Husband/Wife - Den Meeting

[AZ Wingnut]

Help - I was just told by our Church Leader that if my assistant can't make the meeting that I can't have my husband fill in for the night. Is this true? I read about two deep leadership but I don't remember it telling us that it can't be husband and wife. What's the rule?

[Bob White]

Your charter organization is within their authority to make that condition.

While not a requirement of the BSA, having two unrelated leaders at the meeting is a better barrier against abuse than two related adults. Should one leader violate a youth protection condition a relative is far less likely to take action aginst the behavior.

 

 

 

[Gold Winger]

Unless something has changed, two deep leadership really only applies to outings. The idea is that if someone is injured, one adult has to go with him and the other stays with the boys.

 

For a meeting, the important thing is that there is no one-on-one contact with a boy.

 

Howeve, most Den Leaders like to have a second adult there to help them control the boys. Oddly, Den Mothers in my day didn't have any problem. Must be the water.

 

There is no Cub Scout rule that says that the second adult cannot be the spouse but the Charter Org is free to set that rule if they desire, after all it is their pack. I'd guess that the rule exists because of the concern that if you misbehaved, your hubby would back you up.

[Pack378]

I have a couple of questions...

 

Is your husband a registered scouter?

 

Where are your meetings held?

 

Are any other parents attending the meetings?

 

Is it required by your CO for your assistant to be there?

 

The reason I ask these questions are because I hold meetings without an assistant on our CO's property. I do have parents assist me in the meetings when they can. Also one of our Tiger dens has a mom/dad combo and they usually take turns running the meetings...... Is there anything else we should know?

[Bob White]

Gold Wing is partially correct. The rule for two-deep leadership is that two registere adults or one registered adult and a parent of a participant one of whom must be at least 21-years-old, be present for all trips and activitities (except for patrol outings with the Scoutmasters approval). BUT, the policy goes on to say that "The charter organization is responsible for ensuring that sufficient leadership is provided for all activities" and the Den meeting is a scouting activity.

 

It is not uncommon for COs for pack leadership to require two deep leadership at den meetings for the same reason it is required for other activities. As a barrier against abuse and as a safety prcation should one adult be injured or become ill. If the Co says they do not consider a husband and wife as adequate to meet their leadership requiremenst then that is the rule for that unit.

 

If you review the Cub Scout Den leader specific training or the Cub Scout Leader Book you will find that present at den meetings are to be the Den Leaders AND the Assistant Den Leader(s), and that every Den is to have at least one or more assistant den leaders.

 

BW

[frank10]

Hi AZ Wingnut,

Our unit also does not allow husband and wife teams to count as two deep. Your CO can tighten the rules as they see fit.

 

So, are you also a goldwing rider?

 

(Mines a ' 94 GL1500i)

[evmori]

GW is correct that two adults must be present on all outing. While this might be smart for all Scouting functions, it isn't required for anything except trips and outings per the G2SS.

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[Gold Winger]

(Message sent back to originator for self-editing) (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

[Gold Winger]

It's not really self editing when the Bureau of Standards and Practices yells at you for pointing out that someone who sets themself up as a standard of knowledge is incorrect. Of course that same person never gets "edited" when he makes pointedly barbed comments.

 

Thank you, Ed. Many people mistakenly believe that "two deep" applies to meetings but the G2SS is mute on that.