Pack Organization

Cub Scouting uses terms and phrases taken from stories in The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling. Cub Scout leaders, parents and responsible adults with authority, are all called “Akela.” The scouts are called Cubs, and they and their leaders are organized into small units called Dens. Dens are part of a larger Pack. The Packs on the Snohomish County side of Bothell belong to the Mount Baker Council.

Cub Scouting is for children currently in kindergarten through fifth grade, or rising in late spring to the first grade through fifth grade. Boys and girls do not have to go to any particular school or live in any particular area to join Cub Scouts with Pack 356. The choice of a Cub Scout Pack is often driven by where friends are joining and/or the convenience of the meeting location.

Dens are organized by grade, with age-appropriate programs and activities for each grade:

Each Den is a group of at least four, but no more than twelve, children in the same grade. Each Den is led by an adult called the Den Leader (usually but not always a den parent), who in turn is assisted by other den parents. When available, Boy Scout Troop 356 also provides one or more older Boy Scouts to assist each den as a Den Chief. Dens meet at times and places that each den decides. Den meetings usually take place about 1-2 times per month, at the American Legion of Bothell. Dens can also meet at someone’s home, at a school, or at some other location and time determined by the den leaders and parents. Den meetings last about an hour, den parents usually rotate bringing snacks/drinks to the meeting, and the scouts work on various program activities, play games, and have fun.

Once a month, Pack 356 has a meeting of all the dens. These Pack Meetings are not just for the scouts, but for the parents and siblings as well. It could therefore easily be called a Family Night. The monthly Pack Meeting/ Family Night takes place on the forth Tuesday of each month, starting around 630 PM at the American Legion Post 127 on Hwy 9. The Pack Meeting lasts about an hour, and usually involves activities, games and fun, like the den meetings, but may also include songs and skits, ceremonies, and recognition awards for individual Cubs. The Pack Meeting/Family Night is led by the Cubmaster of Pack 356.

On the first Wednesday evening of each month, the adult parents and pack and den adult leaders of Pack 356 have a meeting of the Pack Committee. The meeting of the Pack Committee is not restricted just to the leaders, but is open to any parents in the Pack. The purpose of the Pack Committee is to plan and prepare for events, set pack policies consistent with BSA national policies, and to support the den leaders and pack leaders. The actual dates and meeting times of the Pack Committee will be posted on the Pack Calendar Page.