Den Meeting Planning

Successful Den Leaders plan their meetings in detail.

Some Handy Rules:

WRITE IT DOWN - The BSA has a handy form but you could also do it on the back of an envelope or on your favorite word processor. In any case, share it with your team - assistant den leaders and helping parents.
START AND END WITH CEREMONIES - An opening ceremony makes the point: The meeting has started and I am in charge. A closing ceremony says: The meeting is over, time to go home.
VARY THE FORMAT - Indoors for one meeting, outdoors for another, games, then projects, or prepare for a pack meeting skit. Every den meeting should be special!
PLAN MORE THAN YOU NEED - Something may go wrong: equipment or material doesn't work, something or somebody doesn't show up, or the boys just don't like what you planned. Have something in reserve that you can use to fill in. If you don't use it, save it for another week.
CHECK AND USE YOUR RESOURCES - In priority order:
- Boy's Life
- Roundtables
- Den Chief Handbook
- Favorite Internet Sites
- Pow Wow or UofS Books - there are more great ideas in them than any den leader could ever use.
- REMEMBER THE 3 MAGIC WORDS

Den Meeting Activities

Activity Badge Projects
Bike Trip
Marbles Tournament
Bowling
Backyard Star Watch
Make Games
Balloon Popping Contest
Miniature Golf
Make Masks or Costumes
Camera Hunt
Make Neckerchief Slides
Carve Soap
Paper Airplane Building
Picnic
Cake Making
Puzzles
Cook Out
Rain Hike
Recycling Project
Den Ceremonies
Scavenger Hunt
Den Competitions
Den Cheers and Yells

Ethics in Action
Skating - Indoor
Practice Flag Rituals
Field Trips
Fishing Trip
Songfest
First Aid Practice (Basic)
Games
Special Treats Night
Hikes
Glider/Paper Plane Contest
Sports and Fitness
Hayride & Pumpkin Carving
Stories
Stunts, Magic Tricks
International Customs
Treasure Hunt
Kite Making/Flying
Turtle Race
Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest
Make Gifts for Nursing Home, Retirement Center, etc.
Bike Repairs and Safety Inspections

5-MINUTE DEN ACTIVITIES
To keep up with these ideas, write them on 3 x 5 cards.

PANTOMIME: Open a door to discover: a funny monster smelly garbage a big box of toys freshly baked pie all your dreams you are walking through an ocean of peanut butter it is raining marshmallows you are swimming through a pool of Jell-O		LINE-UP: Without talking, everyone lines up by order of - Birthday - Height - Alphabetically by first name - Alphabetically by last name - Season you were born in - Years in scouting
LOOK AROUND: Your environment is everything around you. It is living things and non-living things. - How many living things do you see? - What do they need in order to live? - What colors are there? - Do you hear any sounds? What?		EIGHT ON A NECKERCHIEF Place a Cub Scout neckerchief (I would cut scrap fabric to size in place of an actual neckerchief). All eight den members have to stand on this neckerchief. This is accomplished by 3 or 4 boys getting their feet on it and holding on to each other. The others that cannot get both feet on the neckerchief have to hang on, climb on, or get one foot or toe on and hold fast to the other Cubs to balance themselves. The winning den is the first one to accomplish the feat without falling over. It is a good rough and tumble game.
POLLUTION: Pollution is anything that spoils the environment. Look around, do you see anything that is polluting?		PENNY GAME: Make a list of things in the natural world that will fit on the head of a penny (whole objects only).
TAKE YOUR PULSE: Take your pulse for one minute. Now jump up and down 15 times. Take your pulse again for one minute.		SING TO THE TUNE OF: Make up a song to the tune of: - Old McDonnell - Row, Row, Row Your Boat - London Bridge
ALPHABET GAMES: Beginning with the letter "A" and continuing through "Z", name: - animals - trees - flowers/plants - girl's names - boy's name - countries		MIRRORS: In pairs, one scout mirrors (copies, mimics) the movements of their partner as if they were standing in a mirror. Take turns leading.