Handbook for new leaders--esp. Tigers?

[83Eagle]

When I volunteered to be Tiger Den leader, our CM told me "just follow the book and you'll be fine." Meaning, the Tiger Cub badge book. Not the greatest guidance!

 

Anyhoo, fast forward several years and I'd like to come up with a document to give to new leaders, especially Tigers, who have that panicked look as they hand in their Volunteer Adult Application.

 

On one hand, the BSA's "So You're a New Tiger Den Leader" four-page document is a little too generic.

 

On the other hand, the phonebook-sized Leader Handbook phonebook and the huge tab full of meeting plans can be a little intimidating. Important to have, hard to quickly digest.

 

So I was thinking of compiling or writing some Useful But Not Overwhelming resource but I also don't want to reinvent the wheel and I'm sure there's some great stuff out there.

 

Anything that you use out there that has proven very helpful?

[Jeffrey H]

I'm a new Tiger DL and I do use the Tiger Handbook as a baseline for den meeting ideas, especially when we work on Tiger achievements or do some of the electives.

 

Another resource that has been invaluable to me is the "Cub Scout Leader How To Book". It has lots of great ideas to add to den meetings whether it's games, crafts, skits, ceremonies, etc. I've served as a Wolf, Bear, and Webelos Den Leader and the "How To" Book has been a great resource for all of those years. Also, the BSA "Sparklers" book is very helpful as a quick resource.

 

I agree about the Leader Handbook. It's designed more as a Pack resource for the Cubmaster, Committee Chair, and Pack Committee members. It has limited value for Den Leaders.

[clemlaw]

The online training is actually pretty good for TDL. Interestingly, through a mixup on my part, I accidentally took the same course twice--once in person, and then again online. For me, with some experience in Scouting, I got more out of the in-person course, because the course didn't follow an outline too closely, and it mostly consisted of other leaders bouncing ideas off each other.

 

But still, the online training was pretty good, and an absolute newbie probably would have learned a lot more from that format than from the live course I attended.

 

I don't know if it's available on DVD, but I was thinking that when it comes time to train my replacement next year, the best way to handle it would be to sit down and watch that video with them, and then answer their questions. (Unfortunately, I don't know if that would qualify to get them officially trained, which would mean that they would have to watch the video a second time on their own computer.)

 

A small book that covered that exact same material is a good idea, but I'm not aware of one.

 

Also, the phonebook sized book isn't bound, so you can take out the pages for Tiger meetings and give those to the new leader in a binder. It looks a whole lot less intimidating that way.

[Rockford8070]

What I've done for our incoming TDLs is take all the notes I had taken as a TDL and compiled them into a document. So they have ideas for go see its, den projects, etc.

[ScoutNut]

Personally, I think that the parent info in the front of the Tiger Handbook is great. It covers what the Tiger program is, how it should be run, and how the parent can help their Tiger. Lots of good info there if they read it.

 

The rest of the Handbook does a good job of explaining the requirements/electives and even giving ideas of things to do to complete them.

 

If you have some area specific ideas for outings, ideas of specific fun things to do for requirements, useful internet links, and Pack specific things they should know, that might be a useful resource for all new leaders.

 

 

[Scoutfish]

Just warite what you know.

Specifically...BSA writes a book that is dry, dull and also a salesjob.

 

Wreite a "real world" book, Tell them that some parents couldn't do less if they were in a coma.

BSA would have you believe that parents are just anxiously waiting and waiting fopr somebody to ask them to volunteer and will say yes in a heartbeat!

 

But in the real world, we know that alot of leaders wear two or more hats because nobody else will lift a finger to help_ no matter how great a recruiter you are.

 

Just add some real life scouting to it, tell the new leaders that it's okay to screw up and the whole program will not crash when they do screw up. Matter of fact, some of the best learning a leader has is from screwing up.

[Scouting4Ever]

When I was TDL I took each achievement and elective and wrote in where they could accomplish it. I used local museums, stores, etc. I had a friend who wrote one for his Wood Badge ticket as well. You might ask some of the people who have gone through Wood Badge and maybe one of them has done the work before.

[Adam S]

Training! All of it is online now - there is no reason for a new leader not to be "Trained"

 

Resources - so many great books at the scout shop. The Meeting Resource guide, the how to book, websites like this and US Scout service Projects Baloo's Bugle

 

Support - The Cubmaster should be meeting regularly with ALL the Den Leaders and stopping by for a den meeting or two for the new leaders

 

But the biggest thing to remember about scouting, we are here to make MEN, the achievements all culminate in a young man who is a part of his community and can lead people in making it a better place. Our job is to make it FUN, that's it.

 

I think you have a great idea, and I hope you share the fruits of your labor

 

 

[drmbear]

The biggest thing I've learned about starting off a Tiger Den is to definitely, absolutely, NOT dump responsibility off to someone agreeing to be a Tiger Cub Den Leader. I just think it is a huge mistake. The key to starting out a Tiger den, which is supposed to be run on the principle of shared leadership, is to have all the parents starting out in the den at the same level. If you identify clearly and set out with someone identified as the TDL, what I've seen is that the other parents have a hard time ever getting it. And a new TDL just doesn't have the authority to set the right conditions starting out, particularly when he or she doesn't really know what to do either.

 

I think it is the Cubmaster (or an ACM possibly), that needs to take the initiative to launch a Tiger den. In some ways, it should just be explained that way in the leader books. Since all the parents in the Tiger den are supposed to take turns in the shared leadership mode, the role of the TDL is just to help out, to keep track of things, to represent the den at leadership meetings. For the Tiger den, if the TDL is doing everything, I think they are actually doing a disservice to the pack. The year is the perfect opportunity to teach the parents that they can successfully participate in the Scouting program, establishing the Pack Committee and leadership in the next few years.

 

I'm a Cubmaster, and after the fact I realized what it was I should have done. My son and I missed most of what the Tiger den experience is supposed to be like. I also gave the TDL volunteers the reins, and as I've followed the den I see that it is very, very difficult to make adjustments once the pattern is established. So my call on this is that it really should be in the leader information that a Tiger den be launched by the CM or some sort of Tiger Den Coach that gets it.

[SeattlePioneer]

I recommend the Tiger Cub Den Leader class for all Tiger Cub Partners.

 

The suggested syllabus for the program goes over the Tiger Cub material in the Cub Scout Leader Handbook, plus has good exercises in planning go-see-its, planning den meetings, goes over record keeping aids and such.

 

I taught the class last year at our June Roundtable. Before that the class had been offered at the district training session in March until I pointed out that the NEXT year Tiger Cub Partners hadn't been recruited yet and the CURRENT Tiger Cub Partners were mostly completing the program!

 

The District Training Chair thought about that a minute or so before getting that logic!

 

In the program I do, I provide participants with a three ring "Tiger Cub Den Leader Handbook" that I make up.

 

It includes the Chapter 19 Tiger Cub Section of the Cub Scout Leader Handbook,

 

Tiger Cub Den Leader Position Summary from the Handbook,

 

Tiger Cub Den Leader Description,

 

Elements of A Good Tiger Cub Den Meeting from the Handbook,

 

 

Several Tiger Cub Den Meeting planning worksheets

 

Several Tiger Cub Den Meeting Plans from meetings I've run in the past,

 

A Council Compiled list of Go See It activities

 

Tiger Cub Den Record Sheet

 

Tiger Cub Attendance and Dues Sheet

 

Tiger Cub Advancement Report Sheet

 

Den Advancement Report Sheet

 

Individual Tiger Cub Record Sheet

 

(The above from the Leader Handbook)

 

"Managing Boys" Chapter from the Leader Handbook

 

 

Progress Record form for the award of the Tiger Cub Den Leader Knot

 

 

Family Talent Survey Sheet

 

Sample of Roundtable handouts

 

 

 

As a Gathering Activity, those attending the Tiger Cub Den Leader Training decorate their notebook by making decorating a front cover for their notebook.

 

 

I encourage Den Leaders to add material to their notebook during the year and then pass the notebook on to the next Tiger Cub Den Leader.

 

 

 

Despite spending a good deal of effort preparing for and promoting this June Tiger Cub Den Leader Tarining, I had one Tiger Cub Partner attend (from my own pack) and one Cubmaster attend (from a pack where I am Unit Commissioner).

Uniform Inspection Worksheet,

 

 

[drmbear]

SP,

 

What you describe seems to orient the Tiger den leader to operate like the other den leaders, and in my study of the program, it really doesn't seem like it should work that way. If TDL training and process goes through everything in such a way indicating they are responsible, then I guarantee that all the parents will certainly allow that person to be responsible. I really don't think anyone should be allowed to actually take on the TDL role until the expectations for all the parents is established.

[kari_cardi]

We pull together the Tiger Cub den in a manner similar to what drmbear describes. The den starts out with an experienced leader organizing the parents and helping them implement the Tiger program. Communication with the new parents is easy, they learn about scouting from someone who knows the score and can answer questions right away. Each parent has several opportunities to run meetings. By February, it is simple to identify and recruit a den leader and asst den leader, as well as identify other potential volunteers. Then the experienced leader bows out but stays a resource for the new leader.

 

If there is a parent who is already familiar with scouting and wants to be den leader, that is great too. But otherwise, the expectation is that someone who is brand new to scouting and the pack will just step up and lead the den. Not so much in my experience.

[SeattlePioneer]

As Cubmaster, I form a "Bobcat Den" as part of our spring recruiting night composed of all the new boys and parents.

 

We go through the Bobcat requirements and go on a spring den hike. The idea is to show boys and parents what a model den program should be like.

 

Then new Scouts transition to their new dens at out June overnight campout.

 

It also gives me a chance to size up parents and decide who should be helping with what.

 

Tiger Cub partners in particular were invited to take the Tiger Cub Den Leader training and follow that up with the Tiger Twilight Daycamp organized by the district. The parent who did that was well prepared to take over as Tiger Cub Den Leader right away.

 

Personally, I see the failure to get Tiger Cub Dens off to a good start as a common failing of Cub Packs which can badly damage a pack program. So I'm experimenting with ways to avoid that to identify and train new Tiger Cub den leader during and after our spring recruiting night.

 

Why wait until February if you can do that in May or June?

 

 

[Venividi]

83 Eagle,

 

You have received a lot of good advice. I think that the most useful input that you will be able to find anywhere is from you. Start with a "I wish I had known ...", and then supplement it with ideas that you receive elsewhere. That way the document is based on your unit's culture, allows your voice and passion to come through, and carries the social capital that you have built up for yourself in the pack.

 

 

[83Eagle]

I appreciate all the input.