Pack 210's
PUBLIC SITE
Home Page
Photo archives
Do a Good Turn
About Pack 210
Join our pack!
Pack Calendar
Upcoming Events
FAQ
Pinewood Derby
Camps
Fundraisers
Forms
Guides
Contacts
Troop Events
Useful Links
Archive


 
Cub Scout Pack 210
(Walnut Creek, California)
 
ScoutLander Contact Our Pack Member Login
  
 

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions


What is Cub Scouting?
Cub Scouting is a family-oriented year-round program for boys that offers fun and challenging activities to promote character development and physical fitness.  Service projects, ceremonies, games, and other activities develop core values and give them a sense of personal achievement. Through positive peer group interaction and guidance from parents and adult leaders, boys learn values like honesty, respect, citizenship, compassion, and courage.  Family involvement is an essential part of Cub Scouting and parents are encouraged to play an active role in the program.

Learn more at BeAScout.org or Scouting.org

What are Tigers, Wolves, Bears, and Webelos?
These are terms to differentiate the age levels within Cub Scouting.  1st graders are Tiger cubs, 2nd graders are Wolves, 3rd graders are Bears, and 4th & 5th graders are Webelos.  

What are the requirements to join Pack 210 Cub Scouts?
If you are a boy in first grade through fifth grade—or you're 7 to 10 years old—then Cub Scouting is for you.  It is not required to be a student or member of any particular school, church, or other organization to be part of our pack.

What are Dens and Packs?  What about Troops?
Every Cub Scout is a member of a Cub Scout pack. A pack is a large group of boys of elementary school age; Pack 210 has about 100 scouts.  The pack is divided into smaller groups called dens. Each den has about 8 to 10 boys in the same grade.  Meetings and activities are organized at the den level and pack level.  Pack 210 serves the neighborhoods surrounding Walnut Acres Elementary School.

You may have heard of Boy Scout Troops.  The term “Boy Scouts” and “Troops” are for older boys in grades 6 through 12, or ages 11 to 17.  Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are both programs of the national organization Boy Scouts of America.

What does Cub Scouting offer my son?
Cub Scouting offers fun and challenging activities that promote character development and physical fitness. Service projects, ceremonies, games, and positive peer group interaction develop honesty, self-confidence, and respect.  Scouting promotes self-esteem and the ability to get along with others.  Please visit the Boy Scouts of America website for more information about scouting.

How does participation in Cub Scouting affect participation other activities?
The Cub Scout program is designed to compliment many other extracurricular activities. The typical time commitment is one or two Den meetings (depending on the den members’ preferences) and one pack meeting per month. Boys who participate in organized sports like soccer, baseball, basketball, swimming, gymnastics, etc, or academic-based extracurricular activities like music, art, science etc., can be recognized for these activities though Cub Scout belt loops and pins which are worn on their uniform.

How much does it cost?
Annual pack dues are $50, which covers BSA national registration fees, and costs related to pack meetings and events, awards & patches, etc.

Other costs include uniforms and some fees for optional activities that you may choose to participate in. Members do fund-raising activities to help cover den supplies, equipment, and other activities.

What are the responsibilities of a parent?
Provide help and support for the den and pack to plan, coordinate, and execute activities for the boys.
Work with your son on advancement projects and activities.
Attend pack meetings with your son and present his advancement awards to him at the pack meeting.
Attend and assist with den outings.

Do Cub Scouts go camping?
Yes, but they ease into it. Pack 210 offers a “car camping” style trip on Mt. Diablo every year, and scouts participate in activities that enable them to learn camping-related skills, like hiking and orienteering.

What other activities are available to Cub Scouts and their families?
Pack 210 is very active, providing a rich environment for boys and their families. Typical annual events include:
  • Rocket Day
  • Scouting for Food service project
  • Blue & Gold Banquet
  • Pinewood Derby
  • USS Hornet overnight visit
  • Community Service Activities
  • and more!

Where can I buy scout gear, like uniforms, pack and den number patches, etc?
The Pleasant Hill Scout Shop is at 800 Ellinwood Way, Pleasant Hill. More information about the store including hours and directions can be found on the Mt. Diablo Silverado Council website.

Alternatively, you can order scouting gear online from the BSA retail store at ScoutStuff.Org

How does the scouting organization work?
Like many large organizations the scouts is divided into regions for administrative purposes.  Pack 210 belongs to the Iron Horse District of the Mt. Diablo Silverado Council, which is part of the Boy Scouts of America Western Region.  Our chartering organization is St. Matthew Lutheran Church.

Wikipedia has information about the Mt. Diablo Silverado Council, the BSA Western Region and other organizational structures of scouting.

How often are the meetings?
Cub Scouts usually meet in their dens once or twice each month, and the pack holds a meeting for all Cub Scouts and their families once a month. Beyond that, a den or the pack may hold a special activity, such as a service project or a day or overnight outing, as an additional event.

How do people become den and pack leaders? How are they trained?
Pack 210 and its dens are led by enthusiastic parent volunteers.  All leaders receive training in Youth Protection and other training as required for any activity they lead.  The BSA makes a lot of its training available online.  Explore Scouting.org to learn more.  Pack 210, and the BSA more generally, is careful with the safety and well-being of its scouts.

Can women be leaders in Pack 210?
Yes!  Pack 210 has many female den and pack leaders.

How can I learn more?
The best way to learn about what a Cub Scout really does is to talk with a Cub Scout who is engaged in the program. Alternatively, you can learn more about the Cub Scout program by contacting our Cubmaster (see the Contacts page), or by visiting BeAScout.org, Scouting.org, or the Mt. Diablo Silverado council site.