pamom

I'll try splitting them into two groups in the room and see how that goes over at least for now until I can get something else figured out.. Thank you for the great advice.

Thanks everyone.. I currently have an assistant Den Leader, a Den Chief, denner, and an occasional parent helping at the meetings.

I'm working on the situation but until I can get it figured out whether by splitting into two dens or by getting more help, I have got to figure out how to get these boys to calm down more.. But like I said.. I'm definitely going to say something though.. This is the first time I've ever done anything like this and I think that the Cub Master should have given me a tamer group to start out with such as the tigers and let her take over the Webelos since she's dealt with them and has had experience doing it for the past 3 years.

Anyway.. The next meeting is of course next Tuesday and the cub master will be there. I'm planning on having a talk with her after the meeting ends...

Okay.. So I've had about 3 den meetings now as a new den leader for the Webelos. It's a group of 17 boys. If I don't get them to act more calm and listen to me more, I am going to "drown". The last Tuesday of September, the meeting went really really well. I left feeling great about it and felt that I could handle things. HOWEVER. This meeting that we just had Tuesday of this week left me feeling very overwhelmed. I don't know how to handle it. I'm still trying to adjust being a den leader and having to speak in front of people.. I don't want to make the kids hate coming or to hate me, but I also need respect and I need it to go better.

I'm thinking about asking around and trying to split the Webelos group into a second group as others suggested to me in here before. I just don't know how to go about suggesting this without making them think that I'm incapable of doing the job. I think I'm just having an "off" day today because I have been more upbeat about all of this.. But ever since the last meeting, it has really taken a toll on me. It's exhausting just trying to keep them behaving right...

Any tips? Suggestions? I think I just needed to vent a little. I want to be successful as a den leader but I'm feeling beat right now..

That's why it went better this time around. We had the parents go into the back room.. It worked out really well this way and I only had to deal with the kids.. Worked out really nice I thought..

So... I didn't post after last week's meeting because it basically bombed big time. The parents were all sitting in the back of the room chatting and were pretty loud at times, the kids didn't know how to act with me as their den leader and were also following the example of their parents, and I was just a very nervous mess that time...

Tonight was much easier on me... I walked in there knowing I was going to have to force myself to be louder, force myself to talk, and force myself to keep moving forward. While I do have a ton to improve on, it went much better. They listened to me this time, I was able to get a meeting successfully completed, and I didn't leave there with a frown and ready to cry!!! Granted, not all of the children were there tonight which was easier (normally there's 16 kids in my den), but at least I got to test the waters with some stuff.

I have a great support system that I'm just finding out about as well.. Plus, I have 2 den chiefs, an assistant (my husband), and some friends that are also in the scouts as volunteers. Their son actually came to help tonight which was great because he's in the boy scouts and was able to help keep the kids in line.

I really was dreading going to the meeting tonight because of how it went last week. But when I left there tonight, I had a smile on my face and still do. I completely amazed myself. I have no public speaking experience and am in fact scared to talk in front of people. I was louder with the kids, I kept talking, I made sure they were listening to me, and I'm starting to learn how to keep their attention. It's definitely a learning process, but I am feeling much better about being a den leader and it was actually a lot of fun.

I'll keep you posted on how it goes as time goes on.

I like the idea of hole punching it myself.. but is it hard to remove the spine from these books?

Got it.. Thanks for clearing up the confusion for me.. It just make me do a double take when I was reading it.. lol

I just wanted to get my facts straight before continuing further on the website..

So, I've been working on the pack website that I've volunteered to create and was looking through my son's Webelos Book... Under bobcat badge requirements, it stated that it was earned after the Tiger cub rank but before all of the rest of the ranks.. HOWEVER. If you google a bobcat badge, it says all over the internet that the bobcat badge is achieved first before any other rank.

So which is accurate??? IS this a typo in the Webelos handbook?? Just needing clarification. Thanks!!

I think that's one of my many concerns now too.. I tend to speak really quick when nervous.. So if I work on slowing it down and taking my time, maybe it will take up the required time and I won't seem so flustered. And I do have some activity sheets for them to do so that will take up a little time.. I have it planned so that when they first get there, the kids will all get an activity sheet.. This will allow me time to say hi to those who walk in, get the attendance, and then get myself organized before it starts. Then when we get to the business part of the meeting, I'll pass out another activity sheet.. I know that once I've done it enough I'll be more calm.. It's just a first meeting for me and it's VERY rare that I am in front of anyone talking... Thanks for all of the votes in confidence!!

I had a meeting with the cub master yesterday and we went over a ton of stuff. I feel a great deal calmer about the situation. She'll be there at my meetings anyway since her oldest is a webelos... I will have 2 den chiefs, a denner, and of course my husband as well as a parent volunteer each meeting.. I know that we can handle it..

I just worked on putting together my first meeting plan.. I'll be going over to the cub masters house next week to plan further ahead...

I'm starting to adjust to this new role and am actually starting to relax and enjoy it now..

Thanks for all of the great advice and will put it to use!!

Luckily, the 5th graders are only 2 boys, one of them being my son.. That's the only reason I think that it can be done. Yes, my husband is "my assistant" and I have 2 den chiefs. I don't have the extra helper just yet but will work those details out tonight when I meet with the cub master... I finally have a time set up to talk with her about it all...

Plus, thanks to the cub master, I have 2 chiefs already lined up.. My husband will be able to help me out as well... I am excited about it all.. but being thrown into it with a week to get prepared just makes me really nervous..

It's 4th and 5th graders.. Right now we're looking at about 17 kids, 2 of which are my own

I do like that the parents don't have to be there.. I definitely agree that it'd teach them more independence that way..

Thanks for the great advice. You all have made me feel a lot better. It isn't the children I'm worried about though--it's the parents...

I know the parents have to be there since there's so much involved with Webelos that are going to be transitioning into boy scouts, but I'd like it more if the parents weren't there. But, what better way to get over the public speaking fear than to do exactly that!!

Again, I appreciate all of the supportive advice.. It's nice to know I'm not alone in this. I wish I had the leader how to book and the webelos leader guide book but I don't have it yet. I've been waiting to hear back from the cub master to see if she has them, but again.. waiting.. lol

Thank you I'm glad I found this forum!!

Hi everyone.. It started about a year ago when we signed our sons up for cub scouts.. Since then, we've become more active.. My husband is now an assistant Cub Master and is on the pack council.

We've been attending the council meetings regularly and this last time when we went (at beginning of the month), the cub master admitted that it has become too much. She's been doing it three years now, and has also been the den leader for all the different types (bear, tiger, wolf, and webelos)... With all of that plus working full time with a family; she's just become stretched too thin. She was nearly at tears because she felt that she was letting the boys down but she knew she couldn't continue to do it all.. So that night, I was talking with my husband and said that I was THINKING about being the den leader for the Webelos.

Crazy me, I decided to email her and tell her what I was thinking and that the only thing holding me back was that I have serious Public Speaking issues. (When put in front of a group, I feel like the room is closing in on me, my voice gets small, my face flushes, my hands get sweaty, and I tend to read or talk fast to hurry up the time being in the front of the group.) I told her that if I could get past that, that I'd love to be the den leader. Well, the next day when I got home from work, my husband told me that she had called and said that she got my email, that she teaches public speaking, and she's SO glad that I've decided to become den leader!!!!!!! My first reaction was shock! I said I was thinking about it and now here I am being told that I've accepted it!! LOL Needless to say, it's been about a week now, and I am VERY nervous. We've made plans to meet up and go over things, but things have come up and have canceled. The first den meeting is on the 21st and I am soooooo nervous. I am not prepared, she hasn't had a chance to help me with my public speaking yet, and I am just lost... I'm excited but very scared... I know I can do it, but it'd help if I was prepared and knew what I was going to be talking about... Any tips or advice????

Thank you!!