Come see what we're about.

What is Join Scouting Night?

It's our once-a-year open house, the easiest possible way to find out what Cub Scouts actually looks like without signing up for anything. Current scouts and their families will be there, along with the den leaders your child would actually have.

It's a drop-in. Come at the start or come near the end, stay ten minutes or the whole hour. There's no presentation you need to be on time for.

Where to find us

Join Scouting Night is at Caraway Elementary in north Austin.

Not sure where to go once you're there? Email recruitmentchair@austinpack162.com ahead of time and we'll tell you exactly where to park and which door to use.

What happens that night

• Activities for the kids.Hands-on, the kind of thing they'd do at a real den meeting.
• Pinewood Derby cars on display. Our scouts design and race their own wooden cars each spring. This is usually the thing that sells it for a seven-year-old.
• Uniforms, patches, and belt loops to look at. You'll get a sense of what scouts earn and what the uniform actually involves.
• Snacks. Come hungry-ish.
• Leaders and current families to talk to.Ask the awkward questions about cost, time commitment, whether you have to camp. We'd rather you ask now.

Who should come

Any family with a child entering kindergarten through fifth grade. Boys and girls. You don't need to attend Caraway Elementary, live in any particular neighborhood, or have any connection to scouting. Plenty of our families had none before they walked in.

Bring your child with you. This works much better when they can see the other kids.

What to bring

Nothing. Just show up. If you already know you want to register, you can do that on the spot or afterward at your own pace. It takes five steps and there's no rush. See How to Join.

What happens after

Our first pack meeting of the year is Thursday, September 10 at 6:45 PMin the Caraway cafeteria, and new families are welcome whether or not they've finished registering.

Before it, at 6:15 PM, there's an informal New Parent Orientation: the pack leadership team, in a room, answering whatever you want to ask. Optional, and worth half an hour if you're still deciding.

Can't make it?

Not a problem. Families join Pack 162 year-round, and missing JSN doesn't put your child behind. Get in touch and we'll set up a time for you to meet a den leader directly.