Welcome New Scouting Families

 

Dear Parents,

Welcome to Scouting!  If you stop and think about it, we only have a few very short years to directly influence our children.  You and your son or daughter have taken the first step in what could be a lifelong journey of Character Development, Leadership and Citizenship.  Scouting will make your child a better parent and community leader in the future!

Your Scout will soon begin learning the Scout Law. 

A Scout is

 Trustworthy,  Loyal, Helpful

FriendlyCourteousKind

ObedientCheerfulThrifty 

BraveClean and Reverent

Those twelve words will become a guide to live by and have a remarkable impact on your child and your entire family.  There will also be many opportunities for outdoor fun, games, crafts, camping, hiking, fishing and new friends!

Your Scout needs you though.  While the Pack leadership and other parents will all work to make sure your Scout has a great Scouting experience, your active participation is paramount.  No matter how busy you are, there is always something you can lend a hand with.  Your Scout will always remember the time you spent working and playing together.

A few quick recommendations:

Go with the flow.  You may feel overwhelmed at first, please don’t be!  Fall is a very busy time for Scouting, just jump right in and you will quickly feel comfortable with the program.

Ask.  If you have any questions, please ask your Pack’s leadership.  They are volunteers who are dedicated to helping your Scout have a good experience and they are some of the best people you will ever meet.  You will make some great lifelong friends too!

Fundraising.  Yes, the dreaded fundraising is important!  It can be fun and it is very important to your pack to ensure a great program year.  Many packs allow a portion of the funds raised to be used to help pay for pack fees or apply to your Scout’s activities.  We understand it may not seem like a warm welcome to be asked to sell popcorn as soon as you join, but it is a short-term project that can finance a pack for the entire year!

Stay with it.  There may be a few bumps in the road, however, keep the big picture of what Scouting will provide your Scout and your entire family!  If your Pack meets on a night that is not good for you, there are many other Packs for you to consider joining.  Just go to www.BeAScout.org.

And lastly: Have fun.  Adults can have just as much fun as the Scouts do!  I look forward to seeing you on the Scouting Trail!

Kevin Bishop
Scout Executive