1. Read the How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse pamphlet at the beginning of his Bear Book.  Share the appropriate information with your child. You will leave this program with information you never thought you needed to know.

3. Help your son learn the requirements for his Bobcat rank, the 1st rank every new Cub Scout will earn, regardless of which year they start scouting.  This should be a fairly easy process. Help them learn the information, recite the Cub Scout promise, and show the handshake and sign. Remember that learning the promise and law of the pack does not necessarily mean it must be perfectly recited. You be the judge that they know it. Quiz them but don’t stress them out over it. Once earned and recorded by the den leader, the rank will be ordered and then presented at the next pack meeting.

4. Help your son to complete the achievements required to earn his Bear rank.   Our pack will present the rank advancements at the first possible pack meeting. Most dens like to have all the boys awarded their rank at the same time. If your son is not ready, he may have to wait until a future pack meeting to have his rank presented while everyone else gets his award. Start working on these achievements as soon as you can.

6. Cub Scout Sports and Academics program? What is this? The sports and academic program was developed in order to recognize the value of sportsman-ship and academic achievement in a boy’s life. There are 3 awards that can be earned. The beltloop is awarded for learning the rules and participating in a sport, or learning the basics and completing a single academic activity within an academic category. The sports or academic pin is awarded for going beyond the basics for the beltloop by completing a minimum number of additional requirements as listed in the 2002 version of the Sports and Academics program guidebook. The letter C is no longer awarded but is an optional item that the parents might purchase for the scout to wear his pins on. It would be sewn onto the red brag vest.
There are many sports (non-contact sports only) and several academic categories. Multiple beltloops and pins can be awarded.

7. Your son has played every sport since he was 4 years old, can you order the awards for him now. Actually Cub Scout policy is that the awards are earned as a Cub Scout, not for sports or academics activities participated in before joining Cub Scouts. Your son will have lots of time to earn these awards, consider spreading them out so that he has more opportunities to be presented awards at the pack meetings. For instance, he may be playing soccer on a team and has enough hours over the season to earn both the beltloop and pin. Consider having him earn the beltloop for the fall season and the pin for the spring season. Also, remember that our pack pays for all these awards and they do add up (approximately $1.30 per beltloop or pin, $2-$3 per patch, and $2 per rank advancement).

8. What is the World Conservation Award? This is a special award that is earned only once as a Cub Scout by completing the requirements listed in the back of his current book. The award is the patch with the panda bear on it and is sewn on his right uniform pocket. Note: This award is easiest earned as a Bear Cub Scout.

9. What are the red vests? Also called "Brag Vests", these are worn to brag about all the additional activities that a Cub Scout has taken part in. They are where you will sew all the activity patches that he will get during his Cub Scout years. Examples are, the Popcorn Sales patch, Scouting for Food patch, Scout Show Patch, Pinewood Derby patch, Day Camp and Family Camping patches, etc.

If you wish, you may purchase a red vest from the scout shop for approximately $12. Our Den had a parent (Fran) make theirs and they truned out fantastic! A pattern is available for those who would like to try to make their own.