This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Cub Scout Pack 311 Welcomes New Recruits

Inclusiveness, innovation, and a packed calendar help this Cub Scout Pack explode in popularity.

Although the recent decision to admit openly gay kids and teens into the Boy Scouts of America rocked the foundation of many troops and families across the nation, it’s business as usual for Cub Scout Pack 311 based at Valley Village’s Temple Beth Hillel, whose charter has always been all-inclusive.

Pack 311 holds their annual Pack Recruitment/Orientation Meeting on Thursday, June 6th, and it’s doubtful any of the current Scouts will be leaving the ranks due to this controversial decision. In fact, there may be a flood of new Scouts and parents who may be excited to join the Pack precisely because of this change.

Despite the BSA’s firm continued refusal to admit openly gay Scout leaders, this group embraces them with open arms. “We select our leaders based upon values we find important to our faith,” states the Pack 311 Charter, which for this organization means no discrimination of any kind. And on May 7th, the Western Los Angeles County Boy Scout Council which is the larger entity of Pack 311 issued a press released announcing that “the resolution for homosexual Scouts is a step in right direction but does not go far enough and must be extended to all adult Scout volunteers and staff. Inclusion must be all-inclusive.” With more than 14,000 Scouts and over 5,000 volunteers, this council is a powerful voice in the Boy Scouts of America. 

“There are a lot of gay and lesbian parents," noted Pack 311 Cubmaster Glenn Coté during a recent interview with KPCC’s Take Two. "They want their sons to have the same experience in Scouting, and they’re not sure if they’re going to be welcome. We’ve always welcomed them.”

The BSA’s May 23rd decision recognized that "while people have different opinions about this policy, we can all agree that kids are better off when they are in Scouting.”

It’s hard to dispute this opinion as one looks at Pack 311’s calendar for just the past two weeks: a booth co-sponsored with Tree People during the Colfax World Fair; a flag placing ceremony on the veterans’ graves at the Los Angeles National Cemetery to honor Memorial Day; a Channel Islands fishing trip; a Deepsea Challenger Submarine Tour at the California Science Center; a hike at Bee Rock and Old Griffith Park Zoo; and a California Rocks! Geology Program at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

Scouts and their parents may attend as few or as many events as they like. All Scouts attend a monthly meeting at the temple on the 2nd Thursday of every month, and a monthly den meeting, where a group of 5-8 scouts meet for an hour to participate in activities or earn badges or belt loops for such varied achievements as good manners, video games, baseball, astronomy, pet care, and music.

If a boy decides to join the Pack he will be treated to plenty of camp outs, but also hiking, biking, crafts, field trips to science and history museums, community events, awards ceremonies, and the traditional derbies such as the Raingutter Regatta (model racing boats) and Pinewood Derby (model racing cars). Scouts in Pack 311 come from over a dozen area schools – both public and private, religious and non-denominational.

“As Cubmaster, my personal focus is on providing the boys in my Pack (including my own two sons, aged 7 and 10) the best and most positive Scouting experience possible,” says Cubmaster Glenn. Last April, he and his team of energetic parent volunteers created a 3-day camping experience based on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Scouts maneuvered obstacle courses, solved map puzzles, searched for the Holy Grail, and worked as a team to try and find Indiana Jones himself. The boys were given their own fedoras and satchels where they stored their maps and compasses. The weekend culminated with an Indiana Jones impersonator (or the real thing if you’re 10 and under) arriving at the camp and battling the look-alike bad guy from the first Indy film Raiders of the Lost Ark. With such innovation, it’s no surprise that Cubmaster Glenn won the 2012 Cahuenga District’s Cub Scout Leader of the Year award.

“Of the 19 Cub Scout Packs in the Cahuenga District, Pack 311’s membership (at over 60 boys) is 30% greater than any other, and growing at double the rate of any other,” according to Cubmaster Glenn. “We have the highest recorded rate of advancement of any other Pack in the District, and also the highest number of registered adult leaders.”

Cubmaster Glenn is passionate about the benefits of Scout involvement, and not just in his impressive Pack. “Scouting makes an indelible mark on the lives of its members and the benefits stay with them forever,” he adds, as he gives some impressive statistics: For every 100 boys who join Scouting:

  • 18 will develop hobbies with a lifelong interest
  • 17 will later become Scout Leaders
  • 8 will find their vocations
  • 2 will attain the rank of Eagle
  • 1 will use his Scout skills to save a life
  • 1 will credit Scout skills with saving his own life  
Men who participated in Scouting for 5 years or more:
  • Have an average household income $19,000 greater than men who were not Scouts
  • Are 16% more likely to earn a college degree
  • 50% report that Scout skills have improved their career development and advancement  
Cub Scouting has the following purposes:
  • Influence a boy's character development and spiritual growth
  • Develop habits and attitudes of good citizenship
  • Encourage sportsmanship and pride
  • Grow strong in mind and body
  • Improve understanding within the family
  • Strengthen a boy's ability to get along with others
  • Foster personal achievement
  • Develop new interests and skills
  • Provide fun and exciting new things to do
  • Show a boy how to be helpful and do his best
  • Prepare him to be a Boy Scout  
Potential Scouts (those entering 1st through 5th grade in the fall) and their parents are invited to attend the Pack Recruitment/Orientation Meeting on Thursday, June 6th from 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm at Temple Beth Hillel – 12326 Riverside Dr., Valley Village, 91607. Boys who join over the summer not only get a $20 discount on their registration fee, they can participate all the summer activities Pack 311 has planned. Application downloads and payments can be made by logging onto http://www.cubpack311.com/registration.html, or by attending Thursday’s meeting.  

Cub Scouts throughout Pack 311 will be wearing their uniforms to school on Tuesday, June 4th to promote the recruitment meeting two days later. The meeting will also have a uniform exchange, so hats, neckerchiefs and slides from the previous year’s ranks can be donated to Scouts who can use them this year.  

For more information about Pack 311 please visit their website at www.cubpack311.com.
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?