Cub Scout Bear
Rank
Bear Requirements
To earn the Bear Badge, a Cub Scout must complete 12 achievements out of a possible 24 that are offered in the
book. The achievements are grouped in 4 major areas, GOD, COUNTRY, FAMILY, and SELF. Within each group, a required
number of achievements must be completed, as indicated below. Also, any achievements that they do NOT use
to earn the Bear Badge may be used to earn Arrow Points.
(Note that these achievements, as were the Wolf activities, are primarily done at home and signed off by an
adult family member after the boy has completed each one. The book is then shown to the Den Leader who records
the progress and also signs the boy's book. Please check with your den leader as to not duplicate those planned
for den activities.)
The Bear Achievements are as follows, page number references to the Bear Book are in parenthesis.
GOD (do ONE of the following)
- 1. WAYS WE WORSHIP (p18)- Practice your religion as you are taught in your home, church, synagogue,
mosque, or other religious community.
- 2. EMBLEMS OF FAITH (p20) - Earn the religious emblem of your faith.
COUNTRY (do THREE of the following)
- 3. WHAT MAKES AMERICA SPECIAL? (Do requirement "a" AND 3 of the rest - (4 total) (p24)
- a. Write or tell what makes America special to you.
- b. With the help of your family or den leader, find out about two Americans. Tell the things they did or are
doing to improve our way of life.
- c. Find out something about the old homes near the place where you live. Go and see two of them.
- d. Find out where places of historical interest in or near your town are located. Go and visit one of them
with your family or den.
- e. Pick your favorite state or home state. Name the state bird, tree, and flower. Describe its flag. Give the
date it was admitted to the union.
- f. Be a member of the color guard in a flag ceremony for your den or pack.
- g. Display the U.S. flag in your home or fly it on three national holidays.
- 4. TALL TALES - Do ALL 3 requirements. (p30)
- a. Tell in your own words what folklore is. List some folklore stories, folksongs, or historical legends from
your own state or part of the country.
- b. Name at least five stories about American folklore. Point out on a United States map where they took place.
- c. Read two folklore stories and tell your favorite on to your den.
- 5. SHARING YOUR WORLD WITH WILDLIFE - Do 4 of the following. (p38)
- a. Choose a bird or animal that you like and find out how it lives. Make a poster showing what you have learned.
- b. Build or make a bird feeder or bird house.
- c. Explain what a wildlife conservation officer does.
- d. Visit one of the following: Zoo, Nature center, Wildlife refuge, Game preserve.
- e. Name one animal that has become extinct in the last 100 years. Tell why animals become extinct.
- 6. TAKE CARE OF YOUR PLANET - Do 3 of the following. (p44)
- a. Save 5 pounds of glass or aluminum, or 1 month of newspapers, and turn them in at a recycling center.
- b. Plant a tree in your yard, or on the grounds of the group that operates your Cub Scout pack, or in a park.
Be sure to get permission first.
- c. Call city or county officials or your trash hauling company and find out what happens to your trash after
it is hauled away.
- d. Do a water usage survey in your home. Note the ways water is used. Look for any dripping faucets.
- e. Discuss with one of your parents the ways your family uses energy.
- f. Find out more about your family's use of electricity.
- 7. LAW ENFORCEMENT IS A BIG JOB - Do 4 of the following. (p52)
- a. Make a set of your own fingerprints.
- b. Make a plaster cast of a shoeprint in the mud.
- c. Check the doors and windows of your home.
- d. Visit your local sheriff's office or police station.
- e. Be sure you know where to get help in your neighborhood.
- f. Be sure fire and police numbers are listed by the phone at your home.
- g. Know what you can do to help law enforcement.
FAMILY
- 8. THE PAST IS EXCITING AND IMPORTANT - Do 3 of the following. (p58)
- a. Visit your library or newspaper office. Ask to see back issues of newspapers. (What were headlines on: Date
you were born, July 21, 1969, Day you were 5 years old?)
- b. Find someone who was a Cub Scout a long time ago. Talk with him about what Cub Scouting was like then. (What
did they do at den mtgs., pack mtgs., what kind of uniform did they wear?)
- c. Start a pack scrapbook and give something to it.
- d. Trace your family back through your grandparents or great grandparents; or, talk to your grandparents about
what it was like when they were younger.
- e. Find out some history about your community.
- f. Keep a diary for 2 weeks.
- 9. WHAT'S COOKING? - Do 4 of the following. (p64)
- a. Bake cookies.
- b. If your parent or guardian says it is all right, volunteer to make snacks for the next den meeting
- c. Prepare one part of your breakfast, one part of your lunch, and one part of your supper.
- d. Make a list of the 'junk' foods you eat. Discuss "junk" food with your parent or teacher.
- e. Make some healthful after-school snacks or some snacks for watching television.
- f. Make a dessert for your family.
- 10. FAMILY FUN - Do BOTH of these requirements. (p72)
- a. Go on a trip with members of your family.
- b. Have a "family-make-and-do-night."
- 11. BE READY! - Do the first 4; the last one is recommended, but not required. (p76)
- a. Tell what to do in case of accident in the home. Parent needs help. Clothes catch on fire.
- b. Tell what to do in case of a water accident.
- c. Tell what to do in case of a school bus accident.
- d. Tell what to do in case of a car accident.
- e. Have a health checkup by a physician (optional).
- 12. FAMILY OUTDOOR ADVENTURE - Do 3 of the following. (p84)
- a. Go camping with your family.
- b. Go on a hike with your family.
- c. Have a picnic with your family.
- d. Attend an outdoor event with your family.
- e. Plan your outdoor family day.
- 13. SAVING WELL, SPENDING WELL - Do 4 of the following. (p90)
- a. Go grocery shopping with a parent. Compare prices of different brands of the same item. Check the prices
at different stores. Read the ads in your newspaper.
- b. Set up a savings account.
- c. Keep a record of how you spend money for 2 weeks.
- d. Make believe you are shopping for a car for your family.
- e. Discuss family finances with one of your parents.
- f. Play a board game with your family that involves the use of make-believe money.
- g. Figure out how much it costs for each person in your home to eat one meal.
SELF (do FOUR of the following)
- 14. RIDE RIGHT - Do requirement a and THREE more. (Total of 4) (p96)
- a. Know the rules for bike safety. If your town requires a bicycle license, be sure to get one.
- b. Learn to ride a bike, if you haven't by now. Show that you can follow a winding course for 60 feet doing
sharp left and right turns, a U-turn, and an emergency stop.
- c. Keep your bike in good shape. Identify the parts of a bike that should be checked often.
- d. Change a tire on a bicycle.
- e. Protect your bike from theft. Use a bicycle lock.
- f. Ride a bike for 1 mile without rest, and be sure to obey all traffic rules.
- g. Plan and take a family bike hike.
- 15. GAMES, GAMES, GAMES! - Do 2 of the following. (p102)
- a. Set up the equipment and play any two of these outdoor games with your family or friends.
- b. Play two organized games with your den.
- c. Select a game your den has never played. Explain the rules. Tell them how it is played, then play it with
them.
- 16. BUILDING MUSCLES - Do ALL of the following. (p106)
- a. Do physical fitness stretching exercises. Then do sit-ups, push-ups, the standing long jump, and softball
throw.
- b. With a friend, compete in at least six different two-person contests. (Many examples in book.)
- c. Compete with your den or pack in the crab relay, gorilla relay, 30-yard dash, and kangaroo relay.
- 17. INFORMATION, PLEASE - Do requirement a and THREE more of the following. (p112)
- a. With an adult in your family, select a TV show. Watch it together.
- b. Visit a newspaper office, or TV or radio station and talk to a news reporter.
- c. Play a game of charades at your den meeting or with your family at home.
- d. Visit a place where computers are used.
- e. Write a letter to a company that makes something you use.
- f. Talk with one of your parents or another family member about how getting and giving facts fits into his
or her job.
- 18. JOT IT DOWN - Do 5 of the following. (p 116)
- a. Make a list of the things you want to do today. Check them off when you have done them.
- b. Write two letters to relatives.
- c. Keep a daily record of your activities for 2 weeks.
- d. Write an invitation to someone.
- e. Write a story about something you have done with your family.
- f. Write a thank-you note.
- g. Write about the doings of your den.
- 19. SHAVINGS AND CHIPS - Do ALL of the following. (p 122)
- a. Know the safety rules for handling a knife.
- b. Show that you know how to take care of and use a pocketknife.
- c. Make a carving with a pocketknife. Work with your parent or den leader in doing this.
- d. Earn the Whittling Chip card.
- 20. SAWDUST AND NAILS - Do ALL of the following. (p 128)
- a. Show how to use and take care of four of these tools. (Tools listed in book.)
- b. Build your own tool box.
- c. Use at least two tools listed in requirement a to fix something.
- 21. BUILD A MODEL - Do 3 of the following. (p132)
- a. Build a model from a kit.
- b. Build a display for one of your models.
- c. Make believe you are planning to change the furniture in one of the rooms in your home.
- d. Make a model of a mountain, a meadow, a canyon, or river.
- e. Look at a model of a shopping center or new building that is on display somewhere.
- f. Make a model of anything - a rocket, boat, car, or plane.
- 22. TYING IT ALL UP - Do 5 of the following. (p 136)
- a. Whip the ends of a rope.
- b. Tie a square know, bowline, sheet bend, two half hitches, and a slip knot. Tell how each knot is used.
- c. Learn how to keep a rope from tangling.
- d. Coil a rope. Throw it, hitting a 2-foot square marker 20 feet away.
- e. Learn a magic rope trick.
- f. Make your own rope. (Instructions given in book.)
- 23. SPORTS, SPORTS, SPORTS - Do ALL of the following. (p144)
- a. Learn the rules and how to play three team sports.
- b. Learn the rules and how to play two sports in which only one person is on each side.
- c. Take part in one team and one individual sport.
- d. Watch a sport on TV with a parent or some other member of your family.
- e. Attend a high school, college, or professional sporting event with your family or your den.
- 24. BE A LEADER - Do 3 of the following. (p 148)
- a. Help a boy join the Cub Scouts, or help a new Cub Scout through the Bobcat trail.
- b. Serve as a denner or assistant denner.
- c. Plan and conduct a den activity with the approval of your den leader.
- d. Tell two people they have done a good job.
- e. Leadership means choosing a way even when your choice is not liked by all.
BEAR ELECTIVES (ARROW POINT TRAIL)
AFTER a Bear Cub Scout earns his Bear Badge he may begin working on earning Arrow Points in the Electives section
of his book. He may work on his "Arrow Point Trail" at any time, however he cannot receive Arrow Points
until AFTER he has earned the Bear Badge.
There is a big difference in the achievements for arrow points for Bear. In this rank the Cub Scout can go back
and do requirements from the ACHIEVEMENTS section of the book and use them as requirements for arrow points, as
long as they do not count any requirements that they used to earn the Bear Badge.
The Achievement requirements and the Elective requirements can be freely mixed to count toward earning arrow
points. In the following descriptions, we will use the term "Arrow Points" to refer to either type of
requirement.
- GOLD ARROW POINT:
- For the FIRST 10 arrow points completed, the Bear Cub earns his GOLD ARROW POINT.
- SILVER ARROW POINTS:
- For EACH 10 arrow points completed (AFTER HE EARNS THE GOLD ARROW POINT) the Bear Cub earns a SILVER ARROW
POINT.
He may earn any number of SILVER ARROW POINTS, but he may only earn ONE GOLD ARROW POINT for the first 10 elective
points that he completes.
The following is a list of the ELECTIVES for arrow points. To see what is available in the Achievements section
- see Bear Badge requirements.
- 1. SPACE (p154)
- a. Identify two constellations and the North Star.
- b. Make a pinhole planetarium and show three constellations.
- c. Visit a planetarium.
- d. Build a model of a rocket or space satellite.
- e. Read and talk about at least one man-made satellite and one natural one.
- f. Find a picture of another planet in our solar system. Explain how it is different from Earth.
- 2. WEATHER (p156)
- a. Learn how to read a thermometer. Put a thermometer outdoors and read it at the same time every day for 2
weeks. Keep a record of the weather for each day.
- b. Build a weather vane, record wind direction for 2 weeks at the same hour. Keep a record of the weather for
each day.
- c. Make a rain gauge.
- d. Find out what a barometer is and how it works. Tell your den about it. Tell what "relative humidity"
means.
- e. Learn to identify three different kinds of clouds. Estimate their height.
- f. Watch the weather forecast on television every day for 2 weeks. Describe three different symbols used on
weather maps. Keep a record of how many times the weather forecast is correct.
- 3. RADIO (p162)
- a. Build a crystal or diode radio. Check with your local craft or hobby shop or in the Boys' Life ads. It is
all right to use a kit.
- b. Make and operate a battery powered radio following the directions with the kit.
- 4. ELECTRICITY (p 164)
- a. Wire a buzzer or doorbell.
- b. Make an electric buzzer game.
- c. Make a simple bar or horseshoe electromagnet.
- d. Use a simple electric motor.
- e. Make a crane with an electromagnetic lift.
- 5. BOATS (p 168)
- a. Help your dad or any other adult rig and sail a real boat.
- b. Help your dad or any other adult repair a real boat or canoe.
- c. Know storm warning flag signals.
- d. Help an adult repair a boat dock.
- e. Know the rules of boat safety.
- f. With an adult, demonstrate forward strokes, turns, and backstrokes. Row a boat around a 100-yard course
involving two turns.
- 6. AIRCRAFT (p 174)
- a. Identify five different kinds of aircraft in flight, if possible, or from models or photos.
- b. Ride in an airplane (commercial or private).
- c. Explain how a hot air balloon works.
- d. Build and fly a model airplane. (You can use a kit. Every time you do this differently, it counts as a completed
project.)
- e. Sketch and label an airplane showing the direction of forces acting on it (lift, drag, and load).
- f. What are some of the things a helicopter can do that other kinds of airplanes can't? Make a list. Draw or
cut out a picture of a helicopter and label the parts.
- g. Build and display a scale airplane model. You may use a kit or build it from plans.
- 7. THINGS THAT GO (p 178)
- a. Make a scooter or a Cubmobile. Know safety rules.
- b. Make a windmill.
- c. Make a waterwheel.
- d. Make an invention of your own design that goes.
- 8. CUB SCOUT BAND (p 182)
- a. Make and play a homemade musical instrument - cigarbox banjo, washtub bull fiddle, a drum or rhythm set,
tambourine. etc.
- b. Learn to play two familiar tunes on an ocarina, a harmonica, or a tonette.
- c. Play in a den band using homemade or regular musical instruments. Play at a pack meeting.
- d. Play two tunes on any recognized band or orchestra instrument.
- 9. ART (p 186)
- a. Do an original art project and show it at a pack meeting. Every project you do counts as one requirement.
- b. Visit an art museum or picture gallery with your den or family.
- 10. MASKS (p 190)
- a. Make a simple papier-mâché mask.
- b. Make an animal mask.
- c. Make a clown mask.
- 11. PHOTOGRAPHY (p 196)
- a. Practice holding a camera still in one position. Learn to push the shutter button without moving the camera.
Do this without film in the camera until you have learned how. Look through the viewfinder and see what your picture
will look like. Make sure that everything you want in your picture is in the frame of your viewfinder.
- b. Take five pictures of the same subject in different kinds of light. (1) Subject in direct sun with direct
light. (2) Subject in direct sun with side light. (3) Subject in direct sun with back light. (4) On a sunny day,
subject in shade. (5) Cloudy day.
- c. Put your pictures to use. (1) mount a picture on cardboard for display. (2) Mount on cardboard and give
it to a friend. (3) Make three pictures that show how something happened (tell a story) and write one sentence
explanation for each.
- d. Make a picture in your house. (1) With available light. (2) Using a flash attachment or photo flood.
- 12. NATURE CRAFTS (p 200)
- a. Make shadow prints or blueprints of three kinds of leaves.
- b. Make a display of eight different animal tracks with an eraser print.
- c. Collect, press, and label 10 kinds of leaves.
- d. Collect, mount, and label 10 kinds of insects.
- e. Collect eight kinds of plant seeds and label.
- f. Collect, mount, and label 10 kinds of rocks or minerals.
- g. Collect, mount, and label five kinds of shells.
- h. Make a spider web print; mount and display it.
- 13. MAGIC (p 204)
- a. Learn and show three magic tricks.
- b. With your den, put on a magic show for your pack.
- c. Learn and show four puzzles.
- d. Learn and show three rope tricks.
- 14. LANDSCAPING (p 210)
- a. Help your parents take care of your lawn or help take care of the lawn of a public building, school, or
church. Seed bare spots. Get rid of weeds. Pick up litter. Agree ahead of time on what you will do.
- b. Make a sketch of a landscape plan for the area right around your house or for an apartment building. Talk
it over with your parents or den leader. Show what trees, shrubs and flowers you could plant to make the area look
better.
- c. Take part in a project with your family, den, or pack to make your neighborhood or community more beautiful.
These might be cleanup parties, painting, planting, cleaning and painting trash barrels, and removing ragweed.
(Each time you do this differently, it counts as a completed project.)
- d. Build a greenhouse and grow 20 plants from seed. You can use a package of garden seeds, or use beans, pumpkin
seeds, or watermelon seeds.
- 15. WATER AND SOIL CONSERVATION (p 214)
- a. Dig a hole or find an excavation project and describe the different layers of soil you see and feel. (Do
not enter an excavation area without permission.)
- b. Take three cans the same size and punch four holes in the bottom of each with a hammer and nail. Put clay
in the first can, soil in the second can, and sand in the third can. Fill all three cans one half-full of soil.
Pour one-half can of water into each can, one at a time. Write down the time it takes the water to run through
(until dripping stops) each kind of earth. (The three kinds of earth are not good for growing things alone, but
when mixed together they make very good soil.)
- c. Visit a burned-out forest or prairie area, or a slide area, with your den or your family. Talk to a member
of the U.S. Forest Service about how the area will be planted and cared for, to grow again the way it was before
the accident.
- d. Some people like to use live Christmas trees. After Christmas, plant the tree in your yard, or at school,
your Boy Scout council service center, or a park. Find out all the things you need to know about how to take care
of a live Christmas tree in your home.
- e. What is wind erosion? Find out the kinds of grass, trees, or ground cover you need to plant to stop wind
erosion.
- f. As a den, visit a lake, stream, river, or ocean (whichever is nearest where you live). Plan a den project
to help clean up this important source of water. Name four kinds of water pollution.
- 16. FARM ANIMALS (p 216)
- a. Take care of a farm animal. Decide with your parent the things you will do and how long you will do them.
- b. Name and describe six breeds of farm animals and tell their common uses.
- c. Read a book about a farm animal and tell your den about it.
- d. With your family or den, visit a livestock exhibit at a county or state fair.
- 17. REPAIRS (p 218)
- a. With the help of an adult, fix an electric plug or an electric appliance.
- b. Use glue or epoxy to repair something.
- c. Remove and clean a drain trap.
- d. Refinish or repaint something.
- e. Agree with your parent on some repair job to be done and do it. (Each time you do this differently, it counts
as a completed project.)
- 18. BACKYARD GYM (p 222)
- a. Build and use an outdoor gym with at least three items from this list. (1) Balance Board (2) Trapeze (3)
Tire Walk (4) Tire Swing (5) Tetherball (6) Climbing Rope (7) Running Long Jump Area.
- b. Build three outdoor toss games.
- c. Plan an outdoor game or gym day with your den (this can be part of a pack activity). Put your plans on paper.
- d. Hold an open house for your backyard gym.
- 19. SWIMMING (p 226)
- a. Jump feetfirst into water over your head, swim 25 feet, turn around, and swim back.
- b. Swim on your back, using a resting stroke, for 30 feet.
- c. Rest by floating on your back, using as little motion as possible for at least one minute. ("Drown-proof"
floating or bobbing [jellyfish float] uses a minimum of arm and leg movement to lift the head for breathing.)
- d. Tell what is meant by the buddy plan and the basic rules of safe swimming and simple rescue.
- e. Do a racing dive from edge of pool and swim 60 feet, using a racing stroke.
- 20. SPORTS (p 232)
- a. In archery, know the safety rules. Know how to shoot correctly. Put six arrows into a 4-foot target at a
distance of 15 yards. Make an arrow holder.
- b. In skiing, know the Skier's Safety Code. Demonstrate walking and kick turn, climbing with sidestep or herringbone,
snowplow stop, stem turn, four linked snowplow or stem turns, and straight running in a downhill position, or a
cross-country position, and show how to recover from a fall.
- c. Ice skating, know the safety rules. From a standing start, skate forward 150 feet; come to a complete stop
within 20 feet. Skate around a corner clockwise and counterclockwise without coasting. Show a turn from forward
to backward. Skate backward 50 feet.
- d. In track, show how to make a sprint start. Run the 50- yard dash in 10 seconds or less. Show how to do the
standing long jump, the running long jump, or high jump. Land in a soft area.
- e. In roller skating, know the safety rules. From a standing start, skate forward 150 feet; come to a complete
stop within 20 feet. Skate around a corner clockwise and counterclockwise without coasting and show a turn from
forward to backward. Skate backward 50 feet.
- 21. SALES (p 240)
- a. Take part in a pack-sponsored, money-earning sales program. Keep track of the sales you make yourself. When
the sale is over, add up the sales you have sold.
- b. Help with a garage sale or rummage sale. This can be with your family, a neighbor, or a church, school,
or pack event.
- 22. COLLECTING THINGS (p 242)
- a. Start a stamp collection. You can get information about stamp collecting at any U.S. Post Office.
- b. Mount and display a collection of patches, coins, or other things to show at a pack meeting. This can be
any kind of collection. Every time you show a different kind of collection, it counts as one requirement.
- c. Start your own library. Keep your own books and pamphlets in order by subject. List the tittle and author
of each on a piece of paper or a card.
- 23. MAPS (p 244)
- a. Look up your state on a U.S. map. What other states touch its borders?
- b. Find your city or town on a map of your state. How far do you live from the state capital?
- c. In which time zone do you live? How many time zones are there in the U.S.?
- d. Make a map showing the way from your home to your school or den meeting place.
- e. Mark a map showing the way to a place you would like to visit that is at least 50 miles from your home.
- 24. NATIVE AMERICAN LIFE (p246)
- a. Native Americans lived all over what is now the United States. Find the name of the tribe who lived nearest
where you live now. What is this tribe best known for? Where do they live now?
- b. Learn, make equipment for, and play two Native American games with members of your den. Be able to tell
the rules, who won, and what the score was.
- d. Make a model of an Native American house.
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