Tiger leader question

[njdrt-rdr]

I have a couple BSA questions.

Curious about Tiger den leaders.

Do they have an actual leader? I'm being told that there is no official "den leader" for tigers, that everyone is an adult parent partner. This is what was also communicated to tiger parents.

 

When we were tigers, we had a leader, myself and a couple other women(who had older scouts, so they knew scouting already and jumped in). We went to leader classes and did all the BSA training required, but I never got registered as an actual leader, it actually took until February or March of the following Bear year for me to get a registration card from BSA saying I was actually a leader. Even though I had been leading the den for over a year and a half. The Bear year, leading by myself as the two other leaders I had left scouts.

 

When I spoke to our CM about it, he says there are no Tiger leaders, they are all parent partners.

So my was then if tigers travel on a go-see it to an out of district location. They need to file a tour plan. Nobody in the den can file a tour plan unless they are a registered leader.

 

But now we have some new tiger parents. If there is no leader, what do you do at the very beginning of the season? Who organizes them, set up the meeting times, location, etc...

 

[83Eagle]

That's a lot of different questions...

 

The Tiger Den does have a leader and is chartered as such--there's a uniform sleeve patch, etc. The Tiger Den leader should also complete the required position-specific training either online or with the pack trainer, and can earn the TDL training knot for the uniform as well.

 

BUT, every adult partner is expected to "lead" the den by organizing activities, etc., with his/her scout.

 

Therefore, the duties of the Tiger leader should be much more of a coordinator than a leader.

 

As to the beginning of the season, what I typically do is ask for a leader (sometimes you get someone who does understand the program, former scouter, etc.), but also have the first Tiger Den meeting set up where the boys have fun and the parents see how easy it is. Well, not easy, "nonthreatening." We have a sign up sheet for the order in which people will take on activities from the book.

 

I then ask for a "coordinator"--someone to help the group find a meeting time and location that works, to be a point person for the den at Pack meetings, and to report advancement to our advancement coordinator. I also ask that one or more parents from the Tiger den be at leader/parent roundtables so that the Den knows what's going on with upcoming Pack stuff.

 

Within a few weeks it becomes clear if the "coordinator" or someone else is up to the task of leader and by the Blue and Gold they're typically on the charter as such and in uniform.

 

As to tour permits, typically the Tigers don't do anything out of area so we don't file them. [Ducking to avoid rocks being thrown...]

[CNYScouter]

When I spoke to our CM about it, he says there are no Tiger leaders, they are all parent partners.

 

That was the Tiger Program a few years ago (I don't remember when it changed - 5 or 6 years ago???)

When Tigers started youth and adults wore orange shirts.

Each pair of youth/Adult were to run one of the meeting with help of a (Pack level) Tiger Cub Coach

It's been awhile but a one time Tiger Dens were not even part of a Pack.

 

Tigers now wear the Blue Cub Scout uniform and are a regular Den in the Pack and have a Den Leader

[Eagle92]

83' is spot on. There is a TCDL position with specific training, award, and even a book to help plan meetings. And as stated each adult partner should help plan one month's meetings and activities.

 

CN is also correct in that way back in the day(1982), Tigers were a separate program, had their own award, and'graduated" into Cub Scouts.

 

That changes around 1989 or thereabouts, and cubs scouts, are with packs, but their uniforms are orange t-shirts still with the blue shorts, and blue and orange socks.The leader is called a Tiger Cub Coach.

 

Then more changes occur and Tigers are fully integrated into the pack. they earn the Bobcat badge before the TC badge, they wear the full blue uniform (but for whatever reason still keep the orange and blue socks, RIGHT i'm gonna have my son buy socks he'll wear 1 year), and the TCC is the TCDL.

[AnnLaurelB]

You know, sometimes I think folks answer questions from parents in a sort of all-encompassing way. Especially when it's, say, after a Pack meeting, and there's 11 people trying to talk to you, etc...

 

It might be what THAT Pack has decided to do -- to do without an official leader, and ask the parents to simply do it themselves. But the whole model that BSA has set up, and how it all works, may not have come up in the conversation.

 

The person may have just answered, "Nope. Tiger Den doesn't have a Den leader," without elaborating.

 

Just throwin' in a side of slaw... :0)

[ScoutNut]

Having no leader for the Tiger den, and simply throwing all of the new Tigers Teams in cold, on their own, with no support, or knowledge of what is going on, is a sure way to loose those families from Scouting.

 

Hopefully your CM, and your CC, have a plan in place to help their Tiger dens.

[momof2cubs]

Tiger Leaders DO exist! Maybe a pack does it somewhat differently, but I cannot imagine having a bunch of newbie parents thrown in together at a Tiger den meeting without some direction!

 

In our pack, we hold a Tiger orientation meeting where we tell them that we need an X number of leaders for the Y number of dens we are forming. Some step up right away, some we have to convince, some say they will do it if and only if they have a good co-leader (we encourage the co-leader method as opposed to leader and asst.)

 

Another KEY thing our pack does is assign seasoned leaders as mentor to each den. It helps get the program going.

[Jeffrey H]

A Tiger Den should have an adult designated as a Tiger Den Leader. You need someone who is willing to take the time to be a more educated about the Cub Scout Program and the Tiger Program specifically. The Adult Partner shared-leadership concept is great on paper but does not always work consistently or effectively. As somone mentioned earlier, the Tiger Den Leader job is to function as a coordinator for all of the Adult Partners.

 

In my Pack, one of the Tiger Adult Partners desired to be a a registered den leader. He is now a registered Assitant Den Leader helping out the Tiger Den. Yes, I know, technically there is no Assistant Tiger Den Leader postion, but you can register an adult as an ADL who helps in the Tiger Den.

[kari_cardi]

If we don't have a Tiger Den Leader, we assign a committee person to run the den until we identify and recruit someone. It has been me for the last several years, I like the age group and the program is simple enough to execute along with my other responsibilities. The new parents seem to really appreciate having someone with scouting experience to work with, it takes some time to orient to Cub Scouts. By the time everyone has had a turn planning a month of meetings and activities, it is quite easy to identify who enjoyed leading the group, who did it well and would like to do more. Our retention is higher, too, since we switched tactics. Formerly, the pack leaders would gather up the Tiger parents and tell them that someone had to be the leader or there would be no Tiger den. I think it is hard to volunteer for a job if you have NO idea what the committment means. I won't do it myself.

 

Choosing meeting times and locations is easy, our pack meets in the same church building once a week. For den meetings we separate into classrooms. We often do activities together as well, like trips to the fire house. Our council does not require a tour permit for local, in-council trips and we have the parents drive their own children.

 

njdrt-rdr, I had a similar experience with being a leader without being registered. I think someone in the pack lost my app, honestly, skipped over the issue for lack of time at re-charter and finally picked up on it for re-charter my second year. It was frustrating for me, too.

[SeattlePioneer]

I have a determined recruiting effort in the spring. Usually that results in several new Tiger Cubs who are then in Kindergarten.

 

I form a Bobcat Den for a few meetings of all the new boys and parents recruited, and lead that as the Cubmaster. That gives me a chance to insure a quality program appropriate for new Scouts, going over the Bobcat requirements and a quality outing designed to impress new boys and parents.

 

It also avoids dumping new boys into existing dens that are usually working to complete their badge achievements.

 

It also gives me an opportunity to become acquainted with new parents and determine who are likely candidates to help with various pack leadership needs.

 

So I look for a likely prospect for a new Tiger Cub Den Leader, and have found one each of the past three springs. I conduct a Tiger Cub Den Leader training course at the June Roundtable, with the idea of training as many new Tiger Cub Den Leaders as possible. That's an excellent idea, but attendance has been thin.

 

The last part of my program is conducting the Tiger Twilight Camp, which I use to give new Tiger Cubs and their parents a model experience in what a quality Tiger Cub Den program should look like and feel like. I had thirteen boys in the Tiger Twilight camp this year.

 

I had a new Tiger Cub Den Leader appointed this spring, who unfortunately transferred to a neighboring pack. I found another person to serve as TCDL that we recruited this fall --- he earned the Arrow of Light and Eagle as a youth.

 

To me, it's ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL that new Tiger Cub Dens get a prompt and effective start in the fall. That's something EVERY pack needs to do EVERY year --- and many do a poor job of it. Doing that is one of my top priorities as a Cubmaster and as a district leader as well.