The Compass DeRose on Cub Scouting

This guide contains a variety of useful information for Cub Scouts and their parents. It is not anything like a complete guide; only some items that I have found useful and want to share with others.

Just to be clear, I have no authority to speak for scouting in general, or any scouting organization, troop, pack, or den in particular. I'm only an involved parent in pack 246.

This page was written by Steven J. DeRose on 2004-09-27, and was last updated on 2005-10-12.

Awards and Requirements

• Awards chart -- This PDF file lets you print out a 4-page size wall-chart showing how the belt loops, pins, badges, and other awards relate to each other. This took me a long time to figure out from the books -- I think you'll find it a lot clearer here. The chart is best if printed in color, though greyscale is legible. If you downloaded this before 2005, there's a new version that is much better, since it includes pictures of most of the awards -- great for identifying the Activity Badges, especially.
• Belt loop pictures -- Scanned color images of the various belt loop awards in the Academics and Sports Program.
• Pin pictures -- Same, but for the Academics and Sports Program pins (actually, the same scans as for the belt loops, but cropped down to be pin-size)
• Award Checklist -- A list of all the Cub Scout Academics and Sports Program belt loops and pins, and all the Activity Badges, with a place to check off when each is earned, when the award is requested, and when the award is received. Makes it much easier to keep track.
• Athlete Badge worksheet -- A nice printable sheet for keeping track of the requirements for the Athlete Badge. You need to practice several skills over 30 days and show improvement -- print out this log sheet and it will be easy to keep track.
• Boy Scout Tenderfoot athletic requirements worksheet -- A nice printable sheet for keeping track of the fitness requirements for the Tenderfoot Boy Scout rank (p. 33 in the Scout manual). You need to practice several skills over 30 days and show improvement -- print out this log sheet and it will be easy to keep track.
• Belt Loop Requirements sheets -- If you follow the link and print out the page you find there, you should have a nice 5-page set of forms showing the requirements for all the Academics and Sports Program belt loops (but not pins -- see below).
• Belt Loop and Pin Requirements sheets -- If you follow the link and print out the page you find there, you should have a nice 40-page set of forms that lists all the requirements for Cub Scouts belt loops and pins under the Cub Scouts Academics and Sports Program. There are 40 different topics (23 sports and 17 academics). Under each topic a scout can earn a belt loop and/or a pin. This webpage arranges them with a place to date and initial each requirement as it is fulfilled, and to sign off when the belt loop or pin is completed, and when the actual belt loop or pin is received. Each topic will print on a separate page in most browsers (not including Internet Explorer™ for Macintosh™).

  As-is, the pages will print with a line to fill in your scout's name. If you would rather have his name printed on each page, then (a) save the file locally as an HTML file; (b) open that file in your favorite editor or word processor; (c) find the clearly marked line near the top that reads:

     h2:after   { content:"_____________________"; font-weight:medium; }
  

  (d) replace the row of underscore characters with your scout's name (leave the quotation marks and everything else on the line unchanged); (e) save the file (be sure to save it as "text only"); (f) open that file from your Web browser and print it.

  Note: The belt loops and pins are completely separate from the 20 badges that are described in the Webelos book, even though many names are similar and in some cases a belt loop or pin can be used to fulfill part of the requirements for a badge.

• I plan to add the same sheets in separate files too, so you can print just the ones you want.
• Camping equipment list -- a quick check-list of equipment to take on a camping trip. There are many other similar lists online, and one in the Webelos Handbook in the Outdoorsman Badge section on pages 352-353.
• Clip art -- some useful files, such as images of the various cub scout awards.

You can find a variety of useful scouting forms .

You can avoid a lot of sewing by using Patch Attach™, a glue that actually works. You can find it here and in many craft stores. Sadly they don't print the directions on the bottle, but they do have them online here. Or, summed up, they are:

1. If the patch has a plastic backing, cut slits in it along the edge of the patch to expose the cloth underneath
2. Apply the glue along the edge
3. Let dry 10 minutes (don't let it go too long)
4. Press the patch onto the uniform or other fabric
5. Iron it for about 60 seconds on the front and 30 on the back, or until the glue dries from white to clear.

Note: I've tried several other patch and cloth glues, and I don't think they work as well.

Useful Scouting Links

The main link you want is http://www.usscouts.org/, which is the home page for the U.S. Scouting Service Project. From there you should be able to find what you need.

scoutstuff.org Has a wide selection of scouting items for sale. they have standard items, as well as a long list of patches and emblems a troop could award for special local activities.

This site has pictures and descriptions of many awards.

cybercubber has a wealth of pictures and reference information, and even a 'cub advancement tracker tool'. Their clipart directory is here.

The virtual cub scout rank requirements guide has a nice a nice presentation of all the Cub Scout rank requirements.

You can find pictures and historical information about many past badges here.

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