Tiger Advancement

[Peaceful1]

Greetings all! Can my Tigers advance to Bobcats without completing all the achievements? Several have missed out on the Go See It's and den activities due to illness and various reasons this past winter.

 

Thanks!

[ScoutNut]

First, the Tiger & Bobcat ranks are 2 separate things with separate rank requirements. Not finishing the requirements for the Tiger rank has nothing to do with the Bobcat rank.

 

In order to earn a rank award the boys have to complete ALL of the requirements for that rank. They also can not work on more than 1 rank at a time. Once the boys receive their Bobcat rank they can no longer work on Tiger rank achievements or electives.

 

Have you told these Tiger families that they can complete the den & go-see-it activites that they missed on their own? Do you (& they) know that they can take extra time to complete these missing achievements? Maybe you can do some of these missing activites again with the den. They can be done differently so the others are doing something new and not just repeating. Like visiting your fire dept if you have already visited your police dept. Visit a reinactment, a historical park, a historical society or library. Go on a bike hike instead of a foot hike. Use leaf pictures to make a Mom's Day card.

 

Don't write off these boys receiving their Tiger rank too soon. You have at least 1.5 months until the end of the school year. The boys who already have their Tiger rank can be earning electives & having fun while the others work toward rank.

 

[Peaceful1]

Thank you for your reply. Oh goodness! I hope I didn't come off as trying to write them off. That was not my intention at all! Like you mentioned, there is only 1.5 months of school left. It is getting more difficult with soccer and baseball practice too. I have mentioned several times to the parents that they can do things on their own too. I have 11 in my den and most are close to earning rank. I was hoping they could all do it together. I guess I will end up getting badges for those that earned it. I was hoping to award them all at the May pack meeting. I think some of the parents thought Tiger Cubs was a babysitting service. I made it real clear at the first meeting that was not the case. One Mom was at a den meeting reading a book and had to be asked to help her son with a craft. I didn't get our handbooks until Nov. and that put us behind too. Only 4 from my den showed up to the Cake Bake. But...three of them won! Their little faces were too cute!

I am trying my best to hold their interest. I took them Christmas carolling to a nursing home. I have taken them to an airport and they all got to sit in a 737. Saw how the engines are made and operate. I had a historical tour where they made butter. Medieval Times reanctment. Farm tour. Jail tour. Had a police officer talk to them about personal safety at a den meeting. Had a fireman do the same. Had an exchange student from South Africa at a den meeting. Bank tour vaults and all. High school basketball game. They have made things using drills and hammers. Next den meeting we are making the vests. I was actually talked into being a den leader too. I do admit I have enjoyed it too. I just am a bit po'd at the lack of involvement from some of the parents. It is sort of discouraging me from being a leader next year. Our CM is a whole different ballgame! Talk about non-involvement! We have no committees or trainers. I have no idea how we became a quality unit for 2005. I learned most of my things here lurking around and at other websites. Under the circumstances, it at times is a drag! But, I guess the smiling faces is what keeps me going!

Sorry for the length of this!

[cubbingcarol]

FYI- the 'Go See It' should be done as a den. It is in the book if you don't believe me. They can not just go as a family.

 

Good luck,

Carol

[Torveaux]

Peaceful1,

 

From what I have seen so far, nothing inspires people to help out their kids more than when other kids get the recognition they earned for doing it first.

 

One of the biggest mistakes our Pack has made up to now was waiting to give rank recognition until the end of the school year. Now that we moved it up, people are getting pressure from their kids. They want to earn their badges too!

[Greg Nelson]

I believe ScoutNut is correct. The Go See Its SHOULD be done as a den, but boys are allowed to make them up on their own if they miss the outing.

 

I'm reading between the lines here, but I'd guess that Peaceful1 is facing some parents who don't really CARE about their kids getting the Tiger Cub badge. You can give them all the second chances and extra time in the world, and it still won't get done.

 

Once these kids get a little older, then THEY apply the pressure on the parents - "Mom! Sign me off for this, or Johnny will make Bear before I do!" But, right now, if the parents aren't motivated to help the kids finish, you're out of luck. You might be better off cutting bait and moving on to the Bobcat badge.

 

Also, I don't think the "can only work on one rank at a time" applies to Bobcat. I was looking up this exact point in the Wolf Handbook. Our current Tiger Cubs will have Bobcat before summer camp, but we will have a new scout there who will not have earned the badge yet. I was trying to see if the new kid would have to complete his Bobcat before getting credit for the Wolf achievements at camp. I saw nothing that said he had to do so. Shoot me if I'm wrong.

 

Great work on the Tiger Cub year, BTW. That's more than we've done, and WAY more than most Tiger Cub dens do. You have nothing to feel defensive about. Maybe some of the parents don't notice or appreciate the work, but the boys will. Not until they have kids of their own, but they'll notice.

[cubbingcarol]

According to the Tiger Cub handbook page 7 "Take a field trip, or Go See It, with the entire den". This is in bold print. No where can I find reference to the parent being able to fulfill this requirement on his/her own with the Tiger cub. There are lots of ways to do this so that all the boys can go. Change it up a little so that it is something new for the ones that have fulfilled the requirement already but do it as a den.

 

Carol

[ScoutNut]

Also in the Tiger Handbook, in the Introductory Guide for Tiger Cubs and Adult Partners, the Advancement section, under Tiger Cub Badge (pages 21-22 in my edition):

 

"The den activites and Go See It outings are intended to be completed with the den. If a Tiger Cub is unable to participate in an activity because of an illiness or a conflict, however, you may work with him to complete these requirements."

 

The "you" in the above statement is the Adult Partner.

 

The Tiger program is ment to be flexable so the boys have fun and are successful.

 

This year I have one boy who has a doctors appointment at the same time as our Tiger den meeting. Should I have told him, sorry, but we can't take you? Should I have said you can sign up, but don't expect to earn much? His brother is a Bear & he has been itching to join for years (I remember him tagging along to Tiger meetings with his dad & big bro!). He comes with his dad to every meeting he can & has not missed a Pack meeting all year. I try to shedule outings when he can be there, but I have 5 other VERY active Tigers so sometimes it just doesn't work. As a result, he has had to work with his dad & family on just about all of the requirements. He is having a ball in Cub Scouts & was one of the first to finish all of his rank requirements.

 

(This message has been edited by ScoutNut)

[Peaceful1]

Once a Tiger Cub has been recognized in this ceremony for completion of his Tiger Cub year, he can no longer work on his Tiger Cub requirements. He now works on the Wolf advancement requirements outlined in the Wolf Handbook.

 

This may sound really dumb butif you are recognized for *completion* that means you are done, right? So why would one even need to work on the *remaining* requirements? Is the Tiger Cub rank not as important or strict as the others? Isnt Bobcat after Tiger? Please correct me if I am wrong here too. Seems like the Bobcat requirements are done with adult partner only? I dont see any involvement with the DL other than perhaps making sure the boy actually knows the Bobcat requirements and signing off in his book.

Should I be planning den meetings over the summer? I am trying to get a bike rodeo and fishing derby together for them. Open for suggestions and advice here! I did get tons of info. off the internet too. I could always stick in a few den meetings if need be. I have a life too though! I have a son and husband. I have elderly parents that I help care for. I work part-time. I volunteer tutor at school. I belong to a Womens Club. A few of the other DLs told me I can count on at least half of the boys dropping out after this year. That would be a shame. They seem to enjoy it so much.

 

[cubbingcarol]

Scoutnut, you are right. I have a different edition than you but after some searching I did find what you were talking about. I am woman enough to admit when I am wrong (just don't tell my husband ).

 

YIS,

Carol

 

Peaceful1, I am going to have bi-monthly den meetings this summer but we will not really be focusing on Bear requirements, probably beltloops and pins. Plus we will be joining the pack in all the activities so we can earn the Summertime Activity Award. Remember as Wolves they no longer have to have the parent present at meetings, just keep in mind 2 deep leadership.

[ScoutNut]

If you are talking about a graduation ceremony, then yes, that means that they have completed the level and are going on to the next.

 

The BSA trys to give Cub Scouts (at all levels, not just Tigers) every chance to succeed. To do this, they allow any Scout who is not quite finished with his rank requirements, some extra time after the end of the school year (when Scouts usually graduate into the next Scout level & school grade) to complete them. There are a few stipulations on this, however. One is that they can only work on their rank requirements, not electives. Two, is that while they are finishing up their rank requirements they can not work on anything at their new Scout level. BSA wants boys to only work in one program at a time.

 

For Bobcat, Greg is correct. Bobcat is a bit different. Actually, you should be working on Bobcat from their 1st day as a Tiger. They learn the Cub Sign & Salute as part of earning their Tiger Totem. They can be saying the Promise as part of their Den opening every week for the first 1/2 of the year & switch to the Law for the 2nd 1/2. They can end their meeting with the Tiger Motto for 1/2 and then the Cub Motto. They can include a Cub Handshake with their Adult Partner when saying the Cub Motto. As they say "Practice Makes Perfect"! We don't usually award Bobcat until September. We give the boys until then to practice and go over the other things with their parents. Then at our September Pack meeting we do a big Bobcat ceremony with all of the Wolf Scouts & any new Bear or Webelos.

 

 

[ScoutNut]

Having den meetings during the summer is pretty much up to you. Scouting is a year round program, but you don't have to go full throttle all summer. Summer is

 

What kind of summer activites does your Pack have planned? Ask about it at your next Committee meeting. You don't want to be duplicating things that your Pack is already planning. Also, find out what your council is offering for the summer. How about a Day Camp, or Summer Camp? Have any of your Tigers signed up for one of these?

 

We don't usually have regular den meetings over the summer. We do have 1 or 2 Pack activities each month. June is a minor league baseball game & a fishing derby. July is Council Summer Camp, Pack Family Camp, & rocket shoot. Aug is District Day Camp, & Pack picnic. School starts the end of Aug & we have our Pack Round-Up. Regular Den meetings start up again after Labor Day.

[Peaceful1]

What does out pack do over the summer? Nothing! That is the main problem. The CM's heart is in the right place but he has no idea how to delegate or plan. As I mentioned before, we have no committees in place. I was planning a bike rodeo and fishing derby for my den. I then talked to a few of the other leaders about summer activities and found out nothing was planned. I asked them if they would like to include their dens and they were pretty excited about it. I am new to scouting and always feel inadequate with all my dumb questions. I just get the feeling in our pack (and it is quite large, about 80!) that anything goes. We have eight DL's and only three own a uniform shirt. CM has no clue about the finances either. Hasn't been able to get in touch with the treasurer since last fall! Two weeks before Pinewood Derby the CM tells us the track in all warped and needs repairs. One of the new DL's called her old CM and was able to borrow his. Saved by the CM! Blue and Gold was awful. Our CM cancelled the crafts for some unknown reason 45 minutes before show time. The boys were bored to tears for three hours. So bored one of them called 911 from a pay phone. Just running around and belly slapping each other.

I was just wasn't raised to do things half butt. I don't like to volunteer unless I can do a good job and not look like a fool. I, of course, am by no means perfect either. I just try my best.

Do you folks often run in to parents that complain about how a pack is run but never volunteer to help with anything?

[ScoutNut]

Actually most of our Scout families are pretty good, although I have run into the chronic complainer in other areas. When I was on the PTO I had one mom come up to me complaining about an activity. I asked her why she hadn't signed up to help out & her reply was that because she saw the same people working at every event she felt it was just a big clique & did not feel welcome. I assured her that the reason she saw the same people all the time was not because of any clique, but because they were the only idiots in the whole school who would volunteer. I asked her if she would care to join our clique for the next event & I never heard from her again!

 

 

[ScoutNut]

Do you have monthly meetings where the CM & all of the Den Leaders get together & talk about the upcoming Pack meeting?

 

At your very next Leaders meeting bring up the idea of summertime Pack events. Tell them what you are planning & let them know you are willing to open the events up to the entire Pack, but that you will need HELP! Also see if you can get 1 or 2 of the other leaders to commit to putting together another event (picnic, kite fly?). Sometimes it just takes 1 or 2 folks to stand up & push things thru!