Tigers: one approach to shared leadership planning

[j.edi]

We are approaching the midway point in our Tiger Cub den programming year, most of our 10 boys have earned all orange and white beads, and most only have 2-3 more go-see-its before achieving the Tiger rank.

 

We distributed a parent talent survey and sign-up sheet for monthly themes at the beginning of the year, but had only one parent step up to lead a segment.

 

Now that we turn to wrapping up the Tiger requirements and into Elective territory, I decided to assign themes to each adult partner. Unwilling to put out a general call for help (which usually go unanswered in my experience) and reluctant to appear biased or unfair in any way, I devised the following plan:

 

On a sheet of card stock, I printed out a list of the upcoming months and cut them out into small equal-sized strips.

 

On another sheet, I printed out the numbers and titles of some electives that my ADL and I picked out, also cut into equal-sized strips.

 

During the meeting, after our game segment, I announced that I had a game for the adult partners to play! The cubs were intrigued...

 

I picked one boy who was wearing his hat, and asked him to place the strips of paper with the months typed on them inside his overturned hat.

 

I then instructed him to go to each adult partner in the room and have them draw a slip of paper.

 

I announced the month, and the partner's name - he/she would be responsible for arranging our game segment for that month.

 

Likewise, I continued the 'game' again, next with two boys - one with a hat full of 'month' slips, one following with a hat full of 'elective' slips.

 

This became a lively way to share leadership planning, with full participation of the den. It became a funny exercise, and I think I found a successful way to get a roomful of reluctant volunteers to sign up for future programming assistance!

 

[blw2]

Yes.... I like the idea

I wonder though how many cancels you will get though....

"Uh, sorry, ah, I have a conflict and can't make that meeting"

 

~~I've pounded my head against the wall and have all but given up. I figure that you can only go so far. If somebody wants to help, they will. if they don't want to, they won't..... and if you "make them" you might wish that you'd just done it yourself or wish that you'd just dropped it....

 

How well was it received by the parents?

[qwazse]

Part of the challenge at the cub level is actually drawing out the parents. Nobody really knows anybody, and you're always wondering who just needs a little nudge, and something great will be provided for the boys. This does it as well as any.

[PbW]

The Bear den in my pack is way behind on their rank progress this year and the leader is now unable to run regular meetings (he's been doing ad hoc "when he has time" meetings this whole year... hence them being behind). I'm supposed to be meeting him for dinner in the next week to get the rest of the year planned out. I think this is a really great idea. I am concerned, like blw2 said, that their night will come up and they'll cancel... but hopefully that's few and far between.

 

 

[j.edi]

How well was it received by the parents?

 

Two days before the den meeting, I sent out my typical FYI email and included a 'warning' that I would be assigning themes to the adult partners, so they knew it was coming, to some extent.

 

The psychology behind this game of chance was to force some type of 'ownership' on the parent's part, and having their sons pass the hats made it between the cub and partner. Even though I was pulling the strings, this seemed to take me out of the equation.

 

Time will tell if it proves to be fruitful or not - I am optimistic about it, however.

[j.edi]

Part of the challenge at the cub level is actually drawing out the parents. Nobody really knows anybody

 

That is very true. I am only a beginner at this Den Leader thing and learning as I go - but I've been lucky, because so far it seems the adult partners in my den have already had enough opportunities to engage w/ each other because of our Pack and Den activities. We have had an overnight camping trip, a hike & picnic, a pinewood derby build day, and three go-see-its.

 

I think doing this game at the halfway point in our programming year has allowed the 'ice to be broken' already, so to speak.

[SeattlePioneer]

Interesting idea.

 

 

 

This is my eighth year as the Tiger Cub Den Leader.

 

During the course of the year I look for Tiger Cub Partners (not always parents) who seem interested in the program and give those people opportunities to present prgram elements. The ones who display an interest and ability are the ones I consider inviting to take over as den leader when I begin a new Tiger Cub Den with spring recruiting.

 

So far, that's worked pretty well.

 

It's really disgraceful though how little most parents take responsibility for thew program. I give each a "Bobcat" handbook that describes the difgferent Bobcat achievements, and encourage parents to inform me when their boy has completed the requirements. I also go over ALL the Bobcat requirements in the first few den meetings.

 

So really, all the parents really need to do is attend the meetings and inform me when their boy have completed the requirements. So far, only one of six boys has his Bobcat.

 

However, I've decided that you can't let yourself be discouraged by parents with limited interest --- they have their problems too.

 

 

Monday we made a Cjhrsitman "sleigh" out of a carbopard box, with boys fastening a rope so that the "reigndeer" could pull Santa in his "sleigh."

 

Then the boys took turns being Santa and reigndeer, pulling each other around the floor. They were deleriously happy with that, and the parents had a good time watching it.

 

 

The the parents had a chance to be the reigndeer and pull their boy around the racecourse --- that was at l;east as much fun!

 

 

 

We also did the Tiger Cub leaf rubbing den activity, using the leaf rubbings as part of a holiday greeting or thank you card the boys could give to a loved one. I find that works well as a Christmas den activity.

 

 

Next Monday is the big Chruistmas Party/Pack meeting --- where dens will be doing relay races as part of the pack sleigh race!

[blw2]

Interesting idea.

 

 

 

This is my eighth year as the Tiger Cub Den Leader.

 

Bless You! Oh how I wish we could have a perpetual Tiger Leader!

 

I honestly believe that it would go a long way to solving many of our problems.

We always struggle to find a tiger leader out of the new parents.... then each Den, as much as I try to help guide.... will go the way of re-inventing the wheel.

Then, there's the sidebar to this thread of the problem in getting parents involved.... A Tiger Leader that isn't trying to just figure thing out could go a long way in getting the parents primed in service...

 

I think an ideal would be to have a

perpetual Tiger Leader (& maybe ADL team.... they could swap every now and then for a break)

then out of each group, recruit a parent to be the DL for the rest of the program starting with Wolf

Then have a standing practice that a different parent at the Bear year would be ACM to a CM from the WEB1 year.... then in their son's WEB2 year, the now former CM could still be advisor if needed for the now new CM.

[SeattlePioneer]

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Heh, heh!

 

 

One of my aims is to give new parents a VISION of what a quality Cub Scout experience should be like. A second aim is to give people that experience right off the bat, and experience is a big help there.

 

Another aim is to identify the person or persons who is likely to carry on as a den leader effectively, and to whom I can turn the den over to.

 

And I find the idea of making demands on new parents to be den leader when they know nothing about the program distasteful.

 

Another advantage is that since you get a new crop of boys and parents each year, you can recycle the best of your program ideas each year, rather than coming up with new ideas all the time.

[chrisg478]

I used to do something similar with my Tiger Dens. I would lead the first few meetings (2 or 3) to set the example. Then each family would host a den meeting and a go see it. After everyone had a turn the Tigers would pick electives they wanted to do and their adult partner would be responsible for organizing that activity. When I had a large group of Webelos I had the boys pick which activity pins they wanted to earn (after the required ones) and their parents made arrangements for those den meetings. They were some of the best (catapults, volcanoes and carving wood ducks) and worse (parent pulled a no show). den meetings ever. Great way to get parents involved you just need to have a backup plan in case things don't go as planned.

[mattman578]

I feel so lucky I am the assistant tiger den leader by actions not on paper son is a wolf same den leader and while the den leader was working with the boys I talked to the parents and said "As part of the tiger Program the parents need to help with the electives" and all of the parents singed up and are helping. Now for the real test will they show up when there time comes.