Mountain Lake District
Courtesy of Pat Johnson
We are delighted that you have registered your son in a Cub Scout pack. Tiger Cubs is the first year of the Cub Scout program and is designed for all boys who are 7 years old (or in first grade). Once your registration form and fee is turned in, your son is a bonafide member of a Cub Scout Pack and will soon be assigned to a Den, along with 4-7 other boys. The Tiger Cub program differs in some important ways from the programs for older Cub Scouts; ample information is available on the Tiger Cub program in the Tiger Cubs BSA Family Activity Book, which you should buy and read right away, but I will highlight the most important things you need to know now:
Unlike Dens for older boys, there is no one “Den Leader”. Tiger Cubs operates on the concept of shared leadership, with each family taking turns planning and hosting monthly den meetings and field trips. The idea here is that no one parent, new to Cub Scouting, has to take on the responsibility of being a Den Leader. If your Pack has a Tiger Cub Coach, he/she will provide the assistance you need to run your den effectively. If there is no Coach in your Pack, you will receive direction from other Leaders in your Pack.
Your son MUST be accompanied by a person at least 18 years of age at all den meetings and Pack and other Scouting functions, because there is no Den Leader. This means, for example, that two boys could not come to a meeting with one parent, even if the other parent is just down the street. The person who attends with your child can be a parent; grandparent or other adult relative; or, a neighbor or friend. The only requirement is that this person be someone who is interested in your child's welfare.
While most Cub Scout dens meet once a week, Tiger Cubs generally do not meet more than twice per month, with attendance recommended at your Pack's monthly Pack Meeting.
You should purchase the Tiger Cubs BSA Family Activity Packet , which includes the Family Activity Book (referenced above) and Achievement emblems. Additionally, your boy will probably wear the Atlanta Area Council patch and pack and den number patches on his shirt—this is your Pack's preference.
Have fun—Tiger Cubs is designed to be a fun, EASY program for your family to follow. You and your son are entitled to enjoy all of the activities offered to older Cub Scouts (up to the Bear level) this year, but without the responsibilities of weekly den meetings, busy rank advancement and so forth. Your Pack leadership will assist you in getting started and will be helping your boy along in his journey through Cub Scouting.
Tiger Cub Survival Kit
Courtesy of Jeff Wilson
This is perhaps the best year of scouting because cub and parent/partner are together. Have fun. Don't get so caught up in administration, roll calls and ritual that you spend all of each meeting preparing to have fun at the expense of actually having fun. These marvelous little boys are seven years old and they are not equipped with an attention span. Put five of them in the same room and they are going to find a way to have fun. Plan events that allow them to be active, just like you would plan on the Mississippi River flowing South, or as you would anticipate daylight to follow dark. Scouting, at this level, is largely about channeling that youthful exuberance into creative and educational areas, even if only for one hour at a time.
Keep it simple. Remember that they are little. Their parent/partners are watching them and perhaps another even younger sibling who came along. You are watching your seven-year-old also. Everyone is paying attention to something else when you are talking, so keep it simple.
Plan for siblings. The little brothers and sisters who come along on Tiger Cub outings are a joy all by themselves. Accommodate and include them wherever possible.
Avoid asking other parent/partners to watch your child while you run errands. They want to watch over, and enjoy the activities with their child. That is why they joined up and that is why they came. If you ask,they may politely agree because they are polite and agreeable people. But please don't ask.
Think it through. Don't be paranoid about it, don't be paralyzed by "what ifs," but think it through. If I set out a stack of 4ft-long fiberglass rods to use as teepee poles, is it reasonable to assume that nanoseconds later, a well armed Den of Tiger Cubs will be screaming bloodthirsty ninja warrior epithets and whoopin' each other upside the head? Yes, Sir. Yes, Ma'am. It is. Tiger Cubs can and do safely handle Air Rifles, Bows and Arrows, Scissors and all kinds of fun things. But they need an introduction to, and instruction in the use of any hardware.
Fun is secondary to safety. Have a contingency for medical emergencies, major and minor, at all times. If you set out a stack of 4ft-long fiberglass rods to use as teepee poles - - well, call the emergency room to
Make reservations.
Have a phone list of everyone in your Den with you at all times.
Take turns being the leader.
Never underestimate the boys. They can likely climb Kennesaw Mountain as fast as you can.
Take lots of pictures, and get double prints.
Rice Crispy Treats don't melt or stain and diet sodas or water does not attract hornets. Good to remember.
Attend every event you can. The next one may be the one you just can't.
Buy a Dremel Tool before the Pinewood Derby.