If you are wondering what Cub Scouts actually involves, what it costs, or whether your family has time for it, this page answers those questions honestly. No commitment required to come see for yourself.
Cub Scouts is a program for kids in kindergarten through 5th grade built around doing things: building, hiking, camping, cooking, making a mess, and figuring out how stuff works. Scouts earn badges for completing adventures, but the badges are the scoreboard, not the point. The point is a kid who has tried something hard, done it alongside friends, and found out they are more capable than they thought.
Pack 52 serves families in the St. Johns neighborhood of Portland. We are part of the Cascade Pacific Council of Scouting America. All youth in the age range are welcome, regardless of background, faith, or experience with the outdoors.
Parents are part of it too. Cub Scouts is a family program, and at least one adult attends meetings with younger scouts. That is a real time commitment, and we would rather you know that up front than find out in week three.
Pack 52 meets on Sunday afternoons from 4:00 to 5:00 PM in the St. Johns neighborhood of Portland. Pack meetings bring the whole pack together, usually once a month, with awards, games, and a big activity. Den meetings are smaller, grouped by grade, and happen more often.
We share the exact meeting address directly with families who reach out, so email us at info@pack52.org and we will send you directions along with the date of the next meeting you can visit.
You do not need to register, pay anything, or commit to visit. Show up, let your scout try it, and talk to a few parents. Most families know after one or two meetings whether it is a fit.
Scouts are grouped into dens by grade level, so the activities match where kids actually are developmentally. Your scout joins the den that matches their grade this school year.
| Den | Grade | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | Kindergarten | Short, playful adventures with an adult partner at every meeting. |
| Tigers | 1st grade | First taste of outdoor skills and simple service projects, still with an adult partner. |
| Wolves | 2nd grade | More independence, more building and experimenting, first real hikes. |
| Bears | 3rd grade | Tools, cooking, and campouts where scouts start carrying their own weight. |
| Webelos | 4th grade | Bridging toward Scouts BSA skills, with scouts leading parts of meetings. |
| Arrow of Light | 5th grade | The final Cub Scout rank and preparation to cross over into a Scouts BSA troop. |
Each rank has its own set of required and elective adventures. Scouting America publishes the full requirements, and your den leader will walk you through them once you join, so there is nothing to study ahead of time.
Nothing formal. Wear regular play clothes, since a uniform is not needed until your scout is registered and settled in. Plan for an hour, and plan to stay with your scout.
A typical meeting opens with the whole group, breaks into an activity tied to whatever adventure the den is working on, and closes with announcements about what is coming up. Your scout will be handed something to do within about five minutes.
Email info@pack52.org and we will tell you when and where the next one is. This step is free and carries no obligation.
When you are ready, BeAScout.org is the official starting point. Search by zip code 97203 to find Pack 52 and apply online. If you have trouble finding us in the results, email us and we will send a direct link.
The online application collects your scout's information and a parent or guardian's contact details, and handles the national registration fee.
Once you are registered we will connect you with the leader for your scout's den, add you to pack communications, and get you the schedule for the rest of the year.
There are two separate pieces. The first is the national registration fee paid to Scouting America when you apply through BeAScout, which covers your scout's membership and insurance. That amount is set nationally and is shown during online registration.
The second is pack dues, which cover our own program costs: awards and badges, pinewood derby kits, activity supplies, and event expenses. Pack 52 dues for the coming year are set by our committee. Email us for the current amount before you register so there are no surprises.
Beyond that, expect a uniform and a handbook for your scout's rank. Many families find gently used uniforms through the pack or from other scouting families, and we are happy to help you track one down rather than buy new.
Financial assistance is available, and requests are handled quietly and without fuss. If cost is a concern for your family, tell us. We will find a way to make it work.
Yes. Cub Scouts is open to all youth in kindergarten through 5th grade.
Campouts are some of the best weekends of the year, but they are optional. Plenty of families do the meetings and day activities and skip the overnights, especially in the first year.
Figure on an hour of meetings per week during the school year, plus a pack event or outing roughly once a month. Some months are busier, like pinewood derby season.
Every adult attending meetings with a younger scout is already doing the most important part. Beyond that, the pack runs entirely on volunteers, and there are jobs of every size, from leading a den to bringing snacks or running one event a year. We will ask, but we will not corner you.
That is completely normal and welcome. Scouts join in the fall, in January, and in the spring. Your den leader will help your scout catch up on anything they missed.
Kindergarten is the earliest, as a Lion. If your child is younger, email us anyway and we will let you know when registration opens for their grade.
Scouts cross over into a Scouts BSA troop, which runs through age 18. We help families connect with local troops when the time comes.
Scouting America requires background checks and Youth Protection Training for every registered adult leader, and mandates that no adult is ever alone with a scout who is not their own child. Those rules are not optional and we follow them. You can read the full policies on the Scouting America safety site.
Email us and a real person from the pack will get back to you. We would rather answer ten questions now than have your family wonder whether this is for you.
Email info@pack52.org Register on BeAScout →