Join the Pack!
Cub Scouts – To join Pack 356, a youth candidate must: (1) be in kindergarten through fifth grade and between 5 and 10 years old, (2) is part of a den with a den leader forming to receive them, or is joining an existing den which is willing to add him or her as a member and (4) pays the fees to Pack 356 which are set out in the next section.
Parents – Our basic rule is that if your child joins Pack 356, so do you. Except for den leaders, parents of youth members are not required to submit an application nor pay any annual fee to participate in pack activities with their children. Without solid parental participation, dens cannot form, and Pack 356 cannot provide a quality program to the youth. It is in large part due to parental support and encouragement that our youth members advance in Scouting and realize their full potential. See volunteering page for more details on how to participate.
Den Leaders and adult Scouters – Male and female adults over the age of 18 can join Pack 356 and the Boy Scouts of America as an adult leader (den leader, den assistant, committee members, etc.) provided that his or her application is accepted by the Pack Committee and approved by the Boy Scouts of America. NOTE: All registered adult volunteers are now required to complete the online Youth Protection Training even before submitting the application referred to next – the certificate of completing this online Youth Protection Training has to be printed out and attached to the application. There is a $24 registration fee for adults (prorated for our charter year depending on the date of registration). Adult leader candidates must provide their social security numbers and submit to background checks which include searches for criminal convictions. The Boy Scouts of America will deny membership to adults with criminal convictions involving drugs, sex crimes, or violence. Den Leaders and other Adult Scouters receive Scouting Magazine as part of their registration. Registered adult leaders are also eligible to participate in online and live Scouting training programs.
You can join Pack 356 online by going to the following url:
If you have any questions or issues with how to join please contact us via the Leaders page.
FORMS AND FEES
The required annual fee to join Pack 356 is $100 (this covers BSA/Council, Pack Dues, and Boys Life Magazine subscription). New registration includes a free pack T-shirt, additional shirts can also be purchased for $10. There is now a one-time new membership fee of $25.
Pack 356 collects these fees from existing Scout families every September with the start of the school year. Scouts joining at other times of the year pay a prorated amount which is calculated based on the time of their joining. As noted above, Pack 356 collects these fees and in turns pays out the Council fee and any Boys Life Magazine subscription fees to the Boy Scouts of America, Mount Baker Council. The remaining Pack fees are kept by the Pack Treasurer as annual dues, and used to defray pack expenses, such as badges and pins for advancement recognition, and Pinewood Derby kits.
IMPORTANT NOTE ON SCHOLARSHIPS: Pack 356 wants every child to experience the fun of Cub Scouting. Although the cost of joining Cub Scouting is not very expensive, if there is any financial difficulty with the joining fees, or with the cost of things like the uniform, patches or handbook, please contact the Committee Chair or the Cubmaster to confidentially discuss the availability of Pack and/or Council scholarship funds. It is the express policy of BSA that no child will be denied the benefits of Cub Scouting simply because of financial reasons.
outh – For a child to officially join Pack 356, we determine that the he or she will be part of a den being formed to receive them, or that the child is joining an existing den which is willing to add him or her as a member. If there is no designated den, Pack 356 will still accept a youth membership application pending the formation of a new den in the same grade level. In order for their children to join, one parent or legal guardian must (1) complete the official youth application form and (2) submit a check payable to Cub Pack 356 for the fees listed above, as prorated for the time of joining. The youth application form can be secured from the Cubmaster or Assistant Cubmaster (see the Contact Page).
Den Leaders and Adult Scouters – For an adult to officially join Pack 356 as a den leader or other adult Scouter, he or she must: (1) complete the official adult application form; (2) provide his or her social security number (3) submit to a background check. The adult application form can be secured from the Cubmaster or Assistant Cubmaster (see the Contact Page).
NOTE: All registered adult volunteers are now required to complete the online Youth Protection training even before submitting the application referred to next – the certificate of completing this online Youth Protection training has to be printed out and attached to the application.
THINGS YOUR CHILD NEEDS RIGHT AWAY
Once your child is registered in the Pack and the den is formed, the den leader will get up with the den parents to work out the den meeting schedules. Once this is done, your scout will need two things right away to get involved with Pack and Den activities: (1) a Handbook for his or her grade level (Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Bear or Webelos); and (2) a Cub Scout uniform. The only uniforming requirement for Pack 356 members is the official Cub Scout shirt and Cub Scout neckerchief for their grade level. The Cub Scout uniform is worn at den meetings and Pack meetings, and while traveling to and from camping trips.
Uniform by grade level:
The Lion Scout (kindergarten) uniform is a Lion t-shirt and hat. The official blue shirt is optional.
The Tiger Scout (first grade) uniform is the dark blue official shirt with the official orange Tiger Cub neckerchief.
The Wolf Scout (second grade) uniform is the dark blue official shirt with the official yellow/gold Wolf Cub neckerchief.
The Bear Scout (third grade) uniform is the dark blue official shirt with the official light blue Bear Cub neckerchief.
The Webelos Scout (fourth and fifth grade) uniform is a choice of the den. Webelos Den members can decide to either wear the dark blue official shirt, or the khaki colored official shirt, or a combination of either of them. In either uniform choice, the official plaid neckerchief for Webelos is required. The Webelos “colors” are strongly suggested for the activity pins.
You can buy the uniform, handbook and other Scout supplies at the Council Scout Shop in Everett. The Scout Shop is located at the Everett Service Center, 1715 – 100th Pl SE #B · Everett, WA 98208, Telephone: 425.338.0380. You can also buy all of these things online at the BSA Online Store. The pack will provide the appropriate handbook!
Uniform Patches
In addition to the uniform shirt, you will also need to purchase and sew on/affix to the uniform the following patches: (1) a Mount Baker Council patch; (2) the Pack numerals of 356 and (3) the Den Number patch. The Den Number is the number of your child’s den, assigned by the Cubmaster. If the den number hasn’t yet been assigned or you don’t know what it is, you can wait on getting the den number patch until you’re sure about the den number. For placement of patches, get a uniform insignia sheet from the Scout Shop or online.