Joining Scouts at age 5 — what Lion Cubs actually looks like

Yes, Scouting starts in kindergarten: the Lion rank. One den meeting a month, one outing, and a parent stays as your kid's partner the whole year. We joined an Overland Park pack last fall knowing nothing — here's the honest picture.

What a year actually involves

• Twelve den meetings — 45 minutes, games with a sneaky lesson inside
• Four outings: a fire station, a nature trail, a police station, one pack campout (Lions day-visit)
• The Pinewood Derby, which deserves its own article

Cost ran about $100 for the year including the tee and the handbook. The parent-partner rule sounds like a burden; it's the best part — it's a scheduled hour where you're just THERE with your kid, phone away.

What it built

Our five-year-old walks up to kids at the playground and introduces himself now. That's the year's quiet win — not the badges. We'd do it again without hesitating.