pavilm

There are tons of lyrics just for the Toad, we did it at Jungle Book training for Leaders. I will try and write them down from the video I took. It's more effective when you keep the song to the toad.

My only advice is to keep recruiting Tigers, they are the blood that makes the Pack go. It's where you get your future Leaders plus it stocks your pack. Make sure whoever does Boy Talks at your School or Church is really pumped up for the Tigers. Show me a growing Pack and you will see a large Tiger Den......show me a struggling Pack and you will see a couple years of below average Tiger Dens. Your Tiger leaders are always going to be new, just help them, but don't do the work for them. Also hold a Kindergarten Roundup in the Spring....They are eligible to be Tiger Cubs. With a decent Summer Program you should have a fine Tiger Den next Fall. (This message has been edited by pavilm)

Well then......, Spend as much as you would like on patches. The only problem usually is a budgetary one, which you don't seem to have. Don't forget the Sports and Academic Beltloop and Pin Program as well, Scouts love collecting them. We budget about $50 per Scout for patches and Advancement stuff. It goes pretty fast.

It's hard not to have your meetings revolve around Activity Pins. That is if you want to be ready by Blue and Gold. What I try to do is do field trips that knock out a lot of stuff at one time. A local nature center can do the Naturalist or Forrester pin in one day and the boys don't even realize it since they are having fun on a field trip. A visit to the Science Center can knock out Engineer or Scientist in a very fun way. Same with Campouts with Boy Scout Troops, you would be surprised how much you can cover if you just plan a little before you go on your campout. The trick is to knock out pin requirements by doing fun stuff, if you turn your meeting into Requirement A,B,C, ect... you will turn off the Webelos.

It is easy to go "patch happy" and blow whatever budget you have set. Pick and choose which things will get a patch or you will either A.) Spend a ton of Money B.) Give patches out for everything. I am all for giving Scouts as much incentive as possible, it can be a serious money drain if you don't watch what your are doing. There are Activity patches with segments surrounding them that are fairly affordable if you want to go that route. They actually look pretty cool and the cost is reasonable. Also be on the lookout for free patches, they are around, you just have to look for them. The Junior National Marksmen Assoc. gives one out for a qualifying score at a Scout range for BB guns for example. There is a Birdwatching patch that is available from an organization that skips my mind at the moment. Spread the patches out over the year or else you will not have money to give them out in the Spring.

"I both agree and disagree with the above. I think memorization is important, and so I do test my Bobcat candidates. That said, rarely do any kids fail (as I do gentle guidance). IMHO, without the chance of failure, there is no chance of success. " No where does it say the Scout has to memorize the words to the Promise or Law of the Pack, it says "learn and say" as well as "Do Your Best". I would not "Fail" any Scout for not being able to say them, they should be able to explain the concepts of both and with help, get the words out, but not have to memorize, that will come with time in Scouting IMO. Do people honestly want a Scout's first attempt at an advancement (Bobcat) to be such an ordeal?

It's a great idea in thought, but the trick is to incorporate such things in a really fun environment, where the boys don't feel that they are going to "Cub Scout School" to "earn" things. If you incorporate the advancements in fun activities, the Scouts get the real benefit from the program without even knowing they did "requirements". It's like I explain to Parents, Boys don't join Cub Scouts to learn Values, they come to have Fun. Our goal is to teach the the values in a fun way where they don't even realize that's what they have done. As they say, Keep it Fun, Make it Simple.

Thank you, we are having some confusion in our Pack over Boys earning their awards, with the AC testing Scouts one on one on Bobcat things, expecting them to recite verbatim and questioning every stitch of requirement for a belt loop or pin. I am very opposed to testing the boys in such a manner. It will turn off the boys and parents from Scouting. I am happy if they just try to say the items and know what they mean, you know "Do your Best". Scouts who try but fail should not be punished for doing their best. The memorization comes by us doing it at every Den Opening and Pack meeting.

Who is ultimately responsible for verifying a Cub Scouts Advancement, The Parent and DL or the AC? If a parent or Den Leader states that Joey Scout has done the requirements for a certain belt loop or Pin, should that be sufficient? Should Scouts ever be made to prove their requirements by passing a one on one test with the AC? I thought the requirements for most of Cub Scouts was to "do you best" or try to attempt, not memorize. I understand Boys Scouts have a Board of Review, but should Cub Scouts be subjected to this?(This message has been edited by pavilm)