Uniforms
A Cub Scout uniform provides a sense of belonging, showcases individual accomplishments, and communicates to the community that this is an individual committed to the ideals and purposes of cub scouting.
Uniforms are required for all Den and Pack meetings, as well as sanctioned Scout events, such as community service projects and popcorn sales.
This page describes the uniform for each rank (or grade level) and describes our three-tier dress code.
As the Scout Law says, “a Scout is thrifty”. To help control costs for families, Pack 174 provides certain uniform parts and designates other parts as optional. We also maintain a small closet of uniform parts that have been donated by Scouts who no longer need them. When buying a uniform shirt, bigger is better than smaller — the same shirt can be worn from first through fourth grades.
All uniform parts can be purchased at:
You may also be able to find uniform parts in Boulder at McGuckin Hardware.
Lion - Kindergarten
The Lion Cub Scout uniform has the following parts:
- Shirt: The official Lion t-shirt.
- Pants: See below about uniform pants.
- Belt: Official navy-blue web belt with metal buckle.
- Cap (optional): Official navy-blue Lion cap.
- Lion handbook (recommended): see below about handbooks.
These items may be purchased at https://www.scoutshop.org/cub-scout-lion or at the Loveland Scout Shop.
In Pack 174, Lions do not wear a neckerchief.
For each adventure that a Lion completes, Pack 174 awards a colorful metal belt loop. Wearing the belt is optional but allows a scout to showcase their accomplishments.
As of August 2024, the cost of a Lion uniform is between $38 and $70.
Tiger - First Grade
The Tiger Cub Scout uniform has the following parts:
- Shirt: Official blue uniform shirt with long or short sleeves with necessary patches added.
- Pants: See below about uniform pants.
- Belt: Official navy-blue web belt with metal buckle.
- Hat (optional): Official blue hat with orange front and Tiger emblem.
- Neckerchief (provided by Pack 174): Orange triangular neckerchief with Tiger logo.
- Neckerchief slide(provided by Pack 174): Official gold-tone metal slide with orange Tiger emblem.
- Tiger handbook (recommended): see below about handbooks.
These items may be purchased at https://www.scoutshop.org/cub-scout-tiger or at the Loveland Scout Shop.
For each Adventure that a Tiger completes, Pack 174 awards a colorful metal belt loop.
As of August 2024, the cost of a new Tiger uniform is between $65 (excluding pants and hat) and $118.
Wolf - Second Grade
Bear - Third Grade
Webelos - Fourth Grade
Arrow of Light- Fifth Grade
Patches for all uniform shirts
Scouts other than Lions — other than kindergarten — need the following patches for their shirt.
- Adventure West Council shoulder patch
- Pack numerals: 1, 7, and 4 numerals in cub scout red
- Den number or patrol patch: your Den Leader will tell you the correct number. Arrow of Light Scouts wear a Patrol patch instead.
- World Scouting Crest
- Centennial ring (optional, but it looks cool): worn around the world scouting crest patch.
Official shirts come with an American flag patch on the right shoulder.
Shirts purchased through the Loveland Scout Shop often come with pre-sewn Adventure West Council patch, World Scouting Crest, and Centennial ring. The Loveland Scout Shop will sew on additional patches for a fee. If you choose to sew patches yourself, every handbook has diagrams showing where they go.
Scouts earn additional patches over time.
Uniform pants
Lions through Webelos (kindergarten through fourth grade) should have a pair of navy blue pants with belt loops. These may be official Cub Scout pants, but more affordable alternatives are acceptable. In a pinch, khaki-colored pants are acceptable.
Arrow of Light Scouts should have a pair of olive green pants with belt loops. These may be official BSA pants, but more affordable alternatives are acceptable.
Handbooks
Pack 174 recommends that every scout have a copy of the handbook for their rank. A handbook contains the requirements and the supporting material for all of the Adventures that the Cub Scout will do with their Den.
Only the 2024 editions of the handbooks are useful. Older versions of the handbook are obsolete because of major updates to the Cub Scout program that happened in 2024.
For scouts who are joining Pack 174 for the first time: when you register and pay your council/national dues, Pack 174 will deliver a handbook to you courtesy of the Adventure West Council. This helps offset the up-front cost of purchasing a uniform.
Dress Code
Pack 174 has a three-tier dress code for all of its events, which are specified before the meeting and should be adhered by all Scouts and leadership. The tiers are as follows:
Formal:
- Scout Shirt—Tucked in
- Uniform pants or skorts
- Rank neckerchief
- Rank hat (optional)
Semi Formal:
- Scout Shirt—Tucked in
- Nice jeans (solid color, no rips) or shorts (not gym shorts)
- Rank neckerchief
- Rank hat (optional)
Casual:
- Scout T-Shirt—Tucked in
- Nice jeans (solid color, no rips) or shorts (not gym shorts)
- Rank hat (optional)