Joining the pack
You can join at any point in the year. Most families start in the fall, but nobody has missed the boat in March. If you're curious, the simplest thing is to come to a meeting and see whether your child likes it.
Two ways to start
- Send us a message. Our pack's page on the official Scouting site (scouting.org) has a contact form and is where you register. Tell us your child's grade and school and we'll point you to the right den.
- Come to a pack meeting. The pack meets the second Wednesday of each month, in the Multipurpose Room at Issaquah Valley Elementary. Visiting families are welcome; you don't need to sign up for anything first, though a message ahead of time helps us look out for you.
If you don't hear back
Please try again, or reach us through Facebook. This pack is run entirely by volunteers with day jobs, and messages have occasionally slipped through in the past. We'd much rather hear from you twice than lose you.
Joining partway through the year
Most families start in the fall, but a good number turn up in January, or March, or after seeing the Pinewood Derby. None of that is a problem, and you are not too late.
Membership is not tied to the school year. Since 2023, each member's registration runs twelve months from the day they sign up, so joining in February gets you a full year, not the leftovers of someone else's. There's no discount for joining late, but there's no lost time either.
Ranks do follow the school year, so a scout joining in spring won't finish that year's rank. In practice this matters far less than parents expect. Your scout earns the badges and belt loops the den works on while they're there, moves up with their den in the fall like everyone else, and can catch up on the rest at home if you want to. Advancement is one part of the program, not the point of it.
The one thing worth doing early is actually registering. Come to a meeting or two first to see whether it suits your child, absolutely. But packs are run by volunteers who often forget to ask, and an unregistered scout isn't covered by Scouting's insurance and doesn't show up on the roster for awards. If you've been coming a while and nobody has mentioned it, that's an oversight on our end. Ask us and we'll sort it out.
What it costs
There is a national registration fee set by Scouting America, plus modest pack dues that cover advancement badges, awards, and program materials. Handbooks and uniforms are additional and can often be bought used or handed down.
Cost should not be the reason your child doesn't join. Come to a couple of meetings and talk to us.
What's expected of parents
Cub Scouting is a family program, not a drop-off activity. An adult comes to den meetings with their scout, and comes to take part rather than to watch: helping with the activity, running a station, taking a turn at leading one.
That is the minimum, along with Youth Protection Training, which is free, online, and required of every registered adult. You do not need a Scouting background.
How dens work
Scouts are grouped by grade into dens, which meet separately on their own schedule, usually at a leader's home or the school. The whole pack gathers monthly for ceremonies, awards, and games. Your child will move up a rank each year with their den and their friends.