Cub Scouting Time Commitment

It's easy to participate in Cub Scouts and still participate in other things like sports. But it's still common to ask about the typical time commitment involved in Scouting.

We loosely target one Pack meeting per month during the school year, usually on the first Sunday of each month, though that can vary. Pack meetings are where Cubs are presented with their latest achievements and where we do larger events like our annual Pinewood Derby, our overnight campouts, service events, and our overnight on the Intrepid Air & Space Museum.

The Pack is further divided into Dens based on grade. Each Den also hosts about one Den meeting per month, usually on the third Sunday of each month. The Den meetings are where we focus on completing advancement requirements for each respective age group. These advancement requirements are all activity based and age appropriate, so the Den meetings will be things like going on a hike, planning and preparing a meal, playing games with a focus on the team, etc. The goal is to earn a 'belt loop' at a Den meeting so that during each Pack meeting the Cubs are able to be recognized. However, advancements and belt loops are not limited to Den activities. Families can and should work on achievements from the handbook throughout the year, too. If you miss a meeting, it's easy to keep up by doing the activities with your family.

Finally, our District (Powahay), which represents several Packs from neighboring towns, hosts a day-long event about once a quarter, often at the Hoyt Scout Camp in Redding, CT. These are optional but include fun things like a Winter Camporee, Field Days with games, and Spring and Summer events. Our Pack uses these District events to organize our Pack family overnight campouts, with one campout in the Fall and one in the Spring.

Cub Scouts is NOT a drop-off activity; a parent (or a designated adult) must accompany the Cubs at Den and Pack meetings.

Most Cub Scout events are ~90 minutes long, with the exception of the larger District all-day events. We also plan two overnight campouts per year with our Pack, and will host 1-2 other overnights like a trip to the Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum in NYC.

For exact calendars, see the Pack 55/56 calendar on our home page. You can subscribe to the Pack and Den calendars so that you have all of the latest info on your mobile/desktop calendar of choice.