I am a first time den leader of a group of 16 Wovles. Our Tiger leader from last year dropped out and after many pleas for someone to step up, no one did so I volunteered. I have no official assistant but my husband is cubmaster of our pack so he does come to all of my meetings. I also have two parents who are very helpful but didn't want to formally volunteer. My first meeting was a bit of a disaster. I decided to cover the Our Flag achievement. After having the kids complete an elective as a gathering activity and opening ceremonies we got into a big circle to discuss the flag achievements. What I learned was that 7 year old boys have about a 5 minute attention span. They need to be kept busy with a craft or physical activity or they quickly become bored. I will limit my circle time in my future meetings. I also provided a sign up sheet at my first meeting for parent volunteers. I asked for two at each meeting. Don't be afraid to assign parents responsibilities at the meetings. Keep the boys busy and as you learn about their personalities you will get a handle on who needs to be seperated when you break down into groups. Good luck.
Should we keep the den at 13 if no parent steps up?
in Cub Scouts
Posted
I am a first time den leader of a group of 16 Wovles. Our Tiger leader from last year dropped out and after many pleas for someone to step up, no one did so I volunteered. I have no official assistant but my husband is cubmaster of our pack so he does come to all of my meetings. I also have two parents who are very helpful but didn't want to formally volunteer. My first meeting was a bit of a disaster. I decided to cover the Our Flag achievement. After having the kids complete an elective as a gathering activity and opening ceremonies we got into a big circle to discuss the flag achievements. What I learned was that 7 year old boys have about a 5 minute attention span. They need to be kept busy with a craft or physical activity or they quickly become bored. I will limit my circle time in my future meetings. I also provided a sign up sheet at my first meeting for parent volunteers. I asked for two at each meeting. Don't be afraid to assign parents responsibilities at the meetings. Keep the boys busy and as you learn about their personalities you will get a handle on who needs to be seperated when you break down into groups. Good luck.