So, your son wants to join Cub Scout Pack 5 -- that's great! But what do you do now? The information below addresses some of the common questions we receive from new parents. Please, call or email a leader if you have any questions which are not adequately addressed in the information below. Registration Paperwork
 You will also need to complete an Annual BSA Health and Medical Record - again, you can get a copy from a Den Leader or the Cubmaster, or you can download and print a copy from the Resources section of our website.
Finally, we ask that you complete a Family Talent Survey (you can also find a copy of this form in the Resources section). Every adult leader in our Pack is a volunteer, and we really need the help of every parent to make our Pack the best it can be and provide the highest-quality program possible for our boys.
Open the New Scout Form Checklist (attached at the bottom of this page) to make sure you have all the items you need to register with our Pack.
Volunteering
Our Pack (and Scouting in general) cannot function without the help of volunteers. We highly encourage you to become an active volunteer to help make our program even better.
There are a number of ways to become involved in Scouting, such as:
You don't have to be a Den Leader, Cubmaster or other "direct contact" leader to make a difference -- if your time is limited, volunteering for one simple project during the year can be a great way to help out. If everyone does a little, we can achieve a lot!
We hope you consider helping to make your son's experience in Scouting the best it can be. Talk to a leader if you are interested in helping.agreeing to be a ScoutParent when you register your son for Scouting.
Uniforms
 Boys in Cub Scout Pack 5 wear the Official BSA uniform. Wearing the uniform promotes a feeling of being a member of a team, builds camaraderie, and is an important aspect of the Scouting program. For Tiger, Wolf, and Bear Scouts, this uniform consists of a Blue uniform shirt, a neckerchief, and slide. The total cost of these items is around $40 (depending on whether you purchase a short- or long-sleeve uniform shirt). Our Pack does not require uniform pants as part of our official uniform.
For Webelos scouts, the uniform consists of a Khaki (tan) uniform shirt (which can be worn when the Scout bridges from Cub Scouting to Boy Scouting), a neckerchief, slide, and a Webelos Colors ribbon. The total cost of these items around $50, again depending on whether you chose a short- or long-sleeve uniform shirt.
Additionally, we highly recommend, but do not require, that boys purchase a belt (around $10) as part of their uniform -- during the year, boys will earn many "belt loop" awards which are worn on the belt. Without a belt, these awards have a tendency to be misplaced.
Unfortunately, the nearest Scout Shop that sells uniform items is located in Albany. You may order uniforms from the BSA National Supply website at www.scoutstuff.org. Or, to avoid shipping costs, you can order your uniform through our Pack -- just print out the uniform order form (attached at the bottom of this page), fill it out, and hand it to your Den Leader, along with a check made payable to Cub Scout Pack 5.
If you and your son absolutely cannot afford to purchase a uniform, please read the "Financial Assistance" section, below.
Patches and Books
 It is Cub Scout Pack 5's goal that advancement patches and Scout handbooks are paid for by the Pack, at no cost to the individual Scout, provided that the Scout participates in the annual fall popcorn fundraising sale. By having full Scout participation in annual popcorn sale, we can avoid having to hold multiple fundraisers throughout the year to support our program. If a Scout does not participate in the Popcorn sale, he or his family will need to reimburse the Pack for the cost of handbooks and advancement materials, which for most Scouts will exceed $20 per year.
Click here for more information on the fall popcorn fundraising sale.
Meetings
 In addition to Den meetings, Scouts will usually attend one den-organized activity each month. They will also attend the monthly Pack Meeting, where all the Scouts and parents in our Pack come together to receive awards they may have earned during the previous month.
Dues
Currently Pack 5 does not assess weekly dues. Scouts are expected to participate in the Pack's popcorn fundraiser to raise the funds necessary to operate the program.
Financial Assistance
We understand that for some families, particularly those with several boys in Scouting at the same time, the initial cost of joining Scouting may pose some challenges. If you find yourself in this situation, please contact our Cubmaster or Committee Chair to discuss various options which may be available, such as payment of amounts due in installments or using a "seasoned" pre-worn uniform from our inventory.
Communications
Because of the size of our Pack and the number of activities we hold, we rely on electronic communications to "get the word out" to parents without overwhelming our leaders with the need to make constant phone calls. Please make sure your Den Leader has your current email address -- if your email address changes, please get that information to us so that you don't miss out on any of the fun.
This website is another excellent resource for information. All Pack-wide events will be posted on our website.
We also have a Facebook page here. If you use Facebook, please "like" our page and you will receive periodic updates on upcoming events.
Finally, to keep up with District and Council-wide events, we encourage you to establish a MyCouncil account on the Twin Rivers Council website here: www.trcscouting.org. Click on the Join link in the upper right corner of any page on their website. This account will allow you to receive electronic communications from the Council in the form of emails and e-newsletters. You can specify your interests and choose the type of communications you want to receive so that you get information that is both relevant and timely.
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