To earn the Bear Badge, a Cub Scout must complete 12 achievements out of a possible 24 that are offered in the book.

Much of the advancement for the Bear rank is done by the scout with his family outside of the den, similarly to the Wolf rank. The parent signs off in the scout's handbook and the Den Leader records the advancements from the handbook to tracking chart. The Bear program relies heavily on family involvement, but you will see this gradually change with the scout doing more with his den and more individual direction as he reaches Webelos and Boy Scouts.

James Macdonald Den Leader

You can see pictures from our visit in the photo gallery, here.

The day started with a train ride into the city. Thanks to a friendly commuter rail conductor, the boys rode the train in style, in their own private coach! But then she invited the boys to come to come to the front of the train, two at a time, to experience the trip from the point of view of the engineer. It's cool to see the train tracks laid out in front as you cruise down the line. The boys had a real "blast" when they blew the train horn, too! And when we pulled in to North Station, the Scouts got a private tour of the engine car.

A quick walk later, we were at the Navy Yard and exploring the U.S.S Constitution. We heard the story of "Old Ironsides" from a sailor, and toured three decks of the ship. The boys could just picture the excitement and the adventure aboard the ship... but they learned of the cold reality, too: the noise, the dirt, the crowded conditions and the poor excuses for food. All in all, the boys had a great time exploring the ship and learned about an important part of American history.

Before we headed home, we made a quick trip to the World War II destroyer, the U.S.S Cassin Young, that is also docked at the Navy yards. We can't wait for Battleship Cove!

At our most recent den meeting, we made custom, Christmas-themed neckerchief slides and practiced three of the important Cub Scout knots - the square knot, the bowline and the two-half hitches. When do we go camping again?

For January, the boys are gearing up to learn about maps and compasses to earn their Map and Compass pin. As parents we know that many of the spy games the boys come with a compass, but how many really know how to use one. In this program we will be teaching the group how to use the compass and how to follow a map. After this program they will all be ready for a hike this spring!

In December the boys all began working on the "Emblem of Faith" pin. This is a program for Bears and Weblos. There are many different religions of faith that one may chose to complete. The activities range from prayer services at home to completing a community service. It is a change for scouts and families to work together in exploring their religion. The Bears (from both dens) and Weblos are hoping to complete the program together and receive their pins at church by Lent.