CUB SCOUT PACK 291

Why Join Scouting?

Last Updated: 8/30/99

In 1930, the Boy Scouts of America created a new opportunity called Cub Scouting for boys younger than Boy Scout age. A year-round, home-centered program used by chartered organizations, Cub Scouting emphasizes involvement between boys and their parents, adult leaders, and friends. In the multidimensional plan of the Boy Scouts of America, Cub Scouting is where it all begins.

Cub Scouting has the following purposes:

Influence a boy's character development and spiritual growth.
Develop habits and attitudes of good citizenship.
Encourage good sportsmanship and pride in growing strong in mind and body.
Improve understanding within the family.
Strengthen a boy's ability to get along with others.
Foster a sense of personal achievement by developing new interests and skills.
Provide fun and exciting new things to do.
Show a boy how to be helpful and do his best. Prepare him to be a Boy Scout.

Leadership Skills

Scouting teaches our young men the skills that help prepare them for a lifetime of ethical leadership. Among Scouting alumni are:

Almost 90% of all Senior Class and Student Council Presidents
More than two-thirds of all Rhodes Scholars
More than two-thirds of military academy graduates

Values

Research conducted by Louis Harris & Associates showed that when a random sample of Scouts was asked what Scouting had taught them, almost nine out of ten responded with the following:

take better care of the environment (89%)
get along with others (88%)
always give your best effort (87%)
have confidence in yourself (87%)
set goals for yourself (87%)
care for other people (86%)
treat other people with respect (86%)

In addition, Scouts were found to be more likely to:

assume leadership roles in clubs and school organizations
put the needs of others before themselves
make the most ethical, not necessarily easiest, decisions
value education and the environment

Statistics

What happens to a Scout? For every 100 boys who join Scouting, records indicate that:

RARELY will one be brought before the juvenile court system
2 will become Eagle Scouts
17 will become future Scout volunteers
12 will have their first contact with a church
1 will enter the clergy
5 will earn their church award
18 will develop a hobby that will last through their adult life
8 will enter a vocation that was learned through the merit badge system
1 will use his Scouting skills to save his own life
1 will use his Scouting skills to save the life of another person

Scouting's alumni record is equally impressive. A recent nation-wide survey of high schools revealed the following information:

85% of student council presidents were Scouts
89% of senior class presidents were Scouts
80% of junior class presidents were Scouts
75% of school publication editors were Scouts
71% of football captains were Scouts

Scouts also account for:

64% of Air Force Academy graduates
68% of West Point graduates
70% of Annapolis graduates
72% of Rhodes Scholars
85% of F.B.I. agents
26 of the first 29 astronauts

Scouting is Fun!

For Tiger Cubs (boys entering first grade in the fall) and Cub Scouts (second through fifth grade) participate in both pack-wide activities as well as numerous den-level activities. Pack 291 activities during the year have included:

Pinewood Derby Racing
Day trip to Camp Blanding
Cub-o-Ree Camp-out with over 800 Cub Scouts !
Camping, canoeing, fishing, and climbing trees at Faver-Dykes State Park
Visits to the Police and Fire Department
Hiking at Guana State Park
Trips to the TV Station

How to Join Pack 291

Contact one of the Pack Leaders or watch for an announcement in September about the "Fall Round-Up" we hold at Ocean Palms.