Actually, what you want to look for is a Cub Scout pack. That is for the 1st to 5th graders. Call the elementary school that your son would be in and ask them if they have the cubmasters name.
Or go to this website
http://www.scouting.org/ click on local councils, and it will direct you to a page where you will type in your zip code. It will then locate the local boy scout council office. If you call them, they will give you the names of packs in your area.
You could also try the church. If you go in, ask for the name of the person in the church that is the chairman on the boy scout troop. He can then get you in contact with the right person at the local council office.
The dens are part of a pack. Usually the cub scout pack is chartered by an elementary school, occasionally by a church. Once you join a pack, your son will be assigned to a den. A den is a group of boys, all the same grade level. (Some may go by age, but the greatest majority go by grade level.) The dens usually are small, 6-8, but can be larger. They have meetings--can be weekly or biweekly or some other setup. Den leaders plan the meetings and ask for parent help as needed. Depending on the age, parents can be very involved in den meetings or not as much. Some dens do family activities, some don't. Generally as the boys get older, the parents are not as involved in the den meetings. The boys stay together as the progress through the ranks in cub scouts--Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos.
The pack meetings and events are very family focused. They are held once a month and always have a theme. There is a blue and gold banquet in February to celebrate scouting's anniversary. There is the pinewood derby where boys race pine cars that they make and paint. There is summer camp. There are fundraisers and service projects. Some packs are very busy, others not as much. They always need parent volunteers on the pack level.
What is neat about scouts is that the boys can earn badges, beads, arrow points, special awards, academic and sports belt loops and pins, etc. They can go on outings as a den or pack. They do neat things as dens. They do service projects. They can go to camp. Families are involved. It is great for character development.
I was a den leader for 5 years and very involved in our pack. I am now involved with boy scouts, but on a "lighter" level. My son--8th grade--just got "star" rank and is now working on "life". When he gets that next February, his next step will be Eagle.
