Always prepared

They are young, full of life and ready to take action in the community in unprecedented numbers.

Cub Scouts has become such a hit in Port St. Joe this year that over 25 percent of boys at the elementary school have already signed up for the program.

 Many people attribute this growing number not only to the numerous parents and leaders that have stepped up to the plate, but to a newcomer in the community, whose devotion and excitement has fired the program back to life.

Jennifer Turnbull moved to the area from Texas after her husband was stationed here in March of 2010 and she began hunting out Cub Scout packs for her son to join.

Although Cub Scouts has been offered through the school for the past two years, the number of boys enrolled in the program was small, with only 14 registered last year. Turnbull decided to take action and began talking to previous pack leaders, teachers and parents with hopes of gaining as much exposure as possible for the program.

After months of spreading the word, when the day came for "round-up," Turnbull as well as other leaders, were astonished to see that their hard work had paid off. A total of 39 new boys had signed up for the program, as well as 11 returning scouts.

"I'm more than excited about this," said Turnbull. "I think it will be a phenomenal year; it completely surpassed my expectations."

The scout pack is broken down into four "dens" based on age: Tigers, Bears, Wolves and Webelos.

Bear den leader, Stephanie Rentfro, said this year will be much different than previous years because thanks to Turnbull, they have a newly-found excitement in the program from both parents and children.

"We are no longer just going day-by-day with the program," said Rentfro. "We have plans and actions that have sparked a lot of excitement."

The scouts have already made plans to participate in the International Coastal Clean-up in September at Tyndall Air Force Base. In addition, to teach the boys responsibility they will be helping the Humane Society out at Paws in the Park, and are hoping to participate in Fam Camp in October to teach the kids archery, fishing, and many other outdoor activities.

The new additions to the program have many of the boys excited about the up-coming year, although one activity in particularly has caught some of their eyes.

"I'm excited about the archery," said Colton Jones, 8, of the Bear den.

"Me too," said Hunter Vandertulip, 9, a Webelos member, who added, "and shooting BB guns."

 Although the boys see scouts as a fun way to spend their afternoons, to parents, the Cub Scouts offer children many opportunities and exposure to new adventures that they would not have with other kinds of programs.

"We couldn't really pin down a sport that my son wanted to do, so we thought scouts would be great because it offers such a variety of interests that between all of them, he would be able to find something that he is really passionate for," said Kate Kern, parent of Caidon Clayton of the Wolves den.

Throughout their experience in Cub Scouts, the boys will earn belt loops to signify activities that each has accomplished; anything from sports to camping and even videogames. If a boy is not the best at soccer, he can still earn a belt loop in playing chess or swimming.

"It just an amazing mixture of opportunities," said Turnbull. "It's not just about being the best at what you know, it's learning that everyone can work together."

Turnbull's hope is that, along with a sizable amount of money given to the scouts from the VFW and the Lions Club, the boys will be able to get out in the community and have fundraisers to help offset the expense of activities outside of the initial $21 membership fee. The biggest fundraiser will be selling popcorn to businesses and citizens around the county by going door-to-door.

"We are going to have little boys in uniform all over this town," said Turnbull.

Cub Scouts is only the first in a long line of Boy Scouts of America, which provide opportunities these boys can take throughout their lifetimes. Turnbull's husband has been in the program since he was a child. Now an Eagle Scout, Turnbull said that when he initially entered the military, just being an Eagle Scout automatically gave him rank right off the bat.

"You never really grow out of scouts," said Turnball. "No matter what grade or age, no matter what ability, it is just there for you at anytime with open arms.”