Come early stay as long as you like!

[1st Mate]

For new parents wondering what they can do with their son in cub scouts it can be a little worrisome. Ithink most parents think it means having to be a den leader or committee member or weven the cubmaster. While some parents may be asked to do this I think the best thing that a parent can do is just be interested.

You would be shocked to know how many of us who have been cub leaders have had dhildren come to us and say "you have spent more time with me that my____does" (insert the parent of your choice in the blank.

It breaks my heart when I hear that. Imagine how you would feel if you heard your child say that to their scout leader.

Scouting, especially at the Cub level offers so many things the family can do together. I remember as a boy when I was bored and looking for things to do my mom or da would grab my Cub book and say lets find something we can learn. My dad taught me how to tie a necktie when I was 8 years old. My mom taught me how to sew a button on my shirt or a patch on my uniform then too. These simple things were a part of cub advancment.

When my son was a cub scout he helped plan the family cvacation. He learned to read a road map, plan a trip budget, he mapped the cars location as we traveled. We mwt the mayor of our town together, climbed around on a fire truck, fished together, learned about sunken treasure and so much more from the activities in the cub handbook.

All iot takes to be a great scout partner is an understanding of what scoting is about, how it is trying to HELP YOU instill the same values in your child that are inportant to YOUR family. If we could get every parent to agree to read through a cubs handbook and look for opportunities to do things with their child that lead to advancement and the scouts growth, then you would have as much fun in scoiuting as your child did.

Wouldn't you rather hear your child say that you spend more time with them than then their Den Leader does?

There are other great reasons to be a partner with your son in scouting, maybe others will post some of their favorite reasons here too.

[WB Bear]

That is so true.

I remember when I became involved in Cubs with my son. A long time Scouter was the Cub roundtable commissioner. At one of the first roundtables I went to he made the statement that the "Parents don't realize how much fun their kids can be". I found that so true but the great thing is that since that time I have heard many parents make the statement "I didn't realize my kids could be so much fun!"

[lushrm]

I agree. Participating with my sons in cub scouts is fun! which is why/how i got myself into a leadership role in scouting.

On weekends when we do not have any family activity planned, i will grab the webelos or bear book and look for things the three of us can do together.

I just think most of us have gotten so busy doing 'things' that we feel we do not have time to do 'scout stuff' with our boys. but the two are not mutually exclusive. Both boys help me fix things around the house, and oh by the way that is an activity that they get credit for in scouting.

rich

[Nuts4Scouts]

Scouting, especially at the Cub level offers so many things the family can do together.

If we could get every parent to agree to read through a cubs handbook and look for opportunities to do things with their child that lead to advancement and the scouts growth, then you would have as much fun in scoiuting as your child did.

What is really a shame is Cub Scout den leaders, even those fully trained, who think they are doing right by their boys, and eliminate the family from the equation altogether.

Family Involvement, as a method of Cub Scouting, is an integral part of the program. Cub Advancement, also a method of Cub Scouting, is supposed to be done at home with the family, thereby strengthening Family Understanding, one of the 10 purposes of Cub Scouting.

Yet, despite knowing this, some den leaders decide that they do not want to deal with parents not working with their sons, and the sons becoming disappointed when some boys in the den earn their rank awards, and they do not. So the den leaders take the method of family involvement away completely from all of their scouts, and do all of the advancement, and elective, work strictly in den meetings.

They claim it is better for the boys, that not achieving what other boys achieve will make them feel bad and possibly quit Scouting. They claim that doing it themselves is easier than chasing after the parents to do it. They just can not (or will not) understand that by doing this they are undermining the basis of the Cub Scout program and doing all of the families, who would work with their sons, a BIG disservice!

Sorry, I just had a discussion with a leader I know in a nearby Pack. Can you tell this is a pet peeve of mine? Right up there with a SM claiming his Troop is boy-run, but making all of the Troop decisions himself because it is easier. :o

[1st Mate]

Not only is it fun for parents to play scouting with their kids, but their is an upside for the den and the pack that I think many leaders might overlook.

If I am a cubmaster with one assistant, 6 den leaders, and 5 committee members and we all know 50 people in the community we have a program resource network of about 600 people including duplicates.

But if we have 36 families and at least one parent knows what activities are in the handbook, and each of them knows 50 people then the cubs have an additional 1,800 program resources in the community.

Think of the ideas you can come up with, the things the cubs can do, the places you can visit, if every family is on the lookout for activities.

You don't have to be a leader to be a valuable asset to the Den and pack, you just need to take a few minutes and learn how the program works, and be willing to play with your son at scouting.

[Westergaard]

When I was a Cub Master, I found that the parents were more inclined to learn things that they may have forgotten from when they were either at that age or when they were in Scouts themselves.
I particularly enjoy seeing the parent relearn about Barnouli's Principle or watching the egg in the bottle experiment, or being ablt to tie a chicken leg bone in a knot.
The scouts do get excited when their parents get excited about what they suddenly remember from their youth.

[robert hendry]

I have tried unsucessfully to get my son in law to join scouts with me . I joined with my grandson because I grew up in scouting, been there on and off for 45 years. His little brother goes in next year as a tiger and he goes to boy scouts. It is so hard to make him understand the benefits of scouting. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thank you

[Nuts4Scouts]

Does he ever talk to, work with, or even just look at his son?

The changes that occur in the boys are amazing. As a Webelos his son will be on his own more and be learning more than ever. When he goes into Boy Scouts he will be accepting more and more responsibility for both himself and his community.

Don't try to change your SIL, he obviously has his own reasons (one of which might simply be that it is something YOU are passionate about!). Work with your grandsons and keep them involved in Scouting. Even if their father never comes around, they will thank you for it one day.

By the way, where is your daughter on this? Is she supportive of her sons in Scouts?