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Welcome to Pack 131!

This page will give you quick access to all the details that you'll need to know about joining Pack 131. You can also find out a lot on our FAQ page.

Download our Pack 131 & 173 Info Flyer

OVERVIEW More Info Pack 131 is a Cub Scout Pack in DeKalb, IL. We are a Family Pack, which means we have both boys and girls in the Pack and our events and activities are all focused on the family. We welcome both younger and older siblings, parents, grandparents, and friends to join us in most of our events. We are chartered by the DeKalb Moose Lodge and have our monthly Pack Nights there on the 2nd Monday of the month. Pack 173 is our partner Pack, also chartered at the DeKalb Moose Lodge. They have their Pack Nights on the last Tuesday of the month.

Pack 131 Rules: Pack 131 Rules & Photo Release
MEETINGS More Info Pack 131 meets at 6:30 on the 2nd Monday of the month at the Moose Lodge (1231 East Lincoln) for our Pack Nights. Den Meetings are held when it works best for the families in the Dens.
DUES More Info A FULL YEAR of Scouting is currently $295 for new Scouts. This includes:
  • Scouting America Dues: $85
  • Council Program Fee: $85
  • Pack 131 Dues: $100 *
  • New Scout Registration: $25
Our $100 Pack Dues don't cover everything our Pack provides for Scouts, so we run an annual popcorn sale fundraiser every fall (August through October). We ask Scouts to sell at least $540 of popcorn to cover our additional costs.

* If you sell popcorn you can also have some or all of your dues covered! More Info
WHAT THAT GETS YOU More Info Cub Scouts is a FULL YEAR program. We hold meetings throughout the school year and have campouts, hikes, and other activities throughout the entire year. Compare that to a sport, camp, or other extracurricular activity that may only last 8-10 weeks.

In addition to an exciting, educational experience, the Pack provides stuff for your Scouts, too:
  • Adventure Loops & Pins - As your Scout completes Adventures they will earn Belt Loops and Pins for each accomplishment.
  • Rank Awards - As Scouts earn their ranks we provide patches, pins, and certificates to honor their achievements.
  • Pinewood Derby Car - We do a Pinewood Derby every spring and the Pack will provide a car to all registered Scouts. More cars may be purchased for siblings or outlaw racers.
  • Raingutter Regatta Boat / Space Derby Rocket - In the fall we will have a Raingutter Regatta or Space Derby and the Pack will provide a kit to all registered Scouts.
  • Hiking Staff - After hiking 25 miles the Pack will present your Scout with a hiking staff.
  • Events & Activities - The Pack hosts a number of events and activities, like our Blue & Gold Banquet, camping, tours, etc. The Pack often covers all or some of these costs. Some will have additional costs to attend.
Cub Scouts also fosters important skills and values with your children. We teach kids to live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law, which promotes values like:
  • Duty to God - A Scout is Reverant. Each family has their own beliefs and Scouts does not teach any specific beliefs, however reverence for God and respect for the world around us is a core value of Scouting.
  • Duty to Country - We teach about respect and care for our flag, honor our military and veterans, and participate in civic events like parades.
  • Duty to Others - Cub Scouts perform many service projects, learn from our community leaders, and help out whenever we can.
  • Duty to Self - We teach Scouts how to take care of themselves physically, mentally, and morally.
  • Leadership - Being a Cub Scout is the first step on the path to becoming a great leader. Through Cub Scouts and Scouting America your child will learn critical leadership skills that will help them throughout their lives.
  • Citizenship - Whether it is marching in a parade, helping with a flag ceremony, doing community service, or properly retiring flags, your Scout will learn the importance of serving their community.
  • Outdoor Skills - Camping, fishing, hiking, knot tying, knife safety, map reading, fire starting, and more are some of the most fun skills your Scout will learn.
  • STEAM Concepts - Learning about science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics is important to succeed in today's world. Scouts keeps these concepts at the forefront of all our activities.
  • Personal Health & Fitness - From healthy eating to exercise, personal safety to first aid, Cub Scouts will learn how to take care of themselves properly.
  • Safety & First Aid - Scouts learn the proper way to be safe in the outdoors, how to use tools correctly, how to administer first aid, and what to do in an emergency.
  • Fun and Games - Of course we play lots of games and have a ton of fun! But shhhh... Your Scout will also be learning teamwork, critical thinking, and application of all the other skills we teach them!
UNIFORMS More Info Uniforms are highly recommended, but not required. A typical uniform includes:
  • Class A Shirt - Blue Scout Shirt, around $30 (Webelos may wear a Tan shirt.)
  • Patches - Scout Crest, TFC Shoulder Patch, 131 Unit Patch, Den Patch, around $15 for all patches
  • Neckerchief - For the Scout's rank, around $15
  • Belt - To display earned belt loop adventure awards, around $15
  • Class B T-shirt - Recommended, $15
Scout uniforms can also include pants, shorts, skirts, leggings, hats, socks, and more. These are not required, but can be fun for Scouts to wear to feel very official.
SUPPLIES More Info A few other supplies are recommended:
  • Scout Handbook - Each rank has their own handbook. These aren't required, but highly recommended.
  • Hiking Gear - We do a lot of hiking. Good shoes are required. The Cub Scout Six Essentials are also recomended (and a day pack to carry them): Water, Snack, First Aid, Whistle, Sun Protection, Flashlight
  • Camping Gear - We do several campouts a year. These aren't required, but a family should have at least a tent, sleeping gear (bag, pad, pillow), and toiletries for overnight camping. Also recomended are camp chairs, camp stove, cooking gear, flashlights, etc.
STRUCTURE More Info All of our Scouts and Leaders together form our Pack.
  • Leaders are volunteers and include:
    Cubmaster, Committee Chair, Chartered Organization Representative, Den Leaders, Committee Memebers, Parent Helpers, and more.
  • Scouts are divided into Dens, one for each grade. Boys and girls can be in the same Den until 5th Grade.
    • Kindergarten: Lions
    • 1st Grade: Tigers
    • 2nd Grade: Wolves
    • 3rd Grade: Bears
    • 4th Grade: Webelos (WE'll BE LOyal Scouts)
    • 5th Grade: Arrow of Light Webelos (separate boy and girl AOL Dens)
  • Scouting America or SA (formerly Boy Scouts of America or BSA) is part of an organizational heirarchy, too:
    • World Scouting - World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) has over 170 independent organizations and 50 million members all over the world.
    • Interamerica WOSM Region - Within the WOSM there are six regions.
    • Scouting America National - This is the US Scouting organization. Girl Scouts of America (GSA) is also a US Scouting organization, though it is separate from SA.
    • Central Region - We are in the Central Region of SA, which includes most of the Midwest. This doesn't come up much.
    • Area VII - Within the Central Region we are in Area 7, which includes most of the Illinois Councils. This also doesn't come up much.
    • Three Fires Council (TFC) - We are part of Three Fires Council (Number 127), which encompasses many of the areas to the west of Chicago, including Lombard, Naperville, Elmhurst, Wheaton, Elgin, St. Charles, Batavia, Geneva, Elburn, Sugar Grove, Oswego, Dekalb, Sycamore, and other local communities.
    • Potawatomi District - We are in the Potawatomi District, which includes all of DeKalb County as well as Kendall County. You may also sometimes hear us referred to as Potawatomi North or Old Kishwaukee. DeKalb County used to be the Kishwaukee District until we were merged with Merrimac Hills District to form the Potawatomi District.
    • Unit: Pack 131 - There are several other Units in the area, including other Packs (Cub Scouts - age 5-11), Troops (Scouting America - age 11-18), and Crews (Venturing - age 14-21). There are also Explorer units and Sea Scout units, but not in our area.
    • Dens - As listed above, each grade has its own Den within a Pack.

Cub Scout Pack 131, DeKalb, IL - DeKalb Moose Lodge
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