The Wolf Cub theme is based on Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. It provides a sense of outdoor adventure and fantasy that appeals to a Cub's imaginative mind. The pack refers to all members in your child's Cub program. Within the pack, Cubs are broken into small groups called sixes. A Cub who is asked to lead a six is called a Sixer. The Sixer has an assistant called a Second. Cubs usually rotate through these early leadership jobs based on age and experience.
Jungle
Names
The primary adult leader of the pack is referred to as Akela --
the name of the old wolf and
leader of the pack in The Jungle Book. Other leaders take a
jungle name such as Baloo (the
bear), Bagheera (the panther), Mang (the bat), Raksha
(the mother wolf), or Hathi (the
elephant.) Your pack may also have a Kim
-- a Scout who works with the Cubs. Kim is another Kipling character.
Older Cubs are sometimes invited to work with a Beaver colony. Each Cub
helper working in a colony is called Keeo
after a character in the Beaver book Friends of the Forest.
Behind
the Scenes
The leaders in your Cub's pack are supported by a group committee.
The committee is responsible for ensuring the programs offered meet
Scouts Canada's guidelines and that the pack has enough resources to
operate effectively. Our Group Committee meets once per month, usually
on the first Thursday, and usually at the church. The group committee
represents a sponsor which is the
overall partner with Scouts Canada. Sponsors are typically community
centres, clubs, religious institutions (ours is St. Mark’s), or
parent
groups. The sponsor works closely with Scouts Canada to ensure Scouting
programs and resources are meeting the needs of all its youth and adult
members.
While learning a bit about Cubs, your child will be a tenderpad, a Cub who is not yet ready to become a formally welcomed member of the pack. After a brief period of training (mostly to learn the background, rules, and expectations for being a Cub) parents will be invited to attend the investiture ceremony to help welcome your child officially into the Cub pack.
The Cub Book will encourage your child’s participation within six activity areas. While your Cub will see only the fun and excitement the activities present, each area focuses on a clear purpose and goal. The purpose and goals for each activity area set out how the activities are relevant to today's child while meeting developmental needs.
The
Natural World Activity Area (Black Star)
Purpose
· To create a feeling of care and concern for the natural world
and an interest in nature study.
Goals
· To provide practical environmental activities that explore the
wonders of nature.
· To develop an understanding that all life requires food,
water, shelter and space.
· To explore and develop an understanding of the positive and
negative impacts people have on the environment.
· To give direct ideas on how to help the environment in
everyday situations.
The
Outdoor Activity Area (Green Star)
Purpose
· To provide opportunities for Cubs to develop self-confidence
and
early leadership skills through the introduction of basic camping and
other outdoor pursuits.
Goals
· To instruct Cubs on how to enjoy the outdoors safely.
· To introduce Cubs to various outdoor pursuits through
age-appropriate activities based on simple skill learning and fun.
The
Creative Expression Activity Area (Tawney Star)
Purpose
· To encourage Cubs to creatively explore and express themselves
through activities which utilize imagination and innovation.
Goals
· To develop a creative outlet for child interests through the
use of music, arts, and crafts in the Cub program.
· To enhance Cub awareness of how modern technology can be used
for creative expression.
· To stimulate and foster Cub literacy through activities which
promote, or require, reading skills.
· To provide opportunities for Cubs to pursue a project from
start to finish, thereby producing a sense of accomplishment.
The
Health and Fitness Activity Area (RED STAR)
Purpose
· To encourage Cubs to lead active and healthy lives and to have
a positive image of themselves.
Goals
· To encourage Cubs to have healthy lifestyle attitudes through
developing active living habits.
· To promote the positive benefits of being involved in physical
activities.
· To educate Cubs about health risks associated with tobacco
products, and with drug and alcohol abuse.
· To encourage the practice of good hygiene habits for
maintaining personal health and promoting self-reliance.
The
Home And Community Activity Area (Blue Star)
Purpose
· To create in a Cub a positive feeling of family and community
responsibility, as well as personal self-reliance through opportunities
to develop home care skills and knowledge about various community
services.
Goal
· To provide support to the Cub's family by teaching skills
related to home care.
· To explore and appreciate the challenges facing disabled
people in the community.
· To explore what services are needed to support a community,
and how a person would access these services if required.
Canada
and the World Activity Area (Purple Star)
Purpose
· To provide opportunities for Cubs to better understand how to
actively participate in Canadian society and the world we live in.
Goals
· To learn about and appreciate Canadian society through active
participation in community service projects.
· To discover and learn about their own faith and the various
world religions.
· To participate in programs which highlight people and their
cultures that make up Canada and the world.
· To demonstrate the inter-relationships Canadians have with
people in other countries.
Put your Cub's name prominently on the book!
The Cub uniform is designed to fulfill two functions - to be practical and to allow a more formal look. The basic uniform consists of a shirt, a neckerchief (necker), and a sash. While there is a wide variety of optional items (belts, hats, etc.) this is the basic outfit. Along with a Cub Book, these are the most important items to purchase.
At each meeting and formal event the full uniform is worn. For less formal activities, the sash is not required. For some rough-and-tumble-and-let’s-get-dirty activities, only the necker is worn – and it is tied (leave the woggle at home!)
The
Shirt
The shirt will have all the identifying badges/patches that identify to
which country, province, region (Voyageur), and district (Heritage)
your Cub belongs. Those that don’t come with the shirt will be
provided. Epaulettes (also provided) will be handed out to indicate
that your Cub has been invested, and are also used to indicate whether
a Cub is a sixer or a second. Where to
sew on the badges is identified in the Cub Book.
The Sash
The sash is red, with yellow stripes. On the sash will go the stars,
badges, and awards that the Cub earns either during the meetings or
through personal or family activities.
The
Necker
The necker is the easiest way to identify which pack a Cub belongs to.
Each pack has its own distinctive colours. Ours is red, blue, and grey
to honour the servicemen who have served Canada. The standard way of
attaching it is with the Cub woggle, or for more active occasions a
well-tied reef knot. The necker and the first woggle will be provided.
Put your Cub's name on every item of clothing!
A Typical Year, Typical Meeting
A Cub year parallels the school year, starting in September and generally finishing up by June. Cubs will attend regular meetings and special events throughout the year. Each may have a cost associated with it, and most events require some form of paperwork!
Meetings
Our regular meetings are held Mondays from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm in St.
Rita’s gym. We may also hold meetings outside in the school
field, or
in nearby parks. A typical meeting consists of an inspection (checking
appearance, etc.), collection of dues (currently 50¢ and used to
buy
badges and supplies), an opening ceremony, activity time (including
games, badge work, crafts, songs), and a closing ceremony.
Other
Events
We participate in a number of events hosted by the various levels of
the organization – Apple Day, ScoutTrees, etc. These are often
fundraisers as well. Our District sponsors a number of joint
activities, events such as a Kub Kar rally, Baden-Powell week
activities, Polar Day, and others. Finally, we will often have special
events as part of our schedule, including visits to
museums, parks, and meetings with special visitors. There may be
activity fees associated with some of these events, and while the
amount is usually less than $10, they may be higher. If at any time the
cost of an activity is an issue, let a leader know. We will always try
to subsidize activities to ensure that everyone benefits equally.