How to Volunteer in Cub Scouting

Cub Scouting is fun for the whole family. Getting everyone involved makes the experience more meaningful for your Cub Scout. There is a place for every parent, legal guardian, or other caring adults who want to help. Often the challenge is not knowing how to help. Below are some helpful steps on how you can volunteer.

Not Everyone Wears a Uniform

In Cub Scouting there are so many opportunities to volunteer. You want to get involved, but you’re not sure where to start. Here is a step-by-step guide to get you started. Remember not every volunteer in Cub Scouting wears a uniform. Everyone has different skills and ways they can contribute to make the Cub Scouting experience meaningful. No matter how you want to get involved, thank you for making the first move to volunteer with Cub Scouts.

Helping

Being helpful is part of the Scout Law, a value we seek to instill in everyone. The best way to help is not to wait until someone asks, but by providing assistance when you know someone needs it.

When offering to help consider the following:

What things are you good at?

What do you enjoy doing?

What hobbies or skills do enjoy?

If you have not already been asked, you should complete the Family Talent Survey. This one page survey is given to a leader in your pack so they know what resources are available.

Any leader or volunteer in your pack can tell you how you can help the group. If you help by doing something you are good at you will find it rewarding and may lead you to becoming a volunteer.

Volunteering

Volunteering is another way you can get involved. Being a volunteer in the BSA means you have registered as an adult and have gone through an approval process.

Registering as an adult in your Pack lets others know that you are willing to go beyond just helping others but willing to take on responsibilities in the Pack. To serve in a volunteer position in Scouting requires an adult to register with the BSA.

1. Complete an adult application, either hard copy or on-line.

2. Complete Youth Protection Training.

3. The pack committee chair and chartered organization reviews and approves the application.

Not all volunteers work directly with youth. Many serve in positions that support those who do.

Leading

Being a leader means you are a registered volunteer that takes on a personal commitment to ensure that Scouting is being delivered in a safe manner, the way it was designed, and in a way that makes it meaningful to everyone involved.

Leaders take training for the position that they are in and continue training beyond position specific training, like Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO) or Wood Badge. They attend local training events where other leaders share best methods.

Being a leader means you care about the Cub Scouting program beyond your current position. You want to see it strengthen and grow long after you and your Cub Scout have moved beyond the pack.

Leaders in Scouting find it to be the most rewarding way to spend their time and share their talents.

Adult Leader Training

All adult leaders are first required to take Youth Protection Training. When that is completed, training for each position in Cub Scouting is available on-line. There are additional training courses available in your local area.

Visit www.scouting.org/training for more details.

Three Steps to Becoming a Trained Leader

STEP ONE: SET UP A MY.SCOUTING ACCOUNT

Visit My.Scouting and create an account. Once you have an account you can access online training.

STEP TWO: TAKE YOUTH PROTECTION TRAINING

The Boy Scouts of America places the greatest importance on creating the most secure environment possible for our
youth members.

BSA Youth Protection

STEP THREE: POSITION SPECIFIC TRAINING

The BSA Learning Center is at My.Scouting. Select your position and a learning plan will be created for you.
The plan includes modules that are designed to allow you to complete
them at your own pace.

Position Training

Leaders who complete Youth Protection Training and Position Specific Training earn the right to wear the trained patch on the left sleeve of their uniform, beneath the patch representing the position for which they are trained.

Additional Training

Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation – BALOO

This one-and-a-half day course is designed as an introduction to the Cub Scout outdoor program for leaders interested in adding a camping component to their Pack activities. BALOO training consists of an online pre-requisite component in addition to an overnight outdoor camping experience. Completion of this course is mandatory for a MINIMUM OF ONE adult on a Pack overnighter.

Wood Badge

Wood Badge is known as the premier training course in the BSA. Offered by a local council, it is held over a period of a week or two full weekends. It includes an outdoor camping experience.

Those who complete Wood Badge are presented iconic wooden beads as a symbol of their commitment to provide a quality Scouting program.

Continual Training

Roundtable

Once a month Scouting volunteers in a local community come together to provide information about local Scouting events, activities, and programs. Roundtables play a significant role in providing continuous supplemental training for unit leaders. This monthly event provides program topic guidance and structure suggestions for unit leaders.

A fun environment creates excitement around the coming month of activities and program for unit leaders to carry back for implementation in their units.

As an alternative or in addition to in-person Roundtables you can participate in virtual Roundtables. Resources for virtual Roundtables can be found by clicking here.

University of Scouting / Pow Wow

These two opportunities may be available through your local council. Typically these are a series of courses that take place one day.

Often these provide the opportunity to take several sessions on various topics that help you provide a great program.

Family Talent Survey

Scouting functions and thrives through the dedication and help of volunteers like yourself. If you're ready to begin the scouting journey with your children and help this program thrive please fill out our family talent survey, and we'll put you to work enriching the scouting experience of our scouts.

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