- Who are Cubs?
- What do Cubs get up to?
- What does a Cub Pack look like?
- Promises and Ceremonies
- Badges and Awards
- Uniform
- How to join
Who are Cubs?
Cubs are young people aged 8 to 10½ who:
- Master new skills and try new things
- Have fun and go on adventures
- Make friends
- Are curious about the world around them
- Help others and make a difference, in their own communities and beyond
Every week, they gather in groups called Cub Packs to take part in lots of interesting and challenging activities – achieving anything they set their minds to, and having lots of fun along the way.
Cubs start small but think big, making the very most of what they have and seeking out adventures wherever they go. Throughout their journey, you’ll help them work towards a range of skill-boosting badges and awards. From athletics and astronomy to photography and pioneering, there’s something for everyone to get stuck into.
Cubs meet every Tuesday between 6.30 – 7.45 pm.
What do Scouts get up to?
Being a Cub is all about growing and learning in small but mighty ways. Here are some of the things you’ll get up to with your new friends.
Going on adventures
Race down a river. Tell stories by torchlight. Fall asleep beneath the stars. Alongside your Pack, you’ll spend plenty of time in the great outdoors. Together, you might build a den in your local park, or create an edible raft out of sweets, or go on a moonlit hike through your hometown. And even though you might not be ready to climb Mount Everest just yet, you’re guaranteed to have plenty of adventures on your own doorstop, because being a Cub is all about making the most of what you have, wherever and whoever you are.
Learning new skills
Cubs learn by doing, and so will you. Some of the skills you develop will be practical, like knowing how to cook a delicious meal or give someone first aid. Others will allow you to become a master at your chosen hobby, or help you to succeed in whichever job you decide to do when you grow up. But the most important skills you’ll learn at Cubs are the ones that will make you feel confident and happy in your own skin. We call these character skills, and they include things like integrity – which means being honest and doing what you think is right – and initiative – which means knowing how to take the lead on something without being asked. Whatever skills you’d like to learn, it’s all about having the courage to try new things and learn from them.
Building better futures for all
Helping others
Cubs work as a team to help other people. Together, you’ll learn about global issues and what we can all do to help solve them. You’ll also make an impact in your own community, through activities such as campaigning to save your local library, collecting donations for a foodbank, or planting trees in a neighbouring park.
History of Cub Scouts
Historically, 8 to 10 year olds within the Scouts were known as ‘Wolf Cubs’. Although this term is no longer used, its influence can still be felt, with many of the everyday words and phrases Cubs still use today originating from old traditions.
For example, Cub groups are called ‘Packs’ and Cub leaders are traditionally called Akela after the wise leader of the wolf pack in Rudyard Kipling’s novel, The Jungle Book.
Cub ceremonies
Most Cub packs have an opening and closing ceremony – something that they do at the beginning and end of every meeting to kick things off and wind them down. Some Cub packs use a traditional greeting called the ‘Grand Howl’ to do this. Others create something new.
What does a Cub Pack look like?
All Cubs are members of the global Scout family. Closer to home, they’re also part of a wider local Scout Group, alongside Beavers (aged 6 to 8) and Scouts (aged 10 ½ to 14). When they’re older, they can join Explorers (for 14 to 18 year olds) and – eventually – Scout Network (for our young adult members aged 18 to 25).
Each Pack is made up of young people aged 8 to 10, led by an adult Cub leader traditionally nicknamed Akela after the wise leader of the wolf pack in Rudyard Kipling’s novel, The Jungle Book.
As well as the Cub leader, other adults are on hand to supervise activities, share their skills and keep everyone safe. Other young people aged 14 to 18 might help out, too. These are Explorer Scouts taking part in the Explorer Scout Young Leader programme. Within their Pack, Cubs are also part of a Six. A Six is a smaller group of Cubs, headed up by a Sixer and a Seconder. Sixers and Seconders are Cub Scouts who are chosen to take on leadership responsibilities, such as welcoming new people to the Pack, being extra helpful on camp, or taking charge of a particular game or activity.
Promise and Ceremonies
As well as enjoying plenty of adventures, being a Cub is about going on a journey to understand who you are and what you stand for. When you join the Pack, you’ll explore these ideas by making a promise. A promise is a set of words that mean something to you, which you try to follow everyday.
Making the promise is a big celebration within the Pack. Every time a new Cub decides to join permanently, they chat through their promise with their Cub leader before saying it out loud in front of their fellow Cubs. Family and friends might come along to see this, too. The process is known as being ‘invested’ into Cubs, and it usually takes place a few weeks into your Cub experience, once you’ve had time to settle in.
Everyone is unique but there are some things all Cubs agree on – such as the importance of treating everyone in the Pack with kindness, and doing their best to care for the community and wider world in which they live. Cubs make a promise to do their best to make a positive contribution to society. Depending on their own beliefs, they might also promise to live by their faith.
Cubs choose the promise that best suits them. There are a number of versions of the promise to choose from.
Badges and Awards
Our badges and awards are part of what makes us Scouts. And Scouts love earning them!
Animal lover – check. Book worm – check. Photographer – check. Footballer – check. Daredevil – check.
You name it, we’ve got a badge for it – over 200 of them actually. Cubs work together on badges at their weekly meetings, away at camps and events, or at home. There’s never any pressure to do badges. Cubs can do as many or as few as they like.
But for those up for a challenge, there are loads of exciting badges to aim for, such as the Chief Scout’s Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards. These are the highest awards that Beavers, Cubs and Scouts can earn. And for those going even further, the Queen’s Scout Award is the top achievement for young people in Scouts.
Uniforms
Once you’ve had time to settle in, you’ll get your own uniform to wear during meetings and on trips away.
Scouts usually wear a green shirt or blouse with their badges sewn on, which they pair with their Troop or Group scarf. They might wear blue uniform trousers or a skirt, or they might save their uniform bottoms for special occasions like awards ceremonies and public events – choosing to wear something more casual with their shirt during the week. Visit our Scouts uniform and badge placement page to find out more.
How to join
Joining is simple – just get in touch using the Contact Us button.