Welcome to Cub Scout Pack 163

We’re glad that your family has a joined Scouting and we hope you and your child will have a great adventure with Cub Scout Pack 163. Pack 163 has been meeting in Milpitas, CA for several years and continues to thrive due to the dedication of its volunteer leaders and parents like you! We all believe Scouting is important part of physical, mental, and spiritual development of our children.

About our Chartered Organization

All Cub Scout Packs are chartered by a community organization. Pack 163 is very fortunate to be chartered by the Rotary Club of Milpitas.  Our Chartered Organization Representative is Mr. Eric Emmanuele and he serves as the link between the pack, the Rotary and the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council.

Big Picture

Pack 163 is your local gateway to the world of scouting. The chart below will illustrate how we fit into a bigger picture.

Pack Organization

The pack organization chart can be imagined as having two sides: programming and operations.  The programming is headed by the Cubmaster and the operations are led by the Pack Committee Chair.

The Cubmaster and Assistant Cubmasters plan and execute monthly pack meetings. They support the Lion Guide, Tiger Den Leaders, Cub Scout Den Leaders, Webelos Den Leaders and provide relevant training and support.

A group of scouts of the same gender in one or more grades makes up a den, where the scouts will work towards earning their rank. Dens are lead by a Den Leader and Assistant Den Leader. All of the dens combined together make up the pack.

A Pack Committee consists of Pack Committee Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Advancement Chair, Outdoor Activity Chair, Membership and Reregistration Chair, and Friends of Scouting Chair.  There are also positions like Pinewood Derby Chair, Blue and Gold Banquet Chair, Social Media Chair and Newsletter Publisher.  All of these are volunteer positions and require various skills and commitments.

Meeting Location and Times

Pack 163 meets on most Mondays at 6:30pm at John Sinnott Elementary School except for school holidays and the summer.  During the summer, we meet off campus and the meeting location is based on the activity.

Den Meetings

Den Meetings are held at least twice a month and provide your scout with opportunities to enjoy various planned activities, learn new skills, and have fun. Parents are expected to actively participate in den meetings. Please keep in touch with your child’s Den Leader so that you will know what activities are taking place and can track the progress your child is making. In the event of an absence, your scout may complete missed work at home to stay on track.

Pack Meetings

Once a month all dens meet together for a Pack Meeting, which all Cub Scouts and their families are encouraged to attend. The Pack Meeting is a fun time for everyone. Dens show off the projects they have been working on, lead songs, perform skits, and awards are presented to the Scouts. It is a time for the family to get information on upcoming activities and share in the Scouting spirit. Be sure to attend and join in the excitement while watching your scout advance!

Awards are a very important part of the Scouting program. They help build self-esteem by providing recognition for a Scout’s hard work. We encourage you to applaud, whistle, and cheer for all of the Scouts as they are presented with their awards at Pack Meetings.

Registration

Youth Registration

There is a $42 registration fee for each scout. This fee is paid to the Boy Scouts of America and Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council to cover insurance, a national registration fee, and BSA operating expenses.  This fee is prorated after January.

There is a pack activity fee of $150 per year.  The fee (combined with proceeds of fundraising activities and nominal charges for some events) is used by the pack to pay for awards, campsite rentals, den expenses, Pinewood Derby, crafts supplies, facilities rental, food and decorations, etc.

You may optionally choose to subscribe to Boys Life magazine for $12/year.  This magazine is geared towards scouts, and ties in closely with the monthly scouting program activities.

Adult Registration

Each scout must be accompanied by at least one adult registration which is $42.  This fee is also prorated after January.  If both parents are adult leaders (someone who holds a uniformed position like Cubmaster, Assistant Cubmaster, Den Leader, Assistant Den Leader or Pack Committee Chair) then both parents will need to register.  There is a background check and the Chartered Organization Representative will need to approve the application.  The registeration is not complete until it is paid, approved by the Chartered Organization Representative and the Youth Protection Training has been completed.

Recharter

Every year around November, Boy Scouts of America requires each unit to renew for the following year.  Both youth and adult registrations will need to be renewed and paid for the following year.  Adults will need to update their Youth Protection Training if it has been expired.  Leaders will need to complete their position specific trainings.

Financial Aid

Financial aid may be available based on need and availability, please contact our Charter Organization Representative to discuss alternate arrangements. We would like to see all children able to participate in Scouting and we don’t want the registration fee to be an obstacle.  Financial aid also known as Campership is also available for Cub Camps in the summer.

Transfer

Transfers from other packs are welcome at any time. The Council collects a $1.00 transfer fee at the time of each transfer.

Youth Protection Training

All adult leaders and parents who participate in Cub Camps and similar activities are required to take Youth Protection Training either online or in person.  This course will educate you on Boy Scouts of America’s rules, mandatory reporting, and prevention of child abuse.

In addition, adult leaders who have direct contact with the scouts (i.e, Cubmaster, Tiger Den Leaders, Den Leaders, Webelos Den Leaders) will also need to take the Hazardous Weather Training.

These trainings are available free online.

Uniforms

The Boy Scouts of America is a uniformed organization. Please acquire an uniform within 30 days so that your scout may proudly wear his Bobcat badge and other awards on it.

BSA has many reasons for requiring uniforms. Among them are quick identification of the group, providing a place to display emblems representing hard work by the Scouts, and to foster a sense of affiliation and pride.

Pack 163’s uniform is the official full field uniform designated by the Boy Scouts of America. It includes the BSA shirt, pants, cap, neckerchief, neckerchief slide, belt, socks and emblems.  Ir is known as a “Class A” uniform. Occasionally, it is appropriate for the scouts to wear “Class B” uniform consisting of scout pants or shorts, and a Pack T-Shirt.  Please do not wear Class B unless told to do so.

For information on where to sew badges and insignias, check out the Guide to Awards and Insignia.

Uniform items that are easily removable (such as caps, neckerchiefs, and neckerchief slides) should be marked permanently with the scout’s initials so that lost items can be returned to their owner.

Uniforms can be purchased at the South Bay Scout Shop at 970 W. Julian Street, San Jose.

Scout Handbook

The scout handbook provides the requirements for each activity and a place to record progress. Each Scout is expected to own a copy of the handbook appropriate for their rank and to bring the handbook to each Den meeting.  Scouts should write their names in permanent ink on the title page (inside the book) in the space provided for this purpose.  A new book is required each year except for the Webelos/Arrow of Light which can be used for two years.

About Advancement

Den Leaders are responsible for tracking and approving requirement completions, rank advancement and other awards. The leaders must turn in an advancement report to the Cubmaster one week before each Pack Meeting in order to get the awards in time. If your scout has worked on his advancement, make sure s/he brings the handbook (signed by you where applicable) to the meetings so that the Den Leader can review it. The Den Leader is required to do the final sign-off for all advancement.

If the advancement is not turned in on time, the award will not be presented to the Scout until the next Pack Meeting, which will certainly be a big disappointment to your scout.

Cub Scouting is a very family oriented program. As such, responsibility for promoting rank advancement lies with the parents, the scout, and his family. Although there will be activities organized by the Den and the Pack which count towards rank advancement, most of the activities can be done at home under your guidance. There is no substitute for active family involvement.

The standard to apply when determining if your scout has accomplished an achievement or elective is simply “did they do their best?” While that is somewhat subjective, and obviously not the same from scout to scout, it is the standard used in Cub Scouts. As such, that is why advancement is something to be done under the parent’s guidance, where s/he signs off in the handbook as the “Akela.”

Advancement is a good indicator of how well a Scout is participating in the program and how successful he has been in learning the new things that the program offers. As a parent, you will see ups and downs over your son’s Scouting career with an occasional lack of interest. This is normal, especially with all of the activities kids are involved with these days, such as sports programs and video games. Please encourage your son and help motivate him to hang in there and earn his advancement.

Don’t let a sports season end a Scouting career. We realize how important sports and other seasonal or short-term activities are to the children and their families. Please try to participate as often as you can, even if you have to show up late and in your soccer uniform! And plan to get back into the swing of things as soon as you can. Our leaders will be happy to help your scout get caught up with the rest of the den.

If you are concerned about the quality of any aspect of the program or about your child’s loss of interest in the program, please talk with the Den Leader or the Cubmaster right away. Scouting is the best youth program anywhere, but like anything worthwhile, it takes commitment from everyone involved. You only get out of the program what you are willing to put in. Your child cannot benefit at all from Scouting if they drop out!

Each scout has until the family campout in June to earn his current rank badge. If there are extenuating circumstances, please contact the Cubmaster as soon as possible.

Awards

The pack pays for all awards, and presents them to the uniformed scout at pack meetings.  The pack does not cover the cost of replacement awards.

Check your handbook and the pack web site for information on various awards your son can earn.  Not all awards can be worn on the uniform shirt.

Many awards are considered temporary patches and can be worned on the right pocket.

There are also many event participation patches given out by sports teams, museums, and other non-scout organizations.  These are usually not to be worned on the uniform but can be sewn onto a red scout vest or a patch blanket.

Graduation Ceremony

For the Arrow of Light, it is up to the den to determine when they want to move on to the Scout BSA.  The Arrow of Light Scouts and the Scout BSA Scoutmasters can decide what type of “bridging” ceremony for those who are continuing the scouting adventure.

Insurance

Unit Accident & Sickness Insurance Plan

The Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council requires that every unit have a supplemental accident insurance policy. An accident and sickness insurance plan is offered by the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council, provided by Health Special Risk. It provides some financial protection for accidental injury and illness for all registered youth, volunteer leaders, seasonal staff; and prospective youth members or leaders who visit. Other guests are not covered.

The plan provides year-round coverage while: 1) Participating in any activity approved and supervised by the BSA whether at a unit, district or council level. 2) Traveling to and from such events or activities. 3) At approved Scouting activities outside the council boundaries.

There are limitations to this plan. It is not the purpose of this coverage to replace or diminish the need for family health insurance. Rather its purpose is to provide assurance that financial help is available to help meet emergency medical expenses should an injury or illness occur during a Scout activity.

There are benefits under this plan for loss of life, dismemberment, loss of sight, dental treatment, and ambulance insurance. Details of the plan are available at the council service center.

Comprehensive General Liability Insurance

This coverage provides protection for the council directors, officers, all Scouting employees, Scouting units, chartered organizations, and volunteer Scouters (whether or not registered) with respect to claims arising in the performance of their duties in Scouting. The council pays an annual premium and each unit pays a $40 unit liability insurance fee.

This liability coverage is primary for charter organization, their officers and all registered scout volunteers. There is no coverage for intentional or criminal acts.

Because of the high limits, volunteers should NOT be placed in a position where their assets are jeopardized because of a negligence liability claim or lawsuit.

Automobile Liability Insurance

Every person who drives a car in connection with a Scouting activity MUST meet state minimum requirements of 15,000/30,000/5,000 and should carry a minimum of $50,000/$100,000/$50,000 of automobile liability limits on their vehicle. Any vehicle carrying 10 or more passengers is required to have limits of at least $500,000 combined single limit. The council’s automobile liability insurance is excess of the insurance the owner of the auto carries (becomes primary after personal insurance is exhausted), but does protect the owner above his limits for the council’s $15,000,000 limit of coverage. This is part of the national comprehensive general liability insurance.

Serious Incidents

All serious incidents, accidents, sickness or summons served on a volunteer, related to Scouting, must be reported to the Council Service Center immediately. Call (408) 638.8300 and speak with Jake Carlson, Michael Wilson, or Jason Stein.

Drug, Alcohol & Tobacco Use

Illegal drugs and alcohol are not allowed at any Scouting activity and persons under the influence of drugs or alcohol are not allowed to participate or be present at any Scouting functions. Any violation of this rule will result in immediate dismissal from the event and possible intervention by law enforcement agents.

Scouting provides a tobacco-free environment for the Scouts and smoking is not allowed in the presence of the Scouts. If you must smoke or use tobacco products, please do so outside and out-of-site of the boys and always remember to keep the area free of cigarette butts and trash.

Knives & Firearms

No fixed-blade sheath knives are allowed on any Scout activity. A Cub Scout can only carry a pocket knife once he has learned the safety rules for using a knife and earns his Whittlin’ Chip card in the Bear Den or Webelos Den. Knives can then only be used under direct adult supervision. If a Scout is found handling his knife improperly, it will be taken away from him and given to the parents. In addition, any adult who sees a Scout with a knife can ask him to produce his Whittlin’ Chip. If he cannot do so, the knife will be taken away from him and given to his parents.

Archery equipment, air rifles and B-B guns are not allowed in the Cub Scout program except under stringent supervision by a trained adult on a safe firing range at a council or district-sponsored event. Firearms are not allowed except under certain demonstration conditions and can only be handled by qualified adults. Use of firearms by Cubs is not allowed.