Cub Scout's siblings in den meetings - how do you handle this>

[JDickerson]

My pack is sponsored by a church, so we get boys from all over. It's not a "neighborhood" pack where the boys meet at a den leader's home or at school. As a result, we often have parents bring one or two younger siblings to den meetings while they accompany their Cub Scout. Sometimes these children are a distraction, sometimes they want to do "what the big kids" are doing. And they ALWAYS expect to be served the snacks and treats. Is there a policy about this? I know some families have no alternative but to bring little ones, and I don't want to alienate anyone with a strict rule. Any ideas?

[zippie2223]

I'm in the same situation as you. We meet on the outskirts of town at our CO, a church. I'm a wolf den leader and I am one of the parents that have to bring his little one to the meeting. I usually have enough materials and snacks for all the kids. The little ones usually draw or make a mess of the materials but that keeps the quite. I was taught that cub scouting was a family organization and everyone in the family is invite to the meetings. But hte one rule I have is that the parents must stay with the little kids and remove him/her if they get to disruptive.

[ScoutNut]

Is there somewhere besides the room where the scouts are meeting that the sibs can go? If your parents are all staying can on or two of them act as sitters for the sibs? If there is no other room can the sibs at least be at another table doing their own things?

 

Yes, Cub Scouts is a family program, but that does not mean that all of the children in the family get to participate in all scouting activites regardless of their age.

 

Each level of the The Cub Scout program (Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos) is age appropriate. The activites are taylored for boys with the attention span, dexterity, & knowledge of that particular age level. Cub Scout Den meetings are not Familiy meetings.

 

If there has to be sibs present then they should be supervised by someone OTHER than the Den Leaders & they should be separate from the Scouts. If it is the same families all of the time, have them alternate the supervisor job. They can also provide quiet cames, coloring pages, puzzles, etc, when it is their turn.

 

Another option is to ask the local older Girl Scout Troops for some help sitting the sibs. They are usually looking for leadership or community service hours. The same goes for kids doing Confirmation service hours. If the older youth is actually a sib of the Cub that is even better!

 

For the snacks, if they are eating I would charge the families a small snack dues to cover the cost. Actually, if the Leader is providing craft supplies, snacks, and everything else to the sibs I would charge the sibs the entire cost of the Den Dues.

 

 

 

[Locust Fork Leader]

I have to agree with Zippie. I too meet at a local church and I am a Webelos leader. I have to bring my little one with me (4yr). I bring enough for everyone to particpate. It's something that has happened since my son was a Tiger. As long as the younger child is not a distraction or a behavioral problem I don't have a problem with them.

 

Tracy

[anarchist]

Sibs, ah yes...I would recommend slow roasting over apple wood with a dash of pepper sauce...er sorry dreaming here....

 

First, a simple hand out to parents...with a schedule of snack rotations...each family should provide the sncks in turn...unless you collect dues/money for snacks...then sibs families need to 'belly up to the bar' and pay for sib snack...(I always had a 'set' of snacks and fruit juice in the truck for the inevitable 'we forgot' excuse...but then the 'we forgotters' were told to do it next week and restock my truck emergency box. Mostly it worked.

 

Disruptive sibs were not a problem... Most of my parents stayed and chatted over in the corner...my den rule was this: Wednesday night was a cub scout den meeting... not a play date ...Parents were to bring materials for the sibs or ask me to provide materials and repay my 'den fund'...one warning for noise or disruption was acceptable but a second time- the parent and sib could wait in the car...I guess I had great parents 'cause I only had to do that once in five years...drew a complaint to the CM but he told 'mommie dearest' it was my den and she could 'shop' for another pack if the rules didn't work for her. JUST REMEMBER BSA does not mean Baby Sitters of America!

 

Sibs can not be allowed to be a drain or a distraction...it is just not fair...firm hand, firm requirements result in quality experience for the cubs...

 

one side note here, as my boys became Webelos many had brothers only a year or two younger...In many of these cases the younger boy was a wolf or a bear and I did let them sit in on my meetings...in a couple of cases they turned out to be stronger Boy Scouts than their older brothers...they had two den meeting a week to learn things!

 

hope it helps!