About Us

Come as you are

You do not need to have been a Scout yourself. You do not need camping gear, outdoor skills, or a free weekend every week. Most of our families walked in knowing nobody, and the ones who stay usually say the same thing — it turned out to be easier, and more fun, than they expected.

What Cub Scouts really offers is a ready-made set of reasons to do interesting things together. A pinewood car to build on a Saturday morning. A first night in a tent. A hike where somebody finally learns to read a trail map. Along the way, kids pick up the habit of trying hard at something, being useful to other people, and doing their best whether or not they win.

That is the whole point of the program: to help young people make good, ethical choices over their lifetimes, guided by the Scout Oath and Scout Law. In practice it shows up as four things we are quietly building, one adventure at a time.

Where your child fits

Scouts are grouped into dens with kids their own age, so a kindergartner is never trying to keep up with a fifth grader. Each den has its own name, its own meeting night, and its own set of Adventures to work through.

All den meetings are held at Christ Lutheran Church, 700 East Pennsylvania Avenue, Oreland, and run from September through June. Because their Adventures overlap so closely, our Lions and Tigers currently meet together as a single combined den.

One thing worth knowing up front: for our youngest Scouts — Lions and Tigers — Scouting America asks that a parent or another adult partner stay for meetings and activities. From Wolves on up, you are welcome to stay, but it is entirely your call.

What a month actually looks like

That is the honest baseline — about two hours of den meetings a month, plus whichever Pack events you feel like doing. Nothing beyond the den meetings is mandatory, and no family attends everything. Our Calendar of Events is kept current, so you can always see what is ahead before you commit to anything.

How Scouts earn their rank

Kids learn through hands-on Adventures rather than worksheets. Each one ends in a belt loop or pin your Scout gets to wear, which turns out to be enormously motivating at this age. Finish six required Adventures plus any two electives, and your Scout earns that year’s rank badge.

Progress is tracked online in Scoutbook Plus, so you can see exactly where your Scout stands without keeping a paper record yourself. Ranks are awarded in front of the whole Pack at the holiday party and at the end-of-year Blue & Gold dinner.

A year with Pack 88

This is the part kids remember. Our monthly Pack activities change from year to year, but a typical calendar looks something like this:

On top of our own calendar, Scouts can join events run by the Cradle of Liberty Council, which opens up everything from Phillies Scout Night to weekend camporees with packs from across the region.

As little or as much as you want

This is the question we get most often, so here is a straight answer: you choose your level, and you can change it any time. All three of these are completely normal, and plenty of families move between them as life allows.

Den leaders are ordinary parents, not Scouting experts. The role is genuinely two meetings a month plus a monthly committee planning meeting, with materials already written for you. If you are even mildly curious, take a look at our open roles — new leaders are what let the Pack keep every den running.

What it costs

Every November and December the Pack runs its one fundraiser of the year, selling s’mores packets during the Chestnut Hill Stag & Doe shopping nights, which helps keep dues where they are. Scouts also wear a Class B t-shirt at most casual events — you can order one through our Class B orders page. If cost is a question for your family, please just ask us; we would much rather talk about it than lose a Scout over it.

Health and safety

Every adult leader in Pack 88 completes and maintains Safeguarding Youth training, a background check, and hazardous weather training, and we follow Scouting America’s youth protection policies at every meeting and event.

Each Scout and their parent or guardian also completes a health and medical record form. It is required for anything beyond a regular den meeting, and completed forms are kept together and carried along on Pack outings so they are on hand if they are ever needed. At the end of the year, forms are returned to families on request, and anything not collected is shredded.