SAN FERNANDO : Uniforms and Spanish Draw Latinos to Cubs

Leaders of a fledgling Cub Scout pack in San Fernando are finding that used uniforms and Spanish-language skills are as important as camp-outs and crafts in enticing Latino youngsters into joining.

Cubmaster Rosemary Delgado has headed Pack 116 since February, and she has found that many parents hesitate to enroll their children when they learn the cost of registration ($7) and new uniforms.

Delgado solved the problem by scouring thrift shops and yard sales for used tan and navy blue shirts and pants. Now when a youngster says he cannot afford a new $23 shirt, she hands him a used one.

“We even get the books at yard sales,” said Delgado, who holds fund-raisers to pay for the clothing and supplies.

As for hesitant parents and youngsters who protest that Scouting is not for them because they don’t speak English, Delgado reels them in by translating portions of the weekly meetings at the American Legion Hall en Espanol.

Delgado says any effort to promote Scouting in the predominantly Latino community is worth it if the youngsters get turned on to good deeds and turned off from life in gangs.

“As long as we keep them out of the streets, that’s all that matters,” said Delgado, whose 7-year-old son belongs to the pack.

Scouting officials have embarked on a campaign to shepherd more Latino youngsters into the Boy Scout fold in the heavily Latino northeast San Fernando Valley, which now boasts eight Cub Scout packs from Sylmar to Pacoima where the majority of members are bilingual. Tom Miles, district executive for the Boy Scouts Cahuenga District, said surveys show that youngsters want more Scouting, but many parents do not sign up their children because of money and language concerns.

Leaders of Pack 116 have worked hard to erase such concerns so that the dozen 6- to 10-year-old Cub Scouts can concentrate on learning citizenship skills.

During a recent meeting, Delgado and pack leader Gabriel Aguilar handed out Bobcat patches for reading to the Scouts, who giggled and beamed with pride as parents watched.

“It’s fun being in the Boy Scouts,” said Lorenzo Flores Jr., 9, after receiving his patch and certificate. “I like earning badges.”

Nine-year-old Osvaldo Larios, who learned enough English to recite the Cub Scout pledge, says he returns every week for the camaraderie and activities. “They show us how to do things,” he said.