FAQ
Meeting Times:
We try our best to minimize conflicts with soccer, baseball, religious observation, and school breaks.
Dens: Grade level groups, usually meet once a month on the weekend during the school year. Please email you den leader with your schedule concerns so they can work with you.
Pack: All the dens combined from all grades- usually meets once per month, often on the weekend, with 1 or 2 evenings per year. We publish our event schedule on this website and via Pack emails and try to minimize conflicts.
One parents/caregiver is required to stay and work with their Lion and Tiger Cubs (Grades K-1) during all activities. Parents/Caregiver are encouraged to stay and work with their older Cubs. Siblings are often able to tag along at most activities as space allows.
Import our Google Calendar: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/b/1?cid=cGFjazE4NXdlbGxlc2xleUBnbWFpbC5jb20 so you can keep up to date with Events and Meetings.
Group Size:
Pack 185 has around 60 active cub scouts, 7 Tigers (1st Grade), 11 Wolfs (2nd Grade), 15 Bears (3rd Grade), 16 Webelos (4th Grade), 8 Arrow of Light (5th Grade), and we are actively recruiting new Cubs to form a Lion Den (K). We currently have 1 Den per grade.
Handbooks & Uniform:
Each Cub will need to have the handbook and uniform for their rank (details below). The handbook is crucial to have for meetings, to read about advancement, and for Cubs to get excited about adventures. There are two ways to buy these items:
online through the Scout Shop, or
through the New England Scout Shop in Southborough on Rt9. Most folks make the short trip to Southborough. Going to the store itself can be a benefit for sizing, and they have super helpful staff to be sure you get what you need.
Required – all of these together cost about $100 per scout
Handbook for their rank. These books include all of the information that the Cubs will need to work through their adventures and ranks, and serve as a helpful reference for parents.
Lion Kit (K)
Tiger Handbook (1st Grade)
Wolf Handbook (2nd Grade)
Bear Handbook (3rd Grade)
Webelos Handbook (4th&5th Grade)
Lions (K) can wear either the Lion Tshirt or the Blue uniform shirt detailed below
Blue Shirt (grades 1-3) or Tan Shirt (grades 4-5) w/the following patches:
A Den Patch based on their grade
Den 4 for Lions (K), Den 2 for Tigers (1st), Den 1 for Wolves (2nd), Den 3 for Bears (3rd), Den 5 for Webelos (4th), Den 6 for AOL (5th)Mayflower Council Patch – From the store the patch comes already sowed on.
World Crest – From the store the patch comes already sowed on.
World Crest Ring – From the store the patch comes already sowed on.
Notes about shirts:
Size – The Cubs will wear the same blue shirt K-3rd grade. So buy it big in the hopes of lasting longer. Size 'S' is typical
Webelos scouts transition to wearing Khaki BSA Shirts in 4th and 5th Grade.
Patches: I’m aware of three ways to get the patches onto a Scout shirt: (1) sew them on yourself, (2) pay to have the Scout Shop in Southborough sew them on for you – they charge $4 per patch, or (3) buy and use Badge Magic.
Neckerchief, Slide and Hat based on their grade / den
Lion Hat - Write your Cub’s name on the inside - they are taken off often
Tiger Hat – Write your Cub’s name on the inside - they are taken off often
Bear Hat – Write your Cub’s name on the inside - they are taken off often
Wolf Hat – Write your Cub’s name on the inside - they are taken off often
Webelos Hat – Write your Cub’s name on the inside - they are taken off often
Optional
Pants/shorts – Pack 185 does not typically wear uniform bottoms. Any shorts or pants will do. For more formal events, try for blue, but not required.
Socks - most don't get official socks.
Patches: These can be tricky. We are aware of three ways to get the patches onto a Scout shirt: (1) sew them on yourself, (2) pay to have the Scout Shop in Southborough sew them on for you – they charge $4 per patch, or (3) buy and use Badge Magic.
Hats - Please write your Cub's name on the inside brim of the hat.
Pants/Shorts/Socks - In our Pack, the official uniform versions of these are optional. For most events any shorts or pants will do. For more formal events, it's nice to try for blue, but not required
Dues:
Dues are charged to provide our Dens and Pack with funds to operate, as well as to provide the Mayflower Council and Scouts BSA with funding for the infrastructure they provide and to support Scouting. Our dues for this year will be $225 per returning Scout and $97 for new scouts.
The $225 represents National ($80) and council ($48) dues for calendar year 2024, which the Pack pays on your behalf, and $97 for Pack dues. Pack dues are used to pay for facilities rentals, badges, rockets, patches and other awards, Lego Derby supplies, Pinewood Derby cars and trophies, the Blue & Gold Dinner, meeting costs, and Den and Pack incidentals.
Since new scouts pay their National and Council fees during registration, we only collect the $97 Pack fee.
You can pay your dues through a Signup Genius link that will be sent
Overall, the Pack tries to operate events on a "pay as you go" system with costs for events (canoeing, fishing, skiing, camping and other overnights, etc.) paid for by those Scouts who attend. This helps us keep fees as low as we can.
Two important notes with respect to dues and fees.
1. Those of you who just registered for Scouting since 8/30/2023 you likely just paid $157.59 (or $15 more if you requested a Scouts Life subscription) through the online portal. That amount represents the BSA's one-time joining fee ($25), national ($80) and council ($48) fees for the next 12 months. The Pack needs to collect $97 to cover our program costs.
2. Pack 185 is committed to making sure that youth can participate in Scouting. Please contact us if you have concerns regarding dues or payments for events or need financial support. We want to make sure that your Cub can fully participate in the Pack and in their Den.