Lion Scout Resources for a Great Program

Lion Scouts is a fun introduction to the Scouting program for kindergarten-age boys and girls eager to get going! Lions do adventures with their adult partners and other Lions every month. This program introduces youth and their families to Scouting and the outdoors as it builds a foundation of character. Everything as a Lion is done with an adult partner.

A new Lion Scout receives a Cub Scout Lion Handbook which guides the scout through adventures, all with guidance from the Lion's adult partner who also gets a Lion Adult Partner Guide.
A Lion will need a Lion Scout Uniform which is a blue t-shirt and hat. This part of the scouting trail is intended to take one school year, preparing the scout to begin Tiger adventures after kindergarten is completed.

How to Join:

1. Go to BeAScout.org
2. Click the 'Cub Scouts' tab.
3. Enter your zipcode and click the arrow button.
4. Click on a Pack near you to see its contact info so you can call the Pack or your local Council about joining.
5. Complete a Youth Application and Health Record and give them to the Cubmaster of the Pack you choose.

The Lion program provides fun, hands-on activities for scouts to learn and grow while having a good time with their friends and family. The scout and adult partner do every part of the program together under the facilitation of a Lion Den Leader. The Lion den meets once a month to do things separately from the rest of the pack. These den meetings are done at a place and time convenient for the den members. The Lion den also joins all the other scouts to participate in a Pack meeting once a month. Meeting sounds pretty boring, but a good scout meeting is active, fun, and interesting. The 45 minutes to an hour time should be packed with games, activities, and safe adventure.

2026 Lion Advancement
Lion Scouts have fun exploring and doing adventures that move them ahead towards their Lion rank. The Lion rank is earned by completing six core required adventures and at least two elective adventures. The Lion's adult partner participates the whole time, but the recognition items are only for the scouts.

Lion Rank Requirements:

1. Complete each of these six Lion required adventures with your den or family:
   1. Bobcat
   2. Mountain Lion (Outdoors)
   3. Fun on the Run (Personal Fitness)
   4. King of the Jungle (Citizenship)
   5. Lion's Roar (Personal Safety)
   6. Lion's Pride (Family & Reverence)
2. Complete two of these elective Lion adventures to finish earning the Lion rank. After earning the Lion rank, additional optional Lion elective adventures can be done for further exploration and fun: Build It Up, Knock It Down, Champions for Nature, Count on Me, Everyday Tech, Gizmos and Gadgets, Go Fish, I'll Do It Myself, Let's Camp, On a Roll, On Your Mark, Pick My Path, Race Time, Ready, Set, Grow Time to Swim

Akela is the name given to the Cub Scout's leader. This is the Lion's adult partner, and that person is responsible for helping the Lion complete each adventure and marking the Lion's handbook.

Once a Lion has completed enough adventures to earn rank, there's still more to do. There are many more adventures to explore until it's time to move on to a Tiger den. Some scouts strive to earn the possible adventures. They can do them with their adult partner outside of the den.

Lion Den Leader:

An energetic and caring Den Leader is important to the success of a Lion Den. The Den Leader plans the program of activities for the year and makes that plan available to all the adult partners. But, the den leader does not organize and run every den meeting and outing, instead the actual running of the program is done through shared leadership with the adult partners.

A Lion Den relies on the support and enthusiasm of its families! This shared leadership helps ensure participation by all, provides a sense of ownership to all, and gives each scout family a chance to lead the den.

The Lion Den Leader is a registered Scouting America volunteer who completes training. Every Lion Den is required to have a registered leader whose responsibilities are:

1. Work directly with other den and pack leaders to ensure that their den is an active and successful part of the pack.
2. Plan and prepare for initial Lion den meeting and outing.
3. Mentor adult partners in the delivery of their particular den meetings.
4. Attend pack leaders' meetings.
5. Lead the den at the monthly meeting and pack activities.
6. Ensure the transition of scouts in the Lion den into a Tiger den at the end of the year.
7. Prepare Lions for day camp at the end of the Lion year.
8. Coordinate shared leadership among the Lion adult partners, ensuring that each Lion and adult partner get to be the host team to plan and execute the den activities.

There are many resources available to help the den leader plan and run a successful, interesting program for the scouts on scouting.org, but there is no current Lion Den Leader Guide.

An outdated Lion Den Leader Guide from the previous version of this program contains plans and ideas which a resourceful den leader might still find useful in 2026.

Tip: Keep in mind that participation is the key goal of the Lion program. There is no level of competence or skill required to earn the rank badge. Don't push your scout to succeed, just participate and enjoy the time together.

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