Here’s a few thoughts accumulated through the years on ways to make your upcoming den year the absolute best.
Hold a parent meeting towards the end of summer where you explain the program your planning and get their ideas. Everyone will be more engaged if they’re part of the planning.
Ask your assistant den leader to run a meeting in the fall and in the spring. I can’t begin to tell you how helpful that’s been.
Get more than one assistant den leader. There’s no limit and we can register as many assistant’s as needed, at no cost to the den.
Ask a parent in your den to track and submit achievements. I’ve been told that this is the secret to finding zen.
Call the den leader (s) that ran the program the previous year and solicit them for program ideas, materials, and places to go
Consider hosting an achievement park day where you work on multiple achievements. This takes pressure off den meeting and makes the program seem much more manageable.
Commit yourself to using stations and engaging your den parents more. Den meetings are substantially easier to manage when you only have to interact with 2-4 boys at a time.
Use your garage or a facility outside your home so that den meetings don’t become house cleaning days
Send your assistant den leader to one or more committee meetings. This will help them learn more about how the pack operates and give you a break from meetings
Use signup genius for any activities/outings you are planning to run. This really lightens the coordination load.
Print out and laminate a call list for your den and leave it in your car
Consider using a group texting app on your smartphone to text your families when your running late, your directions were bad, or the date/time was wrong.
Plan your fall and spring activities outdoors. Cub scouts have boundless energy, don’t try to contain it.
Most importantly, don’t forget that your den families are an enormous resource. It will surprise you what they can contribute if you just ask.
