Post edited 3:00 pm – June 21, 2010 by SM Shawn
Post edited 3:09 pm – July 29, 2010 by SM Shawn

As a den leader, you should have your finger on the pulse of what is going on in your pack. As a matter of fact, you are the pulse. Whatever your den wants to do, you should be convening that to the Cubmaster, who in turn should be taking that to the Committee to make sure that happens. The Committee Chair then makes it happen, making sure that the CC’s decision is inline with what the Charter Org has in mind.

Where is this spelled out? Everywhere…books from the scout shop, Roundtables, training and Cub Scout University/College/Pow-Wow…throw in the vast networking of scouters, and you have all your bases covered. There is a really good flowchart on the page. http://www.scouting.org/scouts…..ePack.aspx. Click on the different boxes there to get a description of what should be getting done and who should be doing it.

It sounds like there is a lack of training, and communication…those are usually the first signs when I see a question like this. It’s not a bad thing; there are remedies to help you out.

Allow me to get a tad long-winded…I try to throw out as much information as possible, without writing a novel, but sometimes, I go long.

There should be monthly planning meetings with the committee. Now as a DL, you are not a part of the committee, and hold no “vote”…you can attend to let the committee know what you and your den need, should the CM not be able to convey what you need. You also have every right to be there, and can ask for any meeting notes that come from it.

RED FLAG ALERT: If the pack isn’t holding monthly meetings, this is a red flag. Find out why they aren’t…if you can’t get a reason that you feel comfortable with, press the issue.

At each meeting, finances should be discussed…what you have, what you have spent, any expenses coming up. Then onto program and what is coming up…review the next couple of months activities, and make plans for events that are 8-12 months away…yes, that far. For example, our pack is planning winter camp for next year, already. We planned the camp that we go to this weekend, last summer. Getting the idea? Each unit should be having an ANNUAL planning conference, to plan out the WHOLE year…our rule is 6 months in stone, 3 months in pen, 3 months in pencil. We also make sure that we are on budget. The pack is funded via the scout’s accounts, which they replenish funds from our popcorn sale.

RED FLAG ALERT: If your unit doesn’t have a budget, find out why…it’s crucial for the success of your program and your unit.

I would ask that you make sure all leaders are trained…this helps everyone to understand what exactly is happening. It sounds like nobody is on the same page, maybe not even the same book. With training, you can at least be in the same book, and maybe the same page.

A lack of planning, to me, shows a lack of commitment…a lack of training shows a lack of commitment, a lack of budgeting shows a lack of commitment…sound familiar? One thing that I was taught in training, “was fail to plan, plan to fail”…sounds like you are on the right track, Warren, but the rest of the pack doesn’t…

I hope that some of this helps, there isn’t a cut and dried answer that I can give in this brief forum…You and I could get on Skype and talk for hours, and barely skim the surface…more feedback will come in this forum…Good Luck!