New Pack Committee Member

Welcome to Your New Adventure!

With the proper training, resources, and excitement, you have the ability to make a positive difference in the lives of the Cub Scouts you will work with. Here are the steps to get you started.

Before the First Meeting

1. Register your position with the pack. Fill out the Scouting America adult application, and attach your Safeguarding Youth training completion certificate. (See no. 2.) This form will register you with Scouting America and give Scouting America permission to initiate a background check for approving you as a leader. If you are already a registered leader in the pack, you still need to complete this step so your position can be approved by the pack committee and chartered organization representative.

2. Complete Safeguarding Youth training and print the certificate of completion. Safeguarding Youth training, found online at my.Scouting.org, will teach you Scouting America’s policies for safely and appropriately interacting with youth. If you are already registered and have completed the training within the past two years, you do not need to take the training again.

3. Attend leader position-specific training in person or complete the online training modules for pack committee or pack committee chair “Before Your First Meeting.” The online training, found at my.Scouting.org, will begin building the foundation you need to become an effective and successful leader.

4. Review the Cub Scout Leader Resources at www.scouting.org/programs/cub-scouts/leader-resources. Become familiar with all the available resources on this page, including the Pack Committee Resources.

5. Become acquainted with the other leaders in your pack. You will need their assistance in carrying out a successful pack program. You will work closely with the pack committee chair and other members of the pack committee.

6. The chair should begin wearing the Cub Scout leader uniform as soon as possible, to be easily identified as a leader. The uniform is a method of the Scouting program. You can purchase a uniform through a local Scout shop or through www.scoutshop.org. Adult leaders wear a tan Scouting America shirt with olive green pants, shorts, or skort. Details about uniforms can be found at www.scouting.org or www.scoutshop.org.

Within the First Month

1. Attend leader position-specific training in person or complete all the online modules for pack committee or pack committee chair. Once you have either attended leader position-specific training in person or completed all online modules for pack committee or pack committee chair at my.Scouting.org, you are considered trained and eligible to wear the Trained patch, worn below the position patch.

2. Attend the monthly pack committee meeting. This meeting, led by the pack committee chair, is where pack plans are made.

3. Stay informed. Attend monthly Roundtable meetings; they might be conducted in person or virtually where you live. There are national Cub Scout Roundtable videos at www.scouting.org/commissioners/roundtable-support/roundtable-planning-resources/. And tune into Scouting magazine’s weekly Cub Chat Live! weekly.

4. If you are the pack committee chair, get to know the chartered organization representative, and keep this key person informed about the needs of the pack.

5. If you are the pack committee chair, become acquainted with your unit commissioner. The commissioner is a friend to your pack and will be glad to answer questions and help in other ways.

6. If you are the pack committee chair, become acquainted with your unit-serving executive. This professional Scouter is employed by your council to serve all Scouting units in your district and will do everything possible to help you be successful.

7. If you are a pack committee chair, begin to develop a close working relationship with the Cubmaster. The two of you will be working as a team to make the pack program successful.

Don’t hesitate to ask for help. There are many people who want to help you provide the finest possible Cub Scout experience for the families in your pack. A good source of information is www.scouting.org/programs/cub-scouts/leader-resources. By the time you have completed the steps outlined here, you will be well on your way to becoming a successful pack committee chair or committee member.

You were selected as a member of the pack committee because of your abilities and character. Regardless of the size of your pack committee, certain responsibilities must be performed if Cub Scouts are to receive the type of fun-filled and meaningful programs they signed up for. By making the commitment to serve as a leader, you have significant responsibilities as pack committee chair or a member of the pack committee.

Pack Committee Chair Responsibilities

Maintain a close relationship with the chartered organization representative and the chartered organization to cultivate harmonious relations and maintain communications.
Confer with the Cubmaster on policy matters relating to Cub Scouting and the chartered organization.
Identify and recruit, with approval from the chartered organization, enough of the right volunteers to ensure a quality program is delivered.
Supervise pack committee operations by
- Calling and presiding at pack committee meetings.
- Assigning duties to committee members.
- Planning for pack charter review, formal recruitment events, and reregistration.
- Approving bills before payment by the pack treasurer.
Conduct the annual pack program planning conference and pack leaders’ meetings.
Ask the committee to assist with recommendations for Cubmaster, assistant Cubmasters, and den leaders as needed.
Recognize the need for more dens, and see that they are formed as needed.
Work with the chartered organization representative to provide adequate and safe facilities for pack meetings.
Cooperate with the Cubmaster on council-approved money-earning projects so the pack can earn money for materials and equipment.
If the Cubmaster is unable to serve, assume active direction of the pack until a successor is recruited and registered.
Appoint a committee member or other registered adult to be responsible for Safeguarding Youth training.
Develop and maintain strong pack-troop relationships and work closely with the unit commissioner and other pack and troop leaders in bringing about a smooth transition of Arrow of Light Scouts into a troop.
Support the policies of Scouting America.

Pack Committee Responsibilities

Assist in the recruitment of the Cubmaster and one or more assistant Cubmasters, with the chartered organization’s approval.
Coordinate the pack’s program and the chartered organization’s program through the chartered organization representative.
Complete the pack annual charter renewal.
Help stimulate the interest of adult family members through proper programming.
Supervise finances and equipment.
Actively assist the pack committee chair and Cubmaster.
Ensure that all Cub Scouts receive a quality program.
Complete leader position-specific training.
Conduct, with the help of the Cubmaster, periodic training for parents and guardians using the Unit Leadership Enhancements found in the Cub Scout Leader Book.

Your unit commissioner will be glad to explain any of these responsibilities that you do not understand.

What Do You Invest in Cub Scouting?

One meeting each month for the pack meeting.
One meeting each month for the pack committee meeting.
One meeting each month for the Cub Scout roundtable.
Time spent in Cub Scout leader basic training.
Time spent communicating with the chartered organization representative, Cubmaster, and members of the pack committee.
Cost of the Cub Scout leader uniform.
The registration fee.

This adds up to a small investment, compared to the dividends you will receive. And, of course, the more you invest, the more you and your Cub Scout can expect to receive in return.

What Do You Receive in Return?

The opportunity to create the foundation for a strong lifelong bond with your child.
A monthly gathering of fun and fellowship with pack families, sharing their pride in their child’s accomplishments.
The opportunity to meet your child’s peers and their parents to enable your child to form healthy friendships.
The opportunity to help youth learn good citizenship and shape them into young adults who have strength of character and are sensitive to the needs of others.
The code to live by that will set a worthwhile example for youth and adults as you do your duty to God and our country.
The satisfaction of being a member of a worldwide organization and pride in being publicly identified as a part of this organization by wearing the uniform, which is a visible means of showing that you believe in and stand for its ideals and objectives.

You will discover many other dividends that will enrich your life as you dedicate your time, talent, and enthusiasm to Cub Scouting.