New Parents Frequently Asked Questions

For Pack 57 our normal meetings occur weekly at Heatherwood Baptist Church. There are other times that a den may meet at a different location to meet the requirements of an activity. For example, if the den is going over water safety they may meet at a location where there is a pool.  The pack also has multiple outings such as camping trips, hikes, and  other activities which take place at other locations. Larger events, like a camping trip, takes place over the weekend which is normally a Friday evening through Sunday morning.

Scouts as a program is divided into titled levels based on responsibility. The highest level is National, followed by Regional. Newnan Pack 57’s council is the Flint River Council. Underneath the umbrella of the Council is where the Cub Scout Packs are. These are designated by numbers. Within the Pack, scouts are divided into dens, which are based on grade level/age. For example, a Tiger Scout is in the first grade while a Bear Scout is in third. 

There are six ranks in Cub Scouts. Each rank is a group of scouts in the same grade level. Each level has six required activities that must be completed before ranking up.  The ranks are:

• Lions 

• Tigers

• Wolves

• Bears

• Webelos

• Arrow of Light

Like many organizations, dues are used to help provide a better experience for the members. Pack 57 applies them to a multitude of different areas. We are happy to discuss them in more detail with you if you are interested. A few quick examples of where dues are applied are as follows: to help pay for adventure belt loops Scouts earn, for Pack equipment and food, to alleviate high costs of fun activities (camping trips, etc.)  More information about dues can be found on our Dues page.

Pack 57 does fundraising for two important reasons. The first reason is to assist scouting families and the Pack itself with the cost of Scouting. The fundraiser you have probably heard of is selling popcorn. This is a National level fundraiser. The Pack also participates in annual local fundraisers such as Camp cards (discount codes for local businesses/restaurants). Many Scouts are able to use their earnings to cover their dues, camping trips, fees for camp or day camp attendance and other expenses. The second reason Pack 57 does fundraisers is skill building. Learning how to speak concisely, growing self confidence, setting and working towards accomplishing goals, financial literacy and much more  can all be fostered throughout the work required to fundraise.

Our Pack enjoys a wide range of events throughout the year. In August, the year kicks off with a welcome back pool party. There are multiple camping trips on the schedule, such as Spooky-Ree in October. In December, there is a holiday event and caroling. Throughout the year, Pack 57 also does community events. At the end of the Scout year, there is an opportunity to participate in a Fourth of July parade. In addition to these, other events may be added to the calendar to help Dens accomplish their adventure belt loop awards. 

Youth Protection Training is a training that is provided by the National level council. It is required for all leaders, but Pack 57 also requires it for any parent that will be attending our events. This is to keep all scouts safe and secure at all times. It also allows parents to have peace of mind.

Scout book is a website that the National Council provides. It is a way to keep track of requirements that your scout has completed or needs to complete to get a belt loops. It also provides other information, such as YPT certification for parents, or other information about your scout such as a payment history for dues and fees.

Just like for sports and other teams, uniforms show you are a part of a larger organization. Scouting uniforms provide a way to proudly display achievements earned via pins, patches and belt loops. They also allow for identification by den as each den has an associated color and symbol. A Wolf, for example, would be easily identified by their red neckerchief. 

Pack 57 is a “waist up” pack.  Meaning that we don’t require our scouts to wear official uniform pants/shorts. We ask that your scout have an official blue, or beige color shirt (depending on their rank). In addition to the shirt, we ask that scouts wear their neckerchief, and a belt with their belt loops.  Some scouts can choose to wear hats for their rank level, though it is not required.  If your scouts want to wear a full uniform, that is acceptable also. 

Class A uniform is the uniform that most people associate with the Cub Scouts or scouting in general.  This is the blue or beige top, depending on the scout's rank. Class A is also considered more formal. With Pack 57, we also provide a t-shirt for all scouts which is unique for that scouting year. We call this our Class B uniform. The Pack may ask that your scout wear different uniforms depending on the event. For example, on our camping trips leaders may request that scouts wear their Class B uniforms on Saturday, and a Class A on Sunday. Class A are also used when a scout is representing the Pack in a public setting, like during the Fourth of July parade or while fundraising. 

The short answer is the Scout Shop. There is an online scout shop and there are also physical stores nearby.  The two closest are the Flint River store in Griffin, and the Atlanta store near Truist Park.  The physical stores can also assist with sewing on patches, and help make sure you don’t forget anything when buy a uniform.
Pack 57 also has a scout closet.  Keeping with the Scout Law, courteous scouts can donate their gently used uniforms to the pack.  And a thrifty scout can check the closet to see if there is a uniform that fits them before buying a new one.

Our Pack is all about getting as much information to our Scouts and their families as possible. On top of sharing information at Pack and Den Meetings, weekly emails and monthly parent and leader meetings are also used. GroupMe, a mobile chat app, is also available for Den information and discussions. Dedicated parent meetings are held for larger events that have specialized information, such as the Pinewood Derby. 

No, scouting is not just for boys. Since 2018, Cub Scouts has allowed girls to join! Pack 57 has both girls and boys within our dens. Pack 57 makes sure that each child is treated equally no matter if they are a boy or a girl. 

We are glad that you are interested in joining our Pack. You can fill out the digital registration application using the following link:Pack 57 direct link.  We will handle the rest.