Den Chief age

[yarrow]

Sorry, just a simple question. My boy has been a denchief for a den of Bears. They just crossed to Webelos. May he stay with this den? He is currently 12 but will be 13 in July. If this is a problem how can it be waived. He has really gotten to know these kids.

[Rooster7]

This shouldn't be anymore complicated than having a brief conversation with the troop's SPL and Scoutmaster. Of course, the Webelos Den Leader and the Cubmaster need to agree as well. To my knowledge, there isn't an age limitation for Den Chiefs. Unless there are other issues, I don't see it being a problem.(This message has been edited by Rooster7)

[CubsRgr8]

What Webelos Den Leader or Cubmaster would turn down a Den Chief? I can't imagine a better way to build strong ties between a Webelos den and the troop it feeds into. It sure sounds like a win-win situation to me, yet I can't get either close-by troop interested. Is there some secret handshake I don't know?

[Rooster7]

CubRgr8,

 

My guess is, the Scoutmasters may be having a hard time finding boys interested in being a Den Chief. IMHO, Den Chief is the hardest leadership position a Boy Scout can take on. As we all know, a bunch of 7, 8, 9, and 10 year old boys can provide plenty of excitement, even for us adults. A dedicated and enthusiatic Den Chief may be hard to come by. Then, to add insult to injury, some den leaders do not treat their Den Chiefs properly. It's a tough job.

 

If you have a connection in a troop, perhaps you can let some boys know that you're interested. Ask them to ask their Scoutmaster and SPL about the possibly of filling the vacancy.(This message has been edited by Rooster7)

[eisely]

What a question! Why would anybody consider prohibiting a boy from being a den chief? As far as I know, there are no upper or lower age limitations for this. If the boy has been successful and wants to continue, he should continue, subject to concurrence of all the relevant adult leaders. One of my most enjoyable scout experiences as a youth was being a den chief. It really can be a lot of fun.

[k9gold-scout]

Good for your son! I think that Den Chief is one of the best trails to leadership and Eagle Scout. I hope that he is their Troop Guide when they crossover into Boy Scouts. Many times these scouts are elected SPL bacause of the wokt they have done with the younger scouts.

[yarrow]

Thanks for your input. I know he has enjoyed working with the boys, but I thought I had heard there was some age limit for working with Webelos. I like the idea of continuing as Guide; however, they are in a pack near us that does not normally feed our troop. When I say near I mean 20 miles from the troop he goes to. He is not in the local troop because we found it too small (12 boys) we drive into the nearby town to attend a large (50-60) boy troop. I don't know if they (the current Bears) will crossover into our troop next year.

[CubsRgr8]

Rooster7, thanks for the suggestion. I do know some of the scouts in one of the neighboring troops well, as they came out of my pack. Before I broach the topic, what rank, experience, etc. would you recommend a scout have before taking on the challenge of den chief? Thanks in advance.

[shemgren]

In reguard of age of Den Chiefs, I normally recommend that they have been in the troop for at least a year, should have completed 1st Class, and as stated before, have the nod of the SM, SPL, CM and DL.

The Pack is responsible to train him in his duties. He remains part of this troop and patrol.

 

Additionally, the Scout should be fairly mature, since the DL doesn't need or deserve another boy to act up during the meetings. The Den Chief should be the activities assistant for such things as games, crafts, ceremonies, help in preping for skits, etc.

 

In Webelos, he can be a great asset in helping the Webelos Scouts in their task of becoming Boy Scouts. By having a living, breathing example of a Boy Scout, the Webelos can see where they are headed as the Den Chief's uniform changes with rank, camp patches,etc. The best time to have a Den Chief of all is in Webelos.

 

Please note, your Scout needs to change his Den Chief cord from the blue and gold cord of a Cub Scout Den Chief to the blue, red and green cord of a Webelos Den Chief.

 

 

[Rooster7]

CubsReg8,

 

shemgren covers your question pretty well. It's possible to do the job and not be 1st Class (or above), but that's a pretty good yardstick. As for age, its possible to do this job at age 11 or 12, but I'd say 13 is better. It greatly depends on the maturity of the Scout. As shemgren stated, you don't want a Den Chief that will act like one of the boys. You want one that will help your den leader, set the example, and demonstrate leadership. Unfortunately, it has been my experience, most boys over the age of 12 are not interested. A variety of reasons play into this, but probably the two biggest are these:

 

1) They don't want the responsibility...It is a tough job.

 

2) They prefer to spend the time with boys their own age.

 

Some 11 and 12 year-olds are eager to serve as Den Chief. It's their opportunity to be "looked up to." Yet, as was already stated, be sure the boy is mature enough to take the job seriously, and to be taken seriously by others. Just my thoughts...

[Bob58]

As an aside, for Cub Scout Day Camp according to p. 23 of the "Frog Book" (Cub Scout Day Camp, An Admin/ Guide for Local Councils, pub. #33815.)

"The den chief shall be a First Class Scout at least 14 years old, capable of serving as a den chief. He shall:

- Assist the den leader and carry out duties as ssigned.

- Assist with the Webelos overnighter.

- Evaluate."

 

I don't have a copy of BSA's latest version of this guide. With new cover art it has become "the Pizza Book" instead of "the Frog Book."

I understand that it is the practice in some districts to allow a younger scout to assist w/ a den if their parent is the Den Leader. Has anyone one done Day Camp School this year? (My certificate has just about run out!)

[sst3rd]

A problem I've run into with our Pack, are adult leaders who are not trained on how to use a Den Chief. I might send the Den Chief to District leadership training, but if the Pack adult leaders don't know what to do with him, they tend to dump everything on him. Obviously, the Den Chief doesn't last very long.

[FScouter]

bump

[ScoutNut]

Yarrow - Bravo to your son! Webelos can actually be more of a challenge than the younger ages! Maybe your son can talk up the benefits of being a Den Chief to the other boys in his troop. That is one of the ways to get more boys interested!

 

We stayed with the Pack when my son went up to BS. He really liked working with the younger boys and would often come to Pack meetings to help out. When Den Chief training came up I told him about it, he talked to his SM and the CM, and he was in! One of the other boys in his troop usually helped his Mom with his brother's Cub Scout Den. My son told him about Den Chief, he took training also and now the Pack has 2 Den Chief's!

 

It IS hard to get the boys interested in Den Chief. Especially if the SM does not work closely with the Pack. If the Boy Scouts feel no connection to the Cub Scouts they are not inclined to "waste" their time with them.

[cl-toeriver]

Bob58,

I attended training school in Febuary and you are correct in saying that a den chief must be 14 yrs of age for day camp. In my pack we use den chiefs for our dens and most are not 14. I have had a den chief since my den was Tigers [we are now Bears]. The one I have now is 12 and has been with our den since we were Wolfs. He has stated that he wants to go on with my den until they cross-over. We are lucky that the Pack meets on Mondays and the Troop meets on Thursdays.

 

cl-toeriver