Click on the Bear Book to go the the Online book with all the electives |
Bear Requirements:

Baloo the Builder |
Learning to work with wood to create fun and useful items is a good skill for anyone to have. This adventure will expose the Bear Scout to the safe and proper use of hand tools, how to determine the correct type of wood for a project, and how to construct an item. The adventure also offers a good opportunity to bring parents of the Scouts or other adults with woodworking skills into the den setting, asking them to help with some of the technical aspects. |
Complete all of the following requirements:
- Discover which hand tools are the best ones to have in your toolbox. Learn the rules for using these tools safely. Practice with at least four of these tools before beginning a project.
- Select, plan, and define the materials for the project you will complete in requirement 3.
- Assemble your materials, and build one useful project and one fun project using wood.
- Apply a finish to one of your projects.
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Bear Claws |
Most young men are very excited about the opportunity to own and carry a pocketknife. In many families this may be a rite of passage. It is important that the Scout understands a pocketknife is a tool and not a toy, and how to responsibly handle and use the pocketknife when he is around others. |
Complete the following requirements:
- Learn about three common designs of pocketknives.
- Learn knife safety and earn your Whittling Chip. (One of the items carved for requirement 3A may be used to fulfill Whittling Chip requirement 3.)
- Do one of the following:
- Using a pocketknife, carve two items.
- With a pocket knife, safely perform each of these tasks:
- A - Demonstrate how to cut a piece of rope, twine or fishing line;
- B - Open a sealed box without damaging the contents;
- C - Open a can with a can opener tool on a pocket knife;
- D - Remove and replace the screws on an object with the screw driver tool on a pocket knife;
- E - Open a letter.
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Bear Necessities |
This adventure will introduce new Scouts to basic outdoor skills while helping more experienced Scouts improve and develop skills they learned in previous ranks. |
Complete Requirements 1 – 4. Requirements 5 and 6 are optional:
- While working on your Bear badge, attend one of the following:
- A daytime or overnight campout with your pack or family
- An outdoor activity with your den or pack
- Day camp
- Resident camp
- Make a list of items you should take along on the activity selected in Requirement 1.
- Make a list of equipment that the group should bring along in addition to each Scout's personal gear for the activity selected in Requirement 1.
- Help set up a tent. Determine a good spot for the tent, and explain to your den leader why you picked it.
- LDemonstrate how to tie two half hitches and explain what the hitch is used for.
- Learn how to read a thermometer and a barometer. Keep track of the temperature and barometric pressure readings and the actual weather at the same time every day for seven days.
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Fellowship and Duty to God |
To practice their duty to God, Bear Scouts will have opportunities in this adventure to be good neighbors, reaching out in fellowship to people in their communities. They will experience the universal principle, common to many religions, that we should treat others the way we want to be treated.
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Complete the following requirements:
- Discuss with your parent, guardian, den leader, or other caring adult what it means to do your duty to God. Tell how you do your duty to God in your daily life.
- Complete at least one of the following:
- Identify a person whose faith you admire, and discuss this person with your family.
- With a family member, provide service to a place of worship or a spiritual community, school, or community organization that puts into practice your ideals of duty to God and strengthens your fellowship with others.
- Complete at least one of the following:
- Earn the religious emblem of your faith that is appropriate for your age, if you have not already done so.
- Make a list of things you can do to practice your duty to God as you are taught in your home or place of worship or spiritual community. Select two of the items and practice them for two weeks.
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Fur, Feathers, and Ferns |
In this adventure, Bears will explore the outdoor world of mammals, birds, plants, and more! They will understand that every living thing has a home and often very close by. Scouts will also discover that almost every living thing's neighborhood is a home to at least one type of another living thing. Protecting those homes, called habitats, is up to everyone!
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Complete Requirement 1 and three others:
- While hiking or walking for one mile, identify six signs that any mammals, birds, insects, reptiles, or plants are living near the place where you choose to hike or walk.
- Visit one of the following: zoo, wildlife refuge, nature center, aviary, game preserve, local conservation area, wildlife rescue group, or fish hatchery. Describe what you learned during your visit.
- Name one animal that has become extinct in the last 100 years and one animal that is currently endangered. Explain what caused their declines.
- Observe wildlife from a distance. Describe what you saw.
- Use a magnifying glass to examine plants more closely. Describe what you saw through the magnifying glass that you could not see without it.
- DLearn about composting and how vegetable waste can be turned into fertilizer for plants.
- Plant a vegetable or herb garden.
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Paws for Action (Duty to Country) |
Scouts of this age are learning to become more independent. In this adventure, Bears will learn how to take care of themselves and be a help to their family, community, and the environment. Additionally, they will continue to learn about patriotism and loyalty to our country.
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Complete Requirement 1 and two others from Requirements 2-4:
- Learn about our nation's flag. Display it at home for one month. Say the Pledge of Allegiance and learn its meaning.
- Do at least one of the following:
- Find out about two famous Americans. Share what you learned.
- Find out where places of historical interest are located in or near your community, town, or city. Go and visit one of them with your family or den.
- Do at least two of the following:
- With your school or den, visit a local sheriff's office, police station, or fire department OR talk with a fire safety officer or law enforcement officer visiting your school or den. Find out what skills the officers use to do their jobs. Ask questions that will help you learn how to stay safe.
- Make a list of emergency numbers and discuss with your family where the list should be kept. Show your family that you know how to call for help in an emergency. Talk with your family about people who could help you if a parent is not available.
- With your family, develop a plan to follow in case of an emergency, and practice the plan at least three times. Your family can determine the emergency, or you can develop several plans.
- Do at least one of the following:
- Do a cleanup project that benefits your community.
- Participate in a patriotic community parade or other civic event that honors our country.
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- In addition to the six required adventures, complete at least one elective adventure of your den's or family's choosing.
- With your parent, guardian, or other caring adult, complete the exercises in the pamphlet entitled How to Protect Your Children From Child Abuse: A Parent's Guide.
- Earn the Cyber Chip award for your age. (The Cyber Chip portion of this requirement may be waived by your parent or guardian if you do not have access to the internet.) OR Earn the Protect Yourself Rules Preview Adventure for Bear.
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