Prepare for excitement and adventure! Try huge variety of activities surrounding areas of fitness, global and beliefs; be creative and get involved in your local community. Learn exciting outdoor skills and take part in adventurous activities, as well as camps and residential experiences.
Here you can find all the information you’ll need from joining Cubs to moving on Scouts.

What are Cubs?

Cubs are young people aged 8-10½ in Scouting.

Every week they meet in Cub Packs to master new skills, make friends, go on adventures and have fun! All while working towards their top award – the Silver Award.

Along the way they’ll earn loads of badges that go on their uniform to show what they’ve done and what they still need to do. Sometimes they will even get special occasional badges if they were a Cub when a big event in Scouting happens!

What’s different from Beavers?

As your Beaver moves on to Cubs, there will be a chance to earn the Moving On award. This means that you can stay in your normal routine for Beavers but also try out Cubs at the same time. This normally takes about 3 weeks but can be longer or shorter.
It gives your Beaver a chance to meet the Cub leaders and Cub Pack before moving up.

Don’t worry if you weren’t in Beavers, Cubs is all about adventures, learning new skills and helping others so they can join right in. In Cubs they’ll get more freedom to explore the world around them, learning by doing and helping their community. Cubs also get to experience extended Cub Pack Holidays/Cub Camps.

Moving On can be very exciting but also sad as you leave your Colony. That’s why moving on is very flexible, if you feel your Beaver might not be quite ready, discuss with your Beaver leader about staying a little longer in Beavers or having a longer transition period.

What is the Uniform?

The Uniform is a must have for any Cub so they have something to put their badges on and show off that they are a Beaver.
You usually only need a Beaver Sweatshirt as a minimum but check with your Beaver leaders as they might also ask you to buy a polo shirt or hat as well. You can often buy uniforms at local School Uniform shops or you can get it from the Official Scout Store. There are often resources like Logbooks and badges books and backpacks that you can use to show you are proud to be a Cub too – but these are optional.

Sometimes we find it hard to find money for extra costs and activities. As Scouts, we understand and think that money shouldn’t be a barrier of entry to Scouting. We have our own District Hardship policy but check with your Scout Group to find out about theirs. Scouts are a community and we think nobody should miss out the experiences and skills they gain from Scouting.

What is an investiture and do I need anything special?

An Investiture is a ceremony where someone makes their Scout Promise – some people call them Promise ceremonies. Each Group may do their investitures slightly differently but it is always a way to welcome someone into the Cub pack – ask your leader for details on how they run their ceremony.

All you need is a uniform and to have a look through the Cub Scout Promise. There are lots of different ways you can make your promise and it doesn’t matter what religion you are – everyone is welcome. If you want, you can try to memorise your promise for the investiture to really amaze your Cub leaders. Usually Parents are invited to watch so prepare your camera!

Cub Ceremonies

Cubs has its own special names and ceremonies. All the Leaders are named after characters in Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Jungle Book’ with the Cub leader in charge normally being call Akela – The wise leader of the wolf pack.
Ask your Cub leaders how they chose their name! Are they the Baloo because they like prickly pears? Or even Shere Khan because they like orange?

Cubs traditionally start every meeting with a Grand Howl. This helps Cubs to learn their promise and gives Cubs every week a chance to lead their group!

Sixes and Leadership Skills

Cubs in a Cub Pack are grouped into Sixes, these are smaller groups of Cubs (normally up to six). Cubs expands on the Lodge Leaders of Beavers and gives two opportunities for Cubs to practice leading their Six.

Normally, each Six will have a Sixer and a Seconder. The Sixer leads the Six and the Seconder supports the Sixer. They are usually – but not always- older Cubs that have been chosen for being responsible and help the Cub leaders to run activities, welcome new Cubs and take charge of games. They earn their Leadership Stripes to celebrate their hard work.