My Den Leader is a Devil
Hi. This is Linda, Stacey's partner in crime. Since she had posted her experience with the PTA, I felt it would be appropriate to post my experience with my son's cub scout group...Since when is a low grade fever like the plague?
My seven year woke up the other day with a head ache and a 101 degree fever. I obviously kept him home from school and I did my best to get Motrin in him every 4-6 hours and keep him hydrated while having my 5 year old steer clear of the whole situation. No need to have a full blown epidemic in the house.
It happened to be the day of his den meeting for Tiger Scouts later that afternoon. Now I have to preface this by saying that Scouting was supposed to be something that my son and his Dad did together. However, our den leader makes the meetings on Thursdays at 4:30 in the afternoon when my husband is still at work as are the other dads. So, not only did Scouting end up on my plate (do you feel the bitterness?) but the den leader is totally hard core. She takes her role very seriously and we have a bit of tension between us stemming from a bout as co-class mothers from Kindergarten the year before. She took that role just as serious and again, we’re talking Kindergarten. Whether you show up with Munchkins or home made gourmet cupcakes, your child is thrilled just to have their mom in the class that day. I’m not knocking her dedication or her commitment here, I just feel that we’re talking first grade and Tiger Scouts and if my son is not in his full uniform for each den meeting (she actually checks for the blue socks) that the world is not going to end.
For this particular den meeting, it was a ‘go see it’ where they were all meeting at the train station in town and my son LOVES trains. His fever had broken and he had been below 100 degrees all day and since we were going to be outside, I sort of thought that the fresh air would do him a bit of good depending on the circumstances, of course.
So, what’s a responsible mom to do? I called the den leader to get the details… Would we be inside at all? How long would we be staying at the train station? Was she planning on having us all back at the house after? I mentioned that my son had a low grade fever earlier but if we were going to be outside that maybe… well, I never even got the words out of my mouth. I was reprimanded. “If he had a fever this morning then he is contagious and since it is cold outside, don’t you think it’s best to keep him home and away from the other kids?” My response, “Obviously, that is why I kept him home from school. Since the trains are outside, I can’t imagine he’d infect anyone but we won’t be there.” Her retort, “I think it’s best”.
It’s two days later and I’m still stewing over my very serious and very judgmental den leader. There’s nothing in the Scout Handbook about that.
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Hi there,
Was searching scout stuff and saw this. I want to start out by saying that I am a Den Leader as well. My son is getting ready to cross over to Webelos 1 scouts.
There are a few things you can do. First, you may want to get online and do a google search for "youth protection training." Take the course online. It only takes about 10 minutes. This will give you some insight as to what you should expect from the organization and your scout leaders. There are plenty of standard BSA rules. However, it is up to the Pack committee when dealing with requirements of uniform. Most Packs require the shirts, neckerchief, and the rest is optional. Second, find out who your son's Pack committee members are and the Cubmaster. These are the people who typically run the Pack meetings. Talk to them to see if there is anything that can be done. As a Tiger leader, it is possible that this person was not properly trained and may need additional guidance. The program should be more focused on core values of scouting, not socks. Third, scouting council are broken up by district. Each district contains several different Packs. Especially if you are in a well populated area, it could be very easy to switch Packs. Do a google search on your area council. Most have websites with contact information. From there you can find out about other Packs in your area. Don't be afraid to ask them questions. Get their recommendations. The last thing you want is to move your son to another Pack that does nothing.....been there and it was just as much of a nightmare.
I really hope this helps. The BSA program is fantastic and very beneficial when the right people are behind it. Good Luck!
Gloria