Pack 135
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When can my son join Pack 135?
How does my son join Pack 135?
Is the application form available online?
Do I have to join in order to participate in a few
activities?
Can I transfer to/from another pack?
Does my son have to attend one of the schools listed on
the home page?
What color uniform should I get?
What parts of the uniform are required?
What other expenses are there?
How do I know if I’m registered?
How do I find out about meetings?
What’s the difference between a den & pack meeting
Can I drop off my son at meetings
What if my scout cannot make some of the den meetings?
What if my scout cannot make any of the den meetings?
Can I go back an earn badges from previous years?
What does my scout have to do to earn a rank badge?
My scout didn’t complete all the requirements. Can he still get a badge?
My scout didn’t complete all the requirements last
year. Can he work on the next badge?
Does my scout have to do everything?
Where does the Trail’s End money go?
Where does the Pack do with the proceeds?
What are the Leader Requirements?
How many scout leaders does it take to change a light
bulb?
How does a scout earn awards for Archery & BB Guns?
Which activities require permission slips?
Do both parents need to sign the permission slip?
What are Sports & Academic belt-loops and pins?
How does a scout earn Sports & Academics belt-loops
or pins?
What scholarship money is available?
Anytime. Our pack recruits primarily in the Fall, but new members are welcome all year long. Boys must meet the age requirements for Cub Scouts, typically from 1st to 5th grade.
Fill out a Scout application, pay the annual dues and let us know where you would like to help. Forms can be obtained from any pack leaders, or attend our signup night, or send eMail to info@pack135bsa.org.
No – it’s a multi-part form.
Yes, since the dues cover the insurance.
Parents (not scouts) fill out paperwork, ask questions meet the pack leaders and sign up for den & pack duties. We ask that parents attend alone since there are no activities for the scouts. Returning parents verify registration information pay dues and sign up for pack/den duties.
Yes, but we cannot refund any of the dues. You will continue to receive the Boys Life magazine and remain a registered member of the scouts until we recharter the pack in December.
Yes – you will need to fill out the Scout application form and indicate on the form that you are transferring.
No. These are the main schools our scouts attend. Boys are encouraged to join packs where they’ll meet classmates from their school or neighborhood.
Uniforms and patches are available at the Scout Shop. A link is available on the Pack 135 home page. We suggest purchasing the biggest shirt you dare to wear. Figure it will last 3-4 years.
Grades 1-3 should purchase a blue shirt. Grades 4-5 should purchase the khaki shirt (this will transition into Boys Scouts.
All parts of the uniform are encouraged. Uniforms convey a sense of place and belonging for the scouts. At a minimum, scouts should have a shirt, neckerchief, slide, and hat. The scout shop can assist with the patches. You will need to know that you’re in the Knox Trail Council patch, Cub Scout Pack 135. You can determine your den number from the table on the website’s home page.
The scout handbook provides diagrams and instructions for attaching patches.
No, Adhesive material is available from the Scout Shop that can be applied with an iron. An adult should still do this.
2006/7 registered scouts and leaders receive a T-Shirt free as a result of our successful fund-raising. Adults, siblings, friends and other scouts can purchase shirts for $12.
Pack dues are $40 per year.
Pack dues cover the national dues, the scout handbook, insurance and subscription to Boys Life magazine.
Checks should be made payable to Cub Scouts Pack 135-BSA.
Various activities may require additional payment such as camp-ins or apple picking.
Boys Life magazine should start arriving within two months when the pack submits your application to the council office. Please notify the Cub Master if you have not received a Boys Life magazine.
You will receive a membership card with your name and address printed on it.
When possible, meeting information is posted on the pack website. Den Leaders will also communicate with parents about other upcoming meetings. Typically, eMail is the primary form of communication; please let your Den Leader know if you are not receiving eMail.
Pack meetings are posted on the Website. Den meetings may also be on the website, but please check with Den Leaders for cancellations or changes.
Unless otherwise specified, Pack Meetings are held at the Wellesley Community Center, 219 Washington Street, Wellesley. Many dens also hold their meetings at the Community Center but you should check with your Den Leader for alternate meeting locations.
Den meetings are for smaller groups of scouts – ideally 8-12. At these meetings, scouts work toward their badge or perform other activities. At Pack Meetings, all scouts attend and scouts are recognized for their achievements.
The scouts’ age, leader and activity determine this. The Tigers are a parent-scout team and one parent is required for each scout. For Webelos overnight activities, the BSA requires one adult for 5 scouts. Since scout recognition is a key element of the Pack Meeting, we encourage as many family members as possible to attend.
Attendance at all meetings is not required. However, please make sure that you find out what activities were covered at the meeting so you can catch-up.
Most likely you are not alone. Den meeting schedules are extremely difficult to arrange for everyone’s schedule. Please consider starting a separate den. You will need to identify a meeting location and weekly meeting time.
Easy, just contact the Cub Master and he’ll get you started. We require at least one registered leader for each den, a schedule and meeting place.
Rank badges can only be earned the grade the scout is eligible: (1st – Tiger, 2nd – Wolf, 3rd – Bear, 4th & 5th – Webelos, 5th – Arrow of Light).
Each scout receives a handbook. In the back is a quick checklist for rank advancement. As the scout completes each activity, sign on the appropriate page and check off the requirement in the back of the handbook.
No. Please work with your scout to ensure that he progresses toward the badge. Additional time to complete the requirements can be allowed on a case-by-case basis.
Rank badges are started new each year. If a scout didn’t complete Tiger or Wolf, he is still eligible to work on Bear in 3rd grade.
Scouts can participate at any level. It can be as little as an occasional pack campout. We hope that everyone can enjoy some part of scouting.
Pack 135 participates in an annual fund-raising activity by selling Trails End popcorn. There is also the Council’s Friends of Scouting Annual Campaign..
1/3 goes directly to Pack 135. 1/3 goes to the Knox Trail Council and 1/3 goes to Popcorn manufacturer – Weaver Popcorn Co.
Pack 135 uses the funds to pay for badges and awards as well as expenses for the Pinewood Derby, and Blue & Gold Dinner. The Pack Committee and Leadership approve other uses for the funds.
The Friends of Scouting (F.O.S.) campaign enables the Knox Trail Council to provide programs and services to the youth of the MetroWest area. Many young people may not get the chance to have a hands-on Scouting experience without the generosity of corporations, community members and families of current Scouts.
Donations made during the annual campaign are used to maintain two camps, provide training & support materials for the 2,500 volunteers throughout the Council, maintain accident insurance to protect our Scouts and their leaders and fund other programs including Scoutreach efforts.
Easy, just ask the Cub Master. Leaders must fill out an adult leader application, CORI form and submit a photo-copy of your Driver’s License.
Yes. There is a Fast-Start training for each position. There is also Youth-Protection Training. Both of these are available on-line through the council website. There are also many classes available to explain more details about scouting and camping.
Leaders must fill out an adult leader application, CORI form and submit a photo-copy of their Driver’s License.
Our first preference is to have a Den Leader and at least one assistant den leader for each den. There are also Cub Master, Asst. Cub Master, Pack Chairman and Pack Committee positions.
Leaders get their TRAINED badge when they complete the Fast-Start training, Youth Protection training and the All Leader Basic Training (ALBT)
Please feel free to address any issues with your Den Leader or Cub Master. If you do not feel that your issue has been addressed, please contact the Margaret Casey at the Council office.
Two.
Your imagination and the BSA Guide to Safe Scouting are the only limits for Cub Scout activities. If you have an interest in a particular activity, the den or pack leader can help you get it going. Activities that do have restrictions include boating, archery and BB Guns. Activities that involve travel outside the Knox-Trail council require a local tour permit approved by the Council Office (Ask the Cub Master for assistance).
The council only sanctions these activities at Family Camp and Cub Scout Day Camp (Summertime). At this time, the council provides trained personnel for instruction and oversight.
Pack 135 recommends that all scout activities outside the scheduled meetings include a signed permission slip (by both parents). Permission slips are used at the discretion of the den or activity leader. A permission slip form is available on the Pack 135 website.
This ensures that both parents are aware of the scouts’ whereabouts. In this day where one parent drops off and another picks up, this communication is imperative. Again, permission slips are used at the discretion of the den or activity leader.
Belt-loops and pins are awards offered for various activities. Belt-loops are intended to expose scouts to the particular activity. Pins indicate the scout has demonstrated more proficiency.
The Pack 135 policy has been to limit belt-loops to any scout meeting the requirements during a den or pack activity. Pins are offered to scouts who have earned their belt-loop and met the requirements for the pin. The pin requirements beyond the belt-loop can be earned outside pack/den meetings.
BSA (and insurance) requires that an approved tour permit be obtained prior any travel outside the council jurisdiction. Local Tour permits cover activities within 500 miles. National Tour Permits cover activities beyond 500 miles. Tour permit applications should be submitted 2 weeks prior to travel.
There are various forms of scholarship available to help out scouts. Please ask the Den Leader or Cub Master for more information.