Scouting and the Family

A Grownup's Guide To The Wolf Cub Program

Welcome!

Thank you for searching for more information on the Wolf Cub program. Cubbing offers an exciting variety of creative activities to spark any Cub's imagination. It also promotes wholesome personal development.

Scouts Canada believes that children learn by doing. Cub activities encourage children to discover and understand their world through play and adventure. Briefly, let's talk about how you and Scouting can work together to help your child do his (or her) best.

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).

To understand how Cubs can meet your child's needs, let's look at what makes Scouting special.

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 therefrom."

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.

Scouting's core philosophy and values are expressed by the principles. These form a "code of ethics" for how Scouting expects all members to conduct themselves while participating in activities. The Wolf Cub's promise, law and motto are age-appropriate versions of Scouting's principles.

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

(i) The Cub respects the Old Wolf *,
(ii) 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 development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities through the application of our principles and practices."

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 fulfil Scouting's principles and mission, the Cub program is geared specifically to meet the developmental needs of most 8-10 year olds. The program emphasizes 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.

How Packs Are Organized

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 jobs 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). Your 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 a Beaver colony. Each Cub helper working in a colony is called "Keeo", after a character in the Beaver book Friends of the Forest.

The leaders in your Cub's pack are supported by a group committee. The committee is responsible for ensuring the programs offered meet Scouts Canada's guidelines and that the pack has enough resources to operate effectively. The group committee represents a sponsor which is the overall partner with Scouts Canada. Sponsors are typically community centres, clubs, religious institutions or parent groups. The sponsor works closely with Scouts Canada to ensure Scouting programs and resources are meeting the needs of all its youth and adult members.

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.

Your Role in Cubbing

Scouting is a family-based organization. Activities we offer, plus the values and skills we provide, 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 could you work on these activities as a family?
Find out what activities leaders plan to run in your child's pack. Most leaders set aside time at the first meeting to ask Cubs what they would like to do. They draw up program plans from the children's input.
Get to know leaders by their real names. Too often parents only know leaders by their "jungle" 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 well 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 programs. This will let you spend valuable time with your child and share experience. Cubs really enjoy showing off for an adult family member who attends a meeting. This sense of pride helps strengthen adult-child relations. When your child joins Cubs, you become part of the pack's support team.
Become a leader. Scouts Canada offers up-to-date training and resource materials. Leadership is fun and exciting. You will be with your Cub during a special time and see him (or her) develop and grow before your eyes. As well, the friendship and camaraderie you'll share with other parents can lead to long-lasting relationships and memories.

Helping Cubs Stay Safe And Healthy

A child's health and safety are the most important issues facing any parent. The world is quickly changing and the stress on today's Cub is growing daily. The Wolf Cub program has specific activities which help a child explore important social issues, such as alcohol and drug abuse, smoking and personal safety. Take the opportunity to discuss these issues openly. It is a perfect chance to share your insights, values and experience with your child.

To learn about and appreciate Canadian society through active participation in community service projects.
To discover and learn about their own faith and the various world religions.
To participate in programs which highlight people and their cultures that make up Canada and the world.
To demonstrate the inter-relationships Canadians have with people in other countries.