Why the rush with Tigers?

[jbroganjr]

What is the purpose behind having spring recruitment and signing up Tigers, Most packs only run the Summertime Awards program and not actively meet as a pack does the rest of the year.

Is it to pump up membership numbers?

Is it to pump of fees made at the camps?

Curiousity killed the cat so bring on the answers...

 

[Bob White]

Actually most packs run year round in our area. They recruit in the spring because getting the boys to Day Camp is a great way to get them hooked on scouting as well as a great summertime activity that they are eligible for now that they are out of Kindergarden.

 

It is an effective way of recruiting and programming, and it gives boys an entire summer to enjoy scouting that packs who don't do spring recruitment miss out on.

 

Is it to pump up membership numbers?

if that is a way of saying recruit boys into scouting..Yes.

Is it to pump of fees made at the camps?

The cost of Day Camp is not affected by the Tigers being present. The cost per boy remains the same.

 

Why not recruit in the spring?

[Eamonn]

As a District,over the summer, we offer District Day Camp, and Cub Scout Olympics, parent and son camp and a fun day at our Council Camp.

Most packs have a pack picnic and go to watch a baseball game, along with being part of the many festivals that go on from when school is out till it re-starts. So these little guys are kept busy.

While I might be tempted to go on about "Year round recruiting" which would be great if it was done. The truth of it is in the District, I'm in, we do tend to look at our Tiger Cub Safari, as a big help towards making our year end membership goal.

We have never looked at recruiting these guys as anything other then Scouts, and while there may be a dollar or two to be made from the sale of their uniform, we in fact lose money as we give each boy a Tiger Safari Patch at no cost.

[acco40]

Scouting is a year round program (regardless in most Packs meet in the summer or not) and the thought process is (ad BW and others pointed out) to expose Tigers (and other new Scouts) the joys of camping and it is also a sign of successful Packs to have the leadership in place in the fall. It is better than stumbling around for leaders in September.(This message has been edited by acco40)

[dsteele]

I agree with the previous posts. We also recruit Tiger Cubs in the spring in a program we call Tigermania. There's a sign-up event and the kids receive their registration as well as a raingutter regatta. Each district conducts four events for the new tigers over the summer that they can participate in with or without the support of their pack.

 

Lots of groups (I'm thinking of things like soccer, etc.) sign up the new kids in the spring and begin programs very close to the beginning of the school year. If we don't do something, those new first graders will have booked schedules by the time fall rolls around.

 

However, I tell my D.E.'s not to do spring recruiting if the pack doesn't do summer programming. A week is a long time to a cub aged boy, let alone a month or a summer. We owe it to the kids to make sure they get a program, even if occassional, over the summer.

 

It does drive up the numbers. As long as program is there, I see nothing but good in that. If the kid gets a day camp experience, so much the better.

 

DS

[Sparkie]

jbroganjr, I don't have a vast knowledge regarding rules and regulations like others have on these boards. However, i can speak from 6 years of being a registered scouter, including 4 years as Cubmaster. In my opinion, the tigers are not being rushed, in fact, they have been waiting all year to join cubscouts! I turn down so many kindergartners during fall recruitment, at least it feels that way when your telling a little kid he can't join . I have already registered 5 Tiger cubs from our spring recruitment!

 

Personally, i think it's a nice way to ease the kids and parents into scouting by allowing the parents get to know other parents and leaders in a more casual/fun setting. During the first days of school it gets so hectic, some parents don't want to deal with another thing... and i already have their interest in scouting. Of course, having a good program is essential (summertime or otherwise) our Museum Sleepover raises lots of interest .

 

Technically, all the other ranks have moved up, why not the Tigers? They should be allowed to start working on their Tiger books for rank advancement too. Does it pump up membership numbers...SURE! but i view it as excitement in a childs face when i tell him he can join .

 

Sparkie

[jbroganjr]

Well the woodbadge wet noodle shall be applied to me.

I purposely worded it that way, because, that was the response I recieved from a large portion of packs in our district about a district Tiger Round Up. It ended up being canceled on a district level. It was also canceled in a couple other districts as well.

The number one gripe was that this was being used as a way to pump up membership as well as find a way to fill the day camps. (there is also a feeling that the "new" cub resident camp has hurt the day camps, which numbers wise is not the case, but that is a different subject).

Other comments, yes the kids are excited, but the too many parents drop the tiger program when they find out they have to be involved and that it is not babysitting. In our district, we do have a 20% attrition rate on tiger to wolf scout. This is also followed up by another comment that the packs can't provide the training and support for new tigers in the summer, as all the pack does is summertime awards.

 

Now I have counseled that it is better to find out now, w/parents involved whether scouting is for a kid or not. I have also counseled that, in practicality, a unit by unit base of recruitment would be more effective in our district and the district had about a 75% unit effort for spring recruiting, not a great number, but it could be worse.

Asfor canceling the event, it was prudent, as it was to be held one week after the spring camporee and the added onus of "burnout of leaders, competition w/ baseball, soccer is a hard one in the spring, upcoming end of the year pack picnics, end of the year pack programming meetings, etc.

I also counseled that at the least, bring the new tigers along on summertime activities, in addition to running fast start for the entire tiger den. Let everyone know what is involved, etc.

 

The last comment though, really threw me and I couldn't argue this.

We just got to the point where the existing Tiger dens and their energy seemed to calm down a bit and to plunge back in at this time of the year would be madness... The RT applauded that CM comment.

 

I appreciate your thoughts on this matter. I just threw out this thread after reviewing my notes from RT.

[CubsRgr8]

In my neck of the woods, you sign your kid up for winter swimming in August, for late spring baseball in January, for summer rec department activities in March, and for fall soccer in May. So, to me, it makes perfect sense to have a Tiger round-up in spring, but ONLY if your council provides some summer camp opportunites for a new Tiger and his partner.

 

Summer camp is the most eagerly anticipated Cub Scouting activity I know of, especially for the Tigers, Wolves and Bears. It beats the pants off of advancement, pack meetings, anything else that comes to mind. There is something exhilerating about going to Cub Scout Camp that I don't see in the boys when we're talking about going to a soccer skills clinic or swim lessons.

 

Sounds to me like the CM who stood up at jbroganjr's RT just didn't want to bother with summer activities, period (I bet if you check, his pack hibernates in the summer). All that does is reinforce that Cub Scouting is a secondary activity. I think one of our big jobs as leaders to to promote the concept that Cub Scouting is a primary activity. Spring recruiting helps promote that concept by putting Cub Scouting front and center at a time when families are open to new recreational activites.