The first rank that EVERY boy earns when entering the Cub Scouting Program is the Bobcat rank.
These requirements are meant to demonstrate that the boy is making a commitment to participating in the scouting program. Very similar requirements are expected of a boy joining Boy Scouts to earn his Scout badge.

To earn the Bobcat rank the new Cub Scout does the following:

1. Learn and say the CUB SCOUT PROMISE:

   "I .....(name).... 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. "

   Meaning of the Cub Scout Promise:

   Duty to God means: Put God first. Do what you know God wants you to do. And my country means: Do what you can for your country. Be proud that you are an American. To help other people means: Do things for others that would please them. Obey the Law of the Pack means: Be a good Cub Scout. Be proud that you are one.

2. Say the LAW OF THE PACK.  Tell what it means.

   "The Cub Scout follows Akela.
   The Cub Scout helps the pack go.
   The pack helps the Cub Scout Grow.
   The Cub Scout gives goodwill."

   Meaning of The Law Of The Pack:

   The Cub Scout follows Akela (say Ah-KAY-la) means: Akela is a good leader. Your mother or father is Akela. In the Pack, your Cubmaster is Akela. Your Den Leader is Akela. At school, your teacher is Akela. The Cub Scout helps the Pack go means: Come to all the meetings. Do what you can to help. Think of others in the pack. The Pack helps the Cub Scout grow means: You can have fun when you are a part of the pack. Learn things from others. Do things with them. The Cub Scout gives goodwill means: Smile. Be happy. Do things that make others happy. They don't have to be big things. Little Things help, too.

3. Tell what WEBELOS means:

   "WE'll BE LOyal Scouts "

4. Show the CUB SCOUT SIGN.  Tell what it means.

   Make the sign with your right hand and with your arm held straight up. The two fingers stand for two parts of the Promise - "to help other people" and "to obey." They look like a wolf's ears ready to listen to Akela. Give the Cub Scout Sign when you say the Cub Scout Promise or the Law of the Pack.

   5.Show the CUB SCOUT HANDSHAKE. Tell what it means. Using your right hand, place your first two fingers along the inside of the other boy's wrist. This means that you help and that  you obey the law of the Pack.
  
 

6. Say the CUB SCOUT MOTTO.

   "Do Your Best"

7. Give the CUB SCOUT SALUTE.  Tell what it means.

   Point your first two fingers of your right hand out straight and close together. Touch the tips of the fingers to your cap or if not wearing a cap then to your eyebrow. A salute is a way to show respect. When you salute a leader (either adult or other scout), you show him or her that you respect their position. When you salute the flag, you show that you are proud of your country.

8. With your parent or guardian, complete the exercises in the booklet,
   How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse.

The above items are the basic information that ALL Cub Scouts learn, which is why EVERY boy who enters into Cub Scouting earns the Bobcat Badge.

The Tiger Trail

Here's the Scoop! Your Tiger Cub will be a member of a den. Most dens have five to nine boy-adult partner teams, meet once or twice a month in a den meeting, and have one outing a month, called a Go See It. The den also takes part in the monthly pack meetings. During den meetings, Go See It outings, and pack meetings, boys learn new things and have fun.

Each den meeting and den activity is led by a Den Leader and an adult partner of one of the Tiger Cubs. An adult partner can be a parent,relative, or friend who is at least 18 years old and who cares about the boy. 

Working on Achievements & Electives

In Scouting, advancement is the process by which a member meets certain requirements and earns recognition. Boys in Cub Scouting work on advancement with their families. The Tiger Cub advancement program is a blend of activities boys do in their home and activities they do in a den setting with their adult partner. This is unique to Tiger Cubs.

A Tiger Cub may earn the Tiger Cub rank. This rank is for those boys who are in first grade or are 7 years old. All the Cub Scout ranks(Tiger Cub, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos) are tailored for a grade and the corresponding age level. (A Tiger Cub must earn the Tiger Cub badge first and then the Bobcat badge [rank] before all other ranks.

To advance, Tiger Cubs work on achievements and electives,which are described in the Tiger Cub handbook. As a boy completes these, you, his adult partner, sign in this handbook where it says "Akela's OK."Akela means "good leader" and is an important part of Cub Scouting. Akela can be a den leader, a teacher, or other important adult. As your boy's adult partner, you are Akela.

As boys advance, they receive recognition items to mark their progress. These items will be given to them during a simple ceremony at a pack or den meeting. It is important for boys to be recognized for the good work they do. The Tiger Cub recognition items are the Tiger Cub belt totem and totem beads, the Tiger Cub badge, and Tiger Track beads.

Earning the Tiger Cub Totem

To begin his path towards the Tiger Cub rank, a boy must do three things. They are:

1. Learn the "Tiger Cub Motto" (The MOTTO is: "SEARCH, DISCOVER, SHARE ")
2. Learn the "Cub Scout Sign"
3. Learn the "Cub Scout Salute"

When he has done these, he is awarded the Tiger Cub totem at a pack meeting. This is a plastic recognition device that he wears on his belt. The front side of the totem is emblazoned with a tiger paw print, and the reverse includes a recessed space for your Tiger to mount his Tiger Cub badge when he earns it. The lower end of the totem includes space for four strands for totem beads. A boy earns totem beads by working on the five Tiger Cub achievements.

How to use Totem Beads

There are five achievements in Tiger Cubs:

1. Making My Family Special
2. Where I Live
3. Keeping Myself Healthy and Safe
4. How I Tell It
5. Let's Go Outdoors

Each achievement has three parts: a family activity, aden activity, and a Go See It outing. A boy receives totem beads as hecompletes each part:

• He earns a white bead for each required 'family activity' part he completes.
• He earns an orange bead for each required 'den activity' part he completes.
• He earns a black bead for each required 'Go See It' part he completes.

These beads go on the first three strands of the Tiger Cub totem. (The fourth strand is for Tiger Track beads which signify completed electives.) A boy can earn only one bead for each of the 15 achievement parts, regardless of how many times he may repeat a part.

As each bead is awarded and added to a boy's totem, he should be recognized with a simple ceremony at a den meeting. When a boy has earned all 15 beads, he is eligible to receive his Tiger Cub badge, signifying that he has earned the Tiger Cub rank.
                                                                                                                   

Welcome to the Bear Trail!

Any boy may earn Bear achievements and electives if he is in the third grade, or is nine years old. To earn the Bear badge, a boy must complete 12 of the 24 specified achievements listed below. He can select the ones he wants to do from four different groups: God, Country, Family, and Self.

When a boy finishes an achievement, he will need to have an adult member of his family sign and date his book. He will then take the book to the next den meeting and his den leader will record it on the Cub Scout(Den) Advancement Chart and initial his book. When he has done 12 Bear achievements, he becomes a Bear Cub Scout. If a Bear-aged boy is new to Cub Scouting, he must complete the Bobcat trail before beginning work on the Bear achievements.

The Bear Achievements

GOD (Do ONE of the following) Ways We Worship Emblems of Faith COUNTRY (Do THREE of the following) What Makes America Special? Tall Tales Sharing Your World With Wildlife Take Care of Your Planet Law Enforcement is a Big Job FAMILY (Do FOUR of the following) The Past is Exciting and Important What's Cooking? Family Fun Be ready! Family Outdoor Adventure Saving Well, Spending Well

SELF (Do FOUR of the following) Ride Right Games, Games, Games! Building Muscles Information Please Jot it Down Shavings and Chips Sawdust and Nails Build a Model Tying it All Up Sports, Sports, Sports Be a Leader

When a boy has completed twelve of these twenty-four achievements through all four parts of the Bear trail, he has earned the right to wear the Bear badge. Details regarding the completion of the achievements and associated electives can be found in the BSA Bear Cub Scout Book.

After earning his Bear badge, a boy can begin working on his Bear electives to earn his gold and silver Arrow Points.

Earning Arrow Points

"For Completion of Bear Electives"

Electives are not like achievements. A Wolf or Bear Cub Scout can pick any requirement he likes from the electives and do it. When he has completed ten elective requirements, he has earned his first Arrow Point -a gold one. Only one gold arrow point may be earned during the Wolf year, and one during the Bear year. It is worn ¾” below and centered under the current rank badge (Wolf and Bear).

After earning a Gold Arrow Point, a Cub may complete ten more requirements to earn a Silver Arrow Point. Under his Wolf or Bear badge,he may wear as many Silver Arrow Points as he earns. They are worn in rows of two below, centered, and touching the Gold Arrow Point or previously earned Silver Arrow Points for each rank.

For Bears Only!!

There are slight differences between the Wolf and Bear Arrow Points rules.  In the Bear program, achievement requirements now follow the same rules as the elective requirements. Each one is a separate project.The achievements sometimes require completion of an elective to satisfy a particular requirement. As such, after completing all of his achievements a Bear Cub can go back to his electives and use any requirement he did not count toward his Bear badge.

Remember these important rules:

A Bear can mix requirements from electives and unused achievements in any way to get the ten he needs for each Arrow Point.  He may earn Arrow Points from the Bear Cub Scout Book until he becomes a Webelos Scout.

He may work on these electives all through his Bear year,but he cannot receive Arrow Points until he has earned your Bear badge.Any achievement requirement that he has completed to earn his Bear badge cannot be used again to earn Arrow Points, but there are many more to choose from?.

Recognizing a Cub’s Progress on the Bear Trail

Your boy doesn’t have to wait until he completes his entire Bear trail before being recognized for his work. As a Bear, when he completes any three achievements, his den leader can present the Progress Toward Ranks patch to him. It’s a diamond with a leather (or plastic) thong attached and a red bead attached to one end. It is worn on the button of the right shirt pocket. Each time the boy completes three achievements he will receive another red bead. After he gets his fourth red bead, he will receive his Bear badge at a pack meeting. Cub Scouts may continue to wear this emblem after ranks are earned until they become Webelos Scouts.

Progress Towards Ranks

"Immediate Bear Recognition"

Webelos — The Fifth Rank in Cub Scouting

The Webelos badge is the fifth rank in Cub Scouting. A Cub can start on it as soon as he joins a Webelos den, and providing he has completed third grade (or is 10 years old). He can earn the Webelos badge after he has been in the den 3 months. One of the differences between Webelos and younger Cub Scouts is that the Webelos Den Leader signs off the completed activities of a Webelos Scout.

As with all other Cub Scouting ranks, new members of the Webelos Den or patrol must complete the Bobcat requirements before beginning work in the Webelos program.

Webelos Badge Requirements

When a boy has completed these requirements, and has them signed off by his Webelos Den Leader, he has earned the right to wear the Webelos badge. The badge should be ceremoniously presented as soon as possible at an upcoming Pack meeting. After earning his Webelos badge, a boy can begin working on his Arrow of Light Requirements. Completion of the Forester, Outdoorsman, and Naturalist Activities Badges, and completion of a special conservation project allows a Webelos Scout to join the Wolves and Bears in earning the World Conservation Award. The achievement pins that the boys earn are displayed on the Webelos Colors which is worn on the right sleeve below their den or patrol patch.

Instant Recognition For Webelos Scouts

Earning the Compass Points Emblem

After you have earned the Webelos badge, you can earn the compass points emblem. It is awarded after you earn seven activity badges: four more in addition to the three you earned for the Webelos badge. Wear your compass points emblem attached to the button on the right pocket of your Webelos uniform shirt. After you earn the compass points emblem, you'll receive a metal compass point for each four additional activity badges you earn. Pin these compass points on the emblem in the "E," "W," or"S" positions, in any order you choose. You can earn the emblem and all three compass points by completing 19 Activity badges, including the three required for the Webelos badge

The Arrow of Light Award is the highest rank in Cub Scouting. A Webelos Scout should set his sights on it early. It's tougher to earn than the Webelos badge, but he can do it! The Cub Scout will have to earn the Webelos badge and at least eight activity badges, including Citizen, Ready man, and Fitness. The total must include one from each of the five Activity groups. By the time he has earned the Arrow of Light Award, he will have learned many things about a lot of subjects — and a lot about Boy Scouting. He will be ready to join a Boy Scout troop! Before he gets started on the Arrow of Light Award, he should read through the requirements with a parent, guardian, or den leader. Each time a requirement is satisfied, he should have his Webelos Den Leader sign it off in his Webelos Scout Book.

The Arrow of Light Requirements are:

1. Be active in your Webelos den for at least 6 months since completing the fourth grade (or for at least six months since becoming 10 years old), and earn the Webelos badge.
2. Show your knowledge of the requirements to become a Boy Scout by doing all of these:
   • Repeat from memory and explain in your own words the Scout Oath or Promise and the 12 points of the Scout Law. Tell how you have practiced them in your everyday life.
   • Give and explain the Scout motto, slogan, sign, salute, and handclasp.
   • Understand the significance of the Scout badge. Know its parts and tell what each stands for.
   • Tell how a Boy Scout uniform is different from a Webelos Scout uniform.
   • Tie the joining knot (square knot)
3. Earn five more activity badges in addition to the three you already earned for the Webelos badge. These must include:
   • Fitness (already earned for the Webelos badge)
   • Citizen (already earned for the Webelos badge)
   • Readyman
   • Outdoorsman
   • At least one from the Mental Skills Group
   • At least one from the Technology Group
   • Two more of your choice ?See Webelos Handbook for the activity badge groups.
4. With your Webelos den, visit at least:
   • one Boy Scout troop meeting,
   • one Boy Scout-oriented outdoor activity. ?(If you have already done this when you earned your Outdoorsman activity badge, you may not use it to fulfill requirements for your Arrow of Light Award requirements.)
5. Participate in a Webelos overnight campout or day hike. (If you have already done this when you earned your Outdoorsman activity badge, you may not use it to fulfill requirements for your Arrow of Light Award requirements.)
6. After you have completed all five of the above requirements, and after a talk with your Webelos den leader, arrange to visit, with your parent or guardian, a meeting of a Boy Scout troop you think you might like to join. Have a conference with the Scoutmaster.
7. Complete the Honesty Character Connection.
   • Know: Say the Cub Scout Promise to your family. Discuss these questions with them. What is a promise? What does it mean to keep your word? What does it mean to be trustworthy? What does honesty mean?
   • Commit: Discuss these questions with your family. Why is a promise important? Why is it important for people to trust you when you give your word? When might it be difficult to be truthful? List examples.
   • Practice: Discuss with a family member why it is important to be trustworthy and honest. How can you do your best to be honest even when it is difficult?

When a boy has completed all of these requirements, he has earned the right to wear the Arrow of Light badge. The Arrow of Light badge is the only Cub Scout emblem that may be worn on their Boy Scout uniform.

 

Did you earn all of the Webelos Activity Pins? 

If you did, you're a Webelos Super Achiever!  To earn this award, you must earn all 20 activity pins while you are a 1st and 2nd year Webelos Scout. 

This can not be earned after  cross-over to Boy Scouts, which is generally the  Arrow of Light Ceremony.