities. Some have physical, mental, or emotional disabilities that make ordinary activities difficult. Because of its flexibility and its emphasis on doing one’s best, Cub Scouting easily adapts to all these situations. Cub Scouting Is for Families. The family is the most important influence on boys’ development. Cub Scouting seeks to support the family—whatever it looks like—and to involve families in Scouting activities. Cub Scouting is sensitive to the needs of today’s families, and it provides opportunities for family members to work and play together, to have fun together, and to get to know each other better. Cub Scouting Is Fun. Boys join Cub Scouting because they want to have fun, but they instinctively understand that fun means more than just having a good time. It also means getting satisfaction from meeting challenges, having friends, and feeling they are important to other people. When Cub Scouts are having fun, they are also learning new things, discovering and mastering new skills, gaining self-confidence, and developing strong friendships. Cub Scouting Has Ideals. In an age when values sometimes seem passé, Cub Scouting maintains its ideals of character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. The Cub Scout Promise is a pledge of duty to God and other people. The Law of the Pack is a simple formula for good citizenship. The Cub Scout motto is a code of excellence. Cub Scouting Provides Adventure. Cub Scouting helps fulfill a boy’s desire for adventure and allows him to use his vivid imagination while taking part in skits, games, field trips, service projects, and more. Boys find adventure in exploring the outdoors, learning about nature, and gaining a greater appreciation for our beautiful world. 5 Cub Scouting Helps Boys Develop Skills and Interests. Cub Scouts learn many useful and varied skills. They develop ability and dexterity, and they learn to use tools and to follow instructions. Badges and awards encourage them to learn about a variety of subjects, including conservation, safety, physical fitness, community awareness, sports, and religious activities. The skills they learn and interests they develop could lead them to careers or lifelong hobbies. Cub Scouting Has an Advancement Plan. The Cub Scout advancement plan recognizes boys’ individual efforts and achievements, teaches them to do their best, and strengthens family ties as leaders and family members work with them on requirements. Boys enjoy receiving badges for their achievements, but the real benefit comes from the skills, knowledge, and self-esteem they develop along the way. Cub Scouts Belong. Belonging is important to boys; they like to be accepted as part of a group. In Cub Scouting, boys take part in interesting and meaningful activities with their friends, learning sportsmanship, citizenship, and loyalty. The Cub Scout uniform, symbols like the Cub Scout sign, and being a member of a den help boys feel part of a distinct group that shares a common purpose. Cub Scouting Teaches Boys to Reach Out. Cub Scouting provides opportunities for boys to reach out into the wider community while maintaining a link with secure foundations at home, school, and religious organizations. Through field trips, boys get to know their community better. Through service projects and other community activities, they learn what it means to be a good citizen. Cub Scouting Teaches Duty to God and Country. Through interfaith activities and the religious emblems program, Cub Scouting helps boys fulfill their duty to God. Through flag ceremonies, service projects, and other activities, Cub Scouting helps boys become useful and participating citizens. Cub Scouting Provides a Year-Round Program. When school ends, Cub Scouting continues. Boys have more free time during the summer, so summer is a great time for Cub Scouting. Den and pack activities take on a more informal feel and are often held outdoors. Day camp and resident camp programs run by Scouting districts and councils are often the highlight of the Cub Scout year, offering activities that local packs couldn’t easily provide. Cub Scouting Helps Organizations. A Cub Scout pack is chartered to an organization in your community— a school-based parents’ organization, a religious organization, or a service club or organization. Cub Scouting is a resource that organization uses to further its outreach and achieve its goals for serving young people. Purposes of Cub Scouting The Cub Scouting program has 10 purposes related to the overall mission of the Boy Scouts of America— to build character, learn citizenship, and develop personal fitness: • Character Development • Spiritual Growth • Good Citizenship • Sportsmanship and Fitness • Family Understanding • Respectful Relationships • Personal Achievement • Friendly Service • Fun and Adventure • Preparation for Boy Scouts Every Cub Scouting activity should help fulfill one of these purposes. When considering a new activity, ask which purpose or purposes it supports. Not everything in Cub Scouting has to be serious—far from it! Silly songs, energetic games, and yummy snacks all have their place in the program. 6 Cub Scout Ideals The Cub Scout ideals are practices that bring the program’s values to life. They are principles boys learn and incorporate into their everyday lives. Take every opportunity to point out how an activity or service project your Cub Scouts are doing connects with the Cub Scout ideals: • The Cub Scout Promise • The Law of the Pack • The Cub Scout motto Help them see that living the ideals of Cub Scouting is a good way to live. The Cub Scout Promise I, (name), 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. The Cub Scout Promise This simple promise encompasses most of what a Cub Scout (and a Cub Scout leader, for that matter) should do. It helps Cub Scouts develop a sense of spiritual awareness, loyalty, unselfishness, self-discipline, and service to others. With some changes in wording, it will follow Cub Scouts into Boy Scouting. Cub Scout–age boys are eager to learn and are open to new ideas. You have the priceless opportunity to help boys learn to live the Cub Scout Promise. The way to do that is by explaining the words in simple language that boys can understand. “I promise . . .” Making—and keeping—a promise is a very grown-up thing to do. When a boy makes the Cub Scout sign and says, “I promise,” he’s taking an important step on the road to adulthood. “To do my best . . .” Our society often emphasizes being the best; Cub Scouting emphasizes doing your best. That’s an important distinction. Everybody is good at different things, so one person’s best is not the same as someone else’s. The Cub Scouting program encourages boys to give their best possible effort rather than just try to do better than someone else. When boys try their hardest, they feel good about themselves and often find they can do even better than they thought they could. “To do my duty to God . . .” The BSA maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God, although it is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward religious training. Cub Scouts are encouraged to thank God for their blessings, to be faithful in their religious duties, and to respect other people’s religious beliefs even when those beliefs differ from their own. “And my country . . .” Cub Scouts are too young to vote, to serve in the military, or to worry about obeying most laws. However, they can live their duty to country by showing respect for the U.S. flag, by standing at attention when the national anthem is played, by caring for people in their community, and by using our country’s resources wisely. 7