Cub Scouts Pack 377

Scouting is a world of its own.  And as such, these worlds have all their own lingo.  Below are a few terms for people unfamiliar with this new brave world.

• Pack - a group of highly energetic youngsters, in uniform, ranging in age from 1st to 5th grades.  

• Den - a group of highly energetic youngsters, in uniform, which are all in the same grade.

• Den Leader - the courageous moms and dads who takes on the task of trying to corral said den for the purpose of working towards rank badge by the end of the school year.  They also create a calendar and schedule families in the den to help with individual den meetings.

•  Adventure loops - individual elective activities each cub scout can work to accomplish.

• Scout Shop - the store where families go to buy the uniform and the pack goes to to purchase pack awards and supplies.

• Tent - A triangular shaped fabric that turns out to be extremely frustrating to assemble when your cub scout is off running around at top speed with the other cub scouts while leaving mom or dad to try to set the thing up for the first time ever in the dark.

• Campfire  - a circular form of high energy fueled by wood and sticks that the BALOO trained parent is constantly reminding the cub scouts not to get too close to.  It's also used to toast marshmallows.  

• Campouts- meeting of the scouts as a pack or den (Webelos and AOL cubs can camp as a den) at an outdoor location typically run by a Scouting America organization and involves things such as tents and campfires.  

• Soda Bottle Rocket Launch - run once a year in September, used as a membership drive for Pack 377.  Consists of pack provide materials such as 2-litre soda bottles, stickers, rocket launchers, bicycle pumps and... oh yeah, water... lots of water.

• Service Project  - the scouting program provides a lot of structure and fun.  It has a very important component, a call to service.  We schedule and ask for participation in three projects per year.  A cleanup project in the fall (clean a local park or public space), Toys for Tots gift drive in the winter and "Scouting for Food" in April in which the cubs go to our friends at the local supermarket (Our friends at the Star Market have generously let hold the drive in their store entrance) in Waverley Square and ask the good people of Belmont and surrounding towns to purchase food items which are then donated to the Belmont Food Bank.