#ScoutMeIn (Youth Grades K-5)

Rainbow Council is your first step in becoming a scout in Will, Grundy, and Kankakee county. Scouting is for every kid. Ranks are based on school age and a few other qualifications. Different Cub Scout ranks can be in a Pack, and Packs can be all-boy, all-girl, or a mixture of both. Rainbow Council has several camping opportunities for Cub Scouts in Will, Grundy, and Kankakee County in Illinois, so check our calendar for future camping dates. 

Are you a Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Bear or Weblo? What is a Pack? Where to begin?

Scouting is for every kid. Ranks are based on school age and a few other qualifications. Typically, ranks for youth go as follows:

Lion → Tiger → Wolf → Bear → Webelos → Arrow of Light (Earned)

Pack locations are based on wherever they can be hosted based on the consensus of volunteers who lead the pack. While there might be a pack close to you, you don’t have to commit to joining your closest pack. If you need help find the right pack for your family and your Cub Scout, please reach out to Rainbow Council so we can find a good fit for your family! Alternatively, if you, and a couple of volunteers are willing to commit to a new role and start a new pack at a location convenient for your group, let us know and our District Executives can get you started!

Information for Cub Scout Parents

 

So your child wants to join Cub Scouts. Where to even begin. Below, we have included a helpful checklist. While this doesn’t cover everything you may need, it’s the start of your new Cub Scouts Adventure! 

Find a Pack!
  • Use https://beascout.scouting.org/ to find the nearest pack to you! While the nearest might not always be the best, after you and your Cub Scout register, you can always work with your District Executive to find the best fit for your family. You can always change a Cub Scout Pack, or even Scout Troop whenever your family needs to.
  • Contact the Unit Leader to see if they can accommodate your new Cub Scout, what their Pack or Den requirements are, and what the expectations of their parents are. 
  • Paperwork! We have a few pieces of documentation for every registered person in the Scouting Program. Some of the required paperwork include a Youth/Adult Application, and Health Record, and in most cases a Criminal Background Check (we also have a Youth Protection Program which requires all registered adults to participate). Check with your Unit Leader or call our Registrar at Rainbow Council to see what documents we require.
  • Pay the registration fee. This fee varies from Council to Council. We collect a fee to be paid to National to use their branding and insurance, along with a few other things. Council also implements a fee to help pay for programming and staff to help coordinate programs for youth. Some Councils also require a program fee, however, at this time, Rainbow Council doesn’t collect a program fee for registration.
Get a Uniform!
  • Rainbow Council Scout Service Center in Lockport has EVERYTHING you could need to start your Cub’s Scouting Adventure! Make sure to check with your unit leader to see what uniform requirements they have. Ask if they allow Class B articles, and what is allowed during casual outing such as hiking or participating in COPE events.
Participate!
  • Ask about Rainbow Council events! We have lots of programs throughout the year, which we share on our calendar and on Facebook. Even if your pack chooses not to participate, you and your Scout can! It’s always more fun with friends, so if you do come to a program, encourage a few from your pack to join you. These are how scouting moments are made!
  • Fund-raise to pay to extras! Camp and Programs are a great way to make memories, but they can add up. Fundraising is a great way to teach entrepreneurial skills to Cub Scouts, and it’s a great way to keep costs down. Council offers two fundraising opportunities, Camp Cards and Popcorn, that offer commission direct to the unit and Scout. Ask your Unit Leader what kinds of fundraising efforts they participate in, or your District Executive.
  • Camping is a staple in every Scout’s experience. Camping teaches survival skills, environmental awareness, problem solving, and more. Rainbow Council proudly uses and recommends our own Rainbow Scout Reservation for your Units camping needs. We have volunteers who come on “Beaver Days” to help improve and strengthen our Reservation. We have had volunteers come in to help put together our fire ring, and Cub Scouts come in to making duck boxes as a part of preservation efforts. We invite and encourage everyone to use our Rainbow Scout Reservation (RSR) in Morris, IL for their camping needs.
  • Hiking teaches appreciation of nature, preservation of natural resources, and promotes a healthy lifestyle. While we recommend coming to Rainbow Scout Reservation for some of your outdoor needs, there are lots of trails to explore in Will, Grundy and Kankakee county. We do have themed hikes through our programming efforts, like the Haunted Hike, and we even have volunteers who lead special hikes from time to time in local areas (even our own L&M Canal Trail)
  • Earn awards, adventures and advancements. Some of these are nationally recognized in the program and some come from a council level. Ask you new leaders what they recommend and what they offer. The aim of all these advancements are to instill what is known as the Scout Oath and Law. Within the Scouting program, we maintain four aims: character, personal fitness, citizenship and leadership. The outlined methods of Cub Scouting specifically are: living the ideals, belonging to a den, advancement, family involvement, activities, serving the community, and the uniform. For more information on the Aims and Methods for Cub Scouts, visit here.