Cub Scouting with Pack 61 sponsored by Grace Apostolic Church

(A Parent's Eye View)

The Cub Scout Promise is "I 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." This short message typifies the purpose of Cub Scouting which is to help youth develop a variety of skills while practicing good citizenship, reverence for God, and active concern for other people.

A Cub Scout group is called a pack and is overseen by a committee made up of all adult leaders and interested parents. The committee meets once each month to make decisions about finances and activities of the pack. The boys meet weekly during the school year in their own age group. Once a month those weekly meetings are all together for a Pack Meeting in which awards and advancements are given for work done during regular meetings, special activities, and family activities.

Pack 61, Cub Scouts of America, has been serving youth for 9 years and is blessed with experienced leadership on each age level. Pack 61 meets BSA requirements to be counted a "quality unit". The Boy Scouts of America provides training, resource materials, guidance, and council activities to enrich our scouting program. Each Cub works from a book designed for his own grade level to complete requirements in a variety of experiences until he reaches the next badge level. Parents are encouraged to play an active role in cub scouting for it is designed to be a family experience. Pack 61 becomes an extended family to those who join us. Scouting is designed to open doors of opportunity to individual boys as well as their families. Everyone can be a winner in scouting.

Pack 61 currently meets at Grace Apostolic Church on Grace Lane off the Mt. Pine highway. Cub Scouts are first, second, third, fourth, & fifth graders. Each grade level meets from 6:30 - 7:30 P.M. on Monday nights. A Girl Scout and a Boy Scout Troop meet at the same location and time to better serve families having girls and boys of ages 11 - 18.

An important concern to most families is the cost involved in scouting membership. The basic fee to join is $7.00. There is available to scouts a magazine called Boys Life which costs $9.00 per year. Boys Life is good for boys, but is optional. These two fees must be paid each year, but once it is paid by the family, it is then paid by the Pack until the scout transfers to a Boy SCout Troop. It is important that the Cub have a book for his level as soon as possible which is $3.00 for first graders, $4.95 for second and third graders, and $5.50 for fourth and fifth graders (This book is actually used for both years.) Each scout needs to purchase a uniform shirt within a month or two of his joining. For the first grader, it costs $8.15, for second and third graders, it costs $28.15 (This shirt is used for both years, but a $4.00 scarf is needed for the third grade year.); and for the fourth and fifth grade scouts, the uniform shirt and necessary extra cost $31.30. (The same shirt and patches are used for both years.) Experienced shirts are just as good for scout shirts are made to last. I have in the past found shirts at discount stores and by advertising on Swap Shop.

The funding of the Pack itself is accomplished by group sales such as Scout Popcorn and special Pack projects (The committee of adult leaders and parents would choose a project if they feel a need.) In order to meet the cost of craft projects, awards given, and special activities, Pack 61 asks each scout to pay $10 each semester. That fee may be paid at any time in the semester and does not need to be paid at the beginning when the scout is purchasing their book and uniform. A boy who wishes to be a scout should not be hindered by the cost because there are many people who are willing to help with a scout's expenses.

The most common time of the year for boys to join cub scouting is early in the school term when School Night for Scouting is held in local schools, but any time of the year is a good time to start. Pack 61 invites interested parents and boys to visit a Monday night meeting to see what scouting is all about. If you would like to ask more questions about Cub Scouting, you may call Nelda Ward at 767-5125.

Troop 67, Boy Scouts of America sponsored by Grace Apostolic Church

(for young men 11 - 18)

Troop 67, Boy Scouts of America, began in September of 1996 with 5 registered scouts. Of those five, three have attained the rank of Eagle Scout. The other two moved from the area. Troop 67 was established with an earnest desire to provide the opportunity for all scouts to excel if they wish. Many of our world's leaders are Eagle Scouts. Being an Eagle Scout opens doors to young men that otherwise would be closed. In athletics, someone has to lose to allow someone to win. In Scouting, everyone is a winner according to their own personal effort.

There is a full committee of adult leadership supporting scouting in Troop 67. Most of these adults are parents who have been involved in scouting with their sons 2-5 years previous and have served as leaders on the Cub Scouting level. We are blessed also with very special and appreciated support from Grace Apostolic Church who have chosen to sponsor us and provide a meeting place where we share Monday nights with a Cub Scout Pack and a Girl Scout Troop.

Troop 67 invites parents and youth interested in these opportunities to visit us on Monday nights at 6:30. Adults as well as youth are encouraged to participate and enjoy the unique experience of scouting. For further information, you may call Nelda Ward at 767-5125.

Girl Scout groups meeting at the same time at Grace are Daisies (Kindergarten), Brownies (first - third grade), and Girl Scouts (fourth - sixth grade).

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