Who are Cubs?
Cubs are young people aged 8 to 10½ who:
- Master new skills and try new things
- Have fun and go on adventures
- Make friends
- Are curious about the world around them
- Help others and make a difference, in their own communities and beyond
Every week, they gather in groups called Cub Packs to take part in lots of interesting and challenging activities – achieving anything they set their minds to, and having lots of fun along the way.
What do Cubs get up to?
Being a Cub is all about growing and learning in small but mighty ways. Here are some of the things you’ll get up to with your new friends.
Going on adventures
Race down a river. Tell stories by torchlight. Fall asleep beneath the stars. Alongside your Pack, you’ll spend plenty of time in the great outdoors. Together, you might build a den in your local park, or create an edible raft out of sweets, or go on a moonlit hike through your hometown. And even though you might not be ready to climb Mount Everest just yet, you’re guaranteed to have plenty of adventures on your own doorstop, because being a Cub is all about making the most of what you have, wherever and whoever you are.
Learning new skills
Cubs learn by doing, and so will you. Some of the skills you develop will be practical, like knowing how to cook a delicious meal or give someone first aid. Others will allow you to become a master at your chosen hobby, or help you to succeed in whichever job you decide to do when you grow up. But the most important skills you’ll learn at Cubs are the ones that will make you feel confident and happy in your own skin. We call these character skills, and they include things like integrity – which means being honest and doing what you think is right – and initiative – which means knowing how to take the lead on something without being asked. Whatever skills you’d like to learn, it’s all about having the courage to try new things and learn from them.
Helping others
Cubs work as a team to help other people. Together, you’ll learn about global issues and what we can all do to help solve them. You’ll also make an impact in your own community, through activities such as campaigning to save your local library, collecting donations for a foodbank, or planting trees in a neighbouring park.
What does a Cub Pack look like?
All Cubs are members of the global Scout family. Closer to home, they’re also part of the wider Scout Group, alongside Beavers (aged 6 to 8) and Scouts (aged 10½ to 14). When they're older, they can join Explorers (for 14 to 18 year olds) and - eventually - Scout Network (for our young adult members aged 18 to 25).
Each Pack is made up of young people aged 8 to 10½, led by an adult Cub leader traditionally nicknamed Akela after the wise leader of the wolf pack in Rudyard Kipling’s novel, The Jungle Book.
As well as the Cub leader, other adults are on hand to supervise activities, share their skills and keep everyone safe. Other young people aged 14 to 18 might help out, too. These are Explorer Scouts taking part in the Explorer Scout Young Leader programme. Within the Pack, Cubs are also part of a Six. A Six is a smaller group of Cubs, headed up by a Sixer and a Seconder. Sixers and Seconders are Cub Scouts who are chosen to take on leadership responsibilities, such as welcoming new people to the Pack, being extra helpful on camp, or taking charge of a particular game or activity.
Promises and Ceremonies
As well as enjoying plenty of adventures, being a Cub is about going on a journey to understand who you are and what you stand for. When you join the Pack, you’ll explore these ideas by making a promise. A promise is a set of words that mean something to you, which you try to follow everyday.
Making the promise is a big celebration within the Pack. Every time a new Cub decides to join permanently, they chat through their promise with their Cub leader before saying it out loud in front of their fellow Cubs. Family and friends might come along to see this, too. The process is known as being ‘invested’ into Cubs, and it usually takes place a few weeks into your Cub experience, once you’ve had time to settle in.
Everyone is unique but there are some things all Cubs agree on – such as the importance of treating everyone in the Pack with kindness, and doing their best to care for the community and wider world in which they live. Cubs make a promise to do their best to make a positive contribution to society. Depending on their own beliefs, they might also promise to live by their faith.
Cubs choose the promise that best suits them. Options can be found by clicking the Promise and Law link on the left of this page.
Joining Cubs
To join Cubs, please fill in the Join Us form, linked to the left of this page.
Cubs is open to all, and adjustments can always be made to make sure everyone can join in the fun. If you have any questions about accessibility, it’s best to chat with your leader as soon as possible. By being upfront about additional needs from the start, parents/carers can work in partnership with leaders to make sure their young person has the best experience possible. More information on specific adjustments can be found here.
Is there a waiting list?
Lots of young people want to join Cubs and sometimes you might have to wait for a space to become available before you can start your journey. If the Pack has a waiting list, parents and other adults might want to think about what they could do to help out. Regardless of skillset or availability, there’s an opportunity for everyone to contribute.
What should I wear?
On your first night at Cubs, you’ll be taking part in lots of activities, and should just wear something you feel comfortable in.
Eventually, you’ll get your own Cub uniform to wear to meetings and camps. Wearing a uniform is comfy and practical. It means no one feels uncomfortable or left out and helps everyone to feel a part of the Pack. It also gives you a place to show off all the badges you earn.
For Cubs, the uniform consists of a green sweatshirt with your badges sewn on and a coloured scarf or ‘necker’ to represent your group. There are lots of other optional accessories you can wear such as hats, hoodies, navy blue trousers or shorts. If you’re not sure where to start, adult volunteers can give you more information about what to buy and where to buy it.
How much does it cost?
There is a basic fee covering the cost of the hire and upkeep of the Cub meeting place. Trips, camps and activities that take place away from the usual meeting place are usually charged separately.
Cubs is designed to be an accessible and affordable way for young people to learn lots of new skills through a single membership. Nobody should feel excluded from Cub activities because of money worries. If they’re concerned about costs, adults should speak to their leader in confidence, to see what they can do to help. In most cases, support is available to make sure nobody misses out.