Den Chiefs

[John-in-KC 311]

Ann,

 

Welcome to the forums, and what ScoutNut said!

 

There is not a single word in Scoutings' literature requiring a sole relationship between a Pack and a Troop of the same Chartered Partner. In an ideal world ... yes, the Troop would be the first choice for reach forward from the Pack, the Troop would be the first recruiting choice for the Pack, and the Pack would be the first reach-back choice for the Troop.

 

OK, so much for the ideal world. We live in the real world.

 

Contact your COR, as a courtesy. Inform him/her that the Troop cannot meet your support needs and that you're going out and seeking support from other Troops. Make sure, once you get a Den Chief, that the DL and the Den Chief together attend Den Chief's training: It's a great way to develop common expectations and vision.

 

Oh: Seek an ASM as well, to come to your committee meetings, and be able to dovetail your program needs with the program resources a Troop can provide. That kind of relationship building is a blessing.

[Twocubdad 665]

That's true, but....

 

There are some bigger-picture issues involved (and maybe a little bit of politics).

 

With 11 boys in your pack over four dens, do you really need den chiefs? It it a huge commitment for the Boy Scout and his parents -- basically doubles their time commitment to Scouting.

 

The other thing to know about DCs is if it works right, the Cubs build a relationship with the DC and tend to follow him into his troop. That's a good thing. There dozens of threads here where folks ask advice on recruiting boys into troops and the first bit of advice we give them is to build a relationship with a pack by sending them Den Chiefs.

 

If you CO's troop is struggling, they may not be able to afford the loss of a class of Webelos who follow their den chief to another troop.

 

OBVIOUSLY, that shouldn't be your only considerations. But if you're interested in building a full Scouting program at your church, it is something to consider.

 

As to what DC's do. Our troop includes DC training as part of our troop leader training in the fall. (The council runs the training in January, when the year's half over.) We "strongly encourage" (as in, do you really want a den chief?) Den Leaders to attend the training so they know what to expect of the DCs.