What are ways you have gotten Tiger Cub parents to share leadership?

[83Eagle]

Here's my question: As you know, the Tiger program is supposed to operate under the principal of "shared leadership." For those who have gotten this to work, what are the ways you have gotten the parents to do what they are supposed to do?

 

Here's a little more background. I started a few years ago as TDL and diligently went through the materials including all the "leaders work with boy-adult partners to plan meetings and activities" stuff. I asked my CM a question back then, and he said, "Well, that doesn't work, you're the leader," So, not knowing any better at the time I just ran things myself and never tried to get the shared model to work. 20/20 hindsight....

 

Well, three years later I'm now CM (funny how that works). First off, we had a bit of a leader-recruiting challenge with this year's Tiger Den. Went through several candidates before we finally got a good one to step up and, yes, she is very good for the role. I stressed to her that she's not supposed to do it all, and she's gone through position training and the leader materials so she knows the background of how the Tiger program is supposed to run. I asked her about involving the parents and she said that she laid out her expectations but that "they weren't too receptive." She's not the type who will mind taking the same path I took (as did last year's TDL), but this just isn't the way it's supposed to work, so that bugs me.

 

What have you done that works for this? Have sign-up sheets with meeting dates or activity/outing types and require people to pick one? And what do you do with the parent who steadfastly refuses to do anything other than show up as required to be the adult partner? I believe that while, in general, people will live up (or down) to your expectations, there are some people who are absent parents even when they're present and are going to stay that way, period.

 

There's really not much of a "hammer" at your disposal, and besides, you'd like it to be a positive experience for everyone, not something they begrudgingly do.

 

Seeing that I failed at this when I was TDL, anyone else have any ideas?

 

 

 

[ScoutNut]

Your TDL needs to CLEARLY explain the program to her Tiger Teams. She needs to CLEARLY explain that EVERY Team MUST sign up for at LEAST XX number of meetings/outings. She needs to impress on her Teams that this is a way for them to learn more about the program, an opportunity to bond with their Tiger, and for their Tiger to experience a bit of leadership.

 

A sign up sheet for each meeting date, per month, will help. Your den leader can even list what requirements she wants covered on each meeting date to help Teams pick the ones they are interested in. I would recommend having the Tiger requirements listed first. If she can't get commitments on meetings to far in advance, she can always pull out the signup sheets down the road. Once the Teams see how easy, and how much fun, running a meeting/outing can be, she will have more signups.

 

The Tiger Teams also have to be confident that they will not be completely on their own. Your Tiger Teams (and Tiger den leader) have to know that they will get all of the help, and assistance, they need.

 

Also, make sure that the Adult Partners are treated like members of the den, and not visitors. They sit next to their Tiger, and do EVERYTHING their Tiger does. They play games, sing songs, do crafts, participate in skits, say the Pledge, Promise, Law, Salute, get up in front of the entire Pack to receive awards, etc. The Tiger and his Adult Partner are a TEAM, and they participate in EVERYTHING together.

 

If there are families that do not seem willing to lead, they can be gotten to help in other ways. Rotate Teams to lead the den's opening flag ceremony, start with Teams who have not signed up for meetings. Assign reluctant Teams to bring materials for projects, call den members with outing reminders, help teach a song/game, do some copying, etc.

 

For the dates that are not covered by the den's Tiger Teams, the den leader takes charge. But the Teams should be brought into the planning as much as possible. Ask them for ideas, especially outing ideas.

 

Tigers is a fun time learning abut Scouting. These families are the future of your Pack. Get them excited, and enthused by Scouting, and your Pack will not have a volunteer problem!

 

Have FUN!

 

 

[drmbear]

I too am a Cubmaster starting out this year, and my son came in so late in the Tiger year to a den with only one other boy, that I missed the whole concept of how the Tiger year is supposed to work. I was Den Leader for the Wolf Den, and am now also a Bear Den Leader. I've also been talking about all this with my Eagle Scout Brother, Tiger Cub Den Leader and adult partner.

 

Anyway, since we know how this should be working as a shared leadership situation, this is what I've decided needs to be done with the Tiger Den. Even if you have people that have volunteered to be Tiger Den Leader, I would not even bring it up until the expectations for the den are set up. It seems to me that the Cubmaster is the best person to run this organizational meeting, describing the way the shared leadership works, handing out the assignments, etc. After that is done, then it is okay to talk about anyone that has already said they would take the role of Den Leader. That role should be about keeping up with the schedule, tracking boy's progress, and making sure any needed information is made available. They will also maintain contact with the Cubmaster and leadership team to coordinate with Pack Events.

 

It seems that if you start off with a Tiger Den Leader assigned, it is just too easy for all the other parents to dump responsibility, and I'm not sure it is possible to recover from that. I'm not having any luck with it in my Pack. I also think it is way too difficult for the Tiger Cub Den Leader to be responsible for establishing the shared leadership concept, particularly if they are also one of the new cub scout parents. I actually accept responsibility for all this, since when I had a pair of volunteers for TDL, I gave them information and let them take on their own job. I'm glad I'll get to do it differently the next couple years.

 

My interest in this as Cubmaster is that if this is done correctly, and Tiger families get into this concept of shared leadership, it is the foundation for long-term Pack success. Pack support (the Committee and other things needed to make the Pack go) also depends on shared leadership. When those parents have successes and are seen as heroes that first year, it fills in all those other Pack needs in the following years.

[83Eagle]

How I presented this to the parents at the roundup was that Tiger Cubs was a parent-run program, but that I was here to help. Then I said I would need a leader to serve essentially as a coordinator, to set the schedule of who's doing what and to coordinate with me and the pack and the advancement coordinator to keep everyone on the same page, etc etc.

 

But...I think what happens is the person who stepped up to be leader puts the uniform on and suddenly they are the person in the "official" position, which is natural.

 

I agree the expectation needs to be set, and I think we've done what we can to do that. The good news is that my TDL tells me she has set a schedule but the parents are reluctant. Perhaps that's natural and they'll see how well it all works and it will all be good.

 

What I'm trying to avoid is just using the "because the book says so" reason for why parents need to share leadership. Even though that's the rule, it's not the reason, and therefore I'm hoping for some POSITIVE motivators to use with parents. Some good ones have come thus far, keep 'em coming...

 

[mtnnybb]

As cubmaster I lead the first 2 tiger meetings. Scouts can be overwhelming when you dont know what you are getting yourself in to. I explain how the journey from tiger to eagle is one of separation in many ways. When the boys become boy scouts the parent is not nearly as involved. I also tell them many of the things that make a good cubmaster dont make a good scoutmaster (i.e. get out of the way). And than I quote a study that says, by the time your son turns 10 he will have spent half of the time he will with you his entire life cherish it now. Get involved. All the moms and dads watching their boy scouts head off to adventure with out them wish they could be you right now sitting with and partnering with you son. Ok who wants to lead the next meeting

[BluejacketScouter]

What I have done for the past two cycles and works for our unit is to "plan" the next week's meeting at the very end of the night and let the boys volunteer their parents. I already have the meeting requirements planned using the den meeting form and the program helps (now program guide). Just a matter of assigning names. Each parent/son team runs one part of the meeting. Don't wait for the parent to speak up...the boys are eager to do it for them.

 

"Let's see, who wants to teach us a new game for our gathering activity next week? Uh-huh, X and his mom..." They get the game book and mom sees her name written down on the schedule.

 

"Who will take attendance? OK, X and dad..."

 

"Opening ceremony?"

 

Even to the point of "we need to test a smoke alarm next week - who can bring a smoke alarm with a fresh battery?" The boys will dislocate their arms trying to get your attention.

 

Moms don't seem to be too frightened by having to take the songbook home and teach us all a new song next week. It's the Dads who are mortified.

 

All I do is pre-planning. Make a few calls and be sure the paperwork is ready for the Go-See-Its. A few times, even a parent or two have stepped up with an out-of-the-box idea for those.

 

Seating should always be parent-son, parent-son. Don't ever let the parents occupy the back of the room.

 

I am there to guide each part of the den meeting, but the only part of the meeting that is "mine" is the closing ceremony - Living Circle, etc and I even mix that up quite a bit.

 

Don't even use the title "Tiger Den Leader" with the new parents. Use "Tiger Den Trainer" and put that person in a teaching, rather than leading, role.

 

My two cents - the Tiger Leader should be the leading parent recruiter.

[83Eagle]

Oh, I LOVE the idea of having the boys volunteer! That makes sense and I've already done it to motivate parents on other issues.

 

"Ok, who is going to go camping!"

 

100% of hands shoot up.

 

"Ok, so you gotta tell mom or dad to get your camping form in by this Friday because they're due!"

 

Etc.... Works wonders b/c the kids are pestering the parents and not me.

[afscout]

It's funny that we really don't realize/stress how important Tiger dens are. When I was an Adult Partner with my son, the TDL was a very laissez-faire type of leader. He sent out an email about how we need to make sure all the Tiger requirements needed to be covered and that parents needed to lead the activities. As it turned out only 7 parents out of 14 signed up to cover everything. He never said that all of the parents should lead an activity. Of those 7, most of them are now DLs, ADLs, ACMs, etc. The other 6 (one left to another pack) are still around, but are not in leadership positions. I wonder, what if all of the parents were told that they had to lead an activity? Would we have more of the 13 parents involved?

 

I know I got more involved because I lead an TD activity, found that I could do it easily and I liked getting involved with not just my son, but all the kids.

 

There should be a special online training, just for Tiger DLs that emphasises this point.

[acco40]

Tell a specific parent to do a specific task. Don't work in generalities - Who can help me out here? Practice giving out compliments - I see that you have a wonderful capability in showing the boys "X" - We are going to location "Y" next week and you'd be a great leader to organize and carry out that outing!

 

You need to learn to be 50% youth leader, 50% saleman.