Public Scouting 101 - Cub Scout Pack 157 (Manalapan, New Jersey)

We developed this section to answer some common questions...

What is scouts about?

Will scouts help my child grow?

What makes scouting great?

Do parents have a role?

How Old (or young) Can a child be to Join?

How do our Scouts Achieve Their Goals?

What Supplies and Equipment are Needed?

When should I sign up my child?

Scouting is about Building Tomorrows Leaders

Since 1910, Scouting has helped mold future leaders by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun.

Scouting helps your child grow by meeting six essential needs of young people:

Mentoring

Scouting provides youth with good role models who can have a powerful impact on their lives. We have a process that screens, selects, and trains the leaders who can provide the attention all young people need to succeed in life.

Lifelong Learning

Scouting provides structured settings where kids can learn new skills and develop habits of continual learning that will help them succeed. Scouting offers a proven program of discovering, sharing, and applying knowledge and skills that last a lifetime.

Faith Traditions

One of the key tenets of Scouting is "duty to God." While Scouting does not define religious belief for its members, it does encourages each young person to begin a spiritual journey through the practice of his or her faith tradition.

Serving Others

Scouting is deeply rooted in the concept of doing for others. "Do a Good Turn Daily" is a core Scouting precept. Scouting encourages young people to recognize the needs of others and take action accordingly.

Healthy Living

Young people need to be well. To get the most from life, one must be both mentally and physically fit. A commitment to physical wellness has been reflected in Scouting's outdoor programs such as hiking, camping, swimming, climbing, and conservation. First aid, lifesaving, and safety programs are synonymous with Scouting. Our programs today include strong drug abuse awareness and prevention programs emphasizing the value of healthy living habits.

Building Character

Few will argue with the importance of teaching values and responsibility to our children - not only right from wrong, but specific, affirmative values such as fairness, courage, honor, and respect for others. Beginning with the Scout Oath and Scout Law, the child Scouts of America program is infused with character-building activities that allow youth to apply

The Scout Motto

What makes Scouting great?

It's that we only expect the childs to do their best. It's all you can really ask for and it's all you can really expect.

Do the Parents Have a Role?

Yes. 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 pretty neat 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. Your role decreases as your child gets older.

But your role in the troop can be passive. We don't expect a parent to leap right in. But, be warned, Cub Scouting might touch you as it touches your child and you might eventually get 'the fever' that many of our leaders got from Scouting. But you are encouraged to go at your own pace.

How Old (or young) Can a child be to Join?

Cub Scouting is for children in the Kindergarten through fifth grades, or 5 to 10 years of age. childs who are older than 10, or who have completed the fifth grade, can no longer join Cub Scouts, but they are eligible to join a Scout Troop.

How do our Scouts Achieve Their Goals?

Activities are used to achieve the aims of Scouting—citizenship training, character development, and personal fitness. Many of the activities happen in the den (with the children in their grade) or with the entire pack (with all the grade levels). Our Scouts always have Go-and-See's and plenty of outdoor and indoor activities to help them achieve goals.

What Supplies and Equipment are Needed?

At minimum, each child in Cub Scouting will need a uniform and a handbook. Each year, the handbook changes, as does the cap and neckerchief, but other uniform parts remain the same for at least the first three years. When a child enters a Webelos den, he may need to obtain a new uniform if the parents in the den opt for the khaki-and-olive uniform.

When is a good time to get started?

Like most Cub Scout Packs, we go year-round. You can become a scout at anytime. Just contact us using the link at the top of this webpage or, just show up at one of our Pack Meetings. Our next meeting time is located under the JOIN US section of this website.

New to Scouting? Thinking about Scouting?

When should I sign up my child?

Do the Parents Have a Role?

How Old (or young) Can a child be to Join?

How do our Scouts Achieve Their Goals?

What Supplies and Equipment are Needed?