njdrt-rdr Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 ok, so it looks like we're doing pretty poorly in the tiger enrollment this year. It's looking like 2 scouts at the most. I feel bad because one of them, he's been doing stuff with the scouts for years because his older brother is one and he's really excited about being a scout and now there's nobody for a den for him. We sent out flyers, had a initial tiger gathering meeting for info, had a first pack meeting. We had about 6 people sign up as interested at back to school night. Day after back to school a flyer went home with the first graders. 3 attended the tiger info meeting, 2 did actual sign up with BSA forms at our first pack meeting. Both have older kids in scouts. I email contacted all 6 people to try and gather them all together as a group. I got one yes he wants to be a scout response, one no response and 4 people did not answer me at all. So now I'm thinking it will be 2 kids tops. Pretty much it'll suck as a two kid den. Any suggestions what to do? My only other idea is to have another flyer go out maybe with a little more info on it this time. On the other flip side, I know we are going to get closer to 10 kids next year as tigers. Can a second grader join as a tiger if there aren't enough wolves to have a den? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutNut Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 You never quit recruiting. Contact your DE and see if he/she will do a "Boy Talk" for the first grade. Send home more flyers inviting parents and boys to a Tiger "Event". Have something simple like paper airplane races, or kite building/flying. Involve the parents. Have a school parent stand at the doors at the end of school the of/before your event and put a sticker reminder w/contact info on every 1st grade boy that comes out. A two kid den will most definitely NOT "suck"! Please don't broadcast that attitude to the families, and ruin their experience. Yes, they will be a small den. But with just two Tiger Teams there will not be a lot of schedule conflicts. They will work together, bond closer, and have FUN! There are many positives to highlight, instead of simply saying it will "suck". Have the 2 registered Tigers and their parents talk to classmates and their parents. It should be easy for them to brag about what a great program Cub Scouts is, and what a great Pack it is, as they are both current Scout families. This often will get the best results. If the boys recruit a buddy make sure to award them the recruiter strip at the next Pack meeting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutNut Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 >>"Can a second grader join as a tiger if there aren't enough wolves to have a den?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kari_cardi Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 We had a two-man den last year for Tigers, both from scouting families. I thought it was great. Like ScoutNut said, few scheduling conflicts, easy to accomplish a lot, and money was not as much of a consideration. The two boys really like each other, which helped of course. It was also easy to join up with the Wolf or Bear dens for activities if we wanted. Downside is that if one boy was unable to attend the meeting, we cancelled the meeting. In recent years, we also had a two-man Tiger den with parents who did not want any involvement whatsoever. That didn't go well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pchadbo Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 Old farmer's adage, when you go to feed the cows, and only one shows up you still feed it. Run the program for two Tigers as you would for 5 but just give them a little less "program" and more personalized attention. And Keep recruiting. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutLass Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 First, it will NOT suck as a two Tiger den. My first Tiger den was a two tiger den and it rocked. Our den last year was three boys, and it rocked. My current Tiger den has three boys (one my son), and we're going to rock it this year, too. In Wolf year, the last two Tiger dens have at least tripled in size, and I expect the same next year. A lot of parents seem to write off Tiger year as "too much work" due to the adult partner set-up, I think, but then join in Wolf year. I've posted this before, but I will again. A two boy den can do a ton of stuff that is more difficult to arrange/schedule with multiple parents. With only two family's schedules to work around, you have a lot more leeway for scheduling go see-its and field trips. You can really zero in the program to meet the interests of your boys. You can do more complicated hands-on projects since it is easier to work with a fewer amount of boys. For example, we did marshmallow cookers, which consist of little wooden platforms with a hole to hold a candle. You roast marshmallows on the candle. We wouldn't have done this project with a full den of 8 Tigers because of the heightened chaos level and chance for injury with a lot of small boys in one room. With two boys, the energy level is lower so we could do projects like this with much less risk. As long as you have two boys, you have the makings for a great den. It all depends on the attitude of the leader, because the boys will follow the leader's lead, naturally. Of course, you want to keep recruiting through the year, but don't write off this year just because the den is small. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
83Eagle Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 Our Tiger den is also 2 scouts this year. I ran the first Tiger meeting and from now on the parents will handle it. I guess my strategy was to deemphasize the den meetings and stress the Pack experience. Before someone jumps all over me, let me say that I didn't say the den meetings weren't important, but I emphasized the pack events and outings, for which there is a full calendar. I felt the key was to sell the den meetings as a fun get-together once a month plus one outing "just for your den," with the Pack meetings being the special event where we all get together for more fun and you guys get the awards and patches you earned. I will be mentoring this den, obviously, and I also have the Wolf den leader willing to take the group under their wing for an event or two. It CAN work and, also important, the word will spread and you will pick up more boys in the coming years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njdrt-rdr Posted October 3, 2011 Author Share Posted October 3, 2011 Not totally up on all the acronyms. What's a DE? Hopefully we can run with two. I planned on myself mentoring them in the beginning because I don't see either stepping directly into the position. I'm hoping the next flyer will draw more attention and gather up a couple more boys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutNut Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 DE = District Executive = Scouting professional in charge of the district (area) you are in. Look on your local council's web site. They will usually have a list of staff names and contact info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momof2cubs Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 SO you guys allow people to drop off their wolf and bears for den and pack meetings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basementdweller Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Sure wolves and bears can be dropped of.....it is up to the den leader.....some projects need more supervision than others. To be real honest, we don't have any room for all the parents Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutNut Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Wolf, Bear, and Webelos Cub Scouts do not need parents to attend den meetings. In fact the BSA program is set up so that the den meetings at the Wolf/Bear/Webelos levels are for the boys, and their leaders, to interact with each other, and to learn to work together. Parents should only attend den meetings if they have a specific purpose in being there (leading an activity, helping their disabled Scout, Webelos Activity Badge Counselor, etc). Pack meetings are an entirely different thing. They are for all of the Scouts from every den, and their families (siblings too). BSA expects families to attend Pack meetings, but not den meetings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fehler Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 In my case, I have a den of 6 Bears and one Wolf, and a den of 8 Tigers meeting in the same building. The Wolf has a younger brother in the Tiger den, which is why I put him with the Bears and not with the Tigers (3 other Bears have Tiger brothers). We have a second Tiger den of four meeting in a different building. If we suddenly got 2 more Wolves, I'd like to create a Wolf Den and have them meet concurrently with the other Tiger Den. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noname Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 1 is better than none. Next year is a differnet story. My son was also a lone tiger, wolf and bear. Only webeloes added 1 more. Now he is a troop of 15 and is first class in 8 months. He did Cubs alone and it suited him. Maybe not for everyone but for him it worked. Also gave him & I many opportunties to share together... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beardad Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 We don't allow the parents to drop off at any level. they are excpected to pitch in and help. even in Webelos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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