HISTORY OF CUBBING
Lord Baden Powell started Scouting in 1907 with Scout aged youth. The movement grew rapidly, and arrived in Canada a few years later. As the organization spread, the need for a younger “Boys” section for youth 8 to 10 years of age was realized.
Several names were considered for the new section; Young Scouts, Colts, and Wolf Cubs. Wolf was one of the ranks some Native American tribes gave to their best scouts; Wolf was also the name of the cannon made in the railway workshops at Mafeking. So a young boy not old enough to be a “wolf” or “true Scout” could be a Wolf Cub. BP decided to name the section “Wolf Cubs” basing the program on characters pulled from his friend Rudyard Kipling’s story, The Jungle Book. The new section would have Scouters with “Jungle” names such as Akela, Baloo, and Raksha based on Kipling’s book.
Boys new to the group were called Tenderpads. As they learned how, to be a Cub they wore a white necker to symbolize the white coat of paint Zulu youth wore on their rite of passage from youth to warrior (the paint would take about a month to wear off). Tenderpads would be invested as Wolf Cubs, after learning the Law, Promise, Motto and Handshake. After they were invested they would get a group necker and earned their “Eyes”, which went on their uniform hat. Badges were worn on their sleeves.
The program has been revised many times over the years; from the two eyes, to the program today of Six Stars, which are called Activity Areas with a different colour for each area. Tenderpads no longer wear the white necker, and the program now has awards as well as badges.
Today’s program offers challenging hikes, weekend camps and other fun outdoor activities that Cubs enjoy. Cubs experience a variety of other activities such as: games, sports, model building, music, skits, storytelling, and campfires that they can enjoy with their friends. The program activities offer skills, and values aimed at supporting efforts to teach each youth to become a well rounded citizen for the future.
Even our name has changed over the years; from Wolf Cubs at inception to the present day Cub Scouts.
In Hamilton Cubbing began in the years 1917- 1918, with groups meeting primarily in the city’s Anglican churches. The Group numbers were issued as Ontario numbers; not as Hamilton numbers. The numbers were changed to Hamilton Group Numbers at a later date.
In Hamilton there are currently 24 Packs running and keeping the Spirit of Scouting alive by following our motto “DO YOUR BEST”.
– Patti Troughton – HW DAC DAC Pack
The aim of a Cub Scouts Program is to help children, youth and adults to develop their character as resourceful and responsible members of the community by providing opportunities and guidance for their mental, physical, social and spiritual development. More specifically, the emphasis of the Cub Scout program is on activities which help children to:
- do their best
- keep fit
- satisfy their curiosity and need for adventure and new experiences
- be creative and develop a sense of accomplishment
- make choices
- develop a sense of fair play, trust and caring
- work together in small groups and experience being a leader
- participate in outdoor activities
- learn about the natural world and their part in it.
- express and respond to God’s love in their daily lives
Details of the Cub Scouts program are contained in The Wolf Cub Book and The Wolf Cub Leaders’ Handbook. With this emphasis in mind, a leadership team, recruited by the sponsor, works to provide a program that will provide a balanced program of fun and activities built around seven elements. These elements are: acting, crafts, games, music, outdoor activities, activity area work and stories.
The leadership team may consist of parents, other adults, teens and older Scouts. Cubs Scouts attend weekly meetings in a large group called a pack – which usually has from 18 to 36 members. An adult volunteer fills the role of pack leader and should have one assistant for every six Cub Scouts. The pack is divided into smaller groups called sixes. Each six is led by a sixer and each sixer usually has an assistant called a second. Sixes are known by colours – Red Six, Green Six and so on. They wear a simple triangular coloured patch for six identification. To be invested as a Cub Scout one must, among other requirements, know and understand the promise, law and motto.
I promise to do my best, To love and serve God,
To do my duty to the Queen,
To keep the law of the Wolf Cub pack,
And to do a good turn for somebody every day.
The Cub Scout Law
The Cub respects the Old Wolf. The Cub respects himself.
The Cub Scout Motto
Do your best
While many activities in Cub Scouts are carried out in the larger pack group, there is also emphasis on recognition for individual achievement. Through passing tests and meeting certain standards, Cub Scouts are able to earn and wear stars, badges and awards. As Scouting is an outdoor oriented organization, there is emphasis on outdoor activities for Cub Scouts – including camping. Camping provides situations for Cub Scouts to think, learn and do for themselves.