2Nd Bergvliet Cub Pack

2nd Bergvliet Cub Pack

Dear Parents of New Cubs

Thank you for joining the 2nd Bergvliet family. We hope your child will have fun learning the scout way!

In order for your child to join the pack on a permanent basis, your child should attend a few meetings to see if they enjoy the cub environment and the pack meetings. Once your child has decided to join the cub pack, then your child needs to be invested. This is an official welcome into the cub pack and takes place via a formal ceremony.

Just a few things that need to be considered, before your cub is invested:

1.The cub must be between 7 – 10 years old.

2.The cub must have been to at least 3 pack meetings.

3.We will organise a home visit, ideally at your home; or a mutually convenient place. This is a chance for the Akela to meet the cub and parent(s) in a calm environment, make sure the cub understands the information in the Introduction and Membership booklet, and answer any questions the cub and parent may have.

4.Please go through the Introduction and Membership Booklet with your child before the home visit, and help the cub to learn the Motto, Promise and Law. They must be able to recite these for their investiture. The cub material is in the process of being updated. Please ignore the bit about “Advancement Badges : Cheetah, Leopard and Lion” - the Advancement system has been updated. (see separate attachment explaining new advancement system of Gold and Silver Wolf and Challenge badges)

5.The cub must also learn the routine of a Grand Howl, how to salute and the cub handshake.

6.Once you are sure your child will be invested,please purchase a cub uniform from the Western Cape Scout shop. This can be done from the Rondebosch Scout shop : Upper ground floor, Riverside Mall, Corner Main Road and Belmont Road ,Rondebosch (between Belmont Road corner and Rosendale Road, parking entrance off Rosendale Road) GPS: -33.9623 S, 18.4699 E. Situated between Budget Car Rental and Food India, on the balcony facing Main Road. Tel 021 685 8420. Opening hours Mon – Fri 09h00 – 16h00, First Sat of month: 09h00-12h00.

7.You will need to purchase the following items from the shop:

1. A navy blue shirt,
2. A pair of navy blue shorts,
3. A navy blue belt and buckle,
4. Black socks,
5. A woggle(s) (these get lost easily- buy a few !),
6. A cub cap (with yellow stripes)
7. The Western Cape Badge (Ostrich badge)
8. The World Scout Badge (Round Purple badge)
9. Scouts SA badge ( Rectangular Purple badge)

8.Please mark all your child’s clothing especially the cap.

9.There are occasionally second hand uniforms to purchase from us – please ask an adult leader if you are interested.

10.At investiture the cub will get the 2nd Bergvliet scarf, 2nd Bergvliet badge and the Two Oceans badge, as well as a cub bag containing rope .

11.We will ask you to fill out an Application for Youth Membership form – please give this to the Akela at your first Pack Meeting.

12.There are various occasions for needing indemnity forms : When we go on outings, we need a separate indemnity form for each outing. It helps to 'pre-fill' the form with all the details which stay the same and save it on your computer or print out a few in advance – this saves you from filling out all your details by hand each time !

On the day of the investiture:

1. Your cub should wear the uniform WITHOUT any badges, woggle or cap – give these to one of the adult leaders when you arrive.
2. The investiture will take place at the end of the cub pack meeting, so it would be nice if at least one parent is present for the ceremony and to present the new cub with his / her cap. Please be at the scout hall by 6:20pm.

The cub pack meets every Friday evening during public / government school terms from 5:00pm until 6:30 pm. You are welcome to drop your child off from 4:45pm, when one of the adult leaders will be there. Please ensure that the cub wears their complete uniform to the meeting and has their cub bag with them. They may wear school shoes or tackies. In cold weather, they may wear a warm top over their shirt. The official Scouts Purple warm top which you can purchase from the Scout Shop is optional.

Please note that there is a fee payable for investiture which pays for the scarf, bag, rope, etc. and there are annual fees for belonging to the cub pack. These fees pay for the material that is provided during the pack meetings and for the upkeep of equipment in the scout hall, as well as for annual membership of Scouts South Africa. Once your cub is invested, your details will be passed on to our Treasurer and you will be billed per email.

The Advancement System acknowledges skills and knowledge that the cub has acquired through attending pack meetings. The new Advancement System is divided into Silver Wolf (roughly 7 and 8 year olds) and Gold Wolf ( roughly 9 and 10 year olds). Each of these is divided into 4 “challenges”:

-Awareness Challenge (Body & Mind, Living with Nature)

-Community Challenge (Social , Service)

-Outdoor Challenge (Scoutcraft)

-Aptitude Challenge (Life Skills)

The cub must complete all requirements of the challenge to earn the Challenge badge, and must complete all 4 challenge badges and the Spiritual Challenge to earn a Silver or Gold Wolf badge. It is therefore very important that the cub attends every Pack meeting that he/she can. We aim for 80% - 100% attendance. If your cub can't make it, please let us know by email and occasionally we may let you know if there's something they can do at home.

The Interest badges are a great source of competition and fun for the cubs to collect. The Interest Badge booklet will explain how to achieve interest badges. Some of the badges will be achieved through cub pack meetings, but some badges are best achieved by the cub with the help of an adult in their own time. At least one interest badge must be completed per Challenge badge ( roughly per 6 months) (see seperate letter from Raksha re interest badge testing)

When your Cub is between 10 and 11 years old , he/she can work on the Leaping Wolf and Link badges. We'll give more details at that time.

Please note that when the cub reaches 11 years old, they may no longer attend cubs and will have to join the 2nd Bergvliet Scout troop in order to continue in the scouting family.

Adult leaders are all volunteers. We would be very happy for you to join us if you are willing and able, either to help at Pack meetings, or to serve on the Parent Committee. The committee is actively looking for new parents to join. At the least we ask that a parent helps out at the occasional Pack meeting (currently there is a parent roster where you will be asked to help out at the most once per term)

Joining the Cub family is not an extra-mural to come to only when one feels like it, nor is it a “Friday evening baby-sitting service” (not our words !)- it is a commitment to a Scouting way of life for your child, as He/She joins the World Brotherhood of Scouts. We expect families who enrol their children to be committed to ensuring their Cubs attend as regularly as possible, and to take an interest in the skills and character development that are part of Cubs.

Should you have any queries or further questions, please chat to one of the adult leaders, they will be happy to assist you. Please also visit for more information.

Security:

1. When cubs arrive at the hall, could the adult dropping them off please come into the hall with them and mark them off on the attendance register.

2. Before cubs starts cubs may play in the BACK garden or the hall.

3. We will lock the gate shortly after 5pm. If you arrive after this time, please ring the doorbell if we have managed to install one by then OR phone one of the scouters to let you in (I am 0732377479). I will post other numbers near the gate if bell not working. If all else fails - shout ! We do prefer your cubs to come late than not at all so please don't let this deter you !

4. We will unlock the gate at 6:30pm again

5. After cubs , cubs may play in the hall or back garden while waiting for their parents

6. When you arrive to collect your cub, please say goodbye to one of the adult leaders before you leave with them.

7. Parents please let us know if someone other than you will be collecting your child.

8. If the 2 male adult Scouters are both away, we will ask for a dad to help on the evening

Yours in Scouting,

Adult Leaders

2nd Bergvliet Cub Pack

Pack Scouter - Akela

Danielle Crida

0732377479

Assistant Pack Scouter - Baloo

Clive Belcher

082 850 0452

Assistant Pack Scouter – Raksha

Michelle Camis

0608906201

Assistant Pack Scouter – Rama

Gunther Henshilwood

0833319932