The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and law.

There are many qualified prospects for Cub Scout leadership.  This selection process will assure that the most qualified person is selected. The important role of shaping the lives of youth demands nothing less!

1. Develop a prospect list. Have on hand a membership roll of the chartered organization and the names of the parents of pack or den members or prospective members. Ask each person to suggest additional names. Enter the names in the spaces provided under “Guide for Selecting a Leader” in this folder.
2. Rate each prospect by placing a check mark in the appropriate box (“Yes,” “No,” or “Don't Know”) for each quality of leadership. Donut omit people assumed to be “too busy” That decision belongs to the candidate.
3. If there are several “Donut Knows” for any prospect, it is imperative that some discreet inquiry be made.
4. In the overall evaluation, rank the prospects in order of preference as soon as all information is obtained.
5. Secure approval from the organization head to contact the preferred candidates.
6. Appoint three or four people to call on the first prospect. At least one member of the team must be from the chartered organization.

Set the time and date of the meeting, preferably at the prospect's home in a family setting. Be sure it is a date convenient to the members of the visitation team.

Explain the purpose of the visit and make every effort to convince the prospect to accept the position because of the opportunity for service.  Honestly review the steps that have been taken, how the qualifications were reviewed, and the endorsement of all involved. The member of the chartered organization extends the invitation to serve the organization as a Cub Scout leader and pledges the organization's full support.

If the prospect cannot give a reply during the visit, a follow-up contact should be made within 24 hours. If the prospect declines, the process is repeated with the next candidate.
 

Step 5. Welcome the New Leader.

 The new leader is formally registered and the application approved by the head of the chartered organization or the chartered organization representative. The leadership selection team members, Cubmaster, pack committee, key members of the chartered organization, den leaders, and others involved in the pack attend a “get acquainted” meeting with the new leader.  The new leader is briefed on the general organization of the pack, its procedures, meeting place and meeting patterns, and program plans. The leader is introduced to the other adults involved in the pack. Handbooks, records, and materials are turned over. Arrangements are made for a press release, letter to parents, an introduction of the new leader at a meeting of the chartered organization, and an introduction of the new leader to the parents at the pack meeting. Another leader accompanies the new leader to the first den or pack meeting.
 

Step 6. Fast Start Training.

 As soon as the new leader agrees to serve and completes the Adult Registration application, a member of the pack provides to the new leader the Cub Scout Fast Start Viewer's Guide and the appropriate Fast Start video tape for the position. 
An experienced Scouter follows up to make certain the new leader has a clear understanding of the job and knows that resources are available. For a new den leader, this is usually done by the den leader coach; for a new Webelos den leader, the Webelos den leader coach. The leader is invited to the next Cub Scout leader roundtable, and arrangements are made for basic training. 

Leave No Trace is a plan that helps people to be more concerned about their environment and to help them protect it for future generations. Leave No Trace applies in a backyard or local park (frontcountry) as much as it does in the wilderness (backcountry).

We should practice Leave No Trace in our attitude and actions—wherever we go. Understanding nature

Help protect the environment by remembering that while you are there, you are a visitor. When you visit the outdoors, take special care of the area. Leave everything just as you find it.

Hiking and camping without a trace are signs of a considerate outdoorsman who cares for the environment. Travel lightly on the land.

• Watch for hazards and follow all the rules of the park or outdoor facility. Remember proper clothing, sunscreen, hats, first aid kits, and plenty of drinking water. Use the buddy system. Make sure you carry your family's name, phone number, and address.

• Stay on marked trails whenever possible. Shortcoming trails causes the soil to wear away or to be packed, which eventually kills trees and other vegetation. Trampled wildflowers and vegetation take years to recover. Stick to trails!

• Managing your pet will keep people, dogs, livestock, and wildlife from feeling threatened. Make sure your pet is on a leash or controlled at all times. Do not let your pet approach or chase wildlife. When animals are chased or disturbed, they change eating patterns and use more energy that may result in poor health or death.Take care of your pet's waste. 
• Take a small shovel or scoop and a pick-up bag to pick up your pets waste — wherever its left. Place the waste bags in a trash can for disposal. 

• When visiting any outdoor area, try to leave it the same as you find it. The less impact we each make, the longer we will enjoy what we have. Even picking flowers denies others the opportunity to see them and reduces seeds, which means fewer plants next year.
• Use established rest rooms. Graffiti and vandalism have no place anywhere, and they spoil the experience for others.  Leave your mark by doing an approved conservation project.

• Expect to meet other visitors. Be courteous and make room for others. control your speed when biking or running. Pass with care and let others know before you pass. Avoid disturbing others by making noise or playing loud music.
• Respect ‘No Trespassing’ signs. If property boundaries are unclear, do not enter the area.

• Make sure all trash is put in a bag or trash receptacle.  Trash is unsightly and ruins everyone's outdoor experience.  Your trash can kill wildlife. Even materials, such as orange peels, apple cores and food scraps, take years to break down and may attract unwanted pests that could become a problem.

1. Discuss with your leader or parent/guardian the importance of the Leave No Trace frontcountry guidelines.
2. On three separate outings, practice the frontcountry guidelines of Leave No Trace.
3. Boys in a Tiger Cub den complete the activities for Achievement 5, Let's Go Outdoors; boys in a Wolf den complete Requirement 7, Your Living World; boys in a Bear den complete Requirement 12, Family Outdoor Adventures; boys in a Webelos den earn the Outdoorsman activity badge.
4. Participate in a Leave No Trace—related service project.
5. Promise to practice the Leave No Trace frontcountry guidelines by signing the Cub Scout Leave No Trace Pledge.
6. Draw a poster to illustrate the Leave No Trace front country guidelines and display it at a pack meeting.

1. Discuss with your den's Cub Scouts or your pack's leaders the importance of the Leave No Trace front- country guidelines.
2. On three separate outings demonstrate and practice the frontcountry guidelines of Leave No Trace.
3. Participate in presenting a den, pack, district, or council awareness session on Leave No Trace front- country guidelines.
4. Participate in a Leave No Trace—related service project.
5. Commit yourself to the Leave No Trace frontcountry guidelines by signing the Cub Scout Leave No Trace Pledge.
6. Assist at least three boys in earning Cub Scouting's Leave No Trace Awareness Award.

1. Plan ahead.
2. Stick to trails.
3. Manage your pet.

4. Leave what you find.
5. Respect other visitors.
6. Trash your trash.

Qualities of a Good Relationship
      When the partnership is working well, both partners are aware of their interdependence, they have complete confidence in each other, and they share the same objectives (to help units succeed in providing a quality program for youth). 

Good volunteer-professional relationships are characterized by mutual trust, mutual respect, and mutual recognition of each other's role and competency.

In Scout districts, for example, mutual dependence results because district executives know they cannot possibly do all the work that needs to be done, and district volunteers know they need the coaching and experience of full-time professionals.

     If partners have complete confidence in each other, they will seek each other's counsel. Neither partner has a monopoly on wisdom, judgment, or experience. When the full resources of both parties are applied to decision making, the combination is unbeatable. 

     Your professional is a Scouting friend and counselor.  Working together is more effective when volunteers and professionals enjoy each other's company. Professionals do not work for volunteers, but with them as partners on behalf of youth. The unselfish service you both render and your common dedication breeds mutual respect and a feeling of kinship. One test of the relationship is whether the two parties think of each other as friends.

     Occasionally a volunteer will say to a professional, "Remember, you get paid for this, and I don't." But that is not the significant difference between volunteers and professionals. The significant difference is that volunteers are able to give only a portion of their time to Scouting, while professionals give their full time, and then some.

     This means professionals are dependent upon the Scouting movement for the material things of life, but it does not mean professionals look upon Scouting differently than volunteers. Both are dedicated to the same principles, and both are trying to live out those principles in their lives and in their work. Many professionals could pursue careers outside Scouting and make more money, but they choose to stay in Scouting because of their commitment to youth and their belief in the program.

     The fact that professionals give all their time means their experience is broader and deepens more quickly.  Their training is more intensive and continues throughout their professional careers. This makes their coaching more valuable to volunteers. So seek out the guidance of your professional coach.

B. Be accessible to your professional adviser.  Exchange phone numbers, e-mail addresses, mailing addresses, etc. Avoid the impression that you are too busy or annoyed when he calls. Return his calls.  Set up regularly scheduled visits and/or phone dates. You may need to talk weekly, monthly, or less frequently, depending on your responsibility.

C. Create a welcome environment for the new professional and plan ways to incorporate him or her into the team. Remember, its easy for a group to turn inward and make newcomers feel awkward or unwelcome. Send a letter of introduction to appropriate volunteers from a person in authority (council president, Scout executive, etc.). This helps a person feel good about joining the district or council.  It also helps volunteers get acquainted with the new pro.

D. A professional will try to make efficient use of volunteers' time and, as best they can, plan visits and meetings at times that are best for volunteers. Volunteers and professionals should help make the most efficient use of each other's Scouting time.

E. District and council Scouters should know that they can turn to their pro for advice or troubleshooting. Help create the kind of relationship in which you are comfortable asking for help.

F. There will inevitably be some professionals you don't like as much as others. That's human nature. 

G. While you obviously want to form a Scouting relationship, it is nevertheless important to get to know your professional as a whole person. Most of us will feel more comfortable working with someone who is interested in other aspects of our lives as well as our Scouting responsibilities.
Keep in mind that Scouting is not a person's only priority in life. They will have family priorities and may be active in religious and other activities.

H. Let your professional adviser know if you plan to have your spouse, secretary, or work associate assist you with a Scouting task, and how the pro can be helpful to that person.

I. Develop good communications in which you and your professional really listen to and understand each other.

J. In some instances the function of guiding other volunteers is shared between you and a pro. For example, a district executive works with operating committee chairmen who also look to the district chairman for guidance.  Both the council commissioner and district executives have a direct working relationship with district commissioners. Unit commissioners work with both their district executive and their ADC.
     You and the professional should be careful to avoid confusion for volunteers and to ensure that they receive consistent messages and have a compatible relationship with both their volunteer leader and the professional.

The best relationships between professional and volunteer are those that include trust, friendship, mutual respect, a recognition of each other's skills, and a further recognition of the symbiosis created when those skills are combined.

The continuing greatness of Scouting as a volunteer movement is in your capable hands as you and your volunteer team work effectively with your professional adviser.