The Bobcat badge is the very first rank that each and every Cub Scout must earn. A Cub must have earned his Bobcat badge before he may receive any other badge of rank. The purpose of the Bobcat rank is to teach the boy the basics of Cub Scouting.

When a boy begins his Cub Scouting journey at the earliest opportunity, second grade, he first earns his Bobcat badge, then starts the Wolf Trail for his Wolf badge. If, however, a boy starts Cub Scouting in the third grade, he first earns his Bobcat badge, then starts on the Big Bear Trail towards the Bear badge, while a boy joining in the fourth or fifth grade, first earns his Bobcat badge, then proceeds to earn activity badges and his Webelos badge. A boy may not go back and complete requirements for a lower rank than his current grade allows.

The requirements for Bobcat are as follows.

1. Learn and say The Cub Scout Promise.

The Cub Scout Promise
I, (your name), promise to do my best
To do my duty to God and my country,
To help other people, and
To obey the Law of the Pack.

Duty to God means Put God first. Do what you know God wants you to do.
And my country means Do what you can for your country. Be proud that you are an American.
To help other people means Do things for others that would please them.
Obey the Law of the Pack means Be a good Cub Scout. Be proud that you are one.

2. Say The Law of the Pack, tell what it means.

The Law of the Pack
The Cub Scout follows Akela.
The Cub Scout helps the Pack go.
The Pack helps the Cub Scout grow.
The Cub Scout Gives goodwill.

The Cub Scout follows Akela (say Ah-KAY-la).
Akela is a good leader.
Your mother or father is Akela.
In the Pack, your Cubmaster is Akela.
Your Den Leader is Akela.
At school, your teacher is Akela.

The Cub Scout helps the Pack go.
Come to all the meetings. Do what you can to help. Think of others in the pack.

The Pack helps the Cub Scout grow.
You can have fun when you are a part of the pack. Learn things from others. Do things with them.

The Cub Scout gives goodwill.
Smile. Be happy. Do things that make others happy. They don't have to be big things. Little Things help, too.

3. Tell what Webelos means.

Webelos is a Cub Scout secret. You'll have to become a Cub Scout to find out what it means.

4. Show the Cub Scout Sign. Tell what it means.

Make the sign with your right hand and with your arm held straight up. The two fingers stand for two parts of the Promise - "to help other people" and "to obey." They look like a wolf's ears ready to listen to Akela.

Give the Cub Scout Sign when you say the Cub Scout Promise or the Law of the Pack.

5. Show the Cub Scout Handshake. Tell what it means.

Here's how to shake hands with another Cub Scout. Hold out your right hand just as you always do to shake hands. Put your first two fingers along the inside of the other boy's wrist.

This means that you help and that you obey the law of the Pack.

6. Say the Cub Scout Motto.

DO YOUR BEST is the Cub Scout Motto.

It means that when you play a game, you should do your best to win or help your team win. When you are in school, you should do your best to learn from your teachers. When you're at home, you should help your family to the best of your abilities. Always - DO YOUR BEST.

7. Give the Cub Scout Salute.

A Cub Scout salutes with his right hand by holding his fingers as he does for the Cub Scout Sign. Keep the two fingers next to each other and straight. Touch the tips of the fingers to his cap or if he's not wearing his cap then to his eyebrow.

A salute is a way to show respect to your leaders and your country. When you salute a leader, you show him or her that you look up to them, when you salute the flag you show that you are proud of your country.

When the new Cub Scout has completed these requirements, he has earned the Bobcat Badge. This badge will be presented to him at the next Pack Meeting and he will usually embark on the Wolf Trail, the next step in advancement in Cub Scouting. If however the boy is starting as a Bear or Webelos, he will then start on the appropriate trail for advancement in that stage of scouting.