Den Chief: Who gives the Cord?

[SSScout]

Well, I always thought that since DC is a Troop PoR that the Troop should award the DC Shoulder Cord. But I had a short conversation with a Cub Pack person, and they said that since the DC serves the Pack, the Pack recognizes the DC and awards the Shoulder Cord.

My SM said that, for sure, he'll "recognize" the DC at the next CoH and if the Pack wishes to award the Shoulder Cord, that's OK with him, saves the Troop the expense!

 

So, what say you all, does the Troop award the Cord, or the Pack? Or does it matter?

[Bob White]

Why do you assume that he can only receive the recognition once?

 

Why could he not receive it in front of the pack AND in front of the troop?(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[kraut-60]

SSScout: I have 4 scouts serving as Den Chiefs. The Scouts covered the cost of the Den Chief training (this ensures a sincere desire to serve as a DC), the troop purchased the Den Chief POR insignia and presented it at a Court of Honor.

 

The pack the Den Chiefs are serving in obtained and presented the DC cords at a Pack meeting...this involved the Den Chiefs with their Dens as well as the Pack and showed the Cubs in the Dens that their Den Chiefs are a part of their Packs leadership.

 

So far, this has benefited the Den Chiefs, the Cubs and the dens they belong to, the Packs and the Troop...the cords only take on meaning when they represent a positive example to the Cubs of what they can become IF they remain in Scouting

[SSScout]

BW: I did not SAY the Scout should ONLY be recognized the once. But I have never heard of giving an award the first, then take it back and give it a second time. The expense is not much, but if the Pack buy the Cord and PoR Patch, and present it to the Scout, why need the Troop do the same, except to say at the CoH, "here is a new DC"?

And likewise, if the Scout's Troop present the Shoulder Cord and PoR Patch, does the Pack again give him a second set or merely pat him on the back before the Pack in recognition of his service?

 

So if the "tradition" becomes that the Troop present the PoR Patch and the Pack present the Shoulder Cord, perhaps that is a good way to do it. Indeed, I like that. I will pass it on thus.

Danke schon, Kraut60.

[Bob White]

Consider having the two units share the cost if that is an issue. Think of the recognition program as a way of complimenting the scout for doing a good job. Can you only compliment someone once? Can only one person compliment him?

 

The Pack and the troop are for the most part two different audiences, why not complimentthe scout in front of each group? I doubt the scout would mind, and I am sure that both audiences would enjoy seeing him rewarded, right?

 

Heck I'd bring him to Roundtable and recogonize him there as well.

 

Then I would submit it to the local paper.

 

Nowhere does the program suggest that you should only give positive recognition one time right?

 

When your son does something good do only you tell him, or does his mother, and then you tell his grandparents, and maybe the neighbor, and each congratulate him.

 

What harm can you do the scouts by giving them as much positive reinforcement for a positive behavior as you can generate? Think of what that would do for the scouts self esteem!(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[IM_Kathy]

our troop supplies POR patches and cords for the boy to use while in that position and then they return them when their time is up. If the boy wants his own for keepsake purposes and what not then the boy (or parent) makes the purchase.

 

the pack my son is a DC for has only had 1 DC before this year in all the years that we've been involved with them (this was his old pack) and this year they have 2. They did not do any form of cermony for the boys to start, but I believe the CM is going to do something for the boys when/if they earn the DC Service Award

[emb021]

"I did not SAY the Scout should ONLY be recognized the once. But I have never heard of giving an award the first, then take it back and give it a second time."

 

Since when are DC cords an 'award'???

 

How about the Troop present the DC office patch, and let the Pack present the cords?

 

Also, the scout should be presented these ASAP after taking that position. Waiting until a COH is a bad idea (at least in the troops I've been involved in, this means the scout would have to wait 2-3 months after taking the position before he got the office patch).

 

[jmwalston]

"Since when are DC cords an 'award'???"

 

Not an award, just an emblem of the position. The only award involving DC is the Den Chief Service Award.

[Stosh]

Gee, does that mean my ASM's need to be "awarded" their position patches, too?

 

I gave the boy the DC patch and the pack gave him the cords and when he was finished with training, he received the trained patch. These are not awards, they are just markings on the uniform to indicate the boys' POR, nothing more, nothing less.

 

If he fulfills the requirements for the National Award, I would think it would be nice if he is awarded this at a pack meeting because the boy's contribution to this award was done in the pack. Otherwise the boys he worked with would miss out on seeing him presented the award if it was given out at a COH.

 

Stosh

 

 

[SSScout]

Okay, okay, okay....

 

That's "award" as in present to, give to, make admission of...

 

We also "award" the PL, and SPL their patches at the CoH. This is incorrect?

 

We also present the Scout his Rank patches and award them their merit badges. Is this too many nits to pick?

 

My apologies to all for the faux pas.

 

Now where did I leave, drop, place, arrange my thesaurus?

[emb021]

"We also "award" the PL, and SPL their patches at the CoH. This is incorrect?"

 

To a degree, yes.

 

You present them their patches.

 

Also, why wait until a CoH to present them their patches??? We should be following 'immediate recognition'. Once they are elected/selected for their positions, they should be presented their patches that night to put on their uniform.

 

I would present outgoing youth leaders with their certificates at CoH, but not office patches.

 

[CubPack28]

We just had to deal with this. My daughter is a member of a new Venture Crew. She was the first girl in our council to take DC training. She was given the PoR patch by her crew, and the cords were presented by the Pack, surrounded by the boys in the Den she serves.

When she earns the Service Award, she will be presented that during a Pack meeting as well, since she served the boys in that Den.

Since she was the first girl ever in our Council to take the training for DC, they made a big deal out of it at Pow Wow.

So far, she's loving her experiences working with the boys in an official capacity and the boys really like having her there to help out.

Pack 28 CC

[CalicoPenn]

It really depends on the units involved - and this is one of those opportunities for the Scoutmaster and Cubmaster to have a chat. In most cases I'm aware of, the Troop provides the lad with the POR patch (to keep - once the POR is done, the patch comes off the uniform but can be put away in a keepsake box or sewn onto a patch blanket - I have to say, just in my opinion, that requiring the lad to turn the patch back over to the Troop just screams "cheapskate" to me), and the Pack provides the Den Chief Cord (usually at the next Pack meeting after the Den Chief has been appointed because younger lads like seeing their Den Chief get recognized - even if the "recognition" isn't an award but a symbol of office). Sometimes, the Troop will provide both. Rarely does a Pack provide both. This is the time for the Scoutmaster to contact the Cubmaster (or vice-versa) and just ask the question.

 

If I'm not mistaken, if a lad is wearing the Den Chief patch, he shouldn't be wearing the Den Chief Cord at the same time - it's one or the other. Den Chief is intended to be (again, if I'm not mistaken) the only POR that a lad may hold at the same time he is holding another POR - for instance, a Patrol Leader may also be a Den Chief - and this is the function of the Cord - to identify the Den Chief POR while wearing another POR patch. While there may be units out there who have a Patrol Leader who is also the Librarian (as an example), it's not generally recommended. Of course, this shouldn't be taken to mean that the Den Chief can't be given both the patch and the cord - just that one has to be put away (however, it is common for a Den Chief who wears the Den Chief POR patch to also wear the cord to Pack Meetings, especially if the cord was given to the lad by the Pack and to make it easier to identify the Den Chiefs at a glance from say, a crossover ceremony team - and I for one wouldn't quibble with that - insignia guide notwithstanding).

 

As for the Den Chief Service Award Cord - pretty much every time I've seen it awarded, it was the Pack that bought the cord and formally presented it at a Pack Meeting as a recognition of the hard work the Den Chief has given to the Pack. Many times, the Pack will invite the Scoutmaster to the Pack Meeting to help with the award. When I earned the Den Chief Service Award (oh so many years ago), the Cubmaster handed the cord to my Scoutmaster who put it on my shoulder. At the next Court of Honor, I was recognized by the Troop as having earned the award, but it wasn't re-presented to me.

 

Calico

[emb021]

A scout can wear both the cord and the patch. There is no rule that says he can't.

 

Some things to keep in mind. For many decades the only emblem of the Den Chief was the cord. It wasn't until the 80s that they created a patch as well.

 

Also, there are 2 cords, one for Cub Scout Den Chiefs and the other for Webelos Den Chiefs. The same patch is used for both.

[SSScout]

Claro...

 

There are three...

 

Cub, Webelos, and the DC Service Award...