This year I find myself in the position of Webelos 2 Den Leader. I’m not quite sure how it happened – I think there was a need and I couldn’t say no – but it’s a position I think I may have previously underestimated.
There’s a lot of planning that goes into meetings. There’s a lot of paperwork and there’s a lot recordkeeping, and there’s a ton of coordination with other packs and troops – and sometimes other councils. And if you’re like me – slightly busy with three school PTOs, a Brownie troop and a home business, plus managing type 1 diabetes and working on fundraisers – all this can be daunting at times.
It takes a really strong, dedicated person to be a Den Leader. Please don’t mistake that statement as a pat on my own back – think of it more as a pat from me to all you leaders out there who have done this successfully for so long. You have my total respect. Some weeks end with me asking myself why I didn’t keep my fat mouth shut. Others end with a sense of real pride because I know I’m doing just a little bit of good for a few little boys who are turning into young men. And there are those glorious days when, as I am volunteering at school and I see my guys, they wave to me and excitedly tell their teachers who I am.
I hope you’ll follow me this year on my journey as a den leader. I have no idea how it’ll turn out but as someone once said: it’s not about the destination but the journey.
In Scouting,
Jen