This page is a resource for Pack 438 den leaders, both from a procedural and an informational perspective. We'll cover how-tos on being a den leader at the different ranks as well as the general things expected of all den leaders in Pack 438.

Let's start by looking at some commonly asked questions on being a den leader:

Why be a den leader?

The role of den leader is one of the most important positions in all of Cub Scouting. You are a leader and role model to boys and girls ranging from Kindergarten to 5th grade. Den leaders are part cheerleader, mentor, cat herder, coach and teacher. The role of den leader is very satisfying and it will also allow you to be a direct part of your child's scouting experience. Den leaders really make a tangible difference in the lives of the scouts they lead. Taking on the responsibility of leading a den will allow you to further develop your leadership and organizational skills.

Who can be a den leader?

Den leaders must be 21 years of age and of good character and reputation. All den leaders must complete a BSA Adult Application and submit it for approval by the Pack leadership, Chartering Organization and the Council. The ideal den leader would be someone who has good organization skills and prior experience as a leader in some capacity. Many den leaders have children in the program, but that is not a requirement.

What is expected of den leaders?

Den leaders are responsible for the leadership of their assigned den including leading den meetings and fostering a sense of cohesiveness within their den families. Den leaders track attendance at meetings and also track and report advancements and other awards as they are earned. Den leaders are expected to complete position specific training as well as Youth Protection Training. All den leaders are also expected to wear the Class A BSA uniform correctly and encourage that all members of their dens do so as well. The BSA provides a yearly curriculum for each age group and the den leader is expected to follow this curriculum or plan a curriculum that ensures that all required advancements and electives are met during the course of the year.

How much time does it take to be a den leader?

The correct answer really depends on the den, the den plan and the amount of support provided by other den families. The usual amount of time is 1 hour for the weekly den meeting plus 2-3 hours of preparation time and post meeting follow-up. Dens typically meet 2 times a month during the school year. Some events such as field trips or weekend outings may require additional time and/or preparation work. Involving other den families in sharing the planning, preparation and leadership of den meeting activities is a great way to get parents involved and share the load.

What are the different phases of being a den leader?

The position of den leader goes through 4 distinct roles:

Lion Coordinator

Tiger Den Leader

Den Leader

Webelos Den Leader

Lion coordinators lead the Lion den by coordinating and fostering parent leadership. Lion dens meet twice a month - once as a sit-down or classroom meeting and once as a "go-see-it" or field trip. Parents take turns leading the meetings with the Lion coordinator facilitating the meetings and planning the events and program schedule.

Tiger den leaders lead a den by planning and leading the weekly den meetings. Tiger scouts must have an adult partner present at all meetings. Parents are expected to assist their scout in activities. Tiger den leaders are encouraged to foster parent participation and leadership, but the Tiger den leader is ultimately responsible for the curriculum, planning and schedule of den meetings.

Den leaders lead Wolf and Bear dens containing 2nd and 3rd graders respectively. The responsibilities are very similar to that of Tiger den leader with the main difference being that direct parent partnership and involvement are no longer required during meetings. Den leaders are still encouraged to foster parent participation and involvement.

Webelos den leaders lead dens of 4th grade Webelos and 5th grade AOLs (formerly Webelos IIs). The main goal of the Webelos program is to teach cub scouts to be boy scouts and impart the scouting skills required to be successful members of a Boy Scout Troop. Outdoor skills and Scouting skills are a major focus of the Webelos years.

What should I be doing as a den leader?

We have finally arrived at the really important question! Hopefully, you're having fun and making the program fun for your den members. Kids and parents need a reason to make scouting a priority in their busy lives. If an activity isn't engaging and fun, they're going to move on to the next thing. Keep it simple and keep it fun and don't lose sight of the goals and aims of scouting.

Do the den leader specific training online at http://my.scouting.org or in person at a Scouting Pow wow or University of Scouting training event. Here is a .pdf file of the training. The .pdf file is also linked at the bottom of this page. Your membership as an adult leader in the BSA is conditional on your maintaining current Youth Protection Training, so please do not let it lapse.

Den leaders need to plan and execute weekly den meetings. The weekly den meetings and other outings such as Fall Camporee should contain sufficient programming to cover the required advancements as well as electives needed for scouts to advance in rank by the end of the year. The BSA publishes (in print and online) a den leaders guide that contains a weekly meeting plan. This is a good program to follow. You can also list out the advancements and formulate your own yearly curriculum. Either as fine as long as you cover all the advancements needed for your den to earn rank at the May picnic.

You need to track advancements and take attendance at all meetings. Report advancements by entering them in Packmaster by 10:00 pm on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Once the advancements have been reported, you are strongly encouraged to generate an advancement report from Packmaster and double check it against your records to ensure that advancements for your scouts have been properly recorded and registered. We want to award all advancements earned in a timely manner and it's very frustrating for everyone involved when we do advancements at a Pack meeting and someone gets missed.

Get your parents involved. Give them small jobs and don't let them sit around on their phones. Parents really need to be on premises if at all possible. Have volunteers run activities or crafts. Have them bring supplies or a weekly snack to the den meeting. Have them run games. Plan fun activities that encourage socialization and team work.

Communicate with your parents often and via multiple mediums if possible. Email, text messages, Facebook or take-home flyers. Email your parents weekly with your den meeting plan and be sure to include the time, location and date. Including other informational tidbits in your weekly emails will help to keep parents in touch with other Pack activities. A really great way to hit all your scout families is to use the email function in Packmaster. Packmaster has an address book targeted to each den, so an email composed there will be sure to hit all your scouts.

You cannot over communicate with your den members. Email communication is absolutely key to keeping scouts engaged and will help immensely with your retaining them from year-to-year.

Follow up with new scouts to make sure they are getting connected with your den. Email scouts that you haven't seen in a meeting or two to make sure they're getting your communications so cub scouting doesn't fall off their radar.

Wear your Class A uniform. Make sure it's outfitted correctly and model the correct behavior to your scouts by being properly attired.

Ask questions. You're not expected to be an expert on all things Scouting. Ask the Cubmaster, Assistant Cubmasters or other leaders if something isn't clear.