Troop Guide for Troop 316 (2013 - 2014)

Will D
Apr 19, 2021
3 min read

Updated: Jun 20, 2021

and as Den Chief for Pack 316 (2010 - 2013)

St. Andrews Catholic Church, Apex, NC

As a Boy Scout, I took on many roles and leadership positions in my troop. Two of the most rewarding of these were my years as a Troop Guide and my three years as a Den Chief. The role of troop guide is an elected position, where a veteran scout leaves their own patrol and joins one of the first year scouts' patrols for the course of a year. He guides them as a fellow scout versus as an adult. A den chief goes to the cub scouts meetings and leads a den of cub scouts through the course of a year and can follow the den as they go up the ranks of cub scouts until they reach the level of boy scouts.

A Boy Scout Troop (ages 10 - 18) is divided into patrols, groups of about ten to twelve scouts, generally the same age, that work together, tent together, cook together, and are together for most of their time in Boy Scouts. The Troop Guide's job is to help teach these first years all about what it means to be a Boy Scout, help out on camping trips, help get the patrol through the first few ranks of the Scouting hierarchy, as well as get them excited about their experiences and the years to come. Over the course of the year, I taught my patrol how to cook, set up their tents and equipment, dig latrines, set up axe yards to cut wood, and explained all the scouting leadership positions and ranks. By the time my time in the role was over, all the young scouts were completely prepared to be on their own as a patrol and as scouts and had progressed to at least the rank of First Class (Boy Scout Ranks progress as; Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, and eventually Eagle Scout).

A Cub Scout Pack (ages 5 - 10) is divided by age into groups called Dens. Each Den camps together, works through rank activities together, cooks together, and are together until they move on to become Boy Scouts. The Den Chief is a veteran Boy Scout, elected to be a liaison between the Cub Pack and Scout Troop, guide the Den through their activities, and be a role model to motivate the young Den members towards eventually earning the rank of Eagle Scout. Over my three years, I participated in dozens of Pack meetings, Den meetings, campouts and other volunteer activities. The job required a great deal of public speaking, in front of the boys, their parents, and the adult leaders of the Pack. I helped to guide the boys through the various ranks of Cub Scouts, and especially tried to get them to enjoy Scouting, the outdoors, and all the fun activities that Scouting offers.

The Cub Master (head adult leader of the pack) was so impressed and thankful for my efforts that he gave me the opportunity to earn the Den Chief Award. This award has several stages and requirements, being in the role of Den Chief for at least three years (requirements have changed slightly), completing several training exercises, and complete several projects in my time in the role. Of these projects, I served as a counselor at a Cub Scout summer camp for two years, helped my Den to earn their way up to the rank of Webelos ("We-Be-Loyal-Scouts, the final rank before joining Boy Scouts), led several fun/educational activities at camp outs, and set up my replacement when I retired from the position.