OutdoorThinker

Sounds like your crew is really coming together. Sometimes all it takes is a little time and patiences. The crew that I've been involved in has seen many changes in the last six years or so. We're gearing up for a new youth administration (only our third president) and as our new youth step up, several of our older youth leadership are turning twenty one and learning the new challenges of adult advisorship in the crew. Venturing keeps you on your toes and there is always something to be learning.

I thought I could sneak back on and throw my two cents out every now and again. Thanks for the welcome back, Hops. It's been a while.

First, have your Venturers participated in the Venturing Leadership Skills Course? My personal opinion is that the program is a great way to train your young leaders and opens a forum to discussion communication and things that are working or not working within your crew. Second, do your crew officers meet with the adult advisors? Engage all of your officers in the meeting that way you can try to have the youth share responsibilities of leading the crew. Additionally, the officers can take a look at some long term planning ideas and get a calendar organized for the year. It will also give the adults an oppertunity to supportively advise the crew leadership down paths that may help the crew overall. It's difficult to find that nitch where adults are helpful, but not pushy. However, if it looks like your officers might be crashing and burning or need the advisor's help during a meeting, don't take over, but offer help.

I've been without a phone for the last couple of days and when my internet finally got up I was too tired from chasing Cub Scouts at camp all day to get on the computer. thread has been really interesting. I dont know when Venturing will get out of its infancy, but its not for lack of trying with the youth involved in Venturing. I feel that the program needs more attention from the higher powers which include National...has anyone seen the lastes Unit start up folder? On the left pocket are the emblems of each branch of scouting...the Venturing symbol is upside down. What message does that send to those of us who are involved in Venturing? On the question of Venturing's status, I had originally felt that the status of the Venturing program was regionally different. I had always had the notion that the Western and Central Region had their act together a little better than the Northeast and the Southern Regions. This general concept that the Souther and hte Vcentral regions had it more together when it came to Venturing seemed to be nullified when I met up with youth representatives from each of the regions just recently. I'd be interested to see how regions differ, because my sampling was very small. In addition, when our council began multi crew events one of our biggest successes was instead of each crew getting up and talking about what their crew has done recently, each crew was asked to bring a poster or some sort of display which showcased their recent successes. This not only allowed each of the crews to show off a bit, but also allowed crews to get new ideas of successful events that they may have never though of.

I know that there are a smattering of women District Executives out there, but does anyone know of any women council executives?

Congrats! Be prepared to have the best summer of your life!

I am not entirely sure what my role will be, but there are a number of venturers serving as staff next weekend at our council's woodbadge training, including me.

OGE doesnt call me the Princess of Percipitation for nothing. It seems to be a proven fact that I bring the rain..any and all of the time I go camping. Last summer was particularly wet, and many attribute it to the fact that I was on camp staff...last year my national camping school was nearly flooded out because of rain -- we had three inches of rain in the first 24 hours and a horrific thunder storm during our Scoutcraft outpost. Some of my other favorite wet trips included a backpacking rainstorm...I suppose they dont call it Thunder Swamp for nothing (ironically, the little brother and his troop were backpacking in the same area...I am known around the council for the weather I bring), our last council event which was attended 7000 boys had quite the thunderstorm on Saturday evening and all evening events including a big concert, and another one of OGE's favorite Princess of Pericipatation stories is a trip that I didnt even attend, but I was nearby when the troop left for a camp out to Gettysburg, so I offered my services to help them pack up and saw them off...they had flash flooding and a storm that brought hail the size of golf balls. It wouldnt be a crew outing if it didnt rain.

Please hang in there! I've been in this Venturing business for almost five years now and I've seen Crews come and go and if our crew hasnt dealt with every problem in the book (we've had almost all of them...) I've seen it happen within my council. Our crew has dealt with all of the following, boys wanting their Eagle first, other extracurriculars (a particular 'favorite' is the high school band...which used to wipe out the entire fall), crew members going off to college, and we're still battling with recruitment and desperately scrap around for female chaperones for each trip. The Venturing program still has a long way to go, the Ranger and other awards need to become recognized, the Venturing program needs to become a more household name equal to its scouting counterparts of Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts. Our crew has managed to survive, largely because our advisors have not given up on us or the program. We set dates for events with the policy of as long as we have the leadership we go; our crew offers our services to help crew members on their Eagle projects; the boys that come in from our troop my be at least star in their advancement. In addition, we try to work with troop that we are attached to. Our advisors are still committee members with the troop and some of our older Crew members as ASMs with the troop. We try not to plan events the same time that the troop will be going on an outing, so that boys can be active in both groups. In addition, all of our boys that were in the troop before becoming crew members have gotten their Eagle while members of the Crew. On a final note when it comes to recruitment. That's right, sometimes the Venturing program does not recruit just by exsisting. The program, still in its infancy, doesnt always have the clout that other organizations have. Crews have to actively seek members or the program will disappear. The best way to get more youth in the program seems to be by word of mouth. We just had what seemed to be successful (knock on wood) recruitment presentation with the troop this past week (as all of the eighth graders are going to be going into ninth grade, ergo old enough to join the program). We went a new direction and showed a film that we had made for a Crew film festival. It wasnt your every day recruitment video, but it went over well and showed that our crew has a sense of humor and isnt always climbing Mt. Everest, as some of the younger boys shy away from the crew, because they think it is completely hard core high adventure.

I actually got the oppertunity to be in the crowd for the dedication of the WWII monument. Both of my grandfathers served during WWII, but did not live long enough to see the monument go up. I went in their honor (one of my grandfathers was also a very active Scouter, and he didnt get a chance to witness his only granddaughter become a rough and ready Boy Scout, so of late, I've been thinking of him more and more). The ceremony was an awe inspiring experience and the generation of my grandparents has set the bar high for generations to come. I hope my generation can do this world and their generation justice in years to come.

I was just talking to my program director from last summer, yesterday. I know its only been a year, but the two of us marvelled at the friendship that we formed and have maintained, because the actual hiring process so was quick and whirlwind...neither of us would have guessed we would be get to be tight.

Our crew had not really been into advancements. Advancements if earned were for the most part done on your own. The crew was there to facilitate a survey of backpacking trips, hiking trips, community service projects, white water rafting, etc. Crew members are also at an interesting age when it comes to advancement, many of our crew boys have just/or are finishing their Eagle scout requirements, and a lot of our girls have gotten their or are working on their GS Gold Awards. With Venturing advancements not as recognized can you blame the crew members for not being as motivated? How do we change that? In addition, our crew's mentality is very much, we'er a group that does high adventure and has a lot of fun, but beyond that very little is required from us. In the midsts of SATs, College Applications, employment, college classes, high school extracurriculars, etc, the crew was our non-stress activity. A place where paperwork was not demanded nor homework due. I know that advancement is one of the Boy Scoutings methods, but do you think it loses its affectiveness in Venturing Crews?

How focused are your crews on advancement? Roughly how many bronze awards, silver awards, and gold awards do you have in your crew? What areas are your crews bronzes in? How about Ranger or Quest? Do you as a crew work on advancement together or is it very individualized? Overall, what are your thoughts on Venturing advancement?

Our crew likes reciting poetry, speeches and silioquies from plays around our campfires or when its raining and we're huddled under the dining fly (lets face it the rain happens more often). Do you also recite things around your campfire? If so what are some of your favorites. I am looking for a good one to work on this summer.

Although our crew prefers recitations around the campfire. My favorite songs are the Mermaid song and the Birdie Song (despite my fear of birds...I've also learned the hard way that your favorite camp songs should be left in the dining hall and around the camp fire and not brought back to your dorm room to sing when you cant fall asleep...especially if your roommate can.