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Tiger Cubs

The Cub Scouting adventure begins with Tiger Cubs - a program of exciting indoor and outdoor activities just right for a boy who is in first grade and/or is 7 years old. A parent or adult partner works with him as his support and guide, but you don't do things for him. He will learn by doing things himself. And as he learns and grows, your relationship with him will grow, too.

At the end of the school year, he will graduate into a Wolf Cub Scout den. Later, he will be in a Bear den, and then he'll become a Webelos Scout.

The Tiger Cub program is for first-grade (or age 7) boys and their adult partners. There are five Tiger Cub achievement areas. The Tiger Cub, working with his adult partner, completes 15 requirements within these areas to earn the Tiger Cub badge. These requirements consist of an exciting series of indoor and outdoor activities just right for a boy in the first grade.

Information

• Program
• Aims
• Methods
• Advancement
• Uniforms

Program

Your Tiger Cub will be a member of a den. Most dens have five to nine boy-adult partner teams, meet twice a month in a den meeting, and have one outing a month, called a Go See It. The den also takes part in the monthly pack meetings. During den meetings, Go See It outings, and pack meetings, boys learn new things and have fun.

Each den meeting and den activity is led by a den leader and an adult partner of one of the Tiger Cubs. An adult partner can be a parent, relative, or friend who is at least 18 years old and who cares about the boy. Each adult partner takes a turn working with the den leader to plan and lead a den meeting and/or activity.

The success of a Tiger Cub den depends on active, enthusiastic families and a knowledgeable, well-trained den leader. The den leader plans and carries out a year - round program of activities for the Tiger Cub den and gives continuity to the program. Each month, however, the den leader also works with a different boy-adult partner team to plan the two monthly den meetings, the Go See It, and the den's part in the pack meeting. (Some teams may serve more than one month, depending on how big the den is.) This is called shared leadership.

Shared leadership is a key part of Tiger Cubs because the direct involvement of you and other adults is important for boys at this age. Shared leadership also gives each boy and adult partner a chance to lead, often resulting in an interesting variety of activities as each boy - adult partner team shares its knowledge and resources.

Your Tiger Cub is also a member of a Cub Scout pack. Most packs are made up of several dens that gather monthly at a pack meeting. Pack meetings usually follow a suggested theme and are a time for boys to be recognized for their accomplishments during the month, to perform skits and songs they have learned in den meetings, and to have fun with the entire family.

Packs are led by a Cubmaster and pack committee. Like the den leaders, the Cubmaster and assistants are volunteer leaders and are usually family members of boys in the pack. The pack committee makes plans for pack meetings and activities and takes care of the "business" items that are necessary for a pack to operate smoothly.

Most pack committees consist of family members and members of the pack's chartered organization. The chartered organization is the community organization that is granted a charter by the Boy Scouts of America to use the Scouting program. This chartered organization might be a school, service club, religious group, or other group interested in youth. The chartered organization approves the leadership of the pack, provides a meeting place, and operates the pack within the guidelines and policies of that organization and the BSA.

To experience the fun, excitement, and other benefits of Cub Scouting, you and your Tiger Cub will do the following things each month:

* Go to two one-hour den meetings at the host adult partner's home or other location. Leaders will try to hold the meetings at a time that is convenient for all adult partners and is appropriate for boys of Tiger Cub age. Some dens meet at a school, a place of worship, or the location of their chartered organization. But meetings can be held almost anywhere-in a basement, recreation room, backyard, or park - as long as the meeting location is safe for boys and their families.

* Take a field trip, or Go See It, with the entire den. The Go See It is a planned field trip to a place that is interesting to boys. It may be associated with the monthly theme

* Attend the Cub Scout pack meeting.

Aims

The aims of the Cub Scout program are simple. The three aims of the Cub Scouting program are Character Development, Citizenship Training, and Mental and Physical Fitness.

Character encompasses a person's personal qualities, values and outlook. The Scouting program strives to develop character in its youth through the development of confidence, honesty, self-image and self-reliance, respect for their religion and for others, and through developing special skills and interests.

Participation in Scouting helps train youth to become good citizens by instilling the values of service to others and respect for the environment, learning about our national heritage and our social, economic and governmental systems, and promoting knowledge of and respect for cultural diversity.

Scouts learn to become and remain mentally and physically fit through participation in outdoor activities, developing healthy habits, alcohol, tobacco and drug avoidance, using good judgment and being resourceful in solving problems.

There are ten purposes of Cub Scouting: Character Development, Spiritual Growth, Good Citizenship, Sportsmanship and Fitness, Family Understanding, Respectful Relationships, Personal Achievement, Friendly Service, Fun and Adventure, and Preparation for Boy Scouts.

Methods

Cub Scouting has several tried-and-true methods used to accomplish our goals. These methods include ideals, the Den, advancement, family involvement, activities, and the uniform. The Cub Scout program is centered around the home and the neighborhood.

The Cub Scout Ideals include the Cub Scout Promise, the Law of the Pack and the Cub Scout Motto. For Tiger Cubs, the Tiger Cub Motto is included.

Cub Scouts are divided into Dens according to the age and rank of the boys. Having a peer group of like capabilities fosters cooperation and teamwork, as well as establishing a sense of identity and purpose.

Tiger Cubs use an advancement system to provide challenges and activities to spark their interest while remaining age-specific. As the boys progress through the Cub Scout program, their advancement requirements become more challenging. Accomplishments are rewarded instantly so the boys receive recognition throughout the Scouting year as they move through the Tiger Cub program.

Since Tiger Cubs are paired with an adult partner (parent, guardian or other family member), each team works together at the family unit level and participates together in Den and Pack activities. Tiger Cubs actively participate in unit-level service projects, field trips, Pack meetings and outings.

Advancement

In Scouting, advancement is the process by which a member meets certain requirements and earns recognition. Boys in Cub Scouting work on advancement with their families. The Tiger Cub advancement program is a blend of activities boys do in their home and activities they do in a den setting with their adult partner. This is unique to Tiger Cubs.

A Tiger Cub may earn the Tiger Cub rank. This rank is for those boys who are in first grade or are 7 years old. All the Cub Scout ranks (Tiger Cub, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos) are tailored for a grade and the corresponding age level. (A Tiger Cub must earn the Bobcat badge [rank] before working towards his Tiger Cub badge and all other ranks.)

To advance, Tiger Cubs work on achievements and electives, which are described in the Tiger Cub handbook. The Tiger Cub advancement program consists of five achievable requirements, each consisting of three parts: a family component, done at the home, a Den component, done at a meeting, and a Go-See-It, or field trip. The program also provides fifty elective activities to further enrich the experience and to help keep the boys enthused about participation. The Tiger Cub Handbook provides helpful information to assist you in guiding your Tiger Cub through the program at a comfortable pace. As a boy completes each requirement, you, his adult partner, sign in this handbook where it says "Akela's OK." Akela means "good leader" and is an important part of Cub Scouting. Akela can be a den leader, a teacher, or other important adult. As your boy's adult partner, you are Akela.

As boys advance, they receive recognition items to mark their progress. These items will be given to them during a simple ceremony at a pack or den meeting. It is important for boys to be recognized for the good work they do. The Tiger Cub recognition items are the Tiger Cub belt totem and totem beads, the Tiger Cub badge, and Tiger Track beads. (Although participation with an adult partner is required for all Tiger Cub awards, adult partners don't earn these awards. Recognition items are for boys only.)

Uniforms

The uniform is an important part of the Scouting program. It identifies the boys and adults with Tiger Cubs and gives them a sense of belonging to the den, the pack, and the Boy Scouts of America. Most boys enjoy wearing their Tiger Cub uniform. They should wear it to all den meetings, pack meetings, and special pack activities.

The official Tiger Cub uniform is the complete blue Cub Scout uniform with identifiable and appropriate Tiger Cub insignia. This is in line with the program's continuing efforts to promote Tiger Cubs as an integral part of a Cub Scout pack. The Tiger Cub den leader wears the official Cub Scout leader uniform, the Tiger Cub cap, and the Tiger Cub leader neckerchief.

Components of the Tiger Cub uniform include the following: Tiger Cub Cap, Cub Scout Shirt, Tiger Cub Neckerchief, Tiger Cub Neckerchief Slide, Cub Scout Trousers or Shorts, Tiger Cub Belt, and Tiger Cub Crew Socks.

The Boy Scouts of America has always been a uniformed body. There are many reasons for this. One reason stands out above all the rest. We wear the uniform because it is a means of identifying ourselves openly with the principles to which we are committed-character development, citizenship training, and physical and mental fitness.

The fact that youth and adult members of Scouting wear a uniform doesn't mean that we're all alike. We come from different ethnic and racial backgrounds. We have our own religious beliefs and political views. We are each individuals with our own family traditions and loyalties. So the uniform is not intended to hide our individuality. But it is a way we give each other strength and support. It is a bond that ties us together in spite of our differences. It is a way of making visible our commitment to a belief in God, loyalty to country, and to helping other people.

The Scouting movement is built on positive values. As we wear the uniform, we are openly identifying ourselves with those values where everyone can see us. We stand together, not alone, in encouraging others to live by those same principles. Boys and adults alike should take pride in belonging to such a movement and wear the uniform as it is intended.