Baloo's Bugle

April 2008 Cub Scout Roundtable Issue

Volume 14, Issue 9
May 2008 Theme

Theme: Leaf It to Cubs
Webelos: Outdoorsman & Artist
Tiger Cub Activities

TIGERS

Are you preparing to recruit this year’s Kindergartners now for next year’s Tigers???  They could go to day camp this summer with your pack!!  And enjoy all your summer events.  Then in the Fall they will be all psyched for a great year.  Don’t miss this opportunity Kindergartners become eligible for Tigers on June 1!! CD

Leaf Rubbings:
Grand Teton Area Council
Can be used for cards, placemats, or place cards.

Materials:

  • Get real leaves and paper,
  • Use crayons or colored pencils

Directions:

To make leaf rubbing cards-

    • Start by folding a sheet of paper in half widthwise and place a leaf, vein side up, inside the folded sheet. You will now have a card with a leaf hidden inside.
    • Use colored pencils or crayons to gently rub over the leaf so that the shape becomes visible on the cover of the card (switch colors midway to create a variegated leaf).
    • Remove the leaf, and then repeat with other leaves and colors.

To make painted leaf prints,

    • First cover the work area with newspaper.
    • Place a leaf vein side up on the newspaper and dab paint onto the leaf. (To create a multicolored effect, dab other colors onto the same leaf.)
    • Carefully picking up the leaf, place it paint side down on the front of the card and
    • Press down on it to make a print (try a few test prints to figure out the right amount of paint.)
    • Repeat with other leaves.

When you are done you can add a message to the card and send it to a friend or relative!.

Tips:

Pick leaves while they're still on the tree.

(But not too many from the same tree!!!)

The dried-out variety will crumble if the artist gets too enthusiastic.

Leaf Placemats
For Your Campout Or Picnic:
Grand Teton Area Council

  • Either flatten and dry real leaves in a book between waxed paper or use acrylic paints on real leaves to "stamp" leaf patterns onto placemats.
  • Cover your placemats with clear contact paper or have them laminated for a finished product.

Discovering Nature and Energy

The goal of these activities is to develop in your child an appreciation of the world around him.  In addition, several of the activities provide an opportunity to explore energy conservation.  You are given the opportunity through this Big Idea to reinforce your own values about environment, energy and even spirituality.

Activities

  • Family Camping
  • Nature walks

Nature Scavenger Hunt

This can be done in a local park, nature center or even your back yard.  The boys should be warned that the only natural items that should be picked up are those lying on the ground.  Don't break down trees and pick flowers.

In this scavenger hunt, provide each partner with a paper bag and a list of items.  The person returning with the most items, within the time limit that you set, wins.

Pine cone

Twig

2 different leaves

Bug

Piece of moss

Litter

A seed

Worm

Clover - one

Feather

Flat oval stone

Dandelion

What Do You Do Now??

By now your Tigers have probably earned their Tiger Badges and are anxious to move on up.  Two projects you may want to work on this Spring are

  • Earning the Leave No Trace Award at the Tiger Level
  • Earning the CS Outdoor Award at the Tiger Level

If your Pack has an active Outdoor Program with two camping trips and several other outdoor activities your Tigers may be well on their way to earning the Leave No Trace Award.  The requirements are in the back of their Tiger books. 

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY – Make sure they have their Wolf Books (My pack presents books for the next rank in our graduation ceremony) so they can start the Family Activities this summer while out of school and (hopefully) taking some sort of vacation with their parent(s) or other family.  This will, also, help your life as a leader easier in the Fall when you (hopefully) get new Scouts who have to earn their Bobcat right away. 

Tiger Graduation Ceremony
Southern NJ Council

Remember, on June 1, all your current Tigers are to be promoted to Wolf Dens.  (And the Wolf Dens to Bear and Bear to Webelos, …)

This is a simple ceremony outline designed to graduate Tiger Cubs and Adult partners into the next level.  Remember, the best ceremony has not been written yet; so feel free to write your own or improvise on this one.

Materials:  Four candles and candle holders.  Wolf Cub Scout neckerchiefs and slides (one for each Tiger).

People: Cubmaster, Tiger coordinator and den leader(s).

Cubmaster: (Call boys and adult partners forward. Stand in front facing the pack. Candle holder with candles is in front of the Tigers.)

"Search-Discover-Share" has been the theme of your Tiger Cub Den for the past several months. You have been exploring new things and places using this method in your homes, schools and neighborhoods.

(Light the candle on left) You and your partner have SEARCHED in your home, your community, and the outdoors.  You have worked together and had fun.

(Light candle in middle) You and your partner have DISCOVERED new things together with family and friends and had a sense of being a part of the community and your country.

(Light the third candle) You and your partner have SHARED with your family and friends and your fellow Tiger Cubs.

Now it is time to take your next move up the Scouting trail to Wolf. (Light the fourth candle)  In Cub Scouting, your family is still important as it is throughout your whole Scouting experience.  Support in earning each badge comes from your family as well as from your den leader.  Your parents will help you each step of the way.

Tiger Cheers
Heart of America Council

  • Repeat this cheer three times. 
    The first time is spoken softly,
    The second a little louder and
    The third time is yelled loudly with a Tiger growl at the end.

The wonderful thing about Tigers,
is Tigers are wonderful things!

  • Give me a T--------T
    Give me an I--------I
    Give me a G--------G
    Give me an E-------E
    Give me an R-------R
    Put it together and what does it spell?
    "TIGER"
    What does it say?
    "GROWL"
  • Tigers have the spirit
    Yes we do!
    Tigers have the spirit
    How about you?

After they do the yell, the Tigers point to the Wolf Den, who do the cheer for themselves.  They point to the Bears and the Bears to the Webelos.

Dead Battery Box
Shelly, Pack 618 in Durant, OK

When discussing the environment with your Tigers, mention some of the bad things that can happen when dead batteries are simply discarded in the trash and wind up in landfills.  This is easy to research on the internet.  Especially find out about any local rules and laws in your town.

After the            short talk they should decide (Don’t tell them, make this their decision) to never throw another battery in a trash can.  Suggest that they should all have a designated "dead battery" box in their homes. Then bring out supplies to have the tigers and their partners each make a dead battery box. 

Periodically they will take these dead batteries to a designated drop off to have them disposed of properly.  You will have to research where in your town dead batteries may be taken.  Some stores do this (e.g. Lowes, Radio Shack) and maybe Fire Departments.