Frequently Asked Questions

The mission of the Cub Scouts is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

There are four aims of Scouting: citizenship, character, personal fitness, and leadership.

The methods of Cub Scouting are: living the ideals, belonging to a den, advancement, family involvement, activities, serving the community, and the uniform.

The mission of the Cub Scouts is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

There are four aims of Scouting: citizenship, character, personal fitness, and leadership.

The methods of Cub Scouting are: living the ideals, belonging to a den, advancement, family involvement, activities, serving the community, and the uniform.

Yes. Parents, siblings, and family members are encouraged to attend most den and pack meetings and activities. Lions, Tigers, and Bears are required to have a guardian with them at all events. Some parents and guardians even serve as leaders within Pack 53. Learn more about volunteering on our Leadership page. 

As a program for the entire family, Cub Scouting can teach your child a wholesome system of values and beliefs while building and strengthening relationships among family members. Scouting gives you a platform to equip your child. We provide other mentors to help your child grow, but you are also an important part of his development in scouting. 

Certain Adventures or parts of an Adventure can be earned at home with the guidance of parents and guardians. Den leaders communicate these requirements to you throughout the year.

Cub Scouting is for girls and boys in kindergarten through fifth grades, or 5 to 10 years of age. Kids who are older than 10, or who have completed the fifth grade, are eligible to join the Scouts BSA program.

No. The Cub Scouting program is designed so that a child may jump right in at any point.  There is no need to work backward to catch up. A new Cub Scout may join in any grade (K-5) and continue through the program. Scouts will complete the Bobcat adventure during their first year with the pack.

Our pack runs from September to June.  You can become a scout at any time. Just contact our Cubmaster, cubmaster@pack53.org, or the Den Leader in your age group - or, just show up at one of our meetings. Our pack meets at Walter C. Black Elementary School on the Third Tuesday of each month. 

Pack meetings are normally held on the third Tuesday of the month, and all of our scouts (K-5th grade) get together in the same place. The meeting is normally led by the Cubmaster at Walter C. Black Elementary School.  Keep an eye on the Pack calendar (on the main page) for dates.

Den meetings are usually held 1-2 times per month among scouts in common age groups. Each den has a designated meeting date, time, and location.

At a minimum, each scout will need a uniform. The uniform shirt remains the same for at least the first three years, but the hat and neckerchief change with each rank. When a scout enters a Webelos den, he/she may need to obtain a new uniform if the parents in the den opt for the khaki-and-olive uniform. More information about uniforms can be found here. 

The Scout handbook used to be required since it provided guidance and information on rank achievements and requirements. Much of the information found in the handbook can now be found online within Scoutbook, so a physical copy of the handbook is no longer required.

New Scouts: $210 a year + OPTIONAL $15 for a subscription to Scout Life

Returning Scouts: $185 a year + OPTIONAL $15 for a subscription to Scout Life

Financial assistance is available if needed. Please reach out to our Cubmaster for support. 

DISCOUNTED RATE FOR SCOUTS WITH VOLUNTEER LEADERS!

BSA Youth Registration Fee: $80.00

Washington Crossing Council Fee: $75.00

Administrative Fee: $5.40 (deducted from Pack fee)

Pack Fee: $24.60

• Costs of activity supplies, adventure loops, advancement awards, volunteer training, recruitment efforts

Our Pack strongly believes that Scouting is an excellent value for the cost, and we work hard to be fiscally responsible with the Pack's money. We also believe that Scouting should not be a financial hardship for anyone.  To that end, we dedicate a lot of time and energy to making our fundraising periods very successful.  Selling meat sticks is our pack's primary fundraising program. We also look for other fundraising programs to allow the community to subsidize the costs of our Scouting program.

Every Cub Scout Pack and Scout BSA Troop has a sponsoring organization called the "chartered organization." The individual Pack or Troop is essentially a program that is executed by, or under the supervision of, the chartered organization. A chartered organization can be a place of worship, a school, or another community group that has the same interests as the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Monthly meetings are usually held in a building owned by that organization. Pack 53's chartered organization is St. Paul's Lutheran Church in East Windsor. 

Annually, the local council enters into an agreement with the chartered organization granting them a charter.  This charter enables the chartered organization to use and support the Scouting program under adult leadership they approve of in order to accomplish the Scouting program's objectives and to serve the organization’s youth and families. 

Pack 53 Scouts, leaders, and families are not required to be members of the chartered organization, St. Paul's Lutheran Church.