Cubmasters and Scoutmasters

I sat in on a local Pack's meeting last night so I could hand out brochures for our upcoming troop event to the Webelos den leaders. They inducted some new Tiger Cubs and a Bear into the Pack. What a great time!

The Cubmaster introduced the two cheers they'd be using for the night. Either the "horse cheer" when shed held up a horse or the "rooster cheer" when she held up a rooster. The scouts just loved doing these different cheers and the place was full of activity and just plain fun. It was a very impressive and well-planned meeting.

From the minute I arrived, I noticed there were adults everywhere directing scouts on what to do, where to sit, when to stand, ... and so on. It's so much different being a Scoutmaster where I have to ask permission from the SPL just to make an announcement. :-)

The people that make great Cub Scout leaders won't necessarily make great Boy Scout leaders. It is a huge shift in style that is required from being the ringleader to being a roadie, supporting from the sidelines and helping get things organized.
I've seen in our troop where parents have joined with their son and had a difficult time making the adjustment. The best thing to do is have new adults that want to be involved complete the Scoutmaster Specific training as soon as possible. It's also a good idea for the Scoutmaster to have some sessions for new parents where s/he can explain the differences between Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. I do these in April and May each year.

Even though the specific job duties of Cubmasters and Scoutmasters are quite different, they have the same general task of being the one person seen as the adult leader of their unit. They also need to be a good team, working together to ensure the transition of Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. Do you know your teammate? You should call him or her tonight and find a time to make a transition plan if you don't have one yet.

Scout On