New Scout Information

Cub Scout Pack 13 – Midtown Memphis
Sponsored by Trinity United Methodist Church

www.pack13memphis.org
akela@pack13memphis.org

Also on Facebook:

facebook.com/cubscouts13

Welcome parents and scouts! We hope you are excited for a great year packed with activities and fun! We’re very happy you have chosen Scouting and we hope you and your Scout will have a wonderful year!

About Pack 13

Pack 13 is served by the Chickasaw Council of Boy Scouts of America, and charted to Trinity United Methodist Church (1738 Galloway, Memphis, TN 38112). We welcome Girls and Boys into Scouting, from Kindergarten through 5th grade. For 6th graders and up, we have both Boy and Girl Troops  – see more details at http://scouts13.org. We meet in the Church’s Education Building at the corner of Galloway and Evergreen, downstairs every Sunday at 3pm. Pack 13 was established in the 1930’s and other than a brief interruption during World War II has been one of the longest continually active packs in the Midsouth.

You do not need to be a member of the church to be part of the Pack.

If you have questions, suggestions, or concerns, you are always welcome to bring them up to any of our Pack leaders. In addition to the weekly Den Meetings and the Courts of Honor every 6-10 weeks, every parent is welcome to the Committee meetings held throughout the year. Every parent is part of our leadership team, and we need your input to fulfill the scout motto of Do Your Best.

About Scouting

Scouting provides young men the opportunity to try new things, learn new skills, provide service to others, and reinforce ethical values and standards. As a result, scouts build self-confidence and knowledge that they carry through into adulthood.

Scouting is family-oriented and intended to build strong relationships between parents and their child. Parental involvement is strongly encouraged and expected.

Application and Dues

Each Cub Scout must complete a youth application. Adults who want to be involved must also complete an adult application. These applications are attached and must be turned into your Pack or Den leader as soon as possible.

You can apply online here

Fundraising

Fundraising is not a requirement, but Pack 13 requires funds to purchase awards, provide banquet meals, and purchase pack and den supplies. The cost of running a pack can exceed $5,000 each year. This cost is paid through the registration fees and through fundraising opportunities.

This year we will offer Scout popcorn sales and camp cards for fundraising opportunities. Our focus is in helping each Scout offset the cost of uniforms and camping fees.

We will also provide opportunities to fundraise for the entire Pack through tables/booths set up to promote Pack 13 at local venues and hope you will also participate as a volunteer.

Pack 13 will be happy to accept donations from families and friends as well if fundraising isn’t something you wish to participate in.

What to Expect

Each Cub Scout Pack organizes its own events, with support from the Chickasaw Council and the Boy Scouts of America. Each Cub Scout Pack consists of dens – Lions (Kindergarten) ,Tigers (1st grade), Wolves (2nd grade), Bears (3rd grade), Webelos 1 (4th grade), and Webelos 2 (5th grade).

Parent Involvement

Parents play a large part in scouting and the success of Pack 13 requires parent involvement.

Your scout will need your support and guidance in completing his adventure and earning his awards. As a parent, we hope you will

  • Take the time to understand the requirements for your son’s rank advancement and help him fulfill those requirements and keep a record.
  • Notify your Den leader when your son participates in a Scout activity not sponsored by the pack (such as a Cub Scout Day Camp) so he’ll receive credit.
  • Volunteer as a Den Leader, Assistant Leader, in a fundraising event, at an activity, or as a committee member.

Pack 13 also depends heavily on parent volunteers and involvement in pack activities. Your children will model the initiative and leadership they see in their parents. We hope each family will find at least one way they can help lead our pack. Your voice is very important in making the right decisions for our pack.

Meetings

The entire Pack meets at 3pm Sunday afternoons, and splits into Dens after a brief opening. Our Lion(Kindergarten age) and Tiger(First Grade) parents will remain with their Scouts, with parents of our Older scouts invited to help with the Den’s activities or practice the hardest of Scouting skills, stepping back, as your young Cubs start learning how to operate independently.

We meet at:

Trinity United Methodist Church Education Building
1738 Galloway
Memphis, TN 38112

Uniforms

The Boy Scouts of America is a uniformed organization. We ask that all Cub Scouts wear their uniforms to each meeting beginning in October so they can proudly wear their badges.

Uniforms can be purchased at the Scout Store at 171 S. Hollywood St., Memphis TN 38112 (901) 323-6440. This is not strictly enforced but strongly encouraged as a way to foster respect and unity as a Pack and for your Scout to be able to display his achievements.

The Tiger, Bear, and Wolves uniform consists of:

  • Cub Scout Shirt (blue)
  • Navy Blue pants or shorts
  • Hat (optional)
    • Lions – Lion Logo
    • Tiger Cubs – Orange front
    • Wolf –Red front
    • Bear – Light Blue front
  • Neckerchief
    • Lions earn theirs as an award – yellow
    • Tiger – orange
    • Wolf – red
    • Bear — blue
  • Neckerchief Slide

Webelos uniform consists of:

  • Webelos Shirt (tan) OR Blue Scout shirt
  • Webelos Hat (Plaid front – optional)
  • Webelos Pants or Shorts (green)
  • Webelos Neckerchief and slide

We highly recommend purchasing uniforms a few sizes larger if you have a Tiger, Wolf, or Bear scout. As you know, kids grow fast and this will ensure you don’t have to purchase a new uniform every year.

Activities

Dens organize their activities based on 1-3 week long Adventures. These Adventures are split into Core, or required, paths, and a choice of Elective Adventures. We will also have a couple of ‘Catch-Up’ meetings, where scouts will have a chance to address anything missed over the year. The Cub Scout handbook for each Rank is available at the Scout.

Camping trips are planned through the year. See the calendar of events for dates and locations. In addition, Pack 13 will have other events, such as the annual Father’s Day rocket launch at Overton Park, a potential group Zoo trip, and trips to cultural monuments and museums as a part of their weekly den meetings.

Communication

You will receive emails occasionally with Pack activity reminders and information about other Cub Scouting information.

You can also get communication from our Cub Scouts Pack 13 – Midtown Memphis Facebook page at: facebook.com/cubscouts13
Remember to hover over the “Like” and select “See First” so the Facebook Gremlins don’t hide the feed!

Once we kick off, Den leaders will provide contact information for each of their dens. You can always contact our Pack Leader for information, or email cubmaster@pack13memphis.org

Please respond in a timely manner if a response is required. Not responding creates difficulties in planning activities and additional work for someone.

If email does not work for you, please contact your Den and Pack Leaders so alternate arrangements can be made.

Camping

Camping is part of what a Scout does and is a family event in Pack 13. Activities are planned during the day, which may include earning achievements and electives, nature walks, hiking, games, and other educational experiences.

You may choose to only attend the daytime portion of a campout as well. In all cases, an adult family member must be present for each family.

For any camping event, please RSVP as soon as possible and pay camp fees by the deadline requested. Camp fees go towards paying the park registration fees and purchasing food for the campout. The average cost of a campout is $20 per camper.

Weather

Occasionally the weather does not cooperate for a safe and fun campout. In those cases, your Pack leaders may decide to cancel a campout and reschedule. If you are unable to attend on the rescheduled date, your camp fees will be refunded.

Camping Guidelines

To ensure a safe and fun camping excursion, please follow these guidelines on any campouts you attend:

  1. At least one adult must attend with his/her Scout(s).
  2. Be responsible for your children and don’t assume other adults are watching your child. Siblings are welcome to camp out with us.
  3. Share in camp responsibilities. We are a community and share in all responsibilities, including set-up and clean-up and kitchen duties.
  4. No alcohol, please. Most of our camp outs are in state parks which prohibit alcoholic beverages.
  5. No firearms or fixed blade knives, please. Cub Scouts can carry a pocket knife once he has earned his Totin’ Chip card, and must only use his knife under adult supervision.
  6. Leave no trace. At the end of each camp out, make sure you pick up after yourself. This is also a Scout guideline when interacting with our environment. Leave every campsite better than you found it.

Camping Tips

We understand some families have never camped before, so we’re providing this handy tip sheet to help get you started. As always, feel free to ask your Pack or Den leaders any other questions you may have.

Essentials

  • Durable tent for the number of people sleeping and tent stakes
  • Sleeping bag and pillow (extra blankets for cold nights)
  • Air mattress, sleeping pad, or cot
  • Lantern or flashlights
  • Reusable plate, bowl, utensils for meals
  • Deep Woods Off or other insect and tick repellant
  • Sun screen
  • Spare clothes, including shoes and socks (We’re not kidding about the spare clothes. Kids have a deep, personal relationship with mud. They will find mud in a desert, and they will lose their shoes in it.)
  • Towels, soap, shampoo, toiletries
  • Water bottle – remember to stay hydrated
  • Camp chairs
  • Any special dietary needs. Meals are a community event, but if you have any special dietary needs, please be sure to bring something for yourself. We do try to make sure every meal includes everyone, and will work with our families to make sure we can all share a table (log, tarp) and meal together.

Camping Resources

There are many sites dedicated to helping you learn about camping. The sites below are just a start.

Resources

The following resources are available to you if you have questions or want more information: