CUB SCOUT THEMES

MAY 2004 - MY HOME STATE

What is special about your state? This month we'll find out. Cubs will visit historic places, theme parks, museums, and zoos. Choose a city or a historical site in your state to highlight. Design a game that features some special aspect of your home state. Take a trip, go to a ball game, or just have a family picnic in the park. Pretend you are someone important in the history of your state, and see if anyone can guess who it is! Put on a skit where each den pretends to be doing something that is common in your state, and see if the audience can guess what it is! How about some special recipes that each den can prepare to be shared at the pack meeting? Invite a guest speaker who can share something special about your state with the boys. Use maps or collect tourist brochures to learn more about places to visit. Your local historical society or public library is a great place to get started.

JUNE 2004 - CUB ROCK

Welcome to Cub Rock! The boys can learn about prehistoric times by creating table settings, toys, clothing, school supplies, vehicles, etc. These ideas would be great for use in a skit and these skits could be shared at a prehistoric pack meeting. What a good month for geology and learning about the dinosaurs. By the end of the month, all the boys will be looking at rocks in a whole different way. With cooperation and team building in mind, this might be a good month for a prehistoric scavenger hunt. What fossils can you find?

JULY 2004 -- FIN FUN

Dive right in as our Cub Scouts spend a month learning about water, our most precious resource, and the many creatures that live in our oceans, lakes, and rivers. Dens can visit a local aquarium or fish farm. You may want to try your hand at fishing. Cub Scouts may even want to prepare their own aquarium or fish bowl and "adopt a gold fish." This is also an excellent opportunity to teach our Cub Scouts about water conservation and "catch & release" programs. Don't forget learning about water safety. So hit the beaches, there's a lot to "sea!"

AUGUST 2004 - SCOUTING THE MIDWAY

Step right up folks... for a chance at some fun! This month is full of fun and games. Each den will create a midway game to run at the Pack Midway. How about a ring toss, a beanbag throw, a coin toss, a ball throw, or a card throw? Get those creative juices flowing. The boys can design and build the games at their den meetings, and then run their game at the Pack Midway, so everyone gets in on the fun. What's a midway without prizes? Make sure you have prizes for all age groups. And don't forget the popcorn!

SEPTEMBER 2004 - Time in A Capsule

The new Scouting year starts us thinking about the future and what it will hold. Dens can build a time capsule to be opened in the future showing what Scouting is like today. Be sure to include your den and  pack photos, newsletters, pack roster, and perhaps videotape of your pack meeting. Present these at the pack meeting as you build a pack time capsule of your pack's history and hopes for the future. Awards could be taken from a time capsule as they are presented to Cub Scouts. The dens could explore space and new frontiers. How about holding a space derby?

OCTOBER 2004 - It's a Circus of Stars

"Ladies and Gentleman" welcome to the Cub Scout Circus. It will be a month of entertainment. Dens will practice stunts, skits, songs, run-ons  and applauses as part of their advancement --and just for fun -as they   prepare to share their talents at the monthly pack meeting. The pack meeting focus will be the magic of a circus, with the Cubmaster serving  as ringmaster. The pack meeting may be set up with three rings where  each of the dens performs what they have been practicing. Be sure to have lots of balloons, peanuts, and popcorn for the audience, as well as spotlights on each den as they participate. Awards could be presented in each ring.

NOVEMBER 2004 - Cub Scout Collectors

Boys love to collect things like bugs, baseball cards, rocks, sticks and candy wrappers. This is a great theme for working on the collections from the boy's handbooks. Take den hikes or trips to start collections and to explore. Make scrapbooks or collection boxes to display your
collections. At the pack meeting have a show and tell night similar to a Science Fair where the parents and leaders can view the collections as the Cub Scouts talk about their collections. After evaluation by a panel of judges, award prize ribbons for several different categories making sure that everyone is recognized.

DECEMBER 2004 - Holiday Food Fare

Foods help to keep our bodies strong and healthy, and are often a major part of our holiday celebrations. Compare the labels of different foods to learn more about the nutrients they contain. Cub Scouts can use different types of foods to make crafts and holiday decorations to share with others. Experience foods from other countries or prepare delightful treats to share with your family, a needy family or an elderly resident. Have a family or a den dessert contest at the pack meeting. Awards could include the Best Bean Award, Top Carrot Award, or other imaginative categories.

JANUARY 2005 - Cubs Scouts Spread the News

Let's make news for the New Year. Cub Scouts can make headlines this month and learn about the history of news reporting. The pack spreads the good news about Cub Scouting by inviting the local radio, TV or cable channels to the pack meeting or the upcoming blue and gold
banquet. Plan field trips to visit them at their workplace. Dens can publish articles and pictures in a den or pack newsletter or make their own videotape to be shown at the pack meeting or next months blue and gold banquet. Let your Cub Scouts experience the different roles on a
news team and hold either a press conference or a news broadcast at the pack meeting. Use props and scripts created by the boys and a camcorder to record the broadcast or pack events. Cub Scouts can learn many different ways to spread the "news" about Scouting this month.

FEBRUARY 2005 - It's A Scouting Celebration

It's the 75th birthday of Cub Scouting! Explore the history and beginnings of Cub Scouting, and the history of the pack and of your den. Celebrate the wonder of Scouting at your blue and gold banquet. The boys will experience the history of Scouting as they prepare centerpieces and
decorations for the blue and gold banquet. Consider including a scrapbook of the history of the den or pack. Dedicate your pack meeting to Lord Baden Powell. Skits can bring Scouting highlights to life. Don't forget Scout Sunday and Scout Sabbath!

MARCH 2005- Invention Convention

Every Cub Scout can be a genius or an inventor. Give each boy a Cub Scout Genius Kit prepared from odds and ends that can be recycled and tell him to invent something with these materials. Cub Scouts will learn about recycling. What do we recycle, and what becomes of it? How can we help as individuals and as citizens in the community? Present all the inventions at the pack meeting and award prizes to all category winners. Also have exhibits of what recycling is all about and how we can help. Don't forget that everyone is a winner and needs recognition. Learn about inventors and geniuses of the past, present, and future. Let your imagination and your own genius lead the way.

APRIL 2005 - Waterways of the USA

Rivers have been a vital part of our environment for many years. Cub Scouts can use a map to trace where their local river begins, then draw other waterways that connect to it as the water flows to the ocean. Dens can invite environmental agencies to talk about the local rivers and
their resources. Scouts can also learn how early explorers used rivers, and how important rivers are in transporting people and products. Discover how rivers are used as a water irrigation source and how we harness the power of some rivers for electricity. Investigate the history, folklore or legends, songs, and types of boats that are associated with rivers. Dens can help with the cleanliness of their local river while working on their World Conservation Award or the
Conservation Good Turn Award. Packs can hold a raingutter regatta using a variety of boat styles

MAY 2005 - Cub Pet Pals

It's not just our parents and siblings who live with us but our pets do as well. Learn to care for a pet and draw or take their picture to show at the pack meeting. The American Humane Association has designated the first full week of May as "Be kind to Animals Week." Discuss responsible care of pets. Visit a local pet shop and see different kinds of exotic pets. Make something for your pet like a toy or a new home at the den meeting. Remember, don't pet strange animals.

JUNE 2005 - Destination Parks

America is blessed with an abundance of natural parks. Point out on a map where National or State Parks are located and why the land became a park. Learn the rules of safe hiking, about "hugging" a tree, and the Outdoor Code. Construct your own hiking stick and pack a backpack with personal first aid kit, food, water, insect repellent, sunscreen and a poncho. After exploring the trails at the local park or the council's Scout Camp, Scouts can tell what they saw. Work on a service project to improve the local park. Remember to leave the area better than you found
it.

JULY 2005 - Play Ball!

The season of fun in the sun is here! This is the time of year for sports, outdoor picnics, and exploring. Dens should play sports and learn about sportsmanship. "Do Your Best" counts. Cub Scouts can work on sports belt loops and pins as they participate with their den or pack.
Put the "Outing in Scouting" and go to a baseball game as a pack. Use the big outdoors and the time of summer to enjoy all that it offers. Get the baseball gloves, balls, and bats out and have your own baseball game between the parents and the Cub Scouts.

AUGUST 2005 - Campfire Tales and Traditions

A campfire is a great way to close the summer and begin the fall. How   about telling a few tall tales, songfest, folklore, and Native American lore? Use the Campfire Planning Guide as dens are assigned to prepare the different parts of your pack's campfire program. This will be a great opportunity to recruit, so invite potential new Cub Scouts.
Webelos Scouts can learn about fire building and fire safety. How about marshmallows or s'mores around the campfire? Don't forget to leave the area as clean or cleaner than you found it so that others can enjoy it as well.

SEPTEMBER 2005 - Cub Scout Round-up

Explore the wild and wooly West as you round-up new membership. This month learn about the Chisholm Trail and its hardships. Locate on a map the actual route that the cattle drive took. Find out what the cowboys wore and the safety reason for each garment. Learn about leather and rope-making crafts from each. Plan a field trip to see horses and wagons or learn about Western history. Learn to sing "Home on the Range" and other western songs. Experience trail food as everyone tries beans and jerky for dinner.

OCTOBER 2005 - To The Rescue

Cub Scouts will learn how to avoid accidents and be prepared for emergencies this month. Have a policeman talk about safety at home, at school and in public. Learn how to be safe around insects, snakes, animals and plants, or when swimming or riding a bike. Visit the local center for 9-1-1 calls so that Cub Scouts can learn how to call 9-1-1 and what information to give from the home, cell, or pay phone. Have an EMT teach basic age-appropriate Cub Scout first aid. Make first aid kits for boys' automobile, home or to carry with them. Use the buddy system during the den and pack meetings and have buddies develop a secret code or nickname. At the pack meeting, use games or mock accidents so that Cub Scouts can show they are prepared to come to the rescue.

NOVEMBER 2005 - My Family Tree

Is your family Irish or Italian, Hispanic or Greek? Learn where your ancestors came from and trace your family's heritage. Find out what they did and what their customs were. Every family is different, and everyone has something special to offer. Bring something from your family to the pack meeting for Show and Tell. Make projects about different countries to display at the pack meeting. Read stories from other lands and find out what types of games are played in those countries. Have snacks at your den or pack meeting from different countries. Have your Cub Scouts work on the Academics belt loop for Heritages or Language and Culture.

DECEMBER 2005 - Faith, Hope, & Charity

This time of year is packed with family faiths, hopes for the future, duty to God, and charity to all. Service projects are a way to give thanks while helping those in need in our neighborhoods and in our schools. Share family or historic traditions with your den or pack. Celebrate the holiday season with foods and crafts that are appropriate to the various faiths. Build a glove or mitten tree during a pack meeting or organize a food collection where everyone brings something to share with the needy.

JANUARY 2006 - Music Magic

Cub Scouts will get their vocal cords humming and their instruments strumming in a musical extravaganza! Learn to sing a variety of styles like pop, country, or barbershop. Work on the Academics belt loop or pin in Music. Learn the history of a particular song or songs or learn about the various musical instruments. Why not use odds and ends to make your own instruments and accompany the choir? Den meetings can be your "rehearsals" and the pack meeting your "performance!" Best of all, everyone can join in and sing along. Take your show on the road to a local community activity or to a nursing home. Music is a universal language, so help to bring joy to the world by sharing it with others. Earn the Music academic belt loop and pin.

FEBRUARY 2006 - Cubs in the Future

How will Cub Scouts celebrate the blue and gold banquet in the year 2106? What vehicle will take them? Will the stars be their guides? Make models of these new forms of transportation, a home or school of the future, and then use them as blue and gold banquet decorations. Create designs for future Cub Scout uniforms and awards. Build an exhibit of model campsites on a distant planet. Be creative with your futuristic menus. Top off the evening with intergalactic games.

MARCH 2006- Cubstruction

Boys love to build things. This month have the dens work with tools and wood. Learn about different kinds of wood and where it comes from. Make gifts for your family or bird or bat houses for the community. Work with your family to make repairs around your home. Visit the local hardware store or home- improvement store and see all the different tools. Get permission to visit a local construction site. Since the best gifts are often homemade, make handcrafted awards to present at the pack meeting.

APRIL 2006 - Our Feathered Friends

Learn about the various birds that live in your area or about the bald eagle, our national bird. Observe and take pictures or make posters, feeders, or birdhouses. Visit the library or search the Internet for information about birds all over the world. Ask a conservation officer to speak about attracting more birds to your area. At the pack meeting, dens can present what they've learned about birds and the projects they've made. To stimulate interest in Boy Scouts, invite an Eagle Scout to talk about his experiences on his trail to Scouting's highest rank.

MAY 2006 - Diggin' in the Dirt

Cub Scouts can discover what Mother Nature hides in the dirt and how the soil helps plants to grow. Have a "One Inch Hike" to learn the many things that can be found in the dirt. Learn what insects or animals make their homes in the ground. Make a window garden or terrarium and plant seeds or plants. Visit a green house or County Extension Office to see what plants can grow without soil, what it takes to grow healthy plants and how to test the soil. At the pack meeting, show items found in the ground (i.e. rocks, shells) or have a seed-eating party with edible seeds.

JUNE 2006 - Invent a Reason to Celebrate

Check your calendar for a variety of holidays we don't normally celebrate. Did you know that every day in June is a holiday? June 15th is Smile Power Day, the 29th is Camera Day, the 10th is National Yo-Yo Day, and the 20th is Ice Cream Soda Day. Not only is June 14th Flag Day, but it is also Pop Goes the Weasel Day. You can celebrate a June holiday or create your own. Invent a new sandwich for Sandwich Day. June is National Accordion Awareness Month as well as Zoo and Aquarium Month. If you can't find a holiday for your den, you can invent your own and celebrate it at the pack meeting.

JULY 2006 - Red White and Baloo!

Citizenship is taught through Cub Scouting. Our flag stands for our country. Learn about our flag and its history. How many different flags has the US had? Learn how to properly display the flag, carry it, and retire it. Display the flag on Independence Day. Learn about the many people who have given their lives for our flag and why we need to show respect when we handle our flag. Invite your local troop or VFW post to the pack meeting and have them perform a flag retirement ceremony. Practice patriotic songs like "You're a Grand Old Flag" and "The Star Spangled Banner" and sing them at the pack meeting. Invite a veteran to be a guest speaker and talk about defending our flag. Let's all be proud of our flag and what it represents.

AUGUST 2006 - Scouting it Out

Get your Cub Scouts into the great outdoors and have fun, fun, fun. Enjoy nature and all it has to offer. Plan a pack outing that may include a pack family camp out, a hike, or a water party or just pack up the hotdogs and have a picnic. Teach the boys safety precautions for whatever activity you choose. Get out and enjoy the beauty of nature.

SEPTEMBER 2006 - TBA

Coming soon.

OCTOBER 2006 - TBA

Coming soon.

NOVEMBER 2006 - TBA

Coming soon.

DECEMBER 2006 - TBA

coming soon.