Bobcat Requirements

Parents!

The first rank all of the boys must earn before going on to their respective Tiger/Wolf/Bear/Webelos ranks is the Bobcat rank. The requirements for Bobcat are outlined below, and are also spelled out in the first chapter of the Handbook. As the parent, YOU need to quiz your boy on each requirement and sign off on the requirements in the book (if you have it yet). Your boy can then show your signoff to the Den Leader, who will initial the book and record that the requirement is complete. If you do not have a Handbook yet, send me an e-mail certifying that your son has met the requirements.

In all cases the boy should be encouraged to take these things seriously and to do his best. The sign, handshake and salute should be given smartly with an eagerness to do it right, and the Promise and Law should be recited with a certain reverence for their deep -- if simple -- meaning. The Motto should probably best be shouted at the top of one's lungs! As my grandmother would say, "Do it right, or don't bother..."

Remember that the bar is "Do your best!" Only you and your son know what his best is. Expect it of him, and grade accordingly. Simple, age appropriate answers are expected for the understanding parts.

Please work with your boy on these requriements. We would like to have all the boys certified for the Bobcat rank before our first Pack meeting, so that we can award the rank to them and move on to their grade-specific rank work.

Bobcat Requirements:

1. Cub Scout Promise:

"I, promise to do my best to do my duty to God and my country, to help other people, and to obey the Law of the Pack." The boy should have this memorized, and be able to explain what a promise is, what his "duty" is, and how he can do his duty, help and obey.

2. Law of the Pack:

"The Cub Scout follows Akela. The Cub Scout helps the pack go. The Pack helps the Cub Scout grow. The Cub Scout gives goodwill." The boy should have this memorized, and be able to explain who Akela is, how he can follow Akela, help the pack go, and give goodwill, as well as how the Pack can help him grow. I'll have a separate blog post on just who this "Akela" fellow is.

3. Tell what "Webelos" means:

"Webelos" is an acronym that means "We'll Be Loyal Scouts."

4. Show the Cub Scout Sign and tell what it means:

The Sign is basically the "peace" sign - thumb, ring and pinkie fingers closed in a loop, with index and middle fingers extended straight out and spread to resemble alert wolf's ears. The Sign is given with the right arm fully extended straight up (no bent elbows!). The two extended fingers stand for two parts of the Promise: "to help other people" and "to obey". The Sign should be given when reciting the Promise or the Law of the Pack. It is also used as a signal to get the boys to quiet down and pay attention in meetings. The sign is always done with the right hand.

5. Show the Cub Scout Handshake and tell what it means:

To do the Handshake, perform a normal, right-handed handshake, but slip the index and middle fingers (together, not spread) along the other person's inside wrist. The two fingers, just as in the Sign, remind the boy of the two Promise points "help other people" and "obey". We had some trouble at the meeting last night with this, possibly due to my (poor) instruction. Many of the boys wanted to close their pinkie and ring fingers up, like in the Sign. This makes it hard to shake hands. The hands should be clasped just like in a normal handshake, except for the extended index and middle fingers. The Handshake is always done right-handed.

6. Say the Cub Scout Motto and tell what it means:

The Cub Scout Motto is "Do your best!" It means, simply, to always do your best at whatever you are doing. Run your hardest in a race, pay your best attention in school, give your best respect to others, and so on. It does not mean "win at all costs" or "second place is the first loser." Rarely is one's best equal to perfection, either. Note that one's best is different for each boy, for each activity, for each life circumstance, and even day to day. The boy should learn to know deep in his heart whether he is truly doing his best or not.

7. Show the Cub Scout Salute and tell what it means.

A salute is a sign of respect to a person or a symbol, such as a flag. To give the Salute, hold the right hand as with the Sign, except keep the index and ring fingers together (not spread apart). Bring the hand up till the tips of the fingers touch the right eyebrow or the front right corner of the brim of the hat (if wearing one). When perfectly executed, the upper arm should be horizontal and in line with the body, and the forearm and wrist should be straight, with just the tip of the fingers touching the eyebrow or cap brim. The Salute is always done with the right hand.

The Salute is used, for example, while giving the Pledge of Allegiance or singing the National Anthem (when in uniform). The Salute should be started before beginning the pledge or anthem, and held until completed. In groups, the Salutes should all be done together, in unison.

The Salute can also be used optionally as a sign of respect for an adult leader, but this is not required or even necessarily encouraged. If doing so, the boy should salute first, then hold the salute until the adult leader returns the salute, following the military tradition. Between boys of any rank, the Handshake should be used, not the Salute.

A third optional use of the Salute would be to greet a fellow Cub Scout (or leader) at a distance where a handshake would be impractical (such as crossing paths outdoors) -- as a substitute for a hand-wave, indicating fellow membership in Scouting.

8. Complete the Parent/Child exercises in the booklet "How to Protect your Children from Child Abuse".

This book is included in the front of the Handbooks, and provides discussion points and training about child abuse. It's never a pleasant topic to discuss, but it is important for the safety and well being of our boys. Note that this requirement is a parent/child collaborative effort.