We are Cub Scout Pack 523, of Hartsville, South Carolina. We are both proud and grateful for the sponsorship of Saint Luke United Methodist Church,
St. Luke UMC
302 Dunlap Drive
Hartsville, SC
without whose leadership and support we would not be the great pack that we are.
We cater to boys ages 6 to 11 (first through fifth grade) as part of the Boy Scouts of America, Great Northern District.
Or goal is to create an environment that is fun for the boys and provides some elements that we feel every young boy needs:
- Adventure.
Boys love to explore, and exploring is learning. The more one knows about the world around him, the better his chances of navigating through it. Through exciting outings and creative fun, our boys are expanding their worlds.
- Comradery.
Just watch our kids. They are making friends for life. Scouting is teamwork and they learn, as a small group of peers, to function as a team.
- Structure.
We have ranks and the boys work hard to earn them. They know their place within the pack. We have rules and the boys know them. Boys at this age don't like to be told what to do, but they are learning discipline along the way.
- Achievement.
Every year brings a new rank and a new list of projects. They start easy and get progressively harder as the boys get older. Our boys work hard for their badges, but the joy of standing in front of their peers to accept an award that they know they earned is priceless.
- Family.
If you have a son of Cub Scout age, you are in the middle of the "golden time" for bonding. When he turns twelve and becomes a Boy Scout, he will be all about independence and doing things for himself. Right now, he WANTS his family along. We encourage siblings to attend our trips, we want parents to do things both with the den and one-on-one with their child, and the events we set up make it easy. NOW is the time to make an indelible imprint on your child because in a few years he will pay more attention to what his peers say than what you tell him. (And by the way, wouldn't you want his peers to have Cub Scout values as well? See item #2 above).
- Values.
God & Family. Community. Citizenship. Integrity. The list goes on and on. The teaching of values is the most important aspect of our mission, yet we list it last because it underscores everything we do. We don't preach to our boys; we show them and demonstrate it. Everything we do has an underscore of one or more of these values. The boys think that they are just having fun. What's really happening is that they are seeing the values in action and participating in them. Whether we are having a worship service on a Sunday morning in camp, participating in a food drive, planting a tree, praying before a pack meeting, or looking for animal tracks in the woods, we are teaching values. Good values.
We are a parent-driven pack. The energy and enthusiasm of our work comes from you. How much we do and the quality of the experience is directly related to the time spent by the parents. And our parents often have as much fun as the kids! We so appreciate what you do - but the real reward is the impact it has on the boys.
So welcome to pack 523. We're glad you took the time to read this. If you want to join our happy family, give us a call.
Happy Scouting!
A Backpackers Blessing:
"May your nights be filled with stars; may your tent be filled with laughter.
May your compass guide you true until you find the peak you're after."
Martin Fox
(843) 332-7230
laughingfox5@att.net