Lions and Tigers and Bears

Oh my, it's fun to have all three of those critters part of the Cub Scouting program now. The kindergarten Lion program seems to have been 'in the works' forever since our council has been piloting it for a few years now. Pretty much every pack has been happy with the new, younger members.

I finally met my first real Lion scout out in the wild! At camp this past weekend, a pride of them were rambling through the forest past our training site and I convinced one to slow down enough for a picture. That's what the Lion t-shirt looks like out in its natural habitat.

With the Lion program being piloted in 200 councils starting right now this fall, it's only got some tweaking left to become finalized for next year. I expect there will be some changes from the feedback I've seen. The stickers for advancement, the 'babyishness' of the program, cartoon look of the rank patch, and no place to wear the patch are all things I've heard. One good thing is the polo shirt for adult partners to wear - maybe a first step towards the same sort of thing for the rest of Scouting?

The polo isn't the 'only' good thing about the program. The Lion Guide guidebook has complete den meeting plans so there's little extra planning work needed for the adult volunteers. And, I like the emphasis on just playing together, teamwork, and having fun. Scouting doesn't need to be strictly organized like team sports, school, or other clubs.

You can read more about the Lion program.