12th Garry Oak

Welcome to a New Year of Cubs with the 12^th Garry Oak Sea Scout Group

Welcome everyone! Here’s some information and our schedule for the next few months,

Meetings - Mondays 6-7:30PM September - June Gyro Park Scout Hall.

Uniforms – The basic uniform consists of a tan shirt, a sash (purchased) and a neckerchief (necker) supplied by our group,. Along with the Cub Book, these are the most important items to purchase. In addition, there are a number of optional items: belts, hats, etc. that can be purchased from Scout Shop, 505 Marigold St. call 250-727-3329 for opening times.

Volunteering – Everyone involved with the 12^th Garry Oak Scout Group does so on a volunteer basis. There are lots of opportunities to help out at meetings, outings, and camps, please help because we can’t do it all on our own! If you have any ideas for activities, crafts or events please share them with our leaders.

Scout Popcorn – Our primary fundraising activity is the selling of Scout Popcorn. 40% of the total revenue stays with our group to support our activities and reduce your costs. More information will be provided at our next meeting.

Peppers Cards – Peppers Foods in Cadboro Bay offers a 5% rebate to our Scouting Group on the value of Peppers Cards purchased. When buying or loading your card please tell the cashier that the card is for the 12^th Garry Oak Scout Group. The rebate goes to support our programs.

Cubs - Upcoming events

Cub Intro

 We hope that your child will enjoy this year. If new to Cubs, you will want to know a bit about the program and what we do in our Pack. This page should give you most of the information you and your child will need to enter the exciting Scouting world. Any questions or comments can be directed to any member of the Pack Leadership team.

Scouts Canada and Your Child

Scouts Canada is the largest youth educational organization in Canada. With a quarter of a million members across the country, we also form part of the world-wide Scouting Movement which includes over 16 million members in 150 countries.

Scouting runs youth programs specifically designed for each age grouping: Beavers (5-7 years old), Wolf Cubs (8-10 years old), Scouts (11-14 years old), Venturers (15-17 years old), and Rovers (18-26 years old).

Scouts Canada's Principles

Scouting is based on three broad principles which represent its fundamental beliefs.

Duty to God: This is defined as: "Adherence to spiritual principles, loyalty to the religion that expresses them and acceptance of the duties resulting there from."

Duty to Others: This is defined as: "Loyalty to one's country in harmony with the promotion of local, national and international peace, understanding and cooperation", and "Participation in the development of society, with recognition and respect for the dignity of one's fellow being and for the integrity of the natural world."

Duty to Self: This is defined as: "Responsibility for the development of oneself.” This is in harmony with the educational purpose of the Scout Movement whose aim is to assist young people in the full development of their potentials.

Wolf Cub Promise, Law and Motto

Promise:

I promise to do my best
To love and serve God, to do my duty to the Queen;
To keep the law of the Wolf Cub pack,
And to do a good turn for somebody every day.

Law:

1. The Cub respects the Old Wolf

2. The Cub respects himself

An "Old Wolf" refers to a leader or any respected adult

Motto: “Do your Best”

Scouts Canada's Mission

Scouting's principles are put into action and focus through our mission statement. Scouting's mission is: "To contribute to the education of young people, through a value system based on the Scout Promise and Law, to help build a better world where people are self fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society."

Scouting's mission seeks to help develop the whole child. While some children may excel in school or when playing sports, to fit into society a person must be well rounded mentally, physically, socially and spiritually to the best of their ability

Cub Program Goals

In order to fulfill Scouting's principles and mission, the Cub program is geared specifically to meet the developmental needs of most 8-10 year olds. In the Cub program, emphasis is place on activities which encourage Cubs to:

• express and respond to God's love in their daily lives

• do their best

• keep fit

• satisfy their curiosity, and need for adventure and new experiences

• be creative and develop a sense of accomplishment

• make choices

• develop a sense of fair play, trust and caring

• work together in small groups, and experience being a leader

• participate in outdoor activities

• learn about the natural world and their part in it

In Wolf Cubs, "Do Your Best" nicely sums up the approach to activities described in this book. Cubs need adult support and approval as they play, learn and discover. Children need this for building self-esteem and self-confidence. It is critical for them to feel a sense of accomplishment for what they did, rather than being taught that only winning counts. Scouting believes that Cubs who "do their best" in any activity deserve equal recognition and praise.

The Wolf Cub Program

The Cub Book will introduce you the six activity areas of Cubbing. While your Cub will only see the fun and excitement the activities present, each area focuses on a clear purpose and goal

The six areas are:

• Natural World: which will help create a feeling of care and concern for the natural world and an interest in nature study.

• Outdoors: which will provide opportunities for Cubs to develop self-confidence and early leadership skills through the introduction of basic camping and other outdoor pursuits.

• Creative Expression: which encourages Cubs to creatively explore and express themselves through activities which utilize imagination and innovation.

• Health and Fitness: which encourages Cubs to lead active and healthy lives and to have a positive image of themselves.

• Home and Community: which creates in a Cub a positive feeling of family and community responsibility, as well as personal self-reliance through opportunities to develop home care skills and knowledge about various community resources.

• Canada and the World: which provides opportunities for Cubs to better understand how to actively participate in Canadian society and the world we live in.

Stars and Badges

For each of the activity areas Cubs can earn a Star by completing certain requirements. There are six areas so there are six stars:

• Black Star: Natural World

• Green Star: Outdoors

• Tawny Star: Creative Expression

• Red Star: Health and Fitness

• Blue Star: Home and Community

• Purple Star: Canada and the World

Along with the stars there are a number of activity badges that Cubs can earn. Each badge comes with a set of requirements to be complete in order to earn the badge. The badges are grouped with the six stars depending on the focus of the badge. Many of the requirements of one badge are similar to the requirements for other badge. In this way by completing one activity you may be on your way to completing more than one badge.

In addition, there are 7 awards that can be earned by earning a combination of stars and badges. These awards are carried through to the Scout program and are worn with the Scout uniform until the equivalent Scout level award is earned.

Parents Role in Cubbing

Scouting is family based. Activities offered, plus the values and skills provided, are aimed at supporting your efforts to teach your child what is needed to become a well-rounded person. Your personal involvement is important to help reinforce the lessons your Cub learns. Here are some suggestions to help you become involved:

• Sit down with your child and look through the Cub book together. What activities
  
   do you find interesting or appealing? How can you work on these activities as a
  
  family?

• Find out what activities leaders plan to run. See if you can help out.

• Get to know your leaders by their real names. Leaders are truly interested in your
  
  child's welfare. Tell them what your child likes to do. This will help them plan fun
  
  activities

• If your Cub is interested in working on an activity outside of the meeting or you
  
  want to make it a family project, talk over your plans with the leaders. They can
  
  provide useful tips and tell you how it fits into the weekly programs.

• Your talents, hobbies, and interests are great program assets worth sharing with
  
  children. Find out how you can become a resource for the pack's program. Cubs
  
  really enjoy showing off for an adult family member that attends a meeting.

• Become a leader. You will be with your Cub during a special time and see him/her
  
  develop and grow before your eyes.

Organization of the Pack

The Wolf Cub theme is based on Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. It provides a sense of outdoor adventure and fantasy that appeals to a Cub's imaginative mind. The "pack" refers to all members in your child's Cub program. Within the pack, Cubs are broken into small groups called "sixes". A Cub who is asked to lead a "six" is called a "sixer". The Sixer has an assistant called a "second". Cubs usually rotate through these early leadership roles based on age and experience.

The primary adult leader of the pack is referred to as "Akela" - the name of the old wolf and leader of the pack in the Jungle Book. Other leaders take a "jungle name" such as Baloo (the bear), or Bagheera (the panther). The pack may also have a "Kim" - a Scout who works with the Cubs. Kim is another Kipling character. Older Cubs are sometimes invited to work with the Beaver Colony. Each Cub helper working in a colony is called "Keeo", after a character in the Beaver book Friends of the Forest.

After learning a bit about Cubs, your child will be ready to become "invested", or formally welcomed into the pack. You will be invited to attend the "investiture ceremony" to help welcome your child into the Cub pack.

The Wolf Cub Uniform

The official Wolf Cub uniform consists of:

1. Uniform Shirt (Tan, available at the Scout Shop)

2. Cub Badge Sash (Red with Yellow Trim, available at the Scout Shop)

3. Group Scarf (presented at Investiture)

4. Woggle (presented at Investiture )

5. Cub Book (Current year)

All badges, crests and epaulets necessary are supplied by the Pack

New badges received should be securely sewn on before the next Cub meeting or activity.

The Scout Shop is located at 505 Marigold Rd. between Burnside and Interurban, call 250-727-3329 for shop hours.

Investiture Ceremony

When a youth joins Cubs he/she is a "Tenderpad". This is a term used to describe the soft skin on the bottom of a real wolf cub's feet. The older wolves help the Tenderpads learn about the pack, and while they learn, the cub's feet grow tough. Tenderpads may wear the Cub shirt and a white necker. There are four Tenderpad requirements you must pass before you become a Wolf Cub:

• Repeat and explain the Wolf Cub Promise and the Wolf Cub Law

• Perform the Grand Howl with other Cubs

• Demonstrate the Cub Salute and handshake, and repeat the Cub Motto

• Read or listen to the story of Lord Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouts.

Terminology