DEVELOP NEW SKILLS. SOAR TO GREAT HEIGHTS. BEING A CUB OPENS UP A WHOLE OTHER WORLD.

Who are Cubs?

Cubs are young people aged 8 to 10½ who:

  • Master new skills and try new things
  • Have fun and go on adventures
  • Make friends
  • Are curious about the world around them
  • Help others and make a difference, in their own communities and beyond

Every week, they gather in groups called Cub Packs to take part in lots of interesting and challenging activities – achieving anything they set their minds to, and having lots of fun along the way.

What do Cubs get up to? 

Being a Cub is all about growing and learning in small but mighty ways. Here are some of the things you’ll get up to with your new friends.

Going on adventures

Race down a river. Tell stories by torchlight. Fall asleep beneath the stars. Alongside your Pack, you’ll spend plenty of time in the great outdoors. Together, you might build a den in your local park, or create an edible raft out of sweets, or go on a moonlit hike through your hometown. And even though you might not be ready to climb Mount Everest just yet, you’re guaranteed to have plenty of adventures on your own doorstop, because being a Cub is all about making the most of what you have, wherever and whoever you are.

Learning new skills

Cubs learn by doing, and so will you. Some of the skills you develop will be practical, like knowing how to cook a delicious meal or give someone first aid. Others will allow you to become a master at your chosen hobby, or help you to succeed in whichever job you decide to do when you grow up. But the most important skills you’ll learn at Cubs are the ones that will make you feel confident and happy in your own skin. We call these character skills, and they include things like integrity – which means being honest and doing what you think is right – and initiative – which means knowing how to take the lead on something without being asked. Whatever skills you’d like to learn, it’s all about having the courage to try new things and learn from them.

Helping others

Cubs work as a team to help other people. Together, you’ll learn about global issues and what we can all do to help solve them. You’ll also make an impact in your own community, through activities such as campaigning to save your local library, collecting donations for a foodbank, or planting trees in a neighbouring park.

Sound like fun? That’s because it is. All that’s missing is you.

38

Activity badges

8

Challenge Badges

15

Staged Badges

Awards

Challenge Awards

Gaining a challenge badge involves accomplishing a number of more ambitious tasks within the Pack or community. There are several challenge badges across a number of themes, from the physical and outdoorsy to challenges dealing with the local community or issues connected with the Scouting world.

Further information about awards for the Scout section can be found  here.

Activity Badges

Many of the badges available are activity badges, which allow Cub Scouts to show their progress in existing pursuits, but also to try all kinds of new things and form new interests.

Further information about Scout activity badges can be found  here.

What does a Cub Pack look like? 

All Cubs are members of the global Scout family. Closer to home, they’re also part of a wider local Scout Group, alongside Beavers (aged 6 to 8) and Scouts (aged 10 ½ to 14). When they’re older, they can join Explorers (for 14 to 18 year olds) and – eventually – Scout Network (for our young adult members aged 18 to 25).

Each Pack is made up of young people aged 8 to 10, led by an adult Cub leader traditionally nicknamed Akela after the wise leader of the wolf pack in Rudyard Kipling’s novel, The Jungle Book.

As well as the Cub leader, other adults are on hand to supervise activities, share their skills and keep everyone safe. Other young people aged 14 to 18 might help out, too. These are Explorer Scouts taking part in the Explorer Scout Young Leader programme. Within their Pack, Cubs are also part of a Six. A Six is a smaller group of Cubs, headed up by a Sixer and a Seconder. Sixers and Seconders are Cub Scouts who are chosen to take on leadership responsibilities, such as welcoming new people to the Pack, being extra helpful on camp, or taking charge of a particular game or activity.

Closer to home, they’re also part of their wider local Scout Group, alongside Beavers (aged 6-8) and Scouts (aged 10 1/2 to 14). When they’re older, they can also join Explorers (for young people aged 14 to 18) and Scout Network (for young people aged 18-25).

Joining Cubs

Interested in joining? Get in touch with your local leader using our  finder tool. They’ll tell you more about where and when the group meets.

Lots of young people want to join Cubs and sometimes you might have to wait for a space to become available before you can start your journey. If your local Pack has a waiting list, parents and other adults might want to think about what they could do to help out. Regardless of skillset or availability, there’s an opportunity for everyone to contribute.
On your first night at Cubs, you’ll be taking part in lots of activities, and should just wear something you feel comfortable in. Eventually, you’ll get your own Cub uniform to wear to meetings and camps. Wearing a uniform is comfy and practical. It means no one feels uncomfortable or left out and helps everyone to feel a part of the Pack. It also gives you a place to show off all the badges you earn. For Cubs, the uniform consists of a green sweatshirt with your badges sewn on and a coloured scarf or ‘necker’ to represent your local group. There are lots of other optional accessories you can wear such as hats, hoodies, navy blue trousers or shorts. Uniform can either be bought from our online shop - Scout Store - or from a local supplier. If you’re not sure where to start, adult volunteers can give you more information about what to buy and where to buy it.
The cost of going to Cubs will vary depending on how your local Pack does things. Usually, a basic fee covering the cost of the hire and upkeep of the Cub meeting place will be collected weekly, monthly, termly or annually - depending on local arrangements. Trips, camps and activities that take place away from the usual meeting place are usually charged separately. Cubs is designed to be an accessible and affordable way for young people to learn lots of new skills through a single membership. Nobody should feel excluded from Cub activities because of money worries. If they’re concerned about costs, adults should speak to their local leader in confidence, to see what they can do to help. In most cases, support is available to make sure nobody misses out. You can find out more about our grants here.

Moving on to Scouts

Eventually, it’ll be time embrace your next big adventure.

Find out about Scouts

Ready to get involved or just want to know a little bit more?

Then get in touch with your local group.

County Youth Conference *Cancelled*

Unfortunately, we’ve decided to cancel our County youth conference due to take place on 6th November. We didn't reach our […]

YouShape Award and Youth Conference Update

In September, the County Youth Team launched Mission: YouShape, our youth shaped strategy. Scouts is a movement centred around young […]