A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That...

Sometimes people ask me where I get all my ideas for activities for our Scouts.  Unfortunately, I don't have a simple answer to this question.  My ideas come from an amalgam of sources.  Some of them come from activities I did when I was a boy, that I know boys today would still enjoy doing.  Some of them come from great online resources out there, like Scouting.org, Scouter Mom, Scouting Magazine, Baloo's Bugle, and more.  Some of them come from Roundtables and training sessions I have attended.  Some of them just come from various packs we have been involved in with our boys over the years.

Let me explain: unfortunately, my career over the last several years has not been the most stable.  Part of that was due to the economy, and part of that was due to some sub-optimal choices on my own part.  I will be the first to admit it - I'm not perfect.  We have moved around like military brats over the last few years.  I am hopeful that the job I am in now will allow us to stay in one place for a while, once we relocate to Oregon again this summer.  A beneficial consequence of this is that we have been fortunate to have been involved with several different Cub Scout packs over the years.  I have seen a variety of packs, ranging from the pretty good to outstanding.  I suppose this has given me a certain amount of insight as to what works, from a field perspective.

Here are a few tips I have discovered on how to have a successful den, largely gained through trial and error:

1. Be consistent.  Try to have a set place and schedule for your den meetings.  It is really helpful if you can meet at the same place every time, although I do understand this is not always feasible.  However, if you set the expectation early on that "we will meet twice a month as a den, usually on the first and second weeks of the month, at (place and time)" - then the boys and parents know what to expect, and can plan the rest of their schedules accordingly.  Of course there will be variations - you have to work around holidays when most people will be out of town.  But do your best to be consistent.  If the boys know there is a meeting planned, they will generally be more apt to show up.
2. Make it fun.  You have to remember you are dealing with young boys.  Young boys are not wired to sit still for long periods of time.  There are times you can sit them down and have a teaching moment with them, but make your lessons interactive.  I remember this lesson well from when I took a week of training as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Illinois once: people tend to remember only a small percentage of what they hear, a modest percentage of what they see or read, and a substantial percentage of what they do.  Sometimes you have to give an oral lecture to explain a concept - but keep it short, and give the boys a chance to interact and ask questions.  Then turn them loose and let them do something!  You also want to alternate "quiet" and "active" times.  Give the boys a chance to play a game, sing a song, do a yell, or something else fun.  The fun stuff keeps them coming back, and you can still work in some advancement during the quiet periods.
3. Communicate.  Do your best to keep your parents in the loop about what's going on with the den.  Parents really appreciate this.  Email is fine, although a few parents may not check email very often.  Find what works - call those parents, send them a text, or whatever it takes.  If a Scout did not come to a meeting, try to call or email the parents and let them know he was missed.  It's the little things like this that show you care and are interested in their son.  I typically make an announcement sheet that I pass out to the Scouts and parents about once a month, letting them know of upcoming events and activities going on with the den and pack.  Also, take the time to briefly explain the traditions and methods of Scouting to the parents.  If you do not come from a Scouting background yourself, that is OK.  Go to training, or ask some of the more experienced Scouters around you if you are not sure what the Blue & Gold Banquet is for, or why we do various other things we do in Scouting.  In time, you will get the hang of it and be an old pro, just like the rest of us.  The bottom line is that you want to get the parents in your camp - they are the ones who will help you at meetings, and work with the boys on the advancement at home that you either cannot or do not have time to cover at den meetings.
4. Persevere.  It's OK to have a bad den meeting sometimes.  It happens.  I have definitely had my share, as nearly every den leader has.  Don't let it get you down, and get discouraged.  Learn from what didn't work, and endeavor to try something different next time.  Also, you would be surprised - there have been times where I thought the Scouts didn't learn a single thing out of something I was trying to teach them, only to have them blurt out with a key point from the lesson later on.  Sometimes they will surprise you with what they got out of an activity, even if it didn't go according to plan.  The worst thing you can do is give up.  Try, try again until you find something that works.  Every group of boys is a little different.
5. Prepare.  Another confession for me: this has been one of my biggest growth areas.  I used to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, we'll-figure-it-out-when-we-get-there type of leader.  After several den meetings where that did not work out so well, I decided to take my preparation for den meetings much more seriously.  I usually try to plan out about a week in advance what I am going to do at a den meeting.  This gives me enough time to gather supplies or prepare activities ahead of the den meeting.  Also, if you have assistants helping you with the den meeting, you have sufficient time to let them know what you are planning to do, so they will be able to help you gather materials and prepare for the den meeting.  The process is fairly straightforward: decide what achievements you want to accomplish, figure out some activities to help you accomplish those achievements, and then set an agenda for the meeting.  I have a fairly boilerplate agenda that I use for most den meetings.  I'll share this in a future post.  The Scouts like it, because the meeting basically has the same order almost every time, but there is enough variation to keep it from becoming too mundane.

Well, I suppose this is enough rambling for one post.  We are having a den meeting tonight, and I'll tell you a little more about it tomorrow.  Have a great day!