THANK YOU! Our successful program would not be possible without your help. Your work is greatly appreciated and we love to see our scouts AND leaders succeed. Being a leader can feel like a daunting task so we strive to provide you with as many tools as possible to help you along the way. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or assistance.

Getting Started

By now you should have completed your YPT and position specific training. If not, head over to the BSA training center to work on getting those done. Ready? Let’s go!

The Cub Scouts program offers useful guides for each rank and can be found here. As a den leader, start by downloading a free PDF copy of the Den Leader Guide and optionally printing it out and placing in a binder for quick access at your den meetings. There is also the 2018 printing of the guide which also has a good overview of the whole program. Always refer to the most current version of the guides available.

Your First Meeting

You should have access to your den’s complete roster of registered scouts and their contact information. You can start initial communication with a simple group email welcoming everyone, introducing yourself (if needed), your contact information, and start the discussion of setting the date/time/location of your first den meeting. It is best to suggest a few options to get the conversation going and work from there. The typical den meeting takes an hour to an hour and a half depending on the activities planned.

Next is selecting a convenient location to meet. Try to choose central location with enough space so you can separate your den from any other groups of people if it’s a shared public space. If you choose an outdoor location like a park, be sure there is adequate shelter in case it rains and a restroom available. Make sure your meeting area has seating available.

Plan and prepare for the initial den meeting. Consider an easy icebreaker to get a feel of each cub’s personality. For example you could just have each scout share their name, favorite hobby, and who came with them to the meeting. The first thing to work as a den is the Bobcat Adventure. There are topics you can cover as a group and a couple items that can be done at home.

At end of the meeting, discuss with the adults preferred communication and meeting preferences. Some dens setup group text messaging to coordinate while others stick to email. Also decide as a group your meeting schedule. It is easier for families to make plans when they know the schedule ahead of time. Some active dens may even hold two den meetings a month to work on more Adventures.

As a den leader, your goal for the first meeting is to show the families a well-run meeting. Den meetings are a great way for scouts to mingle and make new friends. It is also a good time to talk with parents to find out their interests or skills and have them fill out a Family Talent Survey. Their skills might line up with one of the scout Adventures and they now become an asset to you for knowledge or possibly leading part of a den meeting or helping out at a pack activity.

Remember, keep it fun and keep it simple for the scouts AND the adults!