Den Flags

[SeattlePioneer]

Does your pack encourage dens to make or use den flags? If so, how does that work?

[resqman]

I made a flag stand for every den in the pack with my own money/materials. I bought a den flag and numerals from the scout store for my den. Ironed on the number. Gave each Den Leader their own flag stand painted orange, yellow, pale blue, and 4 colored one for the Webelos den. As the den leader I stored the flag, pole and stand at my house and took to every pack meeting. It was displayed at every den meeting. Placed the stand and flag at the end of the row of chairs where our patrol sat during Pack meetings. After a few pack meetings, the other dens got around to posting den flags during pack meetings.

 

We didn't do much besides post it at the end of they asile during pack meetings. The boys neither complained or were terribly excited. Just more work for me. I kept the flag and have it stored with my son's memorbilia.

 

I made the effort. Now sure what the benefit was.

[AKdenldr]

Never used them. We only have one den per rank, ever, so it's not as if you get the dens confused. We could have used den blankets, however, that would have been cool. (younger scouts sit as a den at the pack meetings).

 

-- AK

 

(That said, after the boys went to Web Resident camp they brought back a flag they had made -- mighty proud. But of course by the time the rest of the dens do this.....we'll be gone.)

[shortridge]

My pack had the standard blue-and-gold den flags from the catalogue, each with the appropriate number. Webelos dens got the flags with the "W" on them and the DLs sewed on the patrol patch that represented their den name.

 

For my Webelos den, the Frontiersmen, we had an added bonus - the tail of a raccoon my dad shot when it got into our back yard and was acting strangely. After about a year, with so many kids touching it, it just became a bare bone hanging off the flag. Kind of disgusting, but still majorly cool to us kids.

[83Eagle]

Four of five of our dens have den flags. The dens make them as they see fit.

 

For the tigers I used a 5 foot dowel and white canvas. I printed and ironed on the tiger logo, and the boys and parents put their hand prints on it.

 

In the past my sons den has made tie dyed tshirts as den class Bs. This was a huge hit. While the shirts were in the dye bath we tied up white canvas and used that for a matching den flag. Yellow for wolf, blue for bear. Haven't figured out how to do plaid tie dye though.

 

Since we use the standard flag ceremony with four-boy color guard for our pack flag ceremony, having a den flag along with an American flag helps the dens practice the ceremonies in their den as well.

[Scoutfish]

Our pack didn't used to use them But I discussed it last year with all my leaders before we came back from summer break.

 

In the time after we start up - but before roundup - the dens made thier den flags.

 

THis year, as soon as all the new scouts get settled in, we are going to use them during our flag ceremonies.

 

What we are going to do at pack meetings is have all the boys go to a meeting point while all the parents go ahead and sit in the pack assembly area.

 

Then our Tiger Den will come in with their den flag and sit in their area. Then the Wolves, then the Bears, Then the Webelos.

 

After that, a scout will come in and ask everybody to rise and the color gfuard will enter with our pack flag and The American Flag. The color guard will be made up of one scout from each den.

 

We will see how it turns out.

[ScoutLass]

We have den flags. I made them upon the request of the last cubmaster and we use them at every pack meeting. Our flags consists of the 10 or 12 inch square rank patch the scout shop caries, sewn onto the fabric that matches that ranks neckerchief (we currently have one den per rank). We display them at pack meetings, have dens carry in their flag for the super-important events (like Blue and Gold), and we use them to display den awards. The den awards are attached to the top of the den flag, much as pack award ribbons are attached to the top of the pack flag. We give out homemade ribbons and awards for den competitions at pack meetings, winning popcorn sales goals, and other special things. The boys like displaying their den trophies and the flags get pretty colorful with all the tassels and ribbons hanging off the top.

 

The last cubmaster made the poles from long tree branches and the stands from 2-by-4 boards.He drilled holes through the branches to tie the flags to pole. They look impressive framing our "stage" area at pack meetings.

 

I wouldn't say they are necessary to a successful pack or den, but we enjoy having them.

[OwntheNight]

As a DL last year for our wolves, I encouraged our den to make a flag. My ADL had some fake wolf fur which he sewed to some canvas. (Canvas on one side, fur on other side) We made numbers and letters from foam and attached them to the flag. We also had every boy do a handprint on foam cutouts and put them on the flag. We always sent the flag home with a different boy every week, and told them to add to the flag something every week. If we got a patch from an activity, we put it on the flag. Kind of a year long story about what they did. We were the only den who had a flag all year.

 

When I took over as CM this year, I encouraged all dens to create a flag. For my new Tiger and wolf dens, I got them some canvas from a fabric store, some PVC pipe from the Home Improvement center, and the oversized rank emblems from the Scout store. Everything else, is up to them. It's their flag, they can do with it what they want. From what I've seen so far, 'dem boys like to paint!!!

 

I also encourage all the dens to come up with den cheers and yells, it seems like we had seperate units for the longest time, instead of dens within the pack. I'm trying to change that culture to create a more unified Pack.

[Shilue]

Our pack uses them. Each den has a flagpole and holder made from PVC, and the flag itself is made of canvas. The front side has a drawing of the den's name (Grizzlies, scorpions, lizard, whatever) as well as the number and the current rank patch for that den. The rear of the flag, the boys are encouraged to decorate and sign.

We use the flags at pack meetings and campouts as a rally point for each den to meet. During the crossover ceremony each year, as the den comes across the bridge, the CM removes the current rank patch and puts the next one on. When the den crosses over to scouts, their flag is retired and given to the den leader.

[Eagle92]

Yes and no. We have flags that someone made, but they are only used at pack meetings to tell folks where to sit. They are homemade, being a blue flag with the necker sewed onto it.

 

Now I did buy a TC flag a few years back, and had every TC sign it at the end of the year. Kinda depressing when we only had 1/2 the Tigers return in the fall. And we lost some of the ones who did day camp and the summertime activities.

[dg98adams]

I would encourage the Webelos Den (not the den leader) to make a flag (a section from cheap painters canvas can be marked up with sharpies or paint markers).

 

Agreeing on and making a Patrol Flag is one of the first things a New Scout Patrol does when they cross over to Boy Scouts.

 

Lots of good ideas here though.

 

[SeattlePioneer]

In my pack making den flags is an activity at our June campout. Dens make new flags to reflect their advancement to a new den level.

 

We don't use den numbers, although that's probably a mistake since it offers a small degree of continuity from year to year.

 

I collect flag material at thrift shops in the den colors when I see it ---orange for Tiger Cubs, yellow for wolves and blue for bears.

 

I cut off tree limbs or alder saplings for the staff and cross piece, and Scouts use a staple gun to attach their flag to the cross piece. Saw the limbs to the needed length.

 

Boy Scout lashing hold the cross piece to the staff.

 

At our October Cub Scout Roundtable, the adults made a flag along these lines for the Cub Scout Roundtable. It was probably the first hammering and sawing some Den Moms had done in years --- but I think they saw this would be a good den project.

 

We also made a stand for the flag using 2x4 lumber and some nails. A spade bit in a drill cut the hole for the staff, and the base of the staff was cut to fit the hole with an axe.

 

The only parts I wouldn't have Cub Scouts do would be the axe work and lashings.

 

 

[jgreenewv]

We had den flags that the dens made several years ago, and were reused year after year. When I took over this summer, I picked up cloth in orange, yellow, light blue, and forest green for the dens. We printed the Den logos on iron-on paper and put them on the middle of the flags. In the first two meetings after roundup, the dens decorated the flags however the boys decided. I thought this would be a good way to get the dens to start working together a little faster. So far, it seems to have worked for them. They all had a good time brainstorming their designs and working on their flags.