Cub Scout leaders

Leadership Roles

Some of the roles you might fill to support a Cub Scout pack are these:

Cubmaster. The Cubmaster’s most visible duty is to emcee the monthly pack meeting. Behind the scenes, the Cubmaster works with the pack committee to plan and carry out the pack program and helps coordinate the efforts of the den leaders. A Cubmaster may be assisted by one or more assistant Cubmasters. So You’re a New Cubmaster…

Den Leader. The den leader conducts weekly meetings for a smaller group of boys and helps coordinate the den’s contribution to the monthly pack meeting. A den leader is typically assisted by at least one assistant den leader.

Pack Committee. The pack committee works with the Cubmaster to plan and carry out the pack program. The committee also coordinates major events and secures support for the pack. The committee consists of a chairperson and other members who may have particular functions, such as finance, marketing, advancement, or outdoor program.

Function Committees. Some pack events have special-purpose committees. Holding a Scouting for Food drive, pinewood derby, blue and gold banquet, pack graduation, or field day requires more planning and coordination than a typical pack meeting.

Parent Helpers. Some events need extra adults to help the pack leaders. A parent can pitch in by driving a vehicle for a field trip, helping prepare lunch at a day camp, supervising an event at a field day, or supporting unit leaders on an as-needed basis.

The Benefits of Leadership

Volunteering with the Boy Scouts of America is a way for adults to work with youth to build a better future for everyone. Besides giving valuable service to youth in their communities, volunteers find that they reap many personal benefits from being a leader in Cub Scouting.

Parenting Skills. Scout volunteering helps adults develop closer connections with children. Volunteers agree that their experience in leading youth has helped them learn to relate to young people and inspire them. Almost nine of 10 volunteers say Scout volunteering has helped them become better parents.

Ethical and Moral Character Development. Scouting promotes ethical and moral character development in youth. Volunteers become role models for these traits as they lead and participate in activities with youth and other adults. Through their leadership, volunteers enhance their own ethical and moral decision making. They feel the experience makes them more honest and trustworthy.

Management and Leadership Skills. In member recruitment, fund-raising, leader recruitment, and program planning, volunteers get opportunities to set and achieve goals. Volunteers say these experiences carry over into their work life, making them better managers and employees.

Conservation. Scouting teaches young people and adults to live by the Outdoor Code: Be clean in one’s outdoor manners, be careful with fire, be considerate in the outdoors, and be conservation-minded. Many volunteers come to Scouting with a strong commitment to the environment, and most indicate that through volunteering they have heightened their environmental awareness and developed or improved their conservation skills.

Community Spirit. Volunteers agree that Scouting encourages them to become involved in other organizations. Two-thirds (66 percent) of Scout volunteers also volunteer for other youth groups. Scout volunteers give time to religious youth organizations, youth sports associations, parent-teacher associations/organizations, Girl Scouts, 4-H, YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Citizenship. Volunteering leads to greater participation in community service activities that range from collecting food and clothing for local shelters, to planting trees, to picking up trash in local parks. Scout volunteering also builds leaders’ pride in their communities and in being Americans. An overwhelming majority (90 percent) feel that volunteering for Scouts has helped them become a better citizen.

Communication Skills. In their many roles, volunteers are called upon to communicate with Scouts, other volunteers, community leaders, and parents. Not surprisingly, many volunteers say this experience has helped them become better listeners and communicators.

Physical Fitness. Scout volunteers believe the activities they do in Scouting help their overall physical health. Volunteers report that they have developed or improved their camping, hiking, and swimming skills because of Scout volunteering.

Enjoyment. Scout volunteering is just plain fun: “you get to be a kid again in a way,” said one volunteer. More than a fourth of the volunteers agree that their Scouting activities help them reduce the stress and anxiety in their lives.

More than 1.2 million adult volunteers give their time and skills to the development of youth through the Boy Scouts of America. An overwhelming majority (96 percent) of these volunteers say their experience has been so positive that they would recommend volunteering for the Boy Scouts of America to others.

Requirements

Any parent or chartered organization member is usually welcome to pitch in and help with the pack, and there are no formal requirements for periodic or temporary assignments. But to serve in an ongoing role, you must register as an adult volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America by submitting an adult leader application.

This application must be approved by the pack, the local council, and the national office. The requirements are fairly straightforward:

You must be 21 years of age or older. (For some positions, such as assistant Cubmaster or assistant den leader, the minimum age is 18.)
You must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident.
You must agree to abide by the Scout Oath and Law and subscribe to the Declaration of Religious Principle.
You must be a person of good moral character and satisfactorily pass a criminal background check.
In some cases, being highly active in the pack or chartered organization, having experience working with youth, and having specialized skills can also be beneficial, but are not strictly required.

How to Volunteer

If you are highly active in the pack or its chartered organization, a time may come when the pack approaches you to fill a leadership position. However,you may wish to make your interest known to the pack leaders (the Cubmaster or committee chair). Or, if you wish to volunteer to help the district or council, contact the local council service center or speak with your district executive. There’s no guarantee that you will be selected for a leadership position right away. The selection process is fairly competitive, and you may be competing with a large number of candidates for a small number of positions. But packs and councils are always grateful for volunteers and should be able to find a place where you can help out until the exact position you’re interested in comes open.

To download and fill out an adult application, click here.

Thank you for agreeing to be a den leader, filling one of the most important roles in Cub Scouting and helping a den thrive and grow. Without your help and leadership, the den cannot exist, the youth cannot be served, and the pack cannot be sustained.

Den Leader Responsibilities

In addition to the leader’s responsibility to the youth in Cub Scouting generally, the den leader has certain other leadership responsibilities which may be summarized as follows:

Work directly with other den and pack leaders to ensure that their den is an active and successful part of the pack.
Plan, prepare for, and conduct den meetings with the assistant den leader and den chief (if Wolf, Bear or Webelos den leaders) or adult partners (if Tiger Cub den leaders).
Attend the pack leaders’ meetings.
Lead the den at the monthly pack activity.
Ensure the transition of their Cub Scouts to a den of the next rank (or to a Boy Scout troop if Webelos) at the end of the year.

Getting Your Den Started

If you are starting your program in June, invite the youth and their adult partners to participate in your pack’s summertime activities, such as marching in parades, going to a ball game, having a campfire and marshmallow roast, and participating in Cub Scout Day camp. Youth may be able to earn the National Summertime Pack Award pin by participating in events.

Den Meetings

Along with the Cub Scout’s family, the den meeting is critical to the Cub Scout’s success and enjoyment of Cub Scouting. It is in and through the den that the youth make social connections, has fun, completes their advancement, and bonds with the pack. Den meetings that are fun, organized, and interesting make a great environment for the youth. Planning and delivering such meetings is the goal of this section of the Den & Pack Meeting Resource Guide.

What Is a Den Meeting Plan and How Do I Use Them?

The den meeting plans for each rank are designed to be conducted in sequential order. Certain activities are partially completed in one meeting and finished in another. Other activities or skills are natural prerequisites for things that come later in the den’s year.

Local conditions (weather, events, etc.) or your den’s schedule may make altering the order of the den meetings attractive. As a den leader, you may change the order so long as you make sure the change does not jeopardize the youths’ opportunity to earn their rank in the allotted time or disrupt the logical order of the activities and achievements. When there is any doubt, the planned order should be used. Discuss with your Cubmaster any changes, as they may also affect pack activities.

There are two types of den meeting plans.

Den Meeting Plans: These plans, modeled to support a school-year program, will, if followed, result in all youth in the den advancing in rank. The plans are developed around the following:

Two den meetings per month in addition to the pack meeting and other outings or activities
Beginning the Scouting year in September
Resulting rank advancement by the blue and gold banquet, usually in February
Continuing den and pack meetings through the school year and summer
The plans support other start dates. However, if starting later than September, it may be necessary to have more than two den meetings per month if rank advancement by blue and gold is the objective.

Supplemental Den Meeting Plans: Plans are provided for dens that meet more than twice per month during the school year or for dens that meet year-round. These may also be used after rank advancement is achieved to continue working toward electives, and other individual and group awards.

Do, Home Assignment, and Verify

At the beginning of each rank section and throughout the den meeting plans, you will find the terms “do,” “home assignment,” and “verify.” These will guide you, the youth, and their parents.

Do: Activities to be done during den meetings
Home assignments: Activities that the youth and their parents must do outside den meetings but that you should assign (usually during the closing)
Verify: A reminder, usually during the business items section of the den meeting, for you to confirm completion of a home assignment