Tiger Leaders
Requirements
The requirements for each rank can be found in the Cub Scout Requirements document and in the handbook for each rank.
Tigers must complete the 6 required adventures and 1 elective.
All parents should "own" a month or meeting, spread out the load, the den leader coordinates, but does NOT do all the work
Plan the entire year meetings / events in the beginning of the year - all the way through May - so parents know exactly what month they have, can start planning events, etc
Some of the requirements will be covered at den meetings, some at den outings (such as hikes) and some will be done as homework.
We are not a religious organization, so the “Duty to God” requirements should always be done as homework.
The Cub Scout motto is “Do your Best”, this also applies to requirements. As long as the Scouts are doing their best to meet the requirements, that’s good enough.
Pack Activities
In addition to the requirements, there other things we do as a pack that you will need to prepare for during den meetings:
Den Flag – The materials will be provided to you. The flag should represent your den, get input from the Scouts. The flag needs to be completed for the December pack meeting.
Pinewood Derby – the Scouts will be building a car out of a kit and racing them during a pack meeting in February. Kits will be distributed in December. For Tigers, it’s best to devote one or two den meetings to building the cards. After tiger year, less time is needed and the Scouts can do more themselves. Adults can assist in the construction of the cars, but the Scouts should be involved at an appropriate level for their age.
Holiday Bazaar – Our December pack meeting is the Holiday Bazaar, where each of the dens has something that they sell to the rest of the Scouts in the pack. The money raised goes to charity. Before the meeting, each den needs to pick something to build and sell. It should be something that the Scouts build during a den meeting. Things like marshmallow shooters, foam swords, etc. are popular choices.
Campouts – Two campouts during the year, one in the fall and one in the Spring. The Fall Campout is a family camp-out. Each family needs to bring their own tent and sleeping bags. The pack provides the food and the activities. Siblings and extended family are welcome. The Spring Campout is typically to a zoo or some other overnight activity.
Blue & Gold – This is the annual advancement dinner. Each of the Scouts should make a placemat for the event (have them create something on a sheet of paper and get it laminated). We also have a cake/dessert decorating contest per den.
Skits – Your den will need at a skit (or song) for a few events (Blue & Gold, Spring Campout) - Some ideas here http://www.boyscouttrail.com/cub-scouts/tiger-scout-skits.asp but a Google search will turn up more sources
See the Activities page for the schedule and description of the Pack Meetings through out the year.
Uniform
Have one of your early meetings, maybe October, be a uniform inspection - the pack does one during the November pack meeting. Check that all patches where they should be, neckerchiefs, slides, belts, belt loops, etc
See the Leader Resources page for links to the Insignia Guide and Uniform Inspection Forms
Leader and Parent Training
All den leaders and Tiger parents must complete Youth Protection Training. Please save the certificates for your den. The committee chair may need them when we recharter.
There is also training available for each of the leader positions. I strongly encourage you to take the Den Leader training. Most training sessions are 30 minutes to 1 hour and can be done online: my.scouting.org
Getting started
Get your den's emails and send out a note - say hello, plan a "getting to know one another play date" and get together - don't plan anything that first meeting, just say hello, get to know everyone. Parents might chit-chat about scouts a bit and maybe choose the normal den meeting day and time, but just let the kids have fun. You might find the Family Talent Survey Sheet helpful to gather some info, even if you just use it informally
Make sure everybody knows about the pack calendar on our website: http://bsapack149.org/
The parents should get added to the pack email list when their registration is processed, but if they don't get the pack emails, have them send an email to bsa-cub-scout-pack-149-parents+subscribe@googlegroups.com to subscribe.
Establish expected behaviors very early on in your den, it makes things go a great deal smoother later in the years - respect is the most important