By now, you may have caught a "Join Cub Scout" sign while watching Medfield's Memorial Day celebration or when passing along a local road or ballfield.  The sign announces Pack 113 and 200's sign-up night on Wednesday, June 6, from 6-8 PM at the Memorial School Gym.  Families of boys entering next year's first though fifth grades are invited to share in the fun, good will, and sense of pride that accompanies every scout along his achievement trail.

First graders start as Tiger Cubs.  They meet with a half-dozen to eight other boys as a den along with their parents.  Tigers have only five achievements to complete, comprised of three types of activities each: one performed with the family in the home, one performed in the den setting, and one completed as a "Go See It," when the boys visit the Police Station's holding cell, take in a MHS basketball game, or go on a hike in the Medfield wilderness. Parents take turns hosting the den meetings or organizing the local “Go See It” trips. While earning beads with every requirement, their big moment arrives in March when the scouts receive their official Tiger badge.

The second and third grade programs are similar, with parents taking turns to help the den to complete the Wolf and Bear trails. The Wolf year introduces the boys to fitness, nutrition, personal and family safety, and the proper use and care of tools, among the total of twelve achievements required.  Similarly, the Bear year requires the completion of twelve achievements -- but this time out of a total of 24 choices, giving the scout, his family, and his den a more personalized path of accomplishment. Skills receive greater emphasis, as the boys learn their knots and earn their “Whittling Chip” card while carving bars of soap into animal shapes.

By the time the boys reach the fourth and fifth grades, they are ready for more formal adult leadership and to assume some den responsibilities themselves. The Webelos den meetings are customarily held in the Den Leader's or Assistant Den Leader's home, but all of the parents continue to chip-in to help teach the skills that distinguish Cub Scouting's most decorated years. A parent with a first-aid background may teach Readyman, a parent with a few wood shop tools may teach Craftman and help the boys to construct their own toolbox.  Different Webelos dens may combine to complete the Artist, Scientist, Engineer, or Naturalist requirements or any one out of the possible twenty offerings that the Webelos scouts can complete. Physical fitness, outdoors experiences, and citizenship education guide them to their Webelos badge, and beyond it toward Cub Scouting's highest award: the Arrow of Light. Whether a boy has earned just-enough recognition or has completed all twenty Webelos pins, the standard of achievement throughout the scouting experience remains the same: “Do Your Best.”

You may have seen the Cub Scout badges, pins, beads, beltloops, and the many insignia march by on Memorial Day. The Cub Scout program recognizes and celebrates the steady progress of boys throughout their elementary years. Why not start your son's adventure along Scouting's achievement trail by joining Cub Scouts on June 6?