What is your experience with Den Chiefs for Webelos I?

[Its Me]

I will soon be having an adult leaders meeting to plan for the up coming Webelos program. So I would like to have an idea on what my intentions are towards a den chief before then. I plan to inform the parents that the boys will pick a patrol name and elect a patrol leader to serve a two month reign. That the boys will begin to feel some of the weight of being a boy lead unit.

 

I have not requested a den chief nor is there an available sibling waiting in the wings. My question is in regards to your experience with a Boy Scout Den Chief at the Webelos I level. Will he aid in developing the Denners sense of responsibility? Will he make the three-four meetings a month? Will he have a positive impact on my Webelos?

 

 

 

(This message has been edited by Its Me)

[FScouter]

I think they can be valuable. Work through the Scoutmaster to select one. My experience has been that if the den chief has a younger brother in the den, or if his parent is den leader, the value is considerably less.

[acco40]

Den Chiefs are like Scouters, some are great and some are not worth a bucket of spit. Be aware that Den Chief training is available to Scouts and as a Den Leader, I would expect a Den Chief to be trained or at least willing to be trained in the immediate future.

 

Also, some SM see the Den Chief program as a first step in learning leadership skills. If so, you tend to get a fairly green boy when it comes to leadership skills. I'd politely ask a SM if a prospective den chief has ever any other leadership position in the troop - PL, SPL, ASPL, APL, etc. As a den leader, one way to really dampen the enthusiasm of a den chief is to not give him any real leadership tasks. Make sure you don't use him as a personal assistant to take attendance, make copies, clean-up, etc. Also, if you use the denner program, make sure you understand the different duties and responsibilities of a den chief vs. a denner. If you tend to run your den meetings with multi-adults (as opposed to a den leader exclusively), make sure all of the adult leaders understand the den chiefs role. The last boy in our troop that was a den chief was not given much, if any authority or responsibility by the Webelos Den Leader. No assignments. No tasks. Every once in a while he would just ask the den chief to "tell us about Boy Scouts." To most den leaders unfamiliar with the Boy Scouts, youth led is a foreign concept.

[Vicki]

I echo Acco40 on this one. Our troop tries to assign a pair of den chiefs to a den and requires that the scout be First Class or above. We usually start them with Bears and, if all goes well, they progress with the den through the ranks. If not, a year and they can be done. We've had mixed experience - my nephew and his best friend were den chiefs for my son's den and they were great! Had the trust of the DLs, helped run the meeting, ran games, the whole nine yards. OTOH, my son has been den chief for a year along with his buddy - his buddy stopped coming when baseball started (even on non-baseball nights) and the DL pretty much uses him as a gofer. Along with that, he didn't get recognized at the B&G or at the pack graduation. He didn't say anything, probably didn't think about it, but good grief, what could it hurt?

 

Anyway, all by way of saying, den chiefs can be a real asset. They can set an example for the cubs, take a load off the DL and really fire the cubs up about Scouts. But you have to prepared to integrate them into the den/pack and make sure your DLs know what a den chief does. Then follow up to make sure they're using them that way and not sliding back into doing everything themselves.

 

Vicki

[Cubmaster-Fred]

Den Chiefs are a great asset for any pack to have. I currently have 2, the troop in town is very small. The boys in the Dens have taken a shine to them and the Scouts are enjoying helping the DL and the boys.

 

Ensure you utilize thier knowledge and even have the DL give them assignments to accomplish. I also make them responsible for certain things at the pack meetings.

 

CMF

 

Its Me: as long as they are in Cub Scouting they must be called a Den and have a denner. All references to patrols are for Boy Scouts. My Webelos are the Jaguar Den, and will become the Jaguar Patrol in 10 months.

[FScouter]

-

[Lynda J]

Kevin will be acting as a Den Chief for a Web I den this year.

He is 12 Star Rank working on LIfe. Has been PL and APL. He is really excited about working with the younger boys. He is already going through all my old Cub and Web books for ideas on what he could teach. The Den Leader he will be working with requested him. She talked to the SM and them ask Kevin if he was interested. He was.

 

I think this Position can be helpful for both Webs and the Scout.

He helps the Webs transition into the troop easier and it gives the Scout a sense of leadership and helping the younger boys.

 

As soon as this leader ask Kevin he had me take him to the Scout Shop so he could get his Den Chief book. He has read it cover to cover.

 

A Den Chief is as good as his excitment for the position. And as good as the Den Leader will allow him to be. Kevin has a meeting with the Den Leader next week to go over what she wants him to do and he plans on presenting some on his ideas to her at that time.(This message has been edited by Lynda J)

[theysawyoucomin']

I am a WEEB II leader and I had the same Den chief for bear year and WEEB I. A fine young man. Very bright, eager.

 

The Cubs worshipped him. I could have used him alot more effectively. He accompanied the cubs to cub res camp. He went on three family camping overnights with them. ("FREEZE OUT" sleigh riding ice fishing,Fall trip and hike, Boston trip aquarium USS Constitution.) He spoke of the troop often. Helped them make soda bottle water rockets. Attended training and did the requirements to wear the RED, WHITE and BLUE Den chief cord(which he can always wear). This cord really sets him apart, it is no cake walk. When you see a Boy Scout wear this award, he worked hard. During the Bear year he taught the boys to build an electric motor. The cubs go out of their way to say hi to him in school.

 

He claims he is scarred for life and after marriage he teases his mom that he will give her zero grandchildren because of his service with the Den. He has a younger sister and 10 younger(cub scout) brothers.(the den)

He will be one of the boys they know after crossover in Feb.

At the end of June we had a plaque and cake at a Den meeting to thank him.

The next meeting, after his last meeting, one cub asked, "why is "Chuck(not his real name) leaving us?"

 

My reply was, "He is not leaving us, in Feb '06 we will join him in the Troop."

 

Every cub den in American needs an eager, trained Den Chief.

I very much agree with ACCO, when it comes to people some you win some you lose. My cubs were big winners by their friendship with this older Scout.

 

Give him jobs to do and then let him do it. Help him to excel. Get him training. Let him lead, let him grow.

 

His service was so valuable to the boys that I think I will get at least three of "his" cubs to be Den Chiefs one day.

Sorry this jumps around so much.

[jens3sons]

I have to echo both Acco40 and uz2bnowl on sentiments regarding den chiefs. We have had a couple that were no good, and have had them replaced, we have 2 currently that can't imagine not seeing the boys through cross-over and have long since done what is required of them. I have to say, the boys just LOVE their den chief. My son is in a den with one of the better den chiefs, and it has helped on a number of different issues. The boys are more interested in Boy Scouting and are constantly asking him questions about Boy Scouting (thus helping my % numbers of boys crossing over). Two, at times the boys are more interested in following the lead of the den chief than the den leader, thus behavioral issues haven't been an issue =). My son's den chief was his den chief last year (Bear year) and at the end of the year I asked if he planned on seeing my boys through. He said he doesn't understand these kids who just do their requirement and then leaves, he LOVES being their den chief and even though there is another year and a half required before the boys cross over he plans on continuing. I liked how it was said the one has 10 brothers (den brothers)...I always try and tell my son's den that it exactly it...they are brothers helping each other grow up to be fine young men! Sorry, I am a little scattered with my thoughts on this one...but best of luck finding the right fit for you! Maybe try going to the boy scout roundtable to recruit a den chief!

jens3sons