Switching den chiefs

[fred johnson]

How long do you keep a den chief? How do you switch if a kid from another troop who needs advancement wants to be den chief and your current den chief doesn't need it and made less than 50% of the den meetings last year?

[Stosh]

The national DC award takes 12 months of valid service to the den to be achieved. If you have a good DC, keep him for at least 12 months. If not, yet rid of him yesterday.

 

Stosh

[jr56]

You can always request another Den Leader if your current one isn't doing his job.

[blw2]

I wish I knew!

I tried to get a DC last year. Our CO's troop had no interested scouts...... they are small but starting to grow.

Finally the big brother of one of the cubs in our den volunteered from the troop across the street.

Tried to get him involved. He barely showed up. Meeting times conflicted with troop stuff, but I also think he's a bit too shy and young for the job.

haven't fired him, but never heard from him as follow-up to anything.... and haven't heard from is SM either. I'm assuming he's gone. Don't know what I'm going to do if he tries to come back. We don't really want him..... but I would still like to try a DC. Seems like it could be good for the cubs with the right boy.

[Eagle92]

DCs are at the discretion of both the SM and CM. If a DC isn't doing his job, he needs counseling and mentoring from the DL, CM, and maybe the SPL and SM.

 

Needing a POR should NOT ( emphasis not shouting) play a role in whether to us e aScout as a DC or not.

 

A good DC is worth their PLATINUM

[King Ding Dong]

DCs are at the discretion of both the SM and CM. If a DC isn't doing his job, he needs counseling and mentoring from the DL, CM, and maybe the SPL and SM.

 

Needing a POR should NOT ( emphasis not shouting) play a role in whether to us e aScout as a DC or not.

 

A good DC is worth their PLATINUM

Agree with all of that. We have a Den Chief "Chief" at roundtable who keeps telling us if we can't get a DC from our affiliated troop to contact him as he know lots of Scouts that want a POR. Both the Scout And Den leader are supposed to attend a 1 day training class.

 

Let the SM know you are looking elsewhere for a DC, he won't like the influence of another troop in your pack.

[kudzu]

I wouldn't leave it up in the air with the curent (previous?) Den Chief. I'd contact him and ask him (a) if he still wants to be the Den Chief and (b) if he plans to do all the duties of a Den Chief. Be direct but polite.

 

Have you done Den Chief training with him so he knows his duties and responsibilities? If not, you should do that first thing with whatever den chief you end up with. If they don't know what to do, many Scouts (and people in general) won't do anything. But, if you train him and let him know what your expectations are, he may step up and be an excellent Den Chief.

[blw2]

I wouldn't leave it up in the air with the curent (previous?) Den Chief. I'd contact him and ask him (a) if he still wants to be the Den Chief and (b) if he plans to do all the duties of a Den Chief. Be direct but polite.

 

Have you done Den Chief training with him so he knows his duties and responsibilities? If not, you should do that first thing with whatever den chief you end up with. If they don't know what to do, many Scouts (and people in general) won't do anything. But, if you train him and let him know what your expectations are, he may step up and be an excellent Den Chief.

That's sound advice. thanks

I'll have a discussion with my DL and see what direction we want to go

 

We don't have a lot of live training in these parts, but he & I have both done the on-line training.... and I bought 2 copies of the DC handbook, giving one to him.

[Eagle92]

KDD hit on something. If you want DCs and you are not getting them from your affiliated pack. do look elsewhere. Normally we have 5 dens, 1 of each grade. We have asked the affiliated pack for 18 months to provide DCs, to no avail. Then another troop offers DCs. CM ran into the the proposed DCs at day camp, likes them and would like them as DCs. Once that was announced, THEN the SM and troop parents freak out about "poaching" etc etc. and we get 3 folks from the troop willing to be DCs.