JOINING DARIEN CUB SCOUTS 2023-24

This post contains info about joining our 2023-24 Cub Scout session, which runs parallel with the school year, from Sept 2023 through June 2024. 

The content applies to Packs 55 and 56, which cover Royle, Ox Ridge, and other area private schools, but we'll forward your info to the leaders of other Darien packs if needed.

Cub Scouts welcomes ALL kids (boys AND girls) from Kindergarten through Fifth Grades. 

Join in any grade and you'll jump right in with your age group. We have activities all year, so join any time.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions at all.

And please share this post with any and all of your friends who may be interested! 


ACTION ITEMS


NEW PARENT INFO WEBCAST

We will host a new parent info and Q&A meeting on the evening of Wednesday, Sept 27, 2023, where we will discuss the scouting program and how it works in Darien. 


STEP ONE: COMPLETE APPLICATION (New Scouts only)

All NEW Scouts must create a parent login ID and complete an application:

Click here for Royle and other area private schools, or
Click here for Ox Ridge)

Returning Scouts from last year do NOT require an application


STEP TWO: PAY DUES

NOTE TO NEW FAMILIES: When you complete the e-application, you'll be asked to submit a ~$200 payment directly to our parent Council. We ask that you pay an incremental amount directly to our Pack. Your TOTAL payment should be $275.

For the 2023-24 session, we are asking for $275 in dues. 

This is a fraction of what you’ll pay for a season of sports, and we’re making every effort to keep our costs down (A Scout is Thrifty). 

There are a handful of campouts where we’ll ask for incremental one-time payments of about $15 to cover overnight costs for attendees. And for larger events hosted by third parties (like the Intrepid event) we pass through actual costs per child. But the dues will cover all Pack and Den events, District and National fees, an optional subscription to Boys' Life, our Pinewood Derby, etc. 

Please make payment ASAP by check or credit card via our Square site here. 

(For Square payments we ask you to also cover the 3% CC fee)

We also have Venmo and PayPal options; please contact Cubmaster.Pack56Darien@gmail.com


FINANCIAL AID 

Financial aid is available for both dues and special events, from our charter organization, the Andrew Shaw Memorial Trust. 

Please contact Chair.Pack56Darien@gmail.com for a confidential financial aid form.


STEP THREE: COMPLETE MEDICAL FORM

We require ALL Scouts complete an AB medical form at this link - this form does NOT require a doctor but does require a hard-copy updated each year

Please return medical forms to us at our next meeting or via Membership.Pack56Darien@gmail.com


STEP FOUR: UNIFORM AND HANDBOOK

Scouts will receive a Pack T-shirt with their dues, but they’ll also need a Class A uniform, which consists of a shirt, belt, hat, neckerchief, and neckerchief slide. This uniform shirt and belt typically lasts for several years, so buy them big. 

Scouts also require a handbook specific to their school year (Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Bear, etc), available online or at the Sport Shop.

For more about uniforms, see this full post with everything you need to know.

The Pack has a lot of these accessories available as hand-me-downs (belts, etc) if you’d like to check our "swap shop" at our pack meetings.


ADULT LEADER VOLUNTEERS

Cub Scouts is a family activity, so you’ll get plenty of time to enjoy our activities with your kid(s). But it’s also all volunteer. 

The rest of the leaders and I are pitching in our time toward a proven program that we believe in. 

We could use your help, as Den Leaders and other positions like Advancement, Membership, Assistant Cubmasters, and Committee Members, or for help around promoting the program, working on individual events, and one-off projects.

If you are interested in helping as a leader, please discuss with us any time. 

Adult leaders require an Adult Application and Background Check.

Click here for Royle and other area private schools application or click here for Ox Ridge application. (Adult apps are currently hard-copy only)

And click here for a Background Check authorization form.

You’ll also receive Youth Protection Training and Position-specific training, all available online. No experience necessary.

Please return background check authorization forms to Membership.Pack56Darien@gmail.com


OVERNIGHT AND LARGER EVENTS 

(These events may require additional modest or pass-through expenses; more events pending in spring)


STEP FIVE: SUBSCRIBE TO CALENDARS 

Use these links to subscribe to our Pack and your respective Den calendars on your phone and/or PC. 

You’ll receive all changes to dates, times, and locations as they happen, automatically reflected on your calendar. 

If you already subscribed in previous years, you should be all set for this year: your Den calendar follows your child. 

(For example, if your child was Den 7 (Bear) last year, they’re Den 7 (Webelos) this year and the calendar link remains the same.)


Pack 55/56 Events  (Everybody) (Mobile) (Desktop)

Be sure you have subscribed to BOTH the PACK calendar above AND your respective DEN calendar - they contain mutually exclusive events.


Kindergarten (Lion - Den 1) (Mobile) (Desktop)

First Grade (Tiger - Den 2) (Mobile) (Desktop)

Second Grade (Wolf - Den 3) (Mobile) (Desktop)

Third Grade (Bear - Den 4) (Mobile) (Desktop) 

Fourth Grade (Webelos - Den 7) (Mobile) (Desktop)

Fifth Grade (Arrow of Light - Den 6) (Mobile) (Desktop)



TIP: Each calendar has two link versions: 

If you want to subscribe directly on your mobile device, click the "Mobile" link and follow the prompts. You'll see events on your phone but not on your other devices. 

If you want to subscribe on your desktop PC, use the "Desktop" link and the events show up on all your devices, depending on your setup. 

When using the "Desktop" link, you may need to also click the "+ Google Calendar" button in the lower right corner to complete the subscription.


CONTACT INFO

Our full contact page is available on our website.

Each leader has a specific pack email address, which helps us greatly when handing off duties from year to year.

Note most email accounts will reference Pack 56, but we're covering both Packs 55 and 56.

Finally, for any immediate questions, please don't hesitate to reach out:

Committee Chair - TBD - Chair.Pack56Darien@gmail.com

Cubmaster - Rob Farley - Cubmaster.Pack56Darien@gmail.com

Cubmaster - Kevin Reade - Cubmaster.Pack55Darien@gmail.com



PACK WEBSITE

https://Pack56.DarienScouts.Org

We regularly update our Pack’s website with new and upcoming events. And you’ll also find a lot of info about Scouting overall and Scouting within Darien. Please check in regularly.