The Purposes of Cub Scouting
Since 1930, the Boy Scouts of America has helped younger boys through Cub Scouting. It is a year-round family program designed for boys who are in the first grade through fifth grade (or 7, 8, 9, and 10 years of age). Parents, leaders, and organizations work together to achieve the purposes of Cub Scouting. Currently, Cub Scouting is the largest of the BSA’s three traditional membership divisions. (The others are Boy Scouting and Venturing.)
The 10 purposes of Cub Scouting are:
- Character Development
- Spiritual Growth
- Good Citizenship
- Sportsmanship and Fitness
- Family Understanding
- Respectful Relationships
- Personal Achievement
- Friendly Service
- Fun and Adventure
- Preparation for Boy Scouts
As a parent, you want your son to grow to be a person of worth, who is a self-reliant, dependable and caring individual. Scouting has these same goals in mind for him. Since 1910, we’ve been weaving lifetime values into fun and educational activities designed to assist parents in strengthening character, developing good citizenship, enhancing physical fitness, and building self-esteem and ethical values in youth. What does your son learn in Scouting? Well, it is a lot more than crafts, games, and outdoor skills. All of the Cub Scout programs in which you and your son will participate are carefully designed to teach your son something he will use throughout your life. Every activity is specially designed for your son’s age, development, and personal needs. Here are just a few of the things your son will gain through Cub Scouting:
- A feeling of belonging to a positive and fun group of boys and caring adults.
- New social skills that will help him get along with others.
- Develop new mental skills from reading and writing, to planning and organizing.
- A greater understanding of other people and the world around him.
- A system of values that will help him grow and make good decisions.
- A concern and caring for people, and even opportunities to help others.
- Self-confidence and stronger self-esteem.
In a society where your son is often taught that winning is everything, Cub Scouting teaches him to “do his best” and be helpful to others as expressed in the Cub Scout Promise. These values help your son make good decisions throughout his lifetime and give him confidence as he becomes an adult leader of tomorrow.
With all the negative influences in today’s society, Scouting provides your son with a positive peer group and a program that is fun and adventurous and helps him to “be prepared” to shape his own future. The best thing about it all is that you do, learn and experience the program along with your son, making it all the more special and valuable through your involvement in Scouting with him!
