Tigers missing meetings

[Ltfightr]

I'm a first time Den Leader for my son't Tiger Den. We have 6-8 boys in the den. 3 show up all the time, if there is something I say I will be at, I know there will be at least 2 more besides my son there. The other 5 don't show up every time. 3 of those are an every other meeting and the other 2 are "once a month" kids.

 

I know I can't drive them to the meetings or force them to come but how do I make sure they get the Den Achievements done? I don't want to redo the ones we have done for the ones to make up but how do I make what the Den is doing fit that Achievement if they have nothing to do with each other.....Need 1D (Family Scrapbook cover) and we are making Tye-Dye shirts? Need ALL FIVE Dens but everyone eles has finished them and have the Tiger Badge already?

 

Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

Diana

[AnaMaria]

YOU can't make sure they get everything done. Cub Scouting, especially Tigers, is a family thing. I don't have the Tiger handbook at my computer to cite the reference, but it does say that if a Tiger misses a Den or Go See It Achievement, they can make it up on their own.

 

Are you using shared leadership? You shouldn't be doing all the planning/executing of den meetings anyway.

 

I don't know that I'd be going to exceptional lengths for things you've already covered unless you can make it interesting and meaningful for the boys that have already done it once. I'd send a reminder (email or newsletter of some sort) that you've already covered things 1, 2, 3 and if their son missed one of those meetings/outings, they need to complete it on their own. I use the ScoutTrax programs and could just print out a progress report and highlight what they've missed.

[Ltfightr]

Not really on the shared leadership. I can't get the other parents to help with it. When I told them about that part, I heard crickets they got quite that fast. *sigh* They do help some when they get there but I can't depend on most of them to be a every meeting. Even when they KNEW the kids were getting belt loops the next week they didn't show up. I've tried but what can I do.

 

Diana

[infoscouter]

Guilt sometimes works wonders. Send them regretful e-mails about how much fun their sons missed at the last meeting, along with a list of what they need to "make-up" at home.

 

Once the other boys start getting belt loops, beads and patches at pack meetings and their sons get nothing, some of them wake up quickly.

 

Unless you continue to market the fun and magic of the program, you'll lose some of them. It's sad, but some parents don't get how precious and short the time they have with their sons is. By the time they realize they missed something the opportunity is gone, never to be reclaimed.

[Karen_216]

The way you get them involved is to make a sign up sheet. you put the chapter down and then the pages in the book it covers. They each need to sign up for one. If you le them just sit there they will. Lots of people will if you put it in front of them. You tell them to pick what they want or you will pick for them.

They dont have to be keen on shared leadership but you csn get them to do it without putting a name on it.

Divide up what needs done. I had some that were there all the time and those that were therte occasionally. I did not let them "substitute" until after the go see it or other event. (one Dad said- we already went to a sporting event and I told him we are need to do it as a den or part of the pack and if there was a conflict I'd discuss it.)

you also never know what type of conflicts they have at home so don't judge just let them know you want them to keep up and if they can't make it you need them to come show you their book and that they complted on their own.

you've just started. Try kids showing up 1x every couple of months. These turn out to be the ones that drop out as well.

Good luck and get them involved or you'll have years of doing it all yourself.

[JAYMEDINC]

I recommend sending an email the day before the meeting announcing what the plan is. And then an email afterwards letting everyone know what was accomplished.

 

I don't recommend spending too much time helping them catch up if they weren't there. Put that on the parents. If you use Scouttracks or something similar, put the pressure on the parents, to keep their Tigers up to date.

 

I also recommend being very diligent in making sure those who show up, get every single elective signed off. This way they receive a ton of awards. That also serves as a great incentive for those who didn't get quite so many. But in many cases, just showing up and participating will earn the beads. So if your record keeping is in line, everybody will be getting something, nearly every month.

[ScoutNut]

I would recommend that you FIRST find out why these Tiger Teams are not attending meetings and activities. IS there a conflict with the meeting time/day? Are they overbooked with sports? Do they just forget?

 

Communication with your den families is essential an all Scout levels. Do a den newsletter with upcoming den and Pack meetings/events listed. Depending on what is going on, you should do one at LEAST 2X per month. Hand it out at den meetings and snail mail it to those who miss the meeting. Get e-mail addresses for every family and sent the newsletter out to everyone that way as well.

 

If Teams miss the den meeting or outing, make sure you let them know what requirement they have missed and that they are now responsible for completing it on their own. There are ways that some requirements can be completed a second time in a different way. This will help those that have missed it the first time, and not seem like repetition to those that have already done it.

 

Have all of your Tiger Teams earned Bobcat? They must receive their Bobcat before they can receive their Tiger award.

 

Bottom line is that you can only do so much hand holding. Once you make it plain to them that THEY are responsible for weather or not their son receives awards, there is not much else you can do. It is then up to them.

 

You asked 2 questions that have confused me a bit -

 

"how do I make what the Den is doing fit that Achievement if they have nothing to do with each other.....Need 1D (Family Scrapbook cover) and we are making Tye-Dye shirts?"

 

Tye-dye shirts are not even remotely close to scrapbooks. Making shirts simply does NOT complete Tiger requirement #1D - period. Why would you even try to use it in that fashion???

 

"Need ALL FIVE Dens but everyone eles has finished them and have the Tiger Badge already?"

 

Your Pack has 5 Tiger Dens? What do you need all 5 dens for? Every den, and every Scout in every den, works at THEIR OWN PACE. If the other 4 dens have already received their Bobcat and Tiger Badges, GOOD FOR THEM! They must have been working their bottoms off to get everything done in less than 2 months (or did they start in June?). What the other dens are doing, or not doing, has no relevance to what YOUR den is doing.

 

Shared Leadership is important. It gives each Tiger a chance to be in a leadership position, and to shine a bit in front of his fellow Tigers. Since your Tiger Teams have not signed up themselves, lay out a calendar yourself, and assign each Team a meeting date and a requirement, or elective, to cover. Give them all the calendar at the next meeting. Let them know that you will be willing to help them and work with them, but that it is THEIR meeting to run. Make sure they also know that the Tiger and Tiger Partner are to work TOGETHER on the meeting. Give them copies of Cub Scout Program Helps and any other recourses you have to help them.

 

Let your Tiger Teams know that it is only common courtesy to give you a call if they are unable to attend a Pack or den meeting or outing. Always have quick and easy alternative activities with you that you can pull out to fill in when necessary. Songs, and games work well for that. Also, electives like puppets, art, 911, and making things like paper airplanes and paper kites.

 

[gcnphkr]

One thing we did for to force the shared leadership was to put all the meetings for the year on post-it notes on a board. Each family took turns choosing an activity to plan. Once everyone had picked what they wanted, the remainder went into a hat and were drawn until all were gone. It actually worked out well with the families stepping up to do their part. Often a "we need you to do this" works better than waiting for someone to step forward.

[Ltfightr]

ScoutNut said:

"how do I make what the Den is doing fit that Achievement if they have nothing to do with each other.....Need 1D (Family Scrapbook cover) and we are making Tye-Dye shirts?"

 

Tye-dye shirts are not even remotely close to scrapbooks. Making shirts simply does NOT complete Tiger requirement #1D - period. Why would you even try to use it in that fashion???

 

ME: I know the shirts arn't even close to scrapbooks. I was using that as an example. Put whatever you want into the the 2 spots. I KNOW they had nothing to do with each other. I even said that in the first part of the sentance. 6 of the boys have #1D, 2 of the boys come and they still need #1D...Do I somehow plan something that will fit that spot for next week and hope they show up again or do the 2 other boys just do it on their own? If they do it on their own how does that make it a DEN Achievement? What it stoping the other parents when they see I'm letting the other 2 boys do a DEN Achievement at home from having a fit because I'm make THEIR child do it in the DEN?

 

ScoutNut:

"Need ALL FIVE Dens but everyone eles has finished them and have the Tiger Badge already?"

 

Your Pack has 5 Tiger Dens? What do you need all 5 dens for? Every den, and every Scout in every den, works at THEIR OWN PACE. If the other 4 dens have already received their Bobcat and Tiger Badges, GOOD FOR THEM! They must have been working their bottoms off to get everything done in less than 2 months (or did they start in June?). What the other dens are doing, or not doing, has no relevance to what YOUR den is doing.

 

ME: No, we have 1 Tiger Den. There are FIVE DEN ACHIEVEMENTS. Sorry the sentacne should of read..."5 of the boys have finished all five of the five den achievements and have gotten the Tiger Badge. The 2 other boys who don't come all the time just happened to miss all 5 meetings where the Den worked on the Den Achievevments. Do I or the Tiger Team leading the meeting somehow try to do something that would work or let them do it on their own?" I guess I thought everyone could read my mind and know what I was trying to say. LOL

 

JAYMEDINC:

Yeah, I'm working hard on making sure the ones who come get stuff. I've told the whole group that we will be working on one Belt Loop a month so we can get lots of stuff. I was in Girl Scouts for years and one of my troops did that and that is the troop I remember the most. I really want to give the boys what I got out of scouts. The friendships, the fun, the learning, and some badges (ok Belt loops but you know what I mean).

 

EVERYONE:

 

I don't know if guilt would work with my group. I can see some of them "forgetting" the nights they have to do it. I'm going to puch the shared a bit more AFTER I make sure we finish all the Tiger Achievements. I would hate to have one of them in charge of the the last "whatever" and then not show and I have nothing ready.

 

[fleetfootedfox]

Diane,

 

I have learned that the new trend in cub scouting is to do nearly all of the activities in den meetings, not just the "den activities". That may account for why other dens you mention are on the fast track. To do that, you have to have more den meetings and/or be very organized.

 

I am a Webelos den leader right now. Last year I had a boy that missed some meetings due to illness (and probably some for other reasons). Fortunately, I had time to do a few extra make-up ativities and he made up the rest at home. This year I have a boy that joined at the beginning of the year and hasn't been to a meeting yet. What can I do? Apparently, everything else is higher priority. Even square dancing night at the elementary won out.

[ScoutNut]

If you read the parent section in the front of the Tiger Handbook, it specifically states that Tigers who miss meetings (den or go-see-its), for whatever reason, can do the missed Tiger Requirements with their familiy at home. They do it at home, sign off in their son's Handbook that it was completed, and then you put it down as completed in your den records.

 

You can't force them to complete the requirements for the Tiger Rank Award. There is every possibility that you will have some who never do, and will not get their Tiger Badge. And that is OK. Maybe they will learn and get with the program for Wolf.

 

 

 

[Ltfightr]

That shows how well I'VE been paying attenetion. My DH has been has been the Parent Partner for our son so I've just skeemed the book in places. I guess I'm off the read later!

 

Thanks Scoutnut and everyone eles.

 

Diana