Den Leader meetings

[pack330]

Our committee is trying to have den leader meeting each month but as the Cubmaster, I'm not sure of what I'm to be doing with these meetings. Is there information from BSA or others that will guild me on ways to run these meetings? I don't remember learning how to conduct these types of meetings when I was trained. Any ideas?

[ScoutNut]

Years back, BSA reccomended separate Committee and Leaders meetings each month. This is no longer the case. The committee members, along with the other Pack leaders, meet once a month for a Pack leader's meeting.

 

The Committee Chair runs the leader's meetings. The Cubmaster runs the Pack meetings. There is no need for a separate Den Leader meeting.

 

 

[pack330]

So if there are any issues with a problem that the den leaders are having they are to take it to the Committee Chair? My main job is to only run the activities at the pack meeting that the committee chair and committee decides to do each year? Sometimes I feel like the cubmaster and the committee chair seem to be the same. How do we keep the lines clear for each person's job? If this is the case, why does the Cubmaster go to the committee meetings?

[ScoutNut]

All of the leaders in a Pack (den and others) are a team. They do not work in a void. If one of the den leaders is having a problem they can give either you or the CC a call/e-mail (depending on what the problem is). Or, if it can wait until then, bring it up at your Committee meeting.

 

The CC runs the Committee mettings. That doesn't mean they are in charge of everything. It means they coordinate the meeting. Some people find it helpful to have an adgenda so they remember to cover everything. For instance:

 

Opening (we do a prayer)

Last Pack Meeting (what worked what didn't)

Treasurer Rpt

Popcorn Kernal (final #'s, info on prizes, money due dates & Christmas Pie Toss)

Christmas committee (Chair of christmas committee reports on how plans are going + discussion)

Activity Committee (plans for any upcoming Pack outings discussed)

Pinewood Derby Committee (how many cars are needed for Christmas, will Webelos be making car stands)

B & G committee (invites, theme, caterer, prelim misc)

Webelos Crossover (is SM actually going to show up and have a ceremony)(yes, we have issues LOL)

Advancement (go over what is needed for Pack meeting)

Next Pack Meeting (theme, who is doing what, ceremonies, activites planned by host den, etc)

Misc (anything else that needs to be discussed and does not fall into any of the above areas)

Closing (we do another prayer)

 

That is pretty much what our committee meetings look like. Here is what Cub Scout Fast Start has to say (don't have anything else here at work!):

 

"The pack committee oversees the pack program, helps the Cubmaster plan the upcoming pack meetings and activities, and makes necessary decisions about pack administration."

 

and

 

"At the leaders' meeting, the committee should review the pack meeting plans for the next few months, as well as plans for pack activities. The committee might also need to discuss issues of pack administration."

 

also

 

"The committee has many jobs to do, so most packs have committee members taking on specific responsibilities, such as advancement and outings."

 

last but not least

 

"Although the Cubmaster, Tiger Cub den leaders, Cub Scout den leaders, Webelos den leaders, and their assistants are not members of the pack committee, they attend the monthly pack leaders' meetings and participate in planning activities."

 

Hope this all helps!

 

 

 

 

[EagleInKY]

The CM and the CC are seperate people, but it helps if they can work together as a team. Our monthly leaders meetings are for committee members and den leaders. While I am the CC, the CM practically runs the meeting. Why is that? Because he's the one closest to the program. It's my job to step in as CC on items regarding policy, direction or administrative "stuff". It works pretty effectively. We're working to recruit a stronger committee and hopefully a "full-time" Committee Chair (I'm also SM of our troop, so it's difficult to find the time to dedicate to the CC job).

 

If there is an issue that the Den Leader has with the CM, they should take it to the CC privately. The CC will hopefully have the relationship with the CM to patch things up. Or, he may have to explain to the DL why the CM is correct. Or, he may need to pull together the committee members to have more discussion about the issue.

 

Hope this helps. Best of luck!

[msnowman]

Since we are an extremly small group, we all meet once a month at my house. I'm the CM and yes, I know that by the strict letter I shouldn't be running the leader's meetings. However, our CC and I talk almost daily (nice thing about a small group) and we both talk with our 3 dens leaders frequently outside of the normal meeting times. I plan and run the leaders meetings simply because I am a compulsive planner. However, there is tons of back and forth. I simply try to make sure that nothing gets left off of the printed agenda that I give to each person. I also make sure there is plenty of time for everybody to present ideas, issues, etc. We use the time to discuss upcoming events and to set the Pack calendar for the next few months (we do 2 concrete months at a time, with future months pencilled in). We discuss and address (as well as we can) issues inside the individual dens. This month we are going to do a craft that I learned at Powwow so that the DL's can do it with their groups before our Dec pack meeting as part of a Pack-wide display.

 

I think the CC and CM should be able to work together, as it makes things run much smoother. With our group everybody does at least 2 different things (we only have 3 families not represented on the committee in some fashion and it isn't for lack of trying to get them involved). No one person should totally run any single part of the Pack. I generally even review my Pack meeting agenda plan w/ my CC and den leaders so they will know how that's going to run too.

 

Lots of talking and communication...that works for us.

 

YMMV

Michelle

[Cubmaster-Fred]

Scoutnut,

 

According to the Cub Scout Leader Book the Cubmaster plans and helps carry out the Cub Scout program in the pack. This includes the pack meetings. The Cubmaster also guides and supports Den Leaders. The Cubmaster is also the program advisor for the pack committee. He also plans the Den programs witht he help of the other leaders.

 

The Committee is there to see that the Cubmaster follows policies and assists him, or her, in getting the materials needed to give the program. The committeee also coordinates between the CO and the pack.

 

The Den leaders should go to the Cubmaster with problems frist, unless the Cubmaster is the problem.

 

Remember it is the Cubmaster responsibility to ensur ethat the program is delivered in the best manner possible. The committee gives the Cubmaster everything needed to accomplish this.

 

CMF

[Eamonn]

I have been out of Cub Scouting for a while, and have not kept up to date with all the changes.

When I was CM, we had monthly meetings of the Leaders. This meeting was held about a week before the pack meeting. I used the meeting to find out what the dens would be doing at the pack meeting. As some of the Den Leaders couldn't make the R/T meeting we covered that.The Den Leader Coach (Yes I know that's gone.) was on hand with ideas for next months theme.I covered pack events with the Den Leaders things like the Pack Picnic,Pack outings, the fishing derby, B&G Banquet, Pine-wood Derby. Dens gave me any tour permits or paper work that I would pass on to the committee. We dealt with requests for money.

It was a very useful meeting. The pack committee took care of pack management, I gave them all the stuff that I had collected from the Den Leaders.

Each meeting took about an hour, I think trying to do all this at one time would take way too much time. The Pack Committee also discussed how the leaders were doing, something that we would never be able to do with them there.

Eamonn.