Welcome!  

Cub Scout Pack 461, chartered to Normandale Hylands United Methodist Church in Bloomington, MN, is proud to include boys and girls in grades K-5. Students from West Bloomington elementary schools such as Ridgeview, Olson, and Normandale Hills Elementary make up most of the pack's members, but we are delighted to welcome scouts from any community or school who find Bloomington to be a good Scouting home.

Our first pack meeting will be September 12, 6:30-8 PM at Ridgeview Elementary school.  It will be a carnival- like event open to anyone wishing to explore Cub Scouting.  There's no need to call ahead, just bring your child and come see what Cub Scouts do! We have plenty of fun activities planned to kick off the year, including inflatable archery, 'axe' throwing', stomp rockets, games and more fun.  This event will be a great introduction to the pack for all those new to scouting. 

What is Cub Scouting, and where does it fit into the Scouting family?

Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scouting movement, originally described Cub Scouting as "fun with a purpose".  (Apologies to Highlights magazine, which adopted and copyrighted this phrase as its slogan many years after B-P said this.)  Cub Scouting gives children in kindergarten through 5th grade the chance to enjoy the outdoors, build friendships and leadership skills, and have fun while exploring activities from a broad range of fields like STEM, social and cultural events, life skills, history, music, and service projects, to name a few.  When Cub Scouts reach 5th grade, they have the opportunity to move up into Scouts BSA with a troop to continue their adventures.  While Cub Scouting was originally limited to boys when it was founded, it is now open to everyone.   Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA are both part of Boy Scouts of America, which was founded in 1910 but which will change its name in February, 2025 to Scouting America to more accurately reflect its members and the communities it serves. We are already using the new name in many places, however, so look for it to show up more and more over time.

A Cub Scout pack is made up of dens.  Dens are made up of scouts in the same grade.  Kindergarteners are Lions, first graders are Tigers, second graders are Wolves, third graders are Bears, fourth graders are first year Webelos, and fifth graders are Arrow of Light scouts.  Most dens have between 4 and 10 Scouts.  Dens might meet anywhere from one to three times in a month, depending on the age of the scouts and the time of year.  Pack 461 generally holds a monthly pack meeting, usually on the third Thursday of the month.  Some months, the pack meeting will be replaced with a special event on a Saturday, such as the Pinewood Derby.  Winter events are often on the weekends to take advantage of daylight and peak temperatures.

Pack 461 also has a robust outdoor program, with summer camp for Cub Scouts and Arrow of Light Camp for 4th graders heading into 5th grade; fall and spring family camping trips; and winter cabin camping. We enjoy outdoor activities year round, from hiking, biking, playing games, and climbing in the summer, to sledding, boot skating, ice skating, and every snow sport you can think of in the winter.

If you have an older child who is interested in Scouting opportunities, there are lots of opportunities locally!  Visit adventureiscalling.org to see all of our local units.  Scouts BSA troops are for boys and girls age 11 and up, or for 5th graders who are at least 10 years old if they are registering on or after March 1 of the school year.  (Cub Scouts who earn their Arrow of Light and are at least 10 years old are also eligible to move up to Scouts BSA.)   Venturing and Sea Scouts are available for young men and women 13 years old and finished with 8th grade, or age 14 if still in 8th grade, up to age 21. These focus on outdoor adventures (Venturing) and boating, sailing, and maritime adventure (Sea Scouting) with individual units often having a specific focus (such as scuba diving, rock climbing, search and rescue, etc).   Exploring clubs serve middle schoolers, aged 10 – 14, in sixth through eighth grades. Exploring posts serve older youth 14 – 20 years old.  Exploring offers exposure to specific career fields.  The Bloomington Police Department has an Exploring post dedicated to law enforcement!  Our local Council, Northern Star Scouting, has many wonderful opportunities for kids of all ages (and adults!) to explore the world around us and find new talents and new skills to explore within ourselves, at any age.

2024: New Membership Renewal Process

 To our returning scouts and adults: Please check your email for an email from BSA National that contains your registration renewal link, if you have not already renewed. All renewals across the country are now being managed through BSA National rather than the local Councils. The email will come from "Boy Scouts of America" with the subject "Your BSA membership is up for renewal".  Memberships are being set up as annual subscription renewals (like everything else these days) that can be cancelled when the time comes.

New Scout Registration: Click Here To Join Pack 3461!

Click on the link above to go directly to the online signup page for Pack 3461 at my.scouting.org! You can also use the QR code belowt if you want to use a mobile device.

Scouts can join Cub Scouting at any time- there's no need to wait for the start of a school year!  We are active year round, including summers, though our events are different over the summers since we know families are often 'up nort' at cabins and on vacation over weekends.  Scouts and parents alike form friendships going to Twins games, ice skating evenings, and working on service projects, not to mention the beauty of camping weekends in the fall and spring. Those often lead to play dates over summer, joint family outings, and more.  Come enjoy Scouting together; there's something for everyone in your family to enjoy, and the only downtime is the kind you do in a camping chair under the stars.

Please note: There is a financial assistance option in the online application.  Please use it if you need it- both Northern Star Scouting and Pack 461 are committed to making sure no child misses out on Scouting because of financial constraints. Both the Council and Pack 461 have resources to help with their part of the process.

What Can Scouting Do For My Child?

Character Development through Relevant Programming

Scouting is full of fun and discovery. "Beyond that, it builds positive character and provides young people with a foundation they can stand on to embrace opportunity, overcome obstacles, and make new discoveries"¹. A study by Tufts University followed 2,000+ Scouts and non-Scouts aged 6-12 who were measured in 6 key areas:

The key findings of the study were:

• The more time kids spend in Scouting, the better the outcomes in character development 
• Those who attend meetings regularly report higher outcomes virtually across the board when compared to Scouts with lower attendance 
• Scouts are more likely to embrace positive social values than non-Scouts 
• Scouts who are more engaged in the program report higher outcomes in nearly every category

Cub Scouting, at its heart, is intended to help kids learn valuable skills and develop their character while having fun. While traditional Cub Scout events like the Pinewood Derby and the Raingutter Regatta still occur annually, the Scouting program continues to evolve and add new opportunities, integrating skill development consistent with relevant trends. Incorporating tradition with relevant, new themes such as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)  has produced a robust Scouting program that is engaging and appropriate for all ages - kid to adult!

Scouting is a Family Activity

It's not unusual to find multiple generations of Scouts within one family who enjoy sharing knowledge, skills, and great stories. The skills youth learn through Scouting can lead to lifelong opportunities that bring families together. Parents and siblings are encouraged to attend pack and den meetings with their scout. Scouts who are either a Lion (kindergartner) or Tiger (first grader) must have at least one parent accompany them to all meetings and events.  All scouts are generally expected to have a parent attend camping trips.

There is no shortage of opportunities for siblings and parents to jump in and complete activities with their scout. Rocket launches, day and overnight camping trips, hikes, campfires, and special pack events are more memorable when parents choose to be involved. It means so much to a child when a parent is proud of them, but have you ever felt what it's like when your child is proud of you?

Parents, like Scouts, are often extending their boundaries a little to discover new skills and abilities that they may have been too shy to try in the past. The pack, including the pack committee, runs on volunteers. Pack 461 supports every adult volunteer, from training programs designed to help parents with leadership roles in the pack to opportunities to learn Scouting skills at the University of Scouting.  

Come along and help us craft memories that will last a lifetime!  

Questions? Email the Pack Committee at Pack461Bloomington@gmail.com

Chuck Hawkinson, Cubmaster

Michele Rutledge, Assistant Cubmaster

Cathy Hawkinson, Committee Chair

Jay Garey, Chartered Organization Representative

Kristi Anderson, Treasurer

 ¹ Scouting Wire. BSA Tufts Infographic, (n.d.) http://scoutingwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/BSA-Tufts-Infographic.pdf