Den Leader and Assistant Den Leader

Your job is your den. Not the pack, not the district, not the calendar of things happening above your den meeting. What happens in your den meetings is what Scouting is for your Scouts. Everything else on this page exists to support that.

New to the role? So you're a Den Leader now has the short list of what actually matters in your first 60 days. ↗

When you need help

You can't get Scoutbook access. This is the most common early frustration. Scoutbook access requires someone with admin rights in your pack — usually the Committee Chair or Cubmaster — to add you as Den Leader. If you've asked and it hasn't happened, contact your Unit Commissioner. Getting your pack's administrative access sorted is something they can push through. Don't wait on this — you need Scoutbook to record advancement.

You're not sure whether something a Scout did at home counts. For most Cub Scouts requirements, it counts. Cub Scouts advancement is family-centered by design. If a Scout did the thing, record it. When you're not sure about a specific requirement, bring it to Cub Scouts roundtable — someone in the room has been in exactly this situation.

Something went sideways at a meeting and you're not sure what to do. Call your Cubmaster first. If it's a Youth Protection concern, follow the reporting obligations outlined in YPT — who needs it and when ↗ — don't wait and don't handle it alone. For anything else, your Cubmaster is the right first call. Your Unit Commissioner is the right second call if your Cubmaster isn't available or the situation is beyond the pack level.

You're burning out. Tell your Cubmaster before you reach the point of walking away. A temporary adjustment to meeting frequency, a co-leader arrangement, or even just someone acknowledging the load you're carrying can make the difference. The district would rather help you stay than find someone to replace you.

Maintainer note: Are there specific council or district support contacts for Den Leaders beyond the Unit Commissioner? Gather from Roundtable Commissioner and experienced Den Leaders before publishing.

Working with your pack

The Cubmaster runs the pack. Your relationship with them is the most important working relationship you have in Scouting. Bring pack-level questions — calendar, pack meeting structure, what's expected of your den at events — to them first.

The pack committee handles everything administrative: recharter, finances, chartered organization paperwork. You don't need to know how all of that works. You do need to know who your Committee Chair is so you know who to call when an administrative question lands in your lap.

Your Unit Commissioner and how they can help ↗

Cub Scouts roundtable

Cub Scouts roundtable meets the first Wednesday of every month. It's the fastest way to connect with other Den Leaders who are doing exactly what you're doing and have solved problems you haven't hit yet. Bring your questions — there are no wrong ones.

What is Cub Scouts roundtable? ↗

Assistant Den Leader

Most Assistant Den Leaders are parents who got recruited informally — someone asked, they said yes, and now they're figuring out what that means. If that's you, the Den Leader sections above apply equally to you. The title is different; the work is the same when the Den Leader needs backup.

Two things matter most in this role. First: know the plan for each meeting well enough to run it independently. A den with two adults who both know what's happening is a resilient den. A den where only one person knows the plan is one scheduling conflict away from a cancelled meeting. Second: get officially registered on my.scouting if you haven't already. Two registered adults must be present at every Scouting activity. Your registration is what makes two-deep leadership possible — not just your physical presence.