Welcome to Scouting America, we are so glad to have you as a part of the Scouting family!
What is Scouting?
For more than a century, Scouting has stood for character and leadership – attributes that are forged through experiences in service, adventure and skill-building. Scouting teaches real-life skills. Helping young people become future leaders.
In Scouting, boys and girls start with their best right now selves and grow into their very best future selves. It’s fun, hands-on learning and achievement that puts kids in the middle of the action and prepares them for today – and for life.
About the Great Rivers Council
Great Rivers Council guides girls and boys in 33 counties of central and northeast Missouri. We offer an unparalleled program that teaches leadership and citizenship through fun and exciting adventures for the whole family.
Our future with Scouting
Contributing to Scouting America creates opportunities for youth to gain memorable experiences and become instilled with values, principles, and skills that will help them develop into the future leaders of our nation.
Prepared. For Life.
This is our promise to families. It resides with every Scout who ever overcame one of life’s challenges. It is the value of being prepared — the core of Scouting and a what inspires a lifetime of character, leadership and service.
Scout Shop
The Scout Shop is your official source for Scout uniforms, outdoor gear, uniforms, badges, craft items, and more. Our staff has the benefit of knowing many leaders in the council. Have a program question? There’s a good chance you can find the answer out at the Scout Shop. The Scout Shop is in the Scouting Adventure Center, located off I-70 at Exit 121 in Columbia.
If you have any concerns or questions please contact the store staff by email: GreatRivers.ScoutShop@scouting.org or phone us at 573-449-2561 Ext. 204.
Safeguarding Youth Training
The safety and protection of children is the most important priority of the Scouting America.
True youth protection can be achieved only through the focused commitment of everyone in Scouting. It is the mission of Youth Protection volunteers and professionals to work within Scouting America to maintain a culture of Youth Protection awareness and safety at the national, regional, area, council, district, and unit levels.
Guide to Safe Scouting
All participants in official Scouting activities should become familiar with the Guide to Safe Scouting, applicable program literature or manuals, and be aware of state or local government regulations that supersede Scouting America practices, policies, and guidelines. The Guide to Safe Scouting is an overview of Scouting policies and procedures gleaned from a variety of sources. For some items, the policy statements are complete. Unit leaders are expected to review the additional reference material cited prior to conducting such activities.
Stay Informed
Scout Life
Scout Life is one of the top youth magazines in the country, and its website is packed with fun and resources for youth, leaders and parents.
Scout Life is only $15 a year for Scouts, an amazing value with great benefits.
Scouting Magazine App
The digital magazine Scouting is provided free to all registered adult leaders, parents and any other interested adults. It contains articles not only about Scouting but also about youth development and parenting.
Download on the App Store or Google Play.
Scouting magazine’s website is chock full of information and resources for leaders and parents.
GRC Newsletter
Sign up to stay in touch with the Great Rivers Council.
Learn More About Cub Scouts...
Become a Leader
Ask any of our volunteers and they’ll tell you, volunteering with Scouting is as rewarding to them as it is meaningful to the kids. Watching kids grow is one thing — leading them through the process is a whole new experience altogether.
You Are Not Alone!
Your den is in a pack that belongs to an organization chartered (a chartered organization) by Scouting America to operate a Scouting unit. The chartered organization approves leadership, helps secure a meeting place, and makes sure that the pack works within the guidelines and policies of their organization as well as those of Scouting America.
Your pack is a member of a service area, a geographic area of the Scouting local council that helps support the pack in providing a successful and high-quality program. An employee of the local council, a unit serving executive, is assigned to assist the packs in your area.
Your district also has a volunteer team called the commissioner staff. They are a service team that checks on the program health of your pack, and they are a communication link between your pack and the local council. A commissioner is assigned specifically to assist your unit.
Your district is one of several in the Great Rivers Council. The team at the Great Rivers Council is here to assist you.
Den Leader Resources
The Den Meeting is the most important part of Cub Scouting. It is where Cub Scouts build friendships, work together to learn new things, and progress towards earning their common badge of rank. Serving as a Den Leader is providing an opportunity to make a positive life long impact on your child and others in the den.
Conducting a Den Meeting
Den meetings are conducted at a date, time, and location that is best for families that are in the den. How often and for how long a den meets is also up to each den. The den should meet as frequently as necessary to ensure that, at minimum, each Cub Scout in the den has the opportunity to earn their badge of rank.
Preparing for a Den Meeting
Before you conduct a den meeting, complete the online training for Den Leader found at my.scouting.org.
To prepare for a den meeting simply identify a Cub Scout Adventure that you want to complete. Adventures are found in each of the grade-specific handbooks. It is recommended that you focus on the required Adventures first.
If this is your first den meeting for the year with new and returning Cub Scouts, the Bobcat Adventure is designed to be done as your first required Adventure.
Once you have chosen the Adventure to work on for your den meeting review the webpage for that Adventure. You can get to it by scanning the QR code in the Cub Scout handbook or by following the links below.
Parts of a Den Meeting
There are three parts to a den meeting. Before the meeting, during the meeting, and after the meeting
Before the Meeting
- Identify which Cub Scout Adventure you want to work on.
- Review the webpage for the Adventure which includes the Safety Moment, the Safety Moment highlights the key items you need to know to conduct the Adventure safely, the requirements for the Adventure, and recommended activities to complete each requirement.
- Identify the activities you will do during your den meeting. Gather the necessary supplies and complete the “Before the Meeting” action items.
During the Meeting
- Opening – Conduct an opening ceremony that includes the pledge of allegiance, the Scout Oath, and Scout Law.
- Activities – Complete the activities you chose to complete the requirements for the Adventure.
- Recognition – If the requirements for an Adventure are completed, recognize each Cub Scout with the Adventure Loop or Pin as instant recognition.
- Closing – Conduct a formal closing using the living circle, make any announcements or reminders, and the den leader may close with a reflection that focuses on a value of the Scout Oath or Scout Law.
After the Meeting
- Review – The den leader, assistant den leader, and other adults who helped with the meeting review how the meeting went and take any notes for improvement for the next meeting.
- Thank You – The den leader sends thank you notes to those adults who helped with the meeting.
- Record – The den leader records the requirement that were completed at the meeting in Scoutbook.
Den Meeting Resources
Click on the grade/rank below to access the den meeting resources and other resources available for that rank.
ScoutBook
Once you are a registered Den Leader, ScoutBook is your online resource to assist you with tracking and reporting awards for the youth in your den. In addition, it provides the ability to set up calendars and reminders to parents for events and activities.
ScoutBook now features a special Den Leader experience that will help you plan and prepare for den meetings. Details on what to do before, during, and after meeting along with the resources you need to deliver the program right at your fingertips.
ScoutBook is free for everyone registered in Scouting. Once you are registered, you or another leader can set up who is in your den and off you go!
Scouting App
The Scouting App provides parents the ability to see how their child is progressing, get notifications about meetings, and inform Den Leaders when a Cub Scout has completed a requirement at home.
Make sure all your parents download the Scouting App for free onto their mobile device.
Great Rivers Council
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