MichScouter Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 I have seen cub scout lions for 5 year olds on this site a few times. Is this a BSA program or is it just being tested in a few places? My youngest son is only five but he wants to start cub scouts now after watching his older brothers get to do everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 I asked this same question the other day. This is what I found on MeritBadgeDotOrg: http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Lion_Cub_Scouts Wikipedia says "Lion Cub Scout, a kindergarten-age level in the Cub Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America to be introduced in the 2014–2015 program year." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scouter Dad Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 I had always wondered about the Lion program. In our pack we always welcome younger siblings to come to den meetings and participate. There's been a few issues with siblings distracting the scouts or leader but in general it has worked out well. I have found that even in first grade some of our tigers are a little young for scouting but it's been a blast watching them grow up. I hadn't heard of a pilot pack and what their experiences were but I wondered how well it would work. It must have gone pretty well or they wouldn't have approved it. Too bad my son will be in Boy Scouts by the time it comes around. I'd like to see what the pack does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 My youngest will turn 5 in 2014 but won't be in Kindergarten until 2015 (late birthday.) I haven't heard anything about our pack implementing this but it would definitely be interesting to see and I'd gladly sign him up as he also tags along to some den/pack meetings and loves them. I wish I could find more online on how it went for those who have already started it. Time to go nose around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
infoscouter Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Our council (Northern Star) moved from the pilot phase of this program to full implementation last year. More than 75% of our packs have a Lion Cub Den. The program is very much like the old Tiger Cub program. There is one den meeting and one "Grand Adventure" (field trip) each month. At this time, Northern Star is the only council officially offering this program. I do not know if there are plans for a national implementation. More info: http://www.northernstarbsa.org/YouthPrograms/CubScouts/LionCubs.aspx http://www.northernstarbsa.org/Forms/Membership/LionCubsProgramFall%202012Info.pdf 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdidochas Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 I have seen cub scout lions for 5 year olds on this site a few times. Is this a BSA program or is it just being tested in a few places? My youngest son is only five but he wants to start cub scouts now after watching his older brothers get to do everything. IMHO, this is a horrible idea. Just too young. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 I have seen cub scout lions for 5 year olds on this site a few times. Is this a BSA program or is it just being tested in a few places? My youngest son is only five but he wants to start cub scouts now after watching his older brothers get to do everything. IMHO, this is a horrible idea. Just too young. Guess it all depends on the children too. For me it would be wonderful as it would give my younger son something to do since he's was introduced to scouting at 2 via his brother. On the other hand, I know some 5 year olds who would not be able to participate in something like this (without going into specifics, you just know they are too young.) But then again the same can be said about some Tiger cubs (I have a few that are very attached to their parents, wondering how it'll go this year as Wolves when most of the parents won't stick around.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Our council (Northern Star) moved from the pilot phase of this program to full implementation last year. More than 75% of our packs have a Lion Cub Den. The program is very much like the old Tiger Cub program. There is one den meeting and one "Grand Adventure" (field trip) each month. At this time, Northern Star is the only council officially offering this program. I do not know if there are plans for a national implementation. More info: http://www.northernstarbsa.org/YouthPrograms/CubScouts/LionCubs.aspx http://www.northernstarbsa.org/Forms/Membership/LionCubsProgramFall%202012Info.pdf Thanks for the information! Have you participated in it any specifically? Any significant issues you've run across so far? (Yes, I'm nosy.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichScouter Posted June 27, 2013 Author Share Posted June 27, 2013 I have seen cub scout lions for 5 year olds on this site a few times. Is this a BSA program or is it just being tested in a few places? My youngest son is only five but he wants to start cub scouts now after watching his older brothers get to do everything. IMHO, this is a horrible idea. Just too young. I think it depends on the program. It has to be age appropriate. The lions might not meet as often or for as long. i already bring my yougest son to some events. I have taken him on hikes with the pack and he love pinewood derby. Last year at B&G I gave him a hiking patch. Of course I paid for it my self. He loved getting it. Our council does a haunted forest at one of the campsin October. He loved that. Candy, hay ride, crafts and a patch. He loved it. 2014-2015 will be to late. He will be a Tiger cub by then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pack18Alex Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 We had a Pre-K brother at most of our meetings last year, he had a blast, and when he was there, there was a parent plus his older (Scout) brother to help. I wish that I could sign him and his friends that are gung-ho for Scouts up in Kindergarten. If they launch Lions Nationwide, we might ACTUALLY have a useful Spring Round Up, because we can hit the Preschools and drum up interest. For us, it would let us recruit from Jewish Preschools before the boys float off into various schools, as a result, we find the kids at the Jewish schools, but not so much the regular Public Schools. I would think, Lions like Tigers were 10+ years ago, earn a special Lion Tag to wear on the Uniform when they graduate (like Arrow of Light comes over to Boy Scouts). Lions should get a bead/meeting, regardless of what they do. Tigers should get Arrow Heads for Electives instead of Beads that go away at the end of the year... now that Tigers earn the Bobcat, time to acknowledge that Cubbing is three years (Tiger/Wolf/Bear) instead of pretending that Tiger is really a different program, it's not anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khaliela Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 I have seen cub scout lions for 5 year olds on this site a few times. Is this a BSA program or is it just being tested in a few places? My youngest son is only five but he wants to start cub scouts now after watching his older brothers get to do everything. IMHO, this is a horrible idea. Just too young. It's not for the boys; it's for the parents. Far to many of them get sucked into the activity trap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
00Eagle Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Alex, where are you located? I'm a council JCoS chair and just happen to have a few Lion pilots still running in my territory, although my council isn't enthusiastic about this like the Minneapolis-St Paul Council. I know of at least one Jewish Lion cub next year (his brother is a Maccabee recipient). I may even create a religious "emblem" (temporary insignia patch) for him to earn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pack18Alex Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Hollywood Florida. Okay, Kindergarteners will create a problem for our structure, where for Den Meetings we meet as a Pack, do the opening ceremonies, then break into Dens. I can't have 5th and Kindergarteners together... I didn't have Webelos last year. But from a recruiting point of view, a Lion Round Up of Pre-K should do awesome, I would think. People haven't committed to other activities yet in Pre-K, and most houses of Worship offer Pre-schools, so that seems to me like a more natural recruiting environment. Also, with starting up a Girl Scout Troop as well, having the ages overlap would be a good thing. We want to do joint recruiting, so we can slide the girls in one direction and the boys in the other. The Girl Scouts start in Kindergarten, so this will help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
infoscouter Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Our council (Northern Star) moved from the pilot phase of this program to full implementation last year. More than 75% of our packs have a Lion Cub Den. The program is very much like the old Tiger Cub program. There is one den meeting and one "Grand Adventure" (field trip) each month. At this time, Northern Star is the only council officially offering this program. I do not know if there are plans for a national implementation. More info: http://www.northernstarbsa.org/YouthPrograms/CubScouts/LionCubs.aspx http://www.northernstarbsa.org/Forms/Membership/LionCubsProgramFall%202012Info.pdf Thanks for the information! Have you participated in it any specifically? Any significant issues you've run across so far? (Yes, I'm nosy.) We had our first successful Lion den last year, after a previous attempt which didn't 'gel'. I generally like the program. Its low key enough for five year olds, and the materials incorporate solid direction for parents on how to be involved with their son. Our Grand Adventures took awhile to take off, but I know of other packs who were more successful with them. We converted a parent to a Tiger leader for this year, who has committed to taking training, so I'd say it was a good start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc2008 Posted June 29, 2013 Share Posted June 29, 2013 I have seen cub scout lions for 5 year olds on this site a few times. Is this a BSA program or is it just being tested in a few places? My youngest son is only five but he wants to start cub scouts now after watching his older brothers get to do everything. IMHO, this is a horrible idea. Just too young. Guess it all depends on the children too. For me it would be wonderful as it would give my younger son something to do since he's was introduced to scouting at 2 via his brother. On the other hand, I know some 5 year olds who would not be able to participate in something like this (without going into specifics, you just know they are too young.) But then again the same can be said about some Tiger cubs (I have a few that are very attached to their parents, wondering how it'll go this year as Wolves when most of the parents won't stick around.) It all depends on the program. The Tiger program is different from the Wolf/Bear program which is different to the Webelos program which is different to the Boy Scout program. If the program is geared for kids those ages then I do not see the problem with it. According to meritbadge.org they are having 2 "den" meetings a month, one den meeting + one grand adventure (think go-see-it). They don't attend all pack meetings, just special ones and they aren't camping. Its basically the program taken down the levels it needs to be for kindergarten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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