Welcome to 1st Ely Cubs

Who are our Cubs?

Cubs at 1st Ely are young people, aged 8 to 10½, who:

• Master new skills and try new things.
• Have fun and go on brilliant adventures.
• Make great friends.
• Are curious about the world around them.
• Help others and make a positive difference, right here in the Ely community and beyond.

Every week, they gather in our 1st Ely Cub Pack to take part in lots of interesting and challenging activities—achieving anything they set their minds to and having lots of fun along the way.

What do 1st Ely Cubs get up to?

Being a Cub is all about growing and learning in small but mighty ways. Here are some of the things you’ll get up to with your new friends in our Pack:

Going on adventures Race down the River Great Ouse. Tell stories by torchlight. Fall asleep beneath the Cambridgeshire stars. Alongside your Pack, you’ll spend plenty of time in the great outdoors. Together, you might build a den in a local nature reserve, create an edible raft out of sweets, or go on a moonlit hike through Ely. Even though you might not be ready to climb Mount Everest just yet, you’re guaranteed to have plenty of adventures right on your own doorstep—because being a Cub is all about making the most of what you have, wherever and whoever you are.

Learning new skills Cubs learn by doing, and so will you. Some of the skills you develop at 1st Ely will be practical, like knowing how to cook a delicious meal or give someone first aid. Others will allow you to become a master at your chosen hobby, or help you succeed in whichever job you decide to do when you grow up.

But the most important skills you’ll learn at Cubs are the ones that will make you feel confident and happy in your own skin. We call these character skills, and they include things like integrity—which means being honest and doing what you think is right—and initiative—which means knowing how to take the lead on something without being asked. Whatever skills you’d like to learn, it’s all about having the courage to try new things and learn from them.

Helping others Our Cubs work as a team to help other people. Together, you’ll learn about global issues and what we can all do to help solve them. You’ll also make a real impact in your own community, through activities such as campaigning for local causes, collecting donations for the Ely food bank, or planting trees in a neighbouring park.

What does our 1st Ely Cub Pack look like?

All of our Cubs are members of the global Scout family. Closer to home, they’re a vital part of our wider 1st Ely Scout Group, sitting right between our Beavers (aged 6 to 8) and our Scouts (aged 10½ to 14). When they’re older, they can continue their journey by joining Explorers (14 to 18) and, eventually, the Scout Network (18 to 25).

Our Pack is guided by a brilliant team of adult volunteers. The Cub leaders are traditionally nicknamed after the characters from Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Our dedicated 1st Ely adults are always on hand to supervise activities, share their unique skills, and keep everyone safe. You might also spot some older young people aged 14 to 18 helping out; these are Explorer Scouts taking part in the fantastic Young Leader programme.

Within our Pack, Cubs are also part of a “Six.” A Six is a smaller group of Cubs, headed up by a Sixer and a Seconder. Sixers and Seconders are Cub Scouts who are chosen to take on leadership responsibilities—doing things like welcoming new people to the Pack, being extra helpful on camp, or taking charge of a particular game or activity.