Lion Cub Scout Organization

This information is out of date.
Use the new Lion organization information.

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Each Lion belongs to a Lion Den. The den is led by a volunteer adult with previous experience leading a den who has taken on the responsibility of organizing the program. This leader is called a Lion Guide and relies heavily on the adult partners of the Lions to fulfill the program goals by participating with their lion scout.
An adult partner can be a parent, relative, or friend who is at least 18 years old and who cares about the youth.

Each adult partner should take turns working with the lion guide to plan and lead a den meeting throughout the year. Dens should have from 6 to 8 scouts, each one with an adult partner. You can look forward to this den of Lions becoming a nest of Eagles in a few years - it's a great process to enjoy.

Your Lion Den is part of a Cub Scout Pack. The Pack is run by a CubMaster. A Pack in Cub Scouting and a Troop in Scouts BSA are similar and are both referred to as 'units' in the scouting hierarchy. The pack will have lion, tiger, wolf, bear, and webelos dens made up of boys or girls from kindergarten through 5th grade. After 5th grade, Webelos move on to a Scouts BSA Troop.
The Pack holds a monthly meeting where you have recognition ceremonies, skits, songs, and announcements of upcoming pack events. Packs usually have from 50 to 100 scouts. There are around 150,000 packs and troops across the country.

The Pack is supported by a pack committee, all volunteers. There is a Pack Committee Chairman and other pack committee members. Most pack committees consist of family members and members of the pack's chartered organization. The chartered organization is granted a charter by the Boy Scouts of America to use the Scouting program. This chartered organization can be a school, service club, religious group, or other group interested in youth. The chartered organization approves the leadership of the pack, provides a meeting place, and operates the pack within the guidelines and policies of that organization and the BSA.

Packs in your area are organized into a District based on geographic boundaries determined by the local Council. At the district level, summer camps, day camps, leader roundtables, and other events are planned. The district supports units through membership, finance, and program services. Your unit has a District Executive and that person helps your pack and den get help and resources it needs. There are thousands of districts.

Districts are grouped into a Council. A council is responsible for growing a successful scouting program in its locality. A Council owns camp property and runs summer camps. It also offers fundraising programs, adult training, and service projects to support the pack and troop units. According to the BSA National Council, there are over 300 councils.

Councils in a geographic area are grouped into Areas of which there are 26 in the country. Each area director works with 10 to 15 councils. The area director maintains contact with the Scout Executive in a council and provides support as needed.

Areas are grouped into Regions of which there are 4 in the country. Regional management centers are liaisons between councils and the National Council. A region provides direct support to its councils in the areas of fund raising, program, computers, and administration. Regional offices provide direct support services to Area Directors.

BSA National Council, located in Irving, Texas, is the governing body of the scouting program in the United States. They set policy, offer national awards, organize national jamborees, maintain high-adventure camps, and define the scouting program. There are many helpful resources on their website. On-line registration and membership support, program and literature development, advancement support, liability insurance, and maintaining program consistency across the country are all services provided by the National Council.