(Tiger Cub List of Big Ideas)

Tiger Cubs BSA gives parents an opportunity to provide their sons a safe, structured, and nurturing environment. Tiger Cubs and their adult partners have fun together while developing closer family relationships. Scouting can provide positive, enriching experiences and activities to complement a child's formal classroom education. Scouting and education share the common goal of helping young people grow into self-reliant, dependable, and caring adults. Tiger Cubs is a simple, fun, easy-to-operate program that helps a boy and his adult partner gain a better understanding of and an appreciation for the community environment in which they live, and even the world at large. Tiger Cubs offers an opportunity for boys to enter the Scouting family at an important age. Research has shown that early involvement in values-based programs is vital to strong character development. The longer a boy stays in Scouting, the more likely he is to develop the values and skills needed to become an ethical and productive citizen. The Boy Scouts of America wants you and your boy to: Have fun together. Know one another. Grow together. Get along together. Discover together.

Who can join the Tiger Cubs BSA?

Tiger Cubs is the part of the program of the Boy Scouts of America that is for boys who are in the first grade (or seven years of age) and their adult partners. The basic element of Tiger Cubs is the Boy-Adult Team. The adult may be a parent, grandparent, adult brother or sister, aunt or uncle, etc. The only requirements are that the adult be 18 years of age or older, care about the boy, and have a strong commitment to his well-being. The boy and his adult partner join Tiger Cubs together.

The Tiger Cub Program

The Tiger Cub program is designed for First Grade boys and the ideas are geared to their level. They are also arranged to help the boy and his adult partner interact together in a positive way. Boys and their adult partners join Tiger Cubs at the beginning of the first-grade school year and remain in the program until the completion of first grade. 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. Each adult partner takes a turn working with the den leader to plan and lead a den meeting and/or activity. (You'll read more about this shared leadership later.)

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 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.

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.  The program is designed with a minimum of organization.

The Tiger Cub Adult Partner

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.

The Tiger Cub Den Leader

The Tiger Cub den leader is usually a parent within the Tiger Den and becomes a registered volunteer in the BSA. Each Tiger Den MUST include a person in this role. The responsibilities of the Tiger Cub den leader can be summarized as:

1. Work directly with other den and pack leaders to ensure that their den is an active and successful part of the pack.
2. Coordinate shared leadership among the Tiger Cub adult partners, ensuring that den meetings and outings are planned, prepared for, and conducted by all adult partners on a rotating basis, and that the den activities provide advancement opportunities for the boys in the den.
3. Attend pack leaders' meetings.
4. Lead the den at the monthly meeting and pack activities.
5. Ensure the transition of boys in the Tiger Cub den into a Wolf den at the end of the year.

Working on Achievements and Electives

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 works toward the Tiger Cub rank. To advance, Tiger Cubs work on achievements and electives, which are described in the Tiger Cub handbook. As a boy completes these, his adult partner signs the 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.

Earning the Tiger Cub Belt Totem

To begin his path towards the Tiger Cub rank, a boy must do three things. They are:

• Learn the "Tiger Cub Motto" (The MOTTO is: "SEARCH, DISCOVER, SHARE ")

• Learn the "Cub Scout Sign"

• Learn the "Cub Scout Salute"

When he has done these, he is awarded the Tiger Cub belt totem at a pack meeting. This is a plastic recognition device that he wears on his belt. The front side of the totem is emblazoned with a tiger paw print, and the reverse includes a recessed space for your Tiger to mount his Tiger Cub badge when he earns it. The lower end of the totem includes space for four strands for totem beads. A boy earns totem beads by working on the five Tiger Cub achievements.

How to use the Totem Beads

There are five achievements in Tiger Cubs:

• Making My Family Special

• Where I Live

• Keeping Myself Healthy and Safe

• How I Tell I

• Let's Go Outdoors

Each achievement has three parts: a family activity, a den activity, and a Go See It outing. A boy receives totem beads as he completes each part:

• He earns a white bead for each required 'family activity' part he completes.

• He earns an orange bead for each required 'den activity' part he completes.

• He earns a black bead for each required 'Go See It' part he completes.
  
  These beads go on the first three strands of the Tiger Cub belt totem. (The fourth strand is for Tiger Track beads which signify completed electives.)

A boy can earn only one bead for each of the 15 achievement parts, regardless of how many times he may repeat a part.

As each bead is awarded and added to a boy's belt totem, he should be recognized with a simple ceremony at a den meeting. When a boy has earned all 15 beads, he is eligible to receive his Tiger Cub badge, signifying that he has earned the Tiger Cub rank.

The Tiger Cub Trail

The Tiger Cub badge is for boys who have completed all 15 parts of the five achievements, that is, five family activities, five den activities, and five Go See It outings. During an impressive ceremony, the Tiger Cub badge is presented to the adult partner at a pack meeting, who in turn presents the badge to the boy. The badge is affixed to the Tiger Cub belt totem in the recessed area.

While your boy is working on advancement, you can help. Besides signing his handbook as Akela once he has done his best, let your den leader know of any completed parts of achievements at your next den meeting. The den leader will keep a record of your boy's individual progress on the Tiger Cub Den Advancement Chart. In addition, your boy, with your help, will keep track of his own advancement on the Tiger Trail chart found on page 152 of his handbook. This encourages him and helps him see his progress toward the Tiger Cub rank.

The advancement requirements are written in such a way as to give you room to customize activities for your boy and your den. There are no performance requirements for Tiger Cubs. Boys should never be "tested" or placed in a position where they will not be successful. Simply participating in the activities and doing his best constitutes completion.

The den activities and 'Go See It' outings are intended to be completed with the den. If a Tiger Cub is unable to participate in an activity because of illness or a conflict, however, you may work with him to complete these requirements. For your boy to receive the full benefit of the program, it is important for you, his adult partner, to make every effort to attend meetings regularly.

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 ACHIEVEMENTS: Earning the "TIGER CUB BADGE"

The following requirement items are prefaced with the letters "F," "C," or "G." These denote:

• F = A "FAMILY" oriented requirement

• D = A "DEN" oriented requirement

• G = A "GO SEE IT" oriented requirement (i.e.field trip)
   

Making My Family Special

1F - Think of one chore you can do with your adult partner. Complete it together
1D - Make a family scrapbook
1G - Go to a library, historical society, museum, old farm, or historical building, or visit an older person in your community. Discover how family life was the same and how it was different many years ago.

Where I Live

2F - Look at a map of your community with your adult partner.
2D - Practice the Pledge of Allegiance with your den, and participate in a den or pack flag ceremony.
2G - Visit a police station or fire station. Ask someone who works there how he or she helps people in your community.

Keeping Myself Healthy and Safe

3Fa - With your family, plan a fire drill and then pracitce it in your home.
3Fb - With your adult partner, plan what to do if you become lost or separated from your family in a strange place.
3D - Make a food guide pyramid.
3G - Learn the rules of a game or sport. Then go watch an amateur or professional game or sporting event.

How I Tell It

4F - At a family meal, have each family member take turns telling the others one thing that happened to him or her that day. Remember to practice being a good listener while you wait for your turn to talk.
4D - Play "Tell It Like It Isn't."
4G - Visit a television station, radio station, or newspaper office. Find out how people there communicate to others.

Let's Go Outdoors

5F - Go outside and watch the weather.
5D - With a crayon or colored pencil and a piece of paper, make a leaf rubbing.
5G - Take a hike with your den.

When you and your boy have followed the five steps of the Tiger Cub, your boy has earned his Tiger Cub badge. The badge will be ceremoniously presented as soon as possible at an upcoming Pack meeting.

TIGER CUB ELECTIVES: Earning "TIGER TRACK BEADS"

After your boy has earned the Tiger Cub badge, he can earn Tiger Track beads - by completing elective activities in this handbook. Tiger Cubs strives to provide an opportunity for your boy to learn and grow while having fun along with you. The wide variety of electives allows your Tiger Cub to choose additional activities and receive recognition for his participation. The electives help broaden a boy's horizons and fulfill the Tiger Cub motto of Search, Discover, Share. Electives provide advancement opportunities and recognition for your boy until he is eligible to begin working on the Wolf rank.

A boy shouldn't feel, however, that he must do all of the electives. Some may not appeal to him, and some he may want to do more than once. if a boy completes an elective activity twice, it may be counted as two electives. But at the same time, try to avoid much repetition, as variety will keep Tiger Cubs more interesting for your boy.

As with the achievements, you, the adult partner, approve your boy's completion of electives by signing the handbook in the space provided for "Akela's OK." Then let your den leader know about completed electives. The den leader will fill in the Tiger Cub Den Advancement Report, found in the Cub Scout Leader Book, to show Tiger Track beads earned and give the report to the pack committee at the monthly pack leaders' meeting. In addition, your boy, with your help, will keep track of his own elective advancement on the Tiger Track Trail found on page 154 of his handbook.

Here's how earning Tiger Track beads works: A boy earns one Tiger Track bead for every 10 electives he completes. The Tiger Track bead is presented to you, the adult partner, at a pack meeting, and you in turn present it to your boy. The Tiger Track beads are suspended from one the the lace strands on the Tiger Cub Totem.

A boy may work concurrently on both achievement and elective projects; however, he can't receive Tiger Track beads until he has earned the Tiger Cub badge.

The Tiger Cub Handbook documents all of the Tiger Cub Electives with ideas and tips for the Tiger Cub and his Adult partner. The following list enumerates the 50 Tiger Cub electives by elective number and name.