Organisation
The worldwide Brotherhood of Scouts is some 16 million strong and has been going from strength to strength ever since Lord Baden-Powell founded it in 1907. The Cub Scout section was formed in 1916. In the UK alone there are over 600,000 members of the Scout Association, half of whom are Cub Scouts. Now your child is joining a Cub Scout Pack. The Cub Scout Leader runs the Pack with a team of assistants. The Cubs usually call the leader Akela (pronounced are-kay-la) and the assistant leaders by other names based on the Jungle Book. We have a Raksha (rack-shar), Baloo (bar-loo) and Keego (key-go). The Cub Pack is broken into smaller groups called Sixes - each led by an older Cub Scout called a Sixer and supervised by a leader.

The Cub Scout Pack is part of a Scout Group. Groups may be made up of:

• a Beaver Scout Colony for young people aged 6-8 years,
• a Cub Scout Pack for young people aged 8-10½ years,
• a Scout Troop for young people aged 10½ years to 14 years,
• an Explorer Scout unit for young people aged 14 to 18 years,
• a Group Executive Committee of parents and friends of the young people in the Colony, Pack, Troop and Unit.

Each section is led by trained adult leaders, watched over by a Group Scout Leader (GSL) who co-ordinates the work of all the sections. Our GSL is Steve Stocker. All leaders and regular helpers undergo a criminal records bureau (CRB) enhanced check which is standard for all organisations that deal with children. In addition the Scout Association performs additional checks on its leaders.

Together, several groups make up a District, led by the District Commissioner (DC) and a team of Assistant District Commissioners (ADC). A number of districts in turn make up a County, with a County Commissioner (CC) and a team of Assistant County Commissioners (ACC).

Our Group, District & County
How does this national picture fit in to the structure of 1st Billingshurst? We can tick all the boxes as we have all the sections here in the village.
In fact we have two cub packs - ours is called Parbrook and meets on a Tuesday night. The other pack is called Dauxwood and meets on Wednesdays. The two packs are completely separate and run quite differently. This website is for Parbrook cub pack.
Our District is called Petworth & Pulborough and includes groups in Ashington, Billingshurst, Easebourne, Fittleworth, Ifold, Petworth, Pulborough, Storrington and Wisborough Green. Together with other Districts from East Grinstead and Haywards Heath in the east to Chichester in the west, we form the County of West Sussex. If you are interested in Scouting elsewhere in West Sussex you can get more information via the West Sussex Scouts website.

What are we trying to do?
The Cub Scout Programme encourages a Cub:

• to grow up to be fit and able to look after themselves,
• to discover new skills and interests,
• to think positively about themselves and other people, and
• to acquire an ability to meet and overcome challenges.

All our activities are based on the Cub Scout Promise and Law. Your Cub will be asked to formally make their promise at the investiture ceremony which you will be invited to attend.

The Training Programme
The method of training in Scouting is 'learning by doing' through participation in the Balanced Programme - so the programme will include games, handicrafts, challenges, competitions, camps, expeditions and outings.

• The joining-in award is a special award given at yearly intervals to Cubs as recognition for their participation in the balanced programme. The anniversary date is the date they were invested - either into the pack or, if they have come to Cubs from Beavers, into the colony.
• Challenge badges can be earned as a result of taking part in the programme. There are seven badges - outdoor (and outdoor plus), promise, creative, global, fitness and community.
• The Chief Scout's Silver Award is the highest award in the Cub Scout section. To complete it a Cub must gain six challenge badges. (The Outdoor Plus challenge badge is not compulsory.)
• In addition, Cub Scouts can work towards a series of activity badges which cover a particular activity or interest.

Most activities are designed to be done within the Pack but some may be done at home where parents can help the Cub complete the activities. The more they do for themselves the better, but some help and encouragement from you will be useful. We don't put badge requirements on our site but they can easily be obtained by clicking on the "Badges and Awards" link which is included on every page on this website.

Money
The Scout Association is a registered charity. With the exception of some staff at Headquarters (in London) all the leaders are volunteers and receive no financial reward for their time. Inevitably there are costs that have to be met (e.g. insurance, hall upkeep, gas and electricity bills). There is also the Membership Fee (sometimes referred to as "capitation") that is paid to Scout Headquarters in London each year by every member of the Association. It is used to pay for Scout Insurance and the headquarters organisation. Our District and County keep part of the fee for their expenses. In 2006 the Membership Fee was just over £28 for every member. Typically the group has to raise some £3000 each year to meet these expenses.

Group Subscription (Subs)
The day to day running of the Pack is funded using your Subs. Thanks to our fund raising our Subs are just £22 per term - less than the other sections at 1st Billingshurst. Your £22 should be paid by half term although you don't have to pay until you are invested. In addition to the running costs mentioned above, this money is used to pay for badges and the resource material needed to run the pack. The national Membership Fee is paid from group funds – you do not have to pay it separately. If you register for Gift Aid we can claim back tax on your Subs. In 2005 this was worth over £1100 to the group as a whole.

Joining fee
We make a charge of £5 when you join our pack. This covers the costs of the books, stickers and poster that you get as part of your membership award work.

Fund Raising
The fund raising activities are co-ordinated by the Group Executive Committee. Money raised by their Jumble Sales, race nights, quizzes and similar events is used to support the running of the group as a whole. We also benefit from the annual Billingshurst Show. Occasionally the Cubs do fund raising but this is normally for specific good causes. Money to run our pack comes from your Subs, our bag packing at Budgens at Christmas and also from money raised through our buy.at shop.

Saturday Activities
We are a fairly active group and each term organise several trips, expeditions and camps. The dates are all shown on the programme for the term, which also gives details of the activities that will take place at Pack Meetings. For major trips and camps an additional note giving more details is normally sent home nearer the time and details will be available on the website. We try to offer a wide range of activities outside Pack Meetings and hope that every Cub will find that there is something on that they want to attend. Cubs that only come to Pack Meetings will not get the most out of their time with us.

Storage of Personal Information
The Scout Movement in the United Kingdom is a membership organisation. To enable it to operate and communicate with its members it is necessary to maintain records about them. This includes keeping details of name, address, date of birth and contact telephone numbers. We also keep records of progress through Scouting - badges gained etc. Information held in our group may be shared from time to time within Scouting, including the Headquarters of the Association.
New legislation came into force in March 2000 which covers the protection and processing of personal data. Adults and young people have the same rights under the Data Protection Act 1988 which covers paper-based as well as computer-based information. Information that we hold will only be used in connection with your child's membership of the Scout Movement and will not be passed to third parties outside the Scout Movement without your consent. You may ask to see the information that we hold. If you have any concerns about this policy please talk to a leader.
It is important that we always have your correct address and telephone number for use in emergencies. If you do move house or change your number please tell us. Everybody that joins Parbrook cubs must complete and return a personal information form.

How can you help?
As well as encouraging your Cub with their activities and badges there may be other ways that you can help the leaders in the Pack. Specialist skills (especially those that can help with upkeep of the hall), help with transport or simply an extra pair of hands on a busy Pack night or outing are always welcome. We hope that you will take your turn on our parent's rota and if so you may find our "guidance for helpers" useful.
As a parent of a Cub Scout you are a member of the Group Council which usually meets once a year for the Annual General Meeting (AGM). When your Cub has settled in, perhaps you might help on the Group Executive Committee, which is elected at the AGM. The committee looks after fund raising and the administration of the group as a whole. You may feel that you are able to offer regular help with Scouting in the Group by becoming a leader. Remember that there is more to 1st Billingshurst Scout Group than just the Cubs and all sections would be glad of extra help. For more information have a look at our "joining in" page or have a chat with one of the leaders.
When parents, young people and leaders all work together, the result is good Scouting for everyone.

Further Information
It is likely that you still have some questions. For example - what time does Cubs start, where do I get the uniform from? You will be pleased to hear that those questions have been answered on another page.
If you have any questions about Cub Scouts or our group in general, please feel free to contact any of the leaders who will be happy to help you. We hope that all our new members are made to feel welcome but we recognise that starting Cubs can be a bit of an ordeal. If you find that your child is not enjoying their Cub Scouting as much as you think that they should be, please try to find out what the problem is and then talk to the leaders. We will do all we can to help. Above all, do not just stop coming without saying a word to anybody, as that way the leaders will not know what the problem is.