Cub Scout Organization

Den

Each Cub Scout belongs to a Den. The den is led by a volunteer Den Leader who has taken on the responsibility of organizing the program. This leader relies heavily on the adult partners to fulfill the program goals by participating with their tiger scout.

An adult partner can be a parent, relative, or friend who is at least 18 years old and who cares about the boy or girl. Adult partners should take turns working with the den leader to plan and lead a den meeting and “Go See It” outing.

Dens should have from 5 to 9 scout-adult teams. More or less is possible, but since every scout needs to have an adult partner, that is 20 people at a gathering, which means more managing than enjoying. You can look forward to a den of tiger cubs becoming Eagles in 9 or 10 years – it’s a great process to see unfold.

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Pack

Your Den is part of a Cub Scout Pack. The Pack is run by a CubMaster. A Pack in Cub Scouting and a Troop in Boy Scouting are similar and are both referred to as ‘units’ in the scouting hierarchy.

The Pack will have Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos (I & II) dens made up of boys & girls from kindergarten through 5th grade. After 5th grade, Webelos II (AOL – Arrow of Lights) move on to a Boy Scout Troop.

Pack 365 holds a monthly meeting where you have recognition ceremonies, skits, songs, and announcements of upcoming pack events. Packs usually have from 20 to 100 scouts. There are around 150,000 Packs and Troops across the country.

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Pack Committee / Chartered Organization

The Pack is supported by a Pack Committee, all volunteers. There is a Pack Committee Chairman and other pack committee members. Most pack committees consist of family members and members of the pack’s chartered organization.

The Chartered Organization is granted a charter by the Boy Scouts of America to use the Scouting program. This chartered organization can be a school, service club, religious group such as Knightdale United Methodist Church, or other group interested in youth.

The chartered organization approves the leadership of the pack, provides a meeting place, and operates the pack within the guidelines and policies of that organization and the BSA. Pack 365’s Chartered Organization is Knightdale United Methodist Church (KUMC) in Knightdale, NC.

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District

Packs in your area are organized into a District based on geographic boundaries determined by the local Council. At the district level, summer camps, day camps, leader “roundtables”, and other events are planned.

The district supports units through membership, finance, and program services. Your unit has a District Executive and that person helps your pack and den get help and resources it needs. There are thousands of districts.

Pack 365 is part of the North Star District. The district map is outlined in the green shaded area in the map on the left.

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Council

Districts are grouped into a Council. A council is responsible for growing a successful scouting program in its locality.

A Council owns camp property and runs summer camps. It also offers fundraising programs, adult training, and service projects to support the pack and troop units. According to the BSA National Council there are over 300 councils.

The North Star District is part of the Occoneechee Council.

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Area

Councils in a geographic area are grouped into Areas of which there are 26 in the country. Each area director works with 10 to 15 councils. The area director maintains contact with the Scout Executive in a council and provides support as needed.

The Occoneechee Council is part of the Area VII.

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Region

Areas are grouped into Regions of which there are 4 in the country. Regional management centers are liaisons between councils and the National Council. A region provides direct support to its councils in the areas of fund raising, program, computers, and administration. Regional offices provide direct support services to Area Directors.

Area VII is part of the Southern Region.

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National Council

BSA National Council, located in Irving, Texas, is the governing body of the scouting program in the United States. They set policy, offer national awards, organize national jamborees, have 3 high-adventure camps, and define the scouting program.

There are many helpful resources on their website. On-line registration and membership support, program and literature development, advancement support, liability insurance, and maintaining program consistency across the country are all services provided by the National Council.

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