Welcome to our Pack!
Thank you for choosing to be involved in our children's scouting experience. Den Leadership is a wonderful opportunity for you to teach our young boys the ins and outs of scouting and what it means to be a good scout. As a Den Leader, you (with the help of our Cubmaster and the pack) will be responsible for helping the boys in your Den complete the adventure requirements within your handbook and achieve their rank advancement at the end of the year. Things we do at the Den level throughout the year is what brings the kids back every year.
I'm sure you've got plenty of questions and hopefully the information I'll be giving you here will answer most of them for you. When I was a Den Leader, not only was I new to being a den leader, I was totally new to scouting. I definitely remember asking a bazillion questions and hoping I wasn't bothering the people I was asking . Always remember: We're a big Pack family! Don't hesitate asking ANY of our leadership group any questions you may have. No question is a bad question and we won't be bothered being asked.
Where to start? Some basics:
Pack leadership consists of:
The Committee Chair - Rob Miller. Simply, the CC is the admin behind the pack and is the person in between the pack, Minsi Trails Council, and our charter organization (St. John's UCC).
The Cubmaster - Greta Bergstresser. Our cubmaster is the woman in charge when it comes to making sure our pack program runs smoothly. She will be in charge of the monthly pack meetings and will be giving out the awards! Between the CC and the Cubmaster they should be able to answer your questions... Or point you in the right direction! I'm always eager to help!
Outdoor Activities Coordinator - Nicole Hart. Our OAC puts together a mix of activities that are available to all our scouts (and families in most cases) throughout the year and into the summer. Be sure to look out for her to sign up for all of our fun events!
Pack Treasurer - Jessica Rader. Advancement Chair - Mandy Webber. Medical Officer - Michelle Smith. (Pretty self explanatory)
Also - Other Den Leaders : Ken Monahan, Nicole Hart, Emily Vernon, Eric Webber, Jessica Rader. These guys (and gals) have been there! Great resources.
Our email address is cspack317@gmail.com <---click
Our Facebook page (private members only) is https://www.facebook.com/groups/CSPack317Bethlehem/<---click
The Program:
My first suggestion would be to get yourself acquainted with the program hand book. You've got your core adventures, and your elective adventures, all of which the scouts earn a belt loop for completing. In the Tiger program, each boy will have to complete all of the core adventures, and one of the elective adventures in order to achieve rank advancement. All of the other elective adventures are optional, but what scout doesn't want to earn more belt loops for completing the adventures?!
You should plan for your den to meet 2-3 times a month or as frequently as your den wishes to meet. Reach out to the parents in your den and discuss the best day/time of the week would be best to get everyone in attendance. Bear in mind, things do come up and some people may not be able to make a den meeting here or there. Also keep in mind that we have a pack meeting once a month on the third Thursday of the month. My den opted to not meet that week.
There are several approaches in how to create your program. Some people like to plan the entire year's worth of activities ahead of time, and some like to break it down into smaller segments. Either option works, you just have to find your comfort zone. BSA says an hour of planning per meeting, but to be honest, it winds up being more only because there are so many fun options to do! -Tip, print out a sheet with all of the core and elective activities and label the outdoor tasks vs the indoor tasks. Keep in mind that our year begins in October and ends in May so there are some cold months in there where you won't be able to get outside.
The Tiger program suggests shared leadership within the den. Meaning, each Akela (adult leader) should take a turn in hosting a den meeting. Keep an open dialogue with other parents in the den, and find out which adventure (core/elective) the parents are interested in. Ask them to run a meeting with focus on that particular adventure.
Some Resources: Here are some great internet resources for you to peruse and use as you like. Please note, these sites might not official BSA sites.
usscouts.org <----Click--- this brings you to an online version of your handbook. It has printable work sheets for each adventure. (there are also many many other resources on that website in addition to the handbook)
Cub Trax<----Click--- If you're Computer savvy, this site contains a spreadsheet that you can use to track your cub's advancement along the way.
BoyScout Trail <----Click--- Want activities, games, songs, and skits? You won't be disappointed here.
My.Scouting.org <----Click--- This link IS the Official BSA online training course. Go here, Set up an account and follow the prompts to obtain all your training and become a fully trained in your position.
That's it! Simple right? Don't worry, it's not as hard as it seems and you have plenty of Pack family to help you through it. Thank you for choosing to become a Den Leader!
Yours In Scouting,
Greta Bergstresser
Cubmaster