Talk to me about Tiger Cubs

[gsdad]

When I was in Boy Scouts the Tiger program was in it's infancy. My son will be in First Grade next year and the recruiting flier came home for the local pack. My childhood Pack was not very active, where my Troop was, and the Troop was boy led. I am apprehensive in that Tigers seem to require very heavy parent involvement. My son has already asked if I could sign as a leader like I did for his sisters' GS troop.

[Jeffrey H]

The Tiger Cub age-level is for first grade boys or boys that are at least 6 years old and have completed kindergarten. This is the only age-level in Cub Scouts that requires "Adult Partners" which means an adult/guardian must be present with their son for every meeting and outing. The concept is based on shared leadership in the Tiger Den to allow parents that are new to Cub Scouting to become familiar with the program. Generally, one of the parents will be asked to be a "Tiger Den Leader" which means this is someone who will coordinate the den meetings and outings (it does not mean they do everything or should do everything). After the Tiger Cub years, parents are no longer required to be present at Den Meetings and Outings. However, your involvement and help is always appreciated by the Den Leader of your son's Den.

 

The answer to your question is "Yes", there is heavy adult involvement for Tiger Cubs. However, your involvement will depend on how often your Tiger Den will meet each month. In my Pack, we have three Den Meetings a month plus one Pack Meeting. In other Packs, dens only meet twice a month. I'm currently serve as Cubmaster of my Pack and I'm a former Tiger Den Leader. I can tell you that the Tiger Den one of my most enjoyable Dens and it's the easiest Den program to do.

 

Alot of boys do not start until 2nd grade (Wolf) simply because parents do not want to make or cannot make the commitment for Tiger Cubs.

 

The "boy led" concept is only for Boy Scouts (ages 11 and up). Cub Scouting is "adult led" program for boys from 1st to 5th grade. Cub Scouting is a family based program so adult involvement which includes the leaders and parents is a recipe for a successful Pack.

 

This link from the National BSA website is a good starting point for more information: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts/Cub%20Scouts.aspx

 

 

[Tampa Turtle]

The above is correct and we followed a similar schedule. I did two years as Tiger Leader and when I retire would consider doing it again. Yes the kids are little but never again will they be so earnest and cute. Some of the Tiger requirements are dull; they require some pumping up. And you do a good number of "Go See Its" or field trips. Those were really interesting for myself--those you should try to delegate as much as possible to the parents. Yes adult led and not a whole lot of camping.

 

I would suggest:

- At the least be an Assistant Den Leader and get the uniform.

- Divide up the activities amongst the parents as much as possible. We need a Go-See-It for a media outlet and we had a dad who was a TV weatherman. He set that up (it was surprisingly hard) because we had access.

- Substitute some Tiger requirements. We did Nutrition Bingo instead of the Food Pyramid. Kids thought Bingo was awesome.

- Keep activities short. Dont talk at them too long.

- Bring in a Boy Scout or two for a demo. We had a 13 year old scout demonstrate canoeing techniques--they ate that up/

- Buy or steal the Cub Scout How-To Book. Lots of games and activities.

- Remember they are boys, practically an oppressed class these days in 1st grade. Let them blow off stream and have fun.

 

I loved Tiger Cubs; my son announced that year he wanted Eagle. He started on his way.

[blw2]

We are just coming out of our Tiger year.

It only takes as much time as you want to put into it as a parent, and as DL more, but still only what you want to put in.... and not that much time more if done right....

 

My advice, let him join. If you don't want to be a leader then don't right away. If you think you might, do it and just make time for it. I doubt if you would be sorry.

Get in touch with the Cub Master, and maybe even the former Tiger Leader, to feel it out if you are on the fence.

 

I too was apprehensive, so I didn't step forward when the CM asked us new tiger parents for a volunteer to be DL. I sort of regret it.

Later in the year, I realized that i could and wanted to help more formally, so I signed on as an assistant DL.

Parent envolvement is there, but it's time spent with your boy..... and it's really not that much. Our DL didn't really follow the design of the program to use the parents to organize meetings, and she pretty much planned them all. She is a former GS leader, and carries a lot of that experience into this group. I think this is one reason she doesn't drive for parent volunteers to pick up the load.... nad it seems like she really didn't read the book thoroughly on that point.... As it was for us, many of the parents really didn't do anything but bring their boys to the meetings, and sit in the back of the room and talk with other parents..... and many didn't even come to some of the meetings.

A few of us parents were very active and helped her durring the meetings but that was it. I'm sure her workload was high, but if she had follwed the 'book', it wouldn't have been..... and it wouldn't have been bad at all for the parents either..... just take care of a meeting or two. Really not that big of a deal if given a little time advanced warning to pull something together.

As Tiger parent partner, I spent a little time reading the book with my son, and working on the activities, but really not all that much time at all.... and I was likely the most active in our den at doing this. Also, Tiger turn out at camping and pack trips was very low (usually 3-5 boys out of a den of 14 registered). That took some of my time, but I am proud to say that my son was the only boy in the den, and maybe the pack, that made it to every event and meeting..... and he had fun with it! Good 'dad' time you know....

 

Also, keep in mind that there's no reason that your spouse couldn't share the load and take to some of the functions as parent. As a leader, I suppose not....

 

Another thought- maybe you'll find another role, perhaps behind the scenes, that you can fill on the comittee after you get into it, and that would free you up to be parent at the den functions.

[SeattlePioneer]

In my opinion and experience, Tiger Cubs is the best year of the Cub Scout program.

 

Tiger Cubs can be excited about pretty much ANYTHING... for about five minutes, ten minutes tops. Then they are ready to go on to something else, and you better be ready to move on to the next activity too.

 

The Tiger Cub Meeting plan has a program for a series of activities, some very simple such as giving each boy a chance to talk about themselves and what they have done lately.

 

The smart move is to sign up as the Tiger Cub Den Leader, to get trained to learn about the program --- and then to insist that other parents organize most of the program.

 

By doing this you can 1) insure a high quality program 2) get parents in the habit of contributing to the program rather than running away from it.

 

To boast a bit, I led two different Tiger Cub programs at two different packs one year, will be leading our July "Tiger Twilight Camp" this summer for the 4th time and will be conducting Tiger Cub Den Leader Training this summer to get newly recruited parents up to speed on how to run the Tiger Cub program so they will be ready to go in September.

[gsdad]

Thanks for the replies. I fully intended on letting him join and getting involved as a leader, I still have a uniform that fits too. It's not the time or the volunteering, I coach my other childrens' teams, and helped my daughters' GS troop. I was heavily involved in Scouting as youth, i.e. OA lodge treasurer, camp staff, etc... I was more worried about the parents in a "too many cooks spoil the broth" type way.

[Lisabob]

gsdad, there will be a point in a few years where that's a bigger concern. But right now, you're talking about a giggling, bouncing, thundering, herd of 6 year olds. More parents are probably better. Cub scouting (Tigers especially) is designed to be much more family-oriented than boy scouting. That tapers off even within Cub Scouting as the boys get older.

 

That said, the DL is the one directing the controlled chaos. In Tigers, the other parents are there to pitch in. So there's some focus too, not just random parents trying to run in 15 different directions at the same time. My advice - do it, you'll have a ball.

[Tampa Turtle]

You have a uniform! Ha ha. I am so cheap once I bought the $28 BSA shirt I kept on leading to get my monies worth.

 

Yeah 5-10 minutes. I used to prepare enough material for 90-120 minutes of an hour meeting. Some nights I went right through it all, most of the time I rolled it over.

 

I remember a Tiger just amazed at our compass demonstration--it always pointed north? Wow, it was an epiphany to him. A "hike" around the block was an adventure--if you hammed it up. Going to the Fire Station--awesome.

 

I became a minor local celebrity at the grocery store--boys would come up to me as their leader or former leader. I had to clean up my language and dress in public in a hurry.

 

Yeah they are a bit more work if a parent checks out. That is why they have high-visibility orange! But I had a couple boys that were in the middle of divorcing parents and kinda got lost in all that and I was told I was a good presence for them at that time. And that made it really worth it.

[gsdad]

My uniform is over 20 years old, but it fits. I'll just need to change the CSP and numerals on the sleeve.

 

My son is FIRED UP! To say the least. He seems to think I can take him and his soon to be Pack, and I quote "camping and hunting and shooting and fishing and bike riding and teach them to make fires." I have a call into the Cubmaster to get the ball rolling. Thanks for the encouragement, not that I had much choice.

[blw2]

"I was more worried about the parents in a "too many cooks spoil the broth" type way."

 

Based on my highly limited experience, if you set the tone early, that won't be an issue.

Make the schedule so that each parent knows which meeting(s) or Go-See-Its they are responsible for, and they get it going. Even if you or others help, I doubt if there would be too many parents trying to control enough to muck up the works.....

[Tampa Turtle]

Yes I assumed I was "the decider" and asked/assigned specific jobs/projects. One parent might do a 10 minute first-aid presentation on cuts if they were a nurse. It was more like I was the MC of a variety hour. You know, strong opening and closing number and some acts in the middle.

 

You will end up with a core group of a few parents you can rely on but if your problem is "too many hands" that is a good problem--in Tigers at least.

[jpstodwftexas]

Get the Tiger Book and Read it..

 

If you really look at the Program Tiger Cub Program runs from Start of School year to End of School so Say September to June, so that is really just 10 Months...

 

Sadly most of what the Boys will want to do is not allowed at that stage..such as Carry a Pocket Knife..or Very Limited...such as Archery and BB Guns..and Full contact football is a No no for Belt loops although they can earn the Basketball and Baseball belt loops...or they can play Flag Football instead of contact football.

 

You will have boys that are slow and Boys that Excel

 

Our Council only has 2 Tiger Scout Events a year.. We have Cub-n-pal twice a year.. Our Council does not actively recruit scout till the Beginning of the new School year.. So a 7 year old going into first grade next school has no summer activities.. Our Cub Scout Residence camp is set up for Wolf and Above.

 

Basically I went chapter to chapter..giving each a Month..

Firt two Months...Bob Cat Requirements

Months 3&4 Chapter 1

Months 4&5 Chapter 2

Months 5&6 Chapter 3

Months 6&7 Chapter 4

Months 7&8 Chapter 5

Month 8/9/10 Electives

 

School Activities will slow some boys down because they miss events for School Events.. so you may have to have to schedule a Go-see-it twice for all the Boys to be able to qualify..

 

some parents will try and rush things but remember this..they can not become wolf scouts till they turn 8 or begin second grade..so if they get Tiger in 2 months they will burn out..

 

Meetings won't start exactly on time..as most parents won't bring the Kids early to play before the Meeting starts..they will want to run around instead of sitting still and want snacks immediately..

 

Just because you can spent and do take the time to do things with your son already does not mean every parent has the same amount of time to spend with their child..also some parents work rotating shift so they may miss a few Activities and meeting because of that also.

 

Do not pressure them..relax and have fun

[ScoutNut]

Tiger Cubs are G-R-R-R-R-R-E-A-T!!!

 

I was a Tiger den leader for about 11 years. I am also on the District/Council Cub Scout Training staff, and often do the Tiger training breakout.

 

Most of the families in Tiger are brand new to Scouting, and have no idea what to expect, or how to go about anything. I really, really, doubt that you will have everyone trying to run things their way (or any way). Most of them, especially at the beginning, will be trying hard not to be noticed by you, so that they don't get asked to do anything!

 

Just remember that if there are 6 Tigers in your den, it really consists of 12 members, and you must plan for 12 members. The Tiger and his adult are a TEAM. Make sure the adults do everything their Tiger does. That means they do the flag ceremonies, say the pledge/motto/Law/Promise/etc, sing songs, play games, do crafts, and more.

 

Your job as the Tiger den leader is to introduce the Tiger Teams to the Wonderful World of Cub Scouts! Instill in them from the get-go a love for Scouting, and a feeling that the Pack is one big, close, family, and you will have set the hook that reels in the next Pack volunteers!

 

Read your son's Tiger Handbook from cover to cover, and have FUN!

[blw2]

"Read your son's Tiger Handbook from cover to cover, and have FUN! "

 

Great tip!

I read it all. It doesn't take long, and I read through most of it with my son..... not all in one sitting of course....

[mdlscouting]

There is a lot of parent involvement, by design. A large part of the Tiger program involves letting each parent-tiger team lead one or more den meetings.

 

This gives each boy a chance to be in the spotlight, and also lets the Den Leader see which parents really enjoy getting involved. These are your assistant DLs, your Committee members, and other miscellaneous volunteers. If you let them sit back and not be involved, it's hard to identify the good candidates for leadership.