Congratulations, you've volunteered to run a den, what now?
Well you've come to the rigt place to start
This webpage contains everything you need to know to get started here at Greenville Pack 3
What is Cub Scouts?
What are all the levels? Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos
Uniforms
Fast Start, your first step
Places to hold your den meetings
What to do at a meeting
What to do at your first meeting
Fieldtrips to take your scouts to
Crafts to do with your scouts
Games to play
Place to take your scouts
What is Cub Scouting?
Purpose of the Cub Scouting Program
INFLUENCING the
development of a boy's character
DEVELOPING habits
and attitudes of good citizenship.
ENCOURAGING good
sportsmanship and pride in growing strong in mind
and body.
IMPROVING
understanding within the family.
STRENGTHENING the
ability to get along with other boys and
respecting other people.
FOSTERING a sense
of personal achievement by developing new
interests and skills.
SHOWING how to be
helpful and to do one's best.
PROVIDING fun and
exciting new things to do.
PREPARING Cub
Scouts to become Boy Scouts.
Who We Are:
We are a Pack 3 Greenville, Rhode Island.
We reside in the Netop District (which includes Cranston, Foster, Gloster, Johnston, North Providence, Scituate, Smithfield & Providence) of the
Narragansett Council.
The Boy Scouts of America's Narragansett Council services Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
and Conneticut.
Where We Meet:
Pack meetings are at the Greenville Baptist Church in Greenville, Rhode Island. The Church
is located near the intersection of Route 44 and Route 116.
When We Meet:
Pack meetings are held from October to May on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7:00.
What are all the levels? Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos?
Tiger Cubs is a school-year program for first-grade (or 6 year old) boys and their
adult partners that stresses simplicity, shared leadership, learning about the community,
and family understanding. Each boy / adult team meets for family activities, then once or
twice a month all the teams meet for Tiger Cub group activities.
Wolfs and Bears Scouts is a family
- and home - centered program for boys in the second and third grade (7 and 8 year
olds). Cub Scouting's emphasis is on quality program at the local level, where the most
boys and families are involved.
Fourth - and fifth - grade (9 and 10 year old) boys are called
Webelos Scouts (WE'LL BE LOYAL SCOUTS) and participate in more advanced activities that begin to prepare them to become Boy Scouts.
NOTE: A boy can join Cub Scouts at any level. He will be put into a den of boys his own age. His first job will be to learn the 8 steps of the Bobcat trail. When he does he will earn the Bobcat badge which we usually give during a formal ceremony at pack meetings.
Training, "Fast Start", your first step
The Cub Scout program requires that all leaders take the "Fast Start" program before they begin. We have 2 ways that you can get this training.
There is a "Fast Start" training video. We have one. Ask for it and we will get it to you as soon as we can. It is an old tape that covers every level of being a leader, from Den leader to Cubmaster. It is a little dated, but it does cover the basics of running a den meeting.
Once you have completed the "Fast Start" training, you can begin running a den. (Admittedly , a number of our leaders began without even that much training.) Next you may want to take some of the additional training offered by our district (Netop) or by the Council.
Akela Training - About once a month or so you can find this training going on somewhere in Rhode Island. It usually cost about $10 to $15 to do.
Cub Scout Pow Wow - Once a year a Cub Scout Leader's Pow Wow is held on a Saturday in November. This training has a number of training classes for you to choose from. It cost $15 or so and can be a full day if you decide to take 4 classes.
Cub Scout Youth Protection - Once a year or so this class is offered in our area, it covers everything you need to know about youth protection and the rules governing the Cub Scout program. I believe it is free of charge(?).
Uniforms
First off, uniforms are not required for our leaders or our scouts.
That being said, most if not all, of the scouts in our pack have a uniform. We have had incidences where some scouts have gone without. That is fine.
Currently over half our leaders are now wearing uniforms. Den leaders are not required to, but some leaders find wearing a uniform gets them more respect from their kids. Once again it is not required.
The norm for kid's uniforms in our pack is:
Shirt
Hat
Neckerchief and slide (except for tigers)
You will also see:
belts
pants
socks
The patches that are worn on all uniforms are:
Left sleeve from top down
Greenville
RI
3 (for pack 3)
Right sleeve from top down
American Flag (comes with uniform)
Den number
There are many, many more badges, pins, beltloop...that a Cub Scout can wear. I am only covering the basics here.
If you do decide to get a uniform as a Den Leader, you would purchase the same patches that the scouts wear, additionally you would get a Blue round Den leaders patch that is worn on the left sleeve and blue leader loops for the shoulder straps.
Books - Although they are not part of the uniform you do purchase them at the same place, so while you are at it you might as well... For each level of Cub Scouting there is a book. the book basically covers everything you need to know for that level. It is the best guide for you as a leader, as well as your child's guide to earning his next badge.
At the council there are a number of books that a Den leader can purchase. The most important book is your son's book. This will guide you through all the steps expected at your son's level. But there are a number of other books that can help you get ideas of things to do at Den meetings. You may want to consider purchasing one.
Places to hold your den meetings
Here in Smithfield you have a number of choices where you can hold a den meeting. The first and primary resource is your own home. The majority of dens hold their meetings in the den leader's home and/or the assistant den leader's home. But, some find that they it is a hassle to have a number of boys getting into things at their own home. So they will go out and use one of a number of facilities that have been made available to us for den meetings. Here is a list of those places and contact information:
North Bay Manor
Greenville Batist Church
Greenville Manor
Smithfield Conservation Center
What to do at a meeting
Here is the basic format of a den meeting:
Have an activity ready to entertain the boys until all of them are there.
Pledge of Alegience
Cub Scout Promise
Collect Dues (Most dens do this only once at the beginning of the year to cover craft costs (Anywhere between 10 - 20 dollars each.), but you could collect a buck or so at each den meeting instead if you wanted.)
Anouncements - future den activities or information and dates of pack activities. (You will want to get this information to all the parents, so you may want to write something up to pass out.)
Scouts tell and/or show any advancement steps that they have completed.
Den Activity
Snack - like cookies and milk
Law of the Pack
Den Cheer
You do not have to do all these steps, you can mix and match and do them any order that you like. The only "rule" I would stick with would be to start the meeting with the Pledge and the Cub Scout Promise.
One important point I would like to make, and this will make running a den a whole lot easier, is to always have something to do. I believe it is a sciencetific fact, that when young boys get together and are idle, they will eventually find themselves on the floor yelling and wrestling. To prevent this you should try to have "busy work" or games to keep your boys entertained. A good example might be some puzzles for them to work out, or letting them help you prepare the area for the craft you will be doing. Even just a game of Tic-Tac_Toe can kill a few minutes. The point is, the busier you can keep the boys, the easier it will be on you! Here are some links to "stuff" that can keep you Scouts busy.
What to do after your first meeting
Tiger Dens are expected to meet at least once a month, twice is also fine. All dens with older Scouts are expected to meet at least twice a month. We like dens to meet from September through May. Some dens continue with a few meetings in the summer, but that's not the norm. One den meeting in September, November, December and May is fine since those are busy times for most families.
Try to go out and do a field trip once every other month. (There are suggestion for field trips in the next section.)
Take one meeting a month and work toward the Scout's next badge. Using the book, you should be able to plan an activity that fulfills one of the steps along the trail of getting your Scout's next badge. But Don't spend every den meeting working toward badges. Try to find something new and interesting and outside the book to keep the kids into it.
Here is a suggested schedule:
September, Meet once, make new den flag and come up with a new den cheer
October Meet twice, Work on a Craft, Go on a field trip
November Meet twice, Work on a badge activity, make a craft
December Meet once, work on a badge activity
January Meet twice, go on a field trip, make a craft
February Meet twice,work on badge activities, create center pieces for blue and gold banquet
March meet twice, go on a field trip, work on badge activities
April Meet twice, work on badge activities, make a craft
May Meet Once, have a cookout/picnic play games
Summer Meet once, go on a field trip, like a hike or bike trail
Remember, your Scouts will also be going to Pack meetings once a month, and we try to have at least one pack activity a month. So we don't want to overburden families with to many scout activities and expenses. We also don't want to burn you out. So pace yourself, don't overdue it, and most of all have fun!
Fieldtrips to take your scouts to
Ok, your kids are well behaved and you are itching to hit the road. Where can you go? Here are a few suggestions passed on to me by other Den Leaders.
The Fire Station
The Police Station
Powder Mill Ledges
Home Depot - offers free classes to dens and supplies the materials!
Tour a Farm - Jaswell's Farm on Swan road
Recycling Center
Biking on a bike path Lincoln, Warwick, East Bay Bike Path, South Kingstown
Hiking - Powder Mill Ledges, Mowry Conservation Area
A TV Station, Radio Station, or Newpaper tour
Roger Williams Park Zoo, The Capron Zoo in Attleboro (small and inexpensive)
Wood Mill
Sand and Gravel Pit
Any manufacturing plant
Archery range
Visit a Rock Climbing Gym
Karate Demostration
We do some of these as a pack but there is no reason why you could not do it on your own. Could be a nice reward for the kids. Ice Skating, Roller Skating, Bowling, pawsox, pbruins, seekonk speedway, miniature golfing...invite the whole family!
Good Will - Clean a public area or historic cemetary. Make ornaments for the Christmas giving tree and deliver, Deliver toys to "toys for tots", Sing Christmas Carols at a Senior Center, Deliver Handmade Cards to a Senior Center
You would be surprised at what people are willing to do for Cub Scouts! Just ask. You never know what behind the scenes tour you might be able to get. If you have a really good event lined up, invite another den along.
If your den does something that cost money, then be sure that the parents are aware of the cost, and always have a couple parents join you on a fieldtrip.
Crafts to do with your scouts
Ok, Ok, I'm not a big craft kind of guy. I'd rather work with wood and tools, but there are a number of good resources where you can get craft ideas for the kids.
Cub Scout Games
Lastly here are a whole bunch of links to places where you can learn about different Cub Scout games.
