I was a Cub Scout Den Leader for "the" five years, a Cubmaster for four of those years, and now an Assistant Scoutmaster/advancement coordinator for five years ... my awesome son earning his Eagle Rank in the fall of 2009 ... and I'm happy to say that he's still enjoying Scouts.

The best piece of advice I got while a Cub Scout leader was that there is plenty of time for boys to do Boy Scouting in, well, Boy Scouts.

The best advice I got while a Boy Scout leader was to get a good camp chair and never do for a Scout what he can do for himself - decisions included.

Your kit is a tad advanced for Wolf/Bear Cub Scouts, but good for Webelos. I'm not sure I'd give Webelos the purifier tablets. I'd be focusing heavily on teaching them to tell people where their going and to stay put when lost.

Up through Bear I think following Doug Ritter's "Kid's Survival" advice and his kid's survival kit is by far the best advice I've found. A decent loud whistle, a few big bright (orange or blue) plastic bags, water, a bright pocket flashlight (headlamp???), and a bright (orange or blue) bandanna. That's a great kit for anyone.

In the Webelos years you can add a knife, simple (button?) compass, simple first aid kit (band aids, pads, tape, antibacterial ointment, tweezers, soap in a baggie, and some nitrile gloves of reasonable size). Teach basic first aid.

In Webelos 2 you could add a basic baseplate compass and a ferriconium rod/striker, and some cotton/PJ fire starters. Somewhere in Webelos start teaching them how to light matches (kids don't learn how at home) and campfires. That gives them most of the Scout Outdoor Essentials ... which is a nice kit with a few added items (esp. the whistle).

Enjoy the boys ... man do they grow up fast!!!

Ken