About Pack 727
Pack 727 is chartered by VFW Post 6024 in Mission Viejo and was formed in 1998. The Cub Scouts celebrated their 75th year in 2005 and is part of the Boy Scouts of America, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2010. Our Pack is in the Saddleback District of the Orange County Council, Boy Scouts of America (BSA). The pack has qualified for the Quality Unit Award for every year, as well as being one of only a handful of Scout units in the Council to earn the 2001 Founder’s Award. These awards are very important to the pack because it improves the program for the boys and saves us money on the cost of awards and BSA membership.
The pack membership ranges from 70 to 90 boys from 1st through 5th grade. The program is geared for boys in these grades with increasingly challenging programs aimed at each age level. The objective is to prepare the boy for the Boy Scout program and Have Fun!.
Ranks
Tiger Cubs
Our 1st graders are introduced into Cub Scouts with the Tiger Cub Program. It consists of parent/son teams from 5-8 families, who meet once a month, choosing their activities with the Tiger Cub Leader. The emphasis is placed upon the discovery of new ideas and building strong relationships within the family and with other Cubs. Junior Tigers are recruited at the end of their Kindergarten year so they can participate over the summer and their entire 1st grade year.
Wolf & Bear Dens
Our 2nd graders work on their Wolf badge and our 3rd graders on their Bear badge. These levels consist of Dens from 5-9 boys and follow a handbook outlining achievements and electives. These Dens meet 2-3 times a month for 1-1½ hours led by Den Leaders. At these meetings, the boys are taught the fundamentals of good citizenship and working and playing with others. Arts, crafts, games, skills, and field trips are used to learn about nature, health, love and appreciation for our country and balanced living.
Webelos
Our 4th and 5th graders are in our Webelos Dens working on a 2-year program to earn the “Arrow of Light” and preparing for Boy Scouts. These Dens have regular Den meetings 1-3 times a month and an outing once a month working towards the following Activity Pins: Aquanaut, Artist, Athlete, Citizen, Communicator, Craftsman, Engineer, Family Member, Fitness, Forester, Geologist, Handyman, Naturalist, Outdoorsman, Readyman, Scholar, Scientist, Showman, Sportsman and Traveler. Webelos is really the beginning of the Boy Scout program. Achieving the Arrow of Light award is recognized through out scouts and is even recognized as a knot worn on adult uniforms.
About the Program
The Cub Scouting program is family-oriented and teaches the boy practical life skills and 12 Core Values. The core values that are used to form themes through the 5 year Cub Scout program are Citizenship, Compassion, Cooperation, Courage, Faith, Health and Fitness, Honesty, Perseverance, Positive Attitude, Resourcefulness, Respect, and Responsibility. The Cub Scout program is also coordinated with sports and academic programs, so boys can earn Scouting awards for participation in extra-curricular activities such as Little League, AYSO, Math Club, Drama and Music.
Once a month, the Tiger, Cub and Webelos Dens all come together for a Pack meeting to share their Den experiences with the other Dens. They show off their work, perform skits, sing songs, and most importantly, receive the awards they have earned each month. All parents are strongly encouraged to attend each Pack meeting with their child.
Our Pack participates in at least three Family Camping trips each year as well as provides several opportunities for the boys to camp (day or overnight) with their parent or adult partner. Our Pack participates in the yearly Scouting for Food program. The boys get to learn sharing and community service by collecting canned food and clothing for the needy in Orange County. We also participate in Scout-O-Rama each year.
Join Our Pack
Spring Recruitment
In April we do a recruitment of Junior Tigers (graduating kindergarteners) for the upcoming year. If your son has friends or classmates who are interested in the program, and did not attend the meeting, have them contact Greg Cruise, Cubmaster, at gmcruise@yahoo.com.
Fall Recruitment
In September, we do a recruitment of Tiger and Cub Scouts for the year. If your son has friends or classmates who are interested in the program, and did not attend the meeting, have them contact Greg Cruise, Cubmaster, at gmcruise@yahoo.com.
Helping the Pack Go
We always have a great year planned and hope you will find it a richly rewarding experience for the entire family. The Pack Committee members have been busy putting together new dens and coordinating all of the upcoming events.
It is always busy with school, work, sports, and home for each of us, but there is something special about Scouting that adds to the quality of our boy’s life that makes the time and effort we put into the program valuable. We hope Scouting will regularly be on your schedule.
Every parent takes an active role in the Den and individually with their son to make the Cub Scouting program work. Scouting supports and promotes the family and the community with many different activity choices as well as Pack events like “Pinewood Derby” and the “Blue & Gold Banquet.”
We look forward to a great year together and welcome your help and suggestions at anytime. If you have a special area of interest that you could share with us, please let us know. We can use your help as a Committee Member, Den Leader, Assistant Den Leader, or on special events throughout the year. The training is minimal and the guidance is provided continually. Do give some of your time to benefit these boys.
We know you will have a fun and exciting adventure in scouting this year!
