Leading a Cub Scout Wolf Den

Your son saw the Pinewood Derby flier and wanted to join Scouts. You wanted to help out and became the Wolf Den Leader. The Cub Master and Committee Chair told you it will only take "one hour a week" to run the den, but you are not quite sure how to handle a group of second-grade boys. Not to worry, help is on the way! I will give you some simple tips to have a fantastic year leading a group on the adventure of a lifetime.

First, don't think that you have to plan everything yourself from scratch. There is a time tested format that breaks up the meeting into 7 manageable parts. These parts are: Before the Meeting, Gathering, Opening, Business Items, Activity, Closing, and After the Meeting. The Program Helps guide lays out ideas for every meeting, every month and takes the guesswork out of crafts, ceremonies, themes, games, etc. Remember the shared leadership concept, everyone needs to participate. The name of the organization is Boy Scouts of America, not baby sitters of America. All of the adults need to take part, not pass off the privilege of working with their boy to another person. Ask for help from the other adults in planning out the den meetings. The Business Items and After the Meeting sections are where you can get input from the adults regarding what parts of the meeting they can take the lead in.

Next, read the handbook. It will give most of the details for each achievement and some helpful hints on how to accomplish it. Get together with your Cub master and set up a brainstorming session. In your brainstorming session, look at the different materials that are available to you. There is the Wolf Cub Handbook (No. 33450), the Cub Scout Leader's Book (no. 33221), the Cub Scout Academics and Sports (No.34299), Family Activity Book (No. 33012). As you read through these items, you will notice that they complement each other in fulfilling the requirements and electives.

Try to combine activities to reach more than one achievement or elective. For example, one of the outings you can do as a den or pack is to go fishing. Before the outing, go over using the buddy system and the 6 parts of the Leave No Trace Pledge. Elective 19 Fishing gives 5 kinds of fish to identify. When you take the Cub Scouts out, show them how to put the proper line on a pole (It doesn't have to be the one they will use, but it helps them learn the proper way to use their equipment), have the Scout bait the hook, and try to catch a fish. Go over the local fishing regulations and have them repeat back to you why they are important. Have the boys demonstrate how to cast, and in my case how to remove a hook from a hat and a finger. This one activity fulfills the Elective, the Fishing Belt loop, one of the 2 Arrow Point requirements for the Conservation Award, one of the 3 required outings for the Leave No Trace Award, and, inmy case, Requirement 3c for cleaning the hook wound in the finger.

Also, go online at scouting.org/scoutscource, and take the fast start training for Cub Scouts. Click on the tab "Cub Scouts" and on the left hand side will be a title called "Training". Click on it to see the PDF file and video. This video will be a great place to get the basics on running a den, and it's short. Make sure you attend the monthly Roundtable meetings where you get to learn and share from fellow leaders. Encourage your fellow pack parents to come along as well because the more people who have been trained on what to do for the meetings, the lighter the work load for everyone.

Have your Cub master contact nearby Scout troops for Den Chiefs. Den Chiefs are Boy Scouts that have received training from the council to be helpers for Cub Scout dens. These older Scouts will have considerable clout with the cubs, especially when they hear his stories about what he gets to do as a Boy Scout.

Opening - The actual start of the meeting. Start on time! If you're meeting time is 6:30pm, then start the flag ceremony at 6:30pm. Everyone should be gathered before and color guard assignments given. Recite the Pledge of Allegiance, Cub Scout Oath, Cub Scout Motto, etc. Whatever you have selected for your opening, do it with excitement so that the kids and adults will catch the excitement of Scouting with you.

Business Items - a short discussion about what the den will be doing for the pack meeting with both the Scouts and the adult partner occurs here. Talk about the skits, songs, and cheers you will do at the pack meeting, the details of the monthly outing, and what achievements you will be working on.

For the very first meeting, set the rules that the den will follow and what will happen when those rules are broken. Boys should participate in the decision making process. By helping decide what will happen in the den, the boys will have a sense of responsibility in how the den is run. They will feel that it is "their" den. Write the rules down on poster board and have the boys sign it. You can also make two copies; one that boys can keep at home and one to be displayed at the den meeting after both the boy and his adult partner have signed it.

Activity - This is where the craft time begins, and where you relate activities to the monthly theme. This is where your creativity during the brainstorming session earlier in the year pays off. The Program Helps will give you ideas on what activities to pursue, however, if there are other things you need to do to fulfill the requirements; don't feel tied down to having to follow the Program Helps. They are not intended to be followed rigidly, that's why they're called Helps. By taking some of the achievements and breaking them into small chunks, you can accomplish them without the boys even realize they had been working hard to get there. Two examples are the Feats of Skill, achievement #1, and Your Flag, achievement #2.

The Feats of Skill achievement is easily turned into a relay race game where everyone wins. Have the Scouts take turns doing the crab walk, frog leap, elephant walk, a front roll, a back roll, and a falling forward roll. Split them into pairs and toss a ball back and forth from 10 steps away. Bring in a 2x4 and have the Cub Scouts walk along it for six steps. These activities will complete the achievement. You can do this as the entire activity time, or use it to get the energy out of the boys over several den meetings. Whichever you choose, the Scouts will have a great time.

Requirements 2a and 2b can be done at the start of each den meeting. Rotate the Scouts so that each of them has a chance to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. That day's leader gets to pick how the den lines up, leads the pledge, and tells the group what it means to him. A quick search online will find your state flag and a description. Try going to www.50states.com for information.

Closing - End the den meeting with last minute reminders, saying the Cub Scout Promise together, or use the moment to reinforce one of Cub Scouting's 12 Core Values. Lord Baden-Powell set up Scouting to be "fun with a purpose," so after the fun, it's good to remind the boys, the adult partners, and ourselves of why we joined Scouting. We want to build into our boys values and character and the courage to do the right thing.

After the Meeting - Review the events of the meeting with the adult partner who was helping this meeting and the adult for the next meeting, discussing what worked, what didn't, making any changes needed for the next meeting, and finalize them or set up a time to do so.

Robert F. Kennedy once said, "Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly." By becoming a volunteer leader, you demonstrate a desire to succeed to the adults and the Cub Scouts. Karl Mecklenburg of the Denver Broncos has said, "The first key to success is desire. Dedication is hard work, constant learning, and refusing to quit. Each of these virtues is a function of desire. Each individual must find their own strength and motivation as they overcome the odds and the obstacles that stand in their way." By using the shared leadership model, you show the boys how to find their own strength and motivation. Your example of constant learning by using the help tools available, and taking the training sessions given by your council, demonstrate your dedication to the ideals of Scouting. The Scouts will see this and appreciate it. Remember to have fun and it will be a fantastic year in the Wolf Den.