JOINING DARIEN CUB SCOUTS 2026-27

Everything you need to know about joining us for the 2026-27 Cub Scout year, which runs parallel with the school year from September 2026 through June 2027.

The information below applies to Packs 55 and 56, which cover Ox Ridge, Royle, and other area private schools. If your child attends a school covered by another Darien Pack, we'll be happy to connect you with the appropriate leaders.

Cub Scouts welcomes ALL kids – boys and girls – from Kindergarten through Fifth Grade.

You can join in any grade and jump right in with your age group. We have activities throughout the year, so it's never too late to join.

Please share this email with any friends, neighbors, classmates, or other families you know who may be interested in Cub Scouts. Our best source of new Scouts has always been current families spreading the word, and we'd love to introduce more kids to the program this year.

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

Our first event is less than two weeks away: the Townwide Cub Scout Open House on Sunday, August 30, from 1:00-3:00 PM at the Andrew Shaw Memorial Trust Scout Cabin, 140 West Avenue. This is a great opportunity for new families to learn more about Cub Scouts and for returning Scouts to reconnect before the year gets underway.

ACTION ITEMS

Returning Scouts

• Pay annual dues

• Complete a new annual medical form

• No new Scout application is required

New Scouts

• Complete the Scout application

• Complete the annual medical form

• Pay annual dues

Everyone

• Subscribe to both the Pack calendar and your respective Den calendar

• Save the upcoming dates listed below

• Invite friends and families who may be interested in Cub Scouts to our August 30 Open House

STEP ONE: COMPLETE APPLICATION

New Scouts only

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

• Royle and other area private schools

• Ox Ridge

Returning Scouts from last year do NOT require a new application.

STEP TWO: PAY DUES

NOTE TO NEW FAMILIES: When you complete the online application, you'll be asked to submit approximately $200 directly to our parent Council. We ask that you pay the incremental amount ($75) directly to the Pack so that your total annual payment is $275.

For the 2026-27 Scouting year, dues are $275.

This remains a fraction of what you'll pay for many other youth activities, and we make every effort to keep our costs down — A Scout is Thrifty!

There are a handful of campouts where we may ask for a modest additional payment to cover overnight costs for attendees. For larger events hosted by third parties, we generally pass through the actual cost per Scout.

Otherwise, annual dues cover Pack and Den events, District and National fees, our Pinewood Derby, Pack T-shirt, and other annual programming.

Please make payment via Venmo to @Kevin-Reade-1.

If you do not have Venmo, please contact us to arrange payment by personal check.

FINANCIAL AID

Financial aid is available for both annual dues and special events through 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 to complete an annual  AB medical form at this link .

The form does not require a doctor's signature, but we do require a new hard copy each year.

Please return completed medical forms at one of our upcoming meetings or via Membership.Pack56Darien@gmail.com.

STEP FOUR: UNIFORM AND HANDBOOK

Scouts will receive a Pack T-shirt with their dues, but they will also need a Class A uniform, which generally consists of a shirt, belt, hat, neckerchief, and neckerchief slide.

Uniform shirts and belts typically last for several years, so buying them a little big is usually a good idea.

Scouts also require a handbook specific to their grade/Den level — Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos, or Arrow of Light — which is available online or at the Sport Shop.

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

The Pack also has a number of uniform accessories available as hand-me-downs, including belts and other items. Feel free to check our "Swap Shop" at Pack meetings before purchasing everything new.

ADULT LEADER VOLUNTEERS

Cub Scouts is a family activity, so you'll get plenty of opportunities to enjoy our activities alongside your child. It's also an entirely volunteer-run organization.

The rest of the leaders and I are volunteering our time because we believe in the program and the experience it provides our kids. The more help we have, the better the experience becomes for everyone.

We could use your help! Some of the positions where we are looking for additional involvement include:

• Cubmaster – Pack 56

• Assistant Cubmaster

• Membership Chair

• Advancement Chair

• Individual Meeting/Event Chair

• Den Leader – Lions

• Treasurer

No prior Scouting experience is required.

If you're interested in helping in any capacity, please reach out and we'll be happy to discuss what's involved.

Adult leaders require an Adult Application and Background Check:

• Royle and other area private schools – Adult Application

• Ox Ridge – Adult Application

Adult volunteers will also complete Youth Protection Training and any applicable position-specific training, all of which is available online.

Please return Background Check Authorization Forms to Membership.Pack56Darien@gmail.com.

UPCOMING PACK ACTIVITIES & SPECIAL EVENTS

We have another great year planned. A number of dates are still tentative, so please subscribe to our calendars to receive updates as details are finalized.

Sunday, August 30 – Townwide Cub Scout Open House

Time: 1:00-3:00 PM

Location: Andrew Shaw Memorial Trust Scout Cabin, 140 West Avenue

Come meet the leaders, learn more about Cub Scouts, and reconnect with Pack families before the year gets underway.

Please invite any friends, neighbors, classmates, or other families who may be interested in Scouting. The Open House is specifically designed to give new families an easy opportunity to stop by, meet us, and learn what Cub Scouts is all about.

Sunday, September 13 – Welcome Event / Rocket Day

Location: Mather Homestead – to be confirmed

Time: 1pm

Our traditional kickoff event gives every Scout the chance to send a model rocket soaring into the sky. Additional details and RSVP information will follow once the date and location are confirmed.

Saturday-Sunday, September 26-27 – Jurassic Hoyt Campout

Location: Hoyt Campground

Our first Pack camping weekend of the year!

Saturday-Sunday, October 17-18 – Arrow of Light Sleepover

Location: Hoyt Campground

Who: 5th Grade / Arrow of Light Scouts only!

Sunday, November 8 – Candy Bar Election

Location: Scout Cabin

Saturday, November 14 – University of Adventures

Location: Easton, CT

Saturday, December 19 – Wreath Laying

Sunday, January 10 – Blue & Gold Luncheon / Crossover

Status: Tentative

Saturday, January 30 – Polar Bear Field Day

Location: Stamford Nature Center

Status: Date to be confirmed

Sunday, February 7 – Ski Outing

Location: Mohawk Mountain

Status: Proposed date

Sunday, March 21 – Pinewood Derby

Status: Proposed date – coordinating with the other Darien Packs

Additional spring events and activities will be added as the year progresses.

Some events may require modest additional or pass-through expenses.

POTENTIAL DEN MEETING DATES

Den meetings are smaller gatherings organized by grade level and coordinated by your child's Den Leader. The following dates are currently being held as potential Den meeting dates and are subject to change:

• Sunday, September 20

• Sunday, October 25

• Sunday, November 15

• Sunday, January 24

Individual Den Leaders will provide additional information regarding meeting times, locations, and activities.

STEP FIVE: SUBSCRIBE TO CALENDARS

Please subscribe to both our Pack calendar and your child's respective Den calendar on your phone and/or computer.

You'll automatically receive changes to dates, times, and locations as they are made.

If you subscribed in previous years, you should already be set for this year. Your Den calendar follows your child as they advance.

For example, if your child was in Den 3 last year, they remain subscribed to the Den 3 calendar as they advance to the next rank.

PACK CALENDAR

Pack 55/56 Events – Everybody
Mobile | Desktop

Be sure you are subscribed to BOTH the Pack calendar above AND your respective Den calendar below — they contain different events.

DEN CALENDARS

Kindergarten – Lion, Den 4
Mobile | Desktop

First Grade – Tiger, Den 7
Mobile | Desktop

Second Grade – Wolf, Den 6
Mobile | Desktop

Third Grade – Bear, Den 1
Mobile | Desktop

Fourth Grade – Webelos, Den 2
Mobile | Desktop

Fifth Grade – Arrow of Light, Den 3
Mobile | Desktop

CALENDAR TIP

Each calendar has two link versions:

• Mobile: Click the Mobile link directly from your phone and follow the prompts. Events will appear on your phone but may not automatically appear on your other devices.

• Desktop: Use the Desktop link from your computer. Depending on your setup, events can then appear across all of your connected devices.

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

CONTACT INFO

Each leader has a specific Pack email address, which helps us greatly when responsibilities are handed off from year to year.

Please note that many of the email accounts reference Pack 56, but Packs 55 and 56 operate jointly.

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

Committee Chair – Keara Everdell
Chair.Pack56Darien@gmail.com

Cubmaster – Kevin Reade
Cubmaster.Pack55Darien@gmail.com

PACK WEBSITE

https://Pack56.DarienScouts.Org

We regularly update the Pack website with new and upcoming events, along with information about Cub Scouting and Scouting in Darien. Please check in regularly throughout the year.

We're looking forward to another great year and hope to see everyone at the Townwide Open House on August 30!

And again, please forward this email to anyone you know who may have a child interested in Cub Scouts. New families are always welcome, and word of mouth from our current families is one of the best ways to introduce new Scouts to the program.

Kevin Reade
Cubmaster Pack 55 – Ox Ridge Elementary
Cubmaster.Pack55Darien@gmail.com
http://pack56.darienscouts.org
(Ox Ridge – Pack 55 & Royle – Pack 56 operate jointly)