Be Prepared
Welcome to the Cub Scout area of our District website. We have 14 Packs of Cubs within Barking & Dagenham and a very active programme throughout the year.
Cubs in B&D get the chance to take part in swimming galas, sports days and football competitions. They are tested on their abilities across a wide range of skills with competitions seeing them do first aid, map reading, knots, tracking, shelter building and more.
Cub Scouts is for 8 to 10½ year olds who like being challenged in an exciting and fun enviroment. Cub Scouts usually meet once a week as a "Pack". The Pack is run by trained, voluntary leaders and helpers.
For further information contact: Rosemary Oakwell | adccubs@barking-dagenham-scouts.org.uk
Further Information
How old are Cub Scouts?
Cub Scouts are aged between 8 - 10½ years.
What do they do?
They have fun!... They also
- play games
- gain badges
- go on outings and visits
- look after themselves
- look after their surroundings
- go camping and learn about the outdoors
- help others
- create things
- become Scouts
Take a look at the photos to see what Cubs and other Scouts get up to. You can also take a look at some of the events and activities that Cubs in Barking & Dagenham get a chance to enjoy. The best way to find out what Cubs get up to is to find your nearest group and go and see for yourself!
Cub Scout Promise
I promise that I will do my best
to do my duty to my God and to The Queen
to help other people and to keep the Cub Scout Law
Cub Scout Law
Cub Scouts always do their best
think of others before themselves
and do a good turn every day
Cub Scout Motto
Be Prepared
What badges do they earn?
Cubs can gain a wide range of badges and awards. There are Group Awards that allow all members of the group to work together and Challenge Awards that are gained as part of a balanced programme.
But that's not all! There are many Activity Badges that you can complete at any time while you are a Cub Scout. These cover everything you could possibly be interested in. From Astronomy to Writing, Computers to Science and Music to Gardening. If you have a hobby, interest or favourite sport there is an Activity Badge that you can work hard for, gain and wear on your uniform with pride.
Participation Badges recognise the length of time a young person has been a member of the Scout Movement.
Ultimately there is the Chief Scout's Silver Award, which is the highest award a Cub can earn.
Every Cub (and Scout) wears a set of badges to identify themselves. They have a Membership Badge to show they are in Scouting, a District and County Badge along with a group Name Tag to show where they come from. If a Cub works hard enough they may become a Sixer or Seconder and they will have a stripe to add to their uniform.
Every now and then there are special events that allow you to wear a special badge for a short period of time. These normally stay on your uniform for around a year. When the time comes to remove the badge you can add it to your collection. Many Scouts keep a collection of badges and may even add them to a 'camp blanket' which makes a good talking piece when you wear it around the campfire.
What do they wear?
Cub Scouts wear a full uniform. Scouting is a uniformed organisation and the uniform tells everyone that you are a Cub Scout. For instance, people can tell what Pack you belong to by looking at the colour of your scarf. The uniform consists of:
- Dark green long sleeved sweatshirt or Group T-shirt
- Group Scarf
Most packs will have other items of uniform. The exact details differ from Pack to Pack. The following may be included as part of your uniform:
- Long trousers / Skirt
- Activity Trousers
- Black shoes
- Cub Scout Powerpack
- Notebook, pencil, handkerchiefs
How do I join?
Perhaps you know a friend who is a Cub Scout...ask them if you can come along to a Pack meeting and see what all the fuss is about. Take a look at the groups page to find the nearest Cub Pack to where you live. You can complete a join form or contact the DC (District Commissioner) who will give you any details you may wish to know.
Most groups will be glad to let you stay for a night or two to see what it is like. You will need to bring your parent/guardian along so that a few forms can be filled in. If you enjoy Scouting (and many people do!) you can find out how to become a full member from the leaders at your chosen group.
Background and History
The Cub Pack
The Cub Section meets in a group called a Pack. (Similarly the Beavers meet as a Colony, Scouts as a Troop and Ventures as a Unit). The term Pack comes from the fact that much of structure of the Cub Section is loosely based on the Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling.
In the Jungle Book a boy called Mowgli became a member of a wolf cub pack. The wolf cubs had a kind leader called Akela. Akela and the wolf cub pack looked after Mowgli through the many adventures he had in the Jungle.
Sixers & Seconders
In a Cub Scout Pack the cubs are divided into smaller groups called Sixes. Of course each Six normally has about 6 cubs in it. The Sixes are often given a colour to identify them and each Six wears a different colour woggle on their scarf.
A Sixer is a Cub placed in charge of a particular Six. Each Six has a Sixer and a Seconder. The Sixer is normally an older experienced Cub who can help the members of their Six as they progress through Cubs. The Seconder is there to assist the Sixer in his duties.
The Sixer and Seconder are given extra duties and responsibilities in the Pack and help Akela and the other leaders in many ways. To show that they have earned a place as a Sixer or Seconder they are given a stripe to wear on the arm of their uniform.
Who is Akela?
Akela was the leader of the wolf cub pack that looked after the boy Mowgli in the Jungle Book stories. In a Cub Scout Pack the leader in charge is usually called Akela. Other leaders in the Pack will normally take the names of other characters in the Jungle Book. Look at the Jungle Book pages for a long list of names. Some common examples of leaders names are Bagheera, Kaa, Chil, Hathi, Raksha, Rama and Baloo.
Scout Motto
The Scout Motto is
Be Prepared
As a Cub Scout you will always want to be prepared for anything.
The Grand Howl
The Grand Howl is a special way of saying 'hello' to Akela and a way of reminding you about your Cub Scout Promise. Only Cubs that have been invested as a Cub Scout are able to join in the Grand Howl.
Each group does their Grand Howl in a slightly different way but in most cases the Cub Scouts start by forming a circle with Akela standing in the middle.
The Grand Howl starts when Akela's arms are raised outwards and then lowered to Akela's side. At that point the whole Pack squats down (not sitting) like a wolf would with their 'paws' in between their legs.
The whole Pack then calls out (very loudly!):
"Akela...we'll do our best!"
The Cubs then stand up smartly at alert...the Duty Sixer (or whoever is chosen to do the Grand Howl) then salutes Akela and calls out:
"Cubs! Do your best!"
The rest of the Cubs then salute and call back:
"We WILL do our best!"
This is the Grand Howl. It is performed as an opening and closing ceremony to the Pack night, usually in conjunction with a Flag ceremony.
Flag Ceremonies
There is usually a Flag Ceremony after Grand Howl. The whole Pack will face the Union Flag and the designated Cub (who did the Grand Howl) will walk to the flag. For the opening ceremony the Cub will pull a string to 'break' the flag (let the flag fly freely). Everyone then salutes the flag at the same time as this Cub to show their loyalty to the Queen and country they are living in. For the closing ceremony the Cubs face the flag while standing at alert while it is lowered.
The Salute and the Scout Sign
All members of the Scout Movement use the same salute. The salute is made with the right hand and is only used when you are standing at Alert. It is used as a greeting and as a sign of respect. Scouts salute with three fingers to remind you of
....your promise to do your duty to God, and to the Queen and to help other people....
The Scout Sign is similar to the salute but you hold your hand at shoulder height. It is only used when someone is making or renewing their Promise.
Now this is the Law of the Jungle -- as old and as true as the sky;
And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back --
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.
The Handshake
Scouts greet each other in a special way. They always shake hands with their left hand. The origins of this custom come from when Baden-Powell was a soldier in Africa. He saw lots of tribal chiefs who carried spears and shields. He noticed that it was a sign of great trust to offer your left hand when shaking hands. This is because if you shake with your left hand you will have to put down your shield while the other person still has a spear in their hand!
How to stand
Cub Scouts have two special ways of standing. One is called 'Alert' and the other 'At Ease'.
A Leader or a Sixer will call out the commands. If a Leader or a Sixer calls Pack Alert or Six Alert you should stand up straight with your arms smartly by your sides. You move your left leg to put your feet together.
Then a Leader calls 'Pack at Ease' you move your left leg until it is apart from the other, standing comfortably with your hands behind your back.