What workload to expect from my progression in leadership

[jventurero 10]

I joined the Boyscouts in the 4th grade. Unfortunately due to misunderstandings between our parents and the Scoutmaster, our troop broke up 3 years later. Our troop didn't really encourage our growth in the scouts (as in badges, ranks, etc) We did, however do alot of camping. Til this day, I've had the BoyScouts in my soul, and have been dying to take my kids when I had them.

 

My oldest turns 7 next year, so I'm starting to prepare myself (ex: What to look for in the troop I choose; what to expect from my troop; what can I start doing with my son at home, etc)

 

My second is 4 months old, and is now taking alot of my time that I would normally spend with my 6 year old. That, plus working nights has me concerned about my involvement in his troop. I have always been the parent that is the most involved with his activities, from his daycare and school events, to his summer camps, to being his sports team's head coach (t-ball and soccer)........blah, blah, blah. Sorry, I'm trailing off

 

I would just like to get an idea of what to expect of the natural progression of a parent into leadership would be. Last night was the first orientation night I've gone to, and the DL is already making comments towards me of "Oh, I can already see who's going to be the next DL" And I hate to sound confident and/or cocky, but it's true..... I know how I am, and I know sooner or later, I will end up taking the reigns. I just want to know exactly what to expect, so I know whether or not I can handle it. I want to create a better environment where my scouts grow, not like my childhood experience.

 

What are all the ranks, and what are their responsabilities? Mostly, what is the natural progression into these ranks for someone like me who will follow my son into the Boyscouts. Meaning, I dougbt I will stay with the Cubs when my oldest goes on to the Boyscout troop.(This message has been edited by jventurero)

[moosetracker 132]

Welcome to the forum, and welcome to scouting.. Yes, scout leaders have a way of picking out their potentials. Really not a bad thing, it says alot about your good character and confidence and ability to interact with the young being easy to spot..

 

Just remember, if you become the DL, make sure your Den is aware up front you will not do it alone. In Tigers each tiger must have an adult parent at all times, but right away insist on an Assistant Tiger Leader.. Make sure that your group knows that upon loosing an assistant (due to their leaving the pack, or possibly them not working out as your assistant) someone else needs to step up to plate.. Also make sure you do not take a ridiculous amount into your den.. Six to eight is reasonable.. If you get into eleven, twelve... twenty, then a two dens should be formed, not your problem if a second parent will not step up..

 

There are on-line training videos on the role of the Den leader at myScouting.org, you are going to need to go their for youth protection training anyway, which is something you must take even to register.. You need to set up an account. You probably do not have a BSA membership number yet, and don't need it to take the training. But, after you register, wait about a month then call your Council Register, get your number and go back to enter it into your Profile. That way you will get credit for the courses you take (print out the course completion page for youth protection to attach to your application)

 

https://myscouting.scouting.org/_layouts/MyScouting/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2f_layouts%2fAuthenticate.aspx%3fSource%3d%252f&Source=%2f

 

Anyway the on-line DL training is a start, but not that good.. You want to find out when the next personal Cub Scout Specific training is and take that too if you want good training (Well should be good, always depends on the quality of the trainers).. There you will get more detailed in-depth training from people who have been their rather then the video where everything runs pretty smoothly like a 1950's TV classic family show.

 

If you love interacting with youth, you will have a great time as a DL. They have now written syllabuses where the Den meetings are pretty step by step. So time wise there is you Den meetings / Pack meeting (normally the Pack meeting replaces one den meeting within the month).. You should attend the committee meeting to know what is planned for up-comming pack meetings and events and make sure your scouts are prepared. And some yearly events & fundraisers.. First year, everything just whirls around you as new, different and strange. Second year year you start to recognize things you are repeating.. Third / Fourth year you will be ahead of the game, knowing when things are coming up and what to do, and guiding the newer Den Leaders of younger scouts.

 

Learn to say "NO".. This is important!!.. If Den Leader you are DL, not DL, Popcorn Kernal, Blue & Gold Banquet coordinator, Pine Wood Derby coordinator.. I mean you can always lend a hand to whoever is in charge, to help set up or something.. But, other parents who are not DL's should be on the committee and offering to head up large events. When your DL your boys come first, and you can't watch them and run the big sha-bang too. Also you do not want to burn out. Some parents always say "NO" and never help out, others do not know how to say "No" and wear 50 hats.. Be in the middle, take a position, and unless it is in a small helping hand way, do not take other big jobs on also.. If your pack has too many "do-nothing" parents, they run to those they know have said "Yes" before.. The same people, over & over.. This is where you would run into trouble time wise.

 

Good Luck, sounds like you may have years of boy scouting in your future, most will be great times, but there will be bumps and blow outs.. It is just human nature that there will be conflicts.. Hopefully you can roll with those when the occur, and continue on.

[qwazse 4350]

The natural progression is to grow where folks tell you you fit in, and then settle where you figure you can serve the best.

 

I found one challenge (more in Boy Scouts than cubs) was setting aside my vision of things from the troop I grew up in and adopting the vision of the troop my son lands in. That's a few years down the road for you, so just enjoy your children now and pitch in on whatever tasks are at hand.

 

I would suggest that you get to know the Boy Scouts and Venturers in your community. (Some of them make good babysitters when they aren't on the trails!). You'll meet a few at Pack meetings and maybe cub camp. Look up their fundraiser was etc... Ask them what they like about their Troop/Crew, what they look forward to doing, etc ... If they were cubs, ask them what they liked best about their pack. Over time, this will give you a good idea of where you might want to serve.

[Tampa Turtle 1011]

It is liking having an active hobby. I find my time commitment to be anywhere from 8 to 20 hours a week. A lot of that is lunch time and evening prep. Also camp-outs bump up your average. A lot more manageable if you have supportive parents.

 

It is important to have a supportive wife and to set boundaries. I found that for every big scout "push" (Blue and Gold, Pack Campout) I needed to spend some compensating "spouse time" or at least not put off any "Honey-Do's".

 

For all that it is a lot of fun.

 

 

[OwntheNight 10]

First off, welcome to the forums. It's a lively bunch! Second, there are lots of great opinions and ideas here, We're talking years of service around here. I wish I had known about this site when I first started as a Den Leader with the pack, It would have made the maze of Scouting a lot less stressful.

 

Moose hits it right on the head. If you do become the DL, remember to talk to other parents about becoming an Asst DL to help you out. In Tigers (1st Grade) every Cub has to have an Adult partner there with the boy. Just ask somebody that's going to be there anyway and make it official and wear the uniform together. Besides, when you do go to the Face to Face training for DL, you'll have a buddy there who is in the same boat as you!

 

Remember these words "Shared responsibility" All the parents want the same things for their son as you do for yours. You just have the advantage of understanding that Boy Scout bug that lives in you. Channel those good times to the den. If you make it fun for them, it won't seem so much like work. Assign small tasks for your parents to either bring something or share something , whatever, keep them involved. If the boy is doing something, their adult partner better be right there doing it with them, NOT being wallflowers in the back of the room talking about the game that was on TV last night. If you don't get them involved early, you'll end up doing all the work yourself. Trust me, it's no fun. I was that Den Leader when I started, and by the end of the school year I was burnt out.

 

Lean on your Cubmaster, and ask questions, or ask questions here. There's not a stupid question out there, except for the ones not asked.

 

With the preplanned meetings, it is easier to have a successful year. But get the Tiger Cub handbook and start looking at it to find out what is required, and you can plan the year around it. Sign up for community news groups, so you can start seeing activities that are available for you to do. Here is an example:

 

October is Fire Prevention month, our Fire Department does an open house at certain fire stations around the city on one night. I always tell my Tiger DL about that and the whole den goes that night. One of the " Go See It" requirements is checked off, kids have a blast, the police department also has a Cub Scout Saturday, where they let the kids get in police cars, do fingerprinting, visit the training facility. Use the resources around you, remember, you're not reinventing the wheel.

 

I will also say, GOOGLE is your friend! There are a bunch of ideas out there to get. People put ideas out there to use, especially for other Scouters to use.

 

As far as working at night being a concern, Don't let it. I've been a Den Leader for both of my son's. I've spent 7 years in Cub Scouts, The last 6 of those years I've worked on 3rd shift. There are many times I got up in the afternoon and planned my den meetings a couple of hours before the Den meeting took place. Do let your families know what your schedule is. As a Cubmaster now, I tell everybody my schedule. They know if they email me in the morning, I won't see it until late afternoon, but they also know to expect emails from me at 3 am as well. They will adapt to you.

 

Good Luck and Congratulations. It is a very rewarding experience.

[ScoutNut 147]

Welcome to the forums, and welcome back to Scouting.

 

First of all, your soon to be 7 yo will be joining a Tiger den in a Cub Scout Pack, not a Boy Scout Troop.

 

I would visit a number of Packs in your area looking at how stable their organization is, what they do with their Cubs, if the Cubs seem to be having fun, if they are active over the summer months, and how well the adults interact.

 

Ask to have a copy of the current year's calendar.

 

Is there a particular Pack that the boys in your son's school would most likely join? You son might enjoy being with the boys from his class. I would start there.

 

To find out about the Tiger Cub Scout program, I suggest visiting your local Boy Scout Council Shop, and purchasing a Tiger Handbook. The parent pages in the front do a very good job of explaining the program. Since you are considering taking on a leadership role in the Pack, while at the Scout Shop, I would also pick up a copy of the "Cub Scout Leader Book".

 

If you are offered the position of Tiger den leader in which ever Pack you, and your son, decide to join, I would not be in a big hurry to pick an assistant den leader. If you run the Tiger program the way it is intended, and utilize Shared Leadership, every Tiger Team pair (Tiger Cub Scout and his Adult Partner) is your assistant. Better to work with the parents in the den over the Tiger year, get to know them, and then, at the end of the school year pick someone who you know you can work with, and who works well with the boys.

 

For more information on Cub Scouts visit the BSA National website -

 

This is the parent area and has good info for a new Cub parent -

 

http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home/CubScouts/Parents.aspx

 

This area pulls together a lot of relevant info -

 

http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home/CubScouts/Leaders.aspx

 

Just one caution - Your son is just starting his journey, please try to remember it is HIS journey, not yours. Do not focus so hard on you getting to a Boy Scout Troop and having a better experience than you did as a youth. Focus instead on making sure your son has a great Cub Scout experience right now.

[Tampa Turtle 1011]

IF you do go forward get a copy of the "Cub Scout How To Book". It has lots of activities, ideas, and games.

[Scoutfish 16]

Welcome to a website full of your peers.

 

W all were you at one time: we did, we volunteered, we were/are active with our kids.

 

So, it's not so much what you will do ( because if you are like us - you will do it all anyways ), but how you will do it. That's where the boks come in.

 

As far as being just like everybody else,don't! Be yourself. So far it is working an is an asset!

 

[jventurero 10]

Thank you all for replying. Believe me, my intention is all about making my son's experience the best possible. If I have a way to help make that happen, I will. I do this all for him, not me. This is the first chance I get to read all of your replies, and it seems I'm on the right track. I went to my Boy Scout Council Shop to buy the Handbook, and more importantly, guides on how to manage the pack. I ended up speaking to someone in the council who knew very well the troops in my area. I got alot of info from him on each's troop level of activity and involvement throughout the year. This week I plan to attend all of their meetings to see which one fits best.

 

I went today to one, and was kind of dissapointed in finding that the Tiger Cub pack only had 2 tiger cubs. Apparently it's only been those two cubs the entire year. I'll admit, I plan on cheating a little. Since I've coached my son's baseball and soccer teams for the past two years, I've kept those kids phone numbers. I plan on recruiting THE MOST ACTIVELY INVOLVED parents to have their kids join the pack. But I'm curious, is it normal to have only 2 members in a pack for the whole year?

 

I will defenitely be using this forum throughout our journey, though. We'll keep in touch.

[ScoutNut 147]

It is a Tiger DEN, not Pack. A Pack is a group of Cub Scout dens (Tiger/Wolf/Bear/Webelos).

 

The numbers in a Tiger den can vary widely from year to year.

 

One year I had 3 Tigers, the next I had 12, the year after 7.

 

It depends on a lot of factors. With Tigers, one of the biggest factors is that an adult is REQUIRED to attend everything with the Tiger.

 

Packs that have small Tiger dens will often get more registrations for the 2nd grade Wolf year, when adults are not required to attend with their sons.

 

 

[Tampa Turtle 1011]

First year I had 12 Tigers and no helper. Second year 20 Tigers (6 with disabilities) and a 1/2 helper. 2nd year was better. Because:

 

-I spent a lot of time planning.

- I got the Cub Scout How-To Book and kept a box of supplies for games in the car. I could do 6-10 different games if I needed a time killer.

-I took Tiger Training. I learned "there is no Tiger Requirement Police". If I could come up with more fun activity that meant the intent of the planned activity I would substitute it.

- I had some Boy Scouts come in and demonstrate manly scout skills, canoeing, compass, etc. They idolized them.