OldGreyEagle

The Venture Crew I am lucky enough to participate in has done the following: Camping/Hiking in Getysburg Hiked the Appalacian Trail to a scenic Overlook, cooked dinner, watched the sunset and then hiked back in the dark (Twice) Put up playground equipment at a safe house for Abused women and children Went on a week long Habitiat for humanity trip twice Went Water Rafting in Maine Went Backpacking in the New Jersey Pine Barrens twice Went Backpacking in Thunderswamp, (near Resica Falls, PA) Hosted Multiple training sessions for other Council Crews (First Aide, VLSC) Bike Hikes Attend full formal 7 course meal with Etiquette Pointers along the way Go to New York City for the day and explore (Urban Adventure Tour) Go to climbing gyms Climb Outside Cabin Camping in the winter More Backpacking scheduled for the spring We do what the youth want to do and plan, and remember, we are an Outdoor Crew, if we were an Arts and Hobbies, Life Ministries, Sports or Sea Scouts, we would be doing other things

Yes, it relates to Venturing, in fact, the fourth day of our course was hosted by Venturers, my son being one of them. He can sing the Wood Badge Staffer song now. And two of my ticket items were Venturing related. Wood Badge for the 21 rst Century is for any type of scouter in any unit or at any district or council position

Please Please Please, a little decorum please, they are not suspenders, they are braces... SO, why DO firemen wear red braces?(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

So, if we don't reward excellence, then we have to devise a society where everyone is viwed as equal in all respects as his/her neighbor, we will live in a society where being average, or common is the goal. Don't try to rise above everyone else as this will be wrong, it means you are not longer common, but uncommon. Perhaps all the people who feel we should all be the same and treated the same should get together and organize themselves somehow. Such a Union of those who wish all to be Common could be call Common Unionists, Hello, what's that? This all sounds vaguely familiar... Has this been tried before?

Actually it was fear of tickets that kept me out of Wood Badge as everyone I knew who was "doing" Wood Badge seemed to always mumber something about a ticket when I saw them, that and the rumor was you had to be a slave to Council for 2 years. While I was interested in doing Wood Badge, the fear of tickets, (the unknown) kept me away for years, it didnt help that no one would talk about them either. I understand about not giving the experience away, and this may be overkill, but perhaps a meeting with the participants AND the scout/Cub master or Committee chair if the its the scout/cub master in the class would be nice with the personal counselor to go over need in the unit and what might be worthwhile goals. We werent assigned our Counselor until the second sunday, perhaps having met him upfront before the classes would have been nice and a good way to get the thought process rolling. I took Wood Badge with 2 other ASM's in the troop we humbly serve, there was some jockeying for certain projects, but the Commitee Chair loved it, never has so much been done by so few for so many in such a short period of time. Progress of tickets was reviwed at Troop COmmittee meetings, and tons of ticket ideas kept comming up. My fellow Wood Badgers and I coined the term "Ticket Creep" , seems what we wanted to do was great but the attitide was, well if you do that, if you can do this at the same time it would be perfect. We made a list for the next crop of vict ahh participants to continue where our projects ended. Just as a curiosity, in the previous edition of Wood Badge, how was the ticket process handled?

As I remember, after I first signed up for Wood Badge I posted a thread here about Tickets, what was a good idea, and just what were they, the consensus was I should wait until the course to develop my own. Well, as I remember it, the course didnt talk about tickets until the third day of the first weekend and yes, tickets were "due" on the second day of the second week end. Which I found strange to say the least as most of the people I took Wood Badge with all had at least one ticket item change, (with appropriate authorization of the personal counselor of course) Perhaps a better approach would be to have the participants write "sample" ticket items to be sure they are getting the concept and then set the official approval with the personal counselor. As it was our patrol guide appoved our tickets yet our counselor signed off on them , it makes more sense to have the person who approves also be the one who signd off. Perhaps the tickets are over emphasised, but when the Wood Badge song comments on them so strongly, its easy to see why the emphasis is there. An alternative would be to have a pre-meeting of the participants explaing the ticket process, just the guidelines and tell the participants to think of how the material presented during the course will flesh out the ticket process.

from our Council Newsletter http://www.minsitrails.com/Data/Documents/Newsletter/Feb2004/p01.pdf "In support of the councils new Strategic Plan, the Executive Board of the Minsi Trails Council announced a new training requirement for top unit leaders. Beginning in December, 2004, any Pack, Troop or Crew that recharters will be required to have their Cubmaster, Scoutmaster or Venture Crew Advisor complete the basic training course for their position. To be considered trained, a Cubmaster must complete the New Leader Essentials course, and the Cubmaster Specific course, unless they completed Cub Leader Basic Training prior to September, 2001. The Essentials & Specific course can generally be completed in a five-hour session. For a Scoutmaster to be considered trained, they must have completed the New Leader Essentials course, the Scoutmaster Specific course, and the Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills course. The Essentials & Specific course can be completed in one day, and the Outdoor Skills course is generally held over a full weekend. If a Scoutmaster has completed Scoutmaster Fundamentals prior to September, 2001, or any earlier version of Boy Scout leader training, they will be considered trained. For Venture Crew Advisors to be considered trained, they must have completed the New Leader Essentials course and the Venturing Leader Specifics course. These two courses can be typically completed in five hours. If a new unit leader is recruited prior to that units recharter date, a grace period will be extended to allow that leader to complete their appropriate course. This is the councils first step in moving towards the vision of every Scout has a trained leader. Our hope is that through better training, the quality of our Scouting program will improve and the retention of our youth will increase." From what I understand, next year the requirement will be all "contact" leaders must be trained. So, can they do this? I am all for it, but I read here that a Council can't do this

I recently posted this, and again, this seems another appropriate place for it: GOD, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. When you feel someone "pulling your leg", "Yanking your chain" or "pushing your buttons" don't respond in kind. There is no clever put down or retort which will make anyone bent on chaos change his/her ways. (I know, I have tried many times, now, if I can only follow my own advice...)

I see the article in question as more proof that the more things change, they more they remain the same. Remember this quote? "Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers." Socrates (I posted this earlier, but it also fits here) It is the job of each generation to "shock" the previous, the Gay 90's generation shocked that which preceded it, the Roaring 20's did likewise as did the Zoot Suiters (23 skiddoo) and then the Greasers, the Hippies (or Love Children, take your pick), the Disco Darlings and then the Grunge/Heroin Chic of the 80'2/90's. As music goes, it evolves, David Bowie made Alice Cooper possible, who made Ozzie Osbourne possible who made Marilyn Manson possible, (gives me the creeps waiting to see who/what is next) But all in all its the natural order of things and BTW, who here thinks the Sharks and the Jets were meant to portray two social/glee club/dancing early Venture Crews?(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

... And Loving it!...

Not sure the BSA would make youth training mandatory when it doesn't require adult leaders to be trained

I heard next year Coleman is supposed to come out with a propane powered microwave oven

And Thinking Day is February 22 for what reason?

An apology to Tennessee residents, but does this make sense? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45116-2004Jan24.html I try to stand the middle ground on PC, and sometimes it makes sense, but I have to say this appears whacked, can somebody explain this to me?

I may be missing something, these Troops are from western PA and they don't know how to winter camp? Or what it takes to stay warm? I don't think its the DIstrict's job to be sure the scouts have appropriate equipment, isnt that someone elses job?

Uh, Ed, at least one president wasnt sworn in on a bible

The Lord does indeed move in mysterious ways

Hey hey, holy mackerel, no doubt about it, the Cubs are on their way The Cubs are going to hit today, they will field today, Come what may the Chicago Cubs are gonna win today... Ahhh, the summer of '69 was when I learned praying for a sports team didn't work.

"Why are Venturing Crews allowed to conduct Boy Scout advancement, but Boy Scout Troops are not allowed to give out Venturing awards, even to members of Venture patrols? Is there some supperiority about Venturing that makes it capable of properly carrying out its own program and that of another seperate program within the BSA?" As a Venture Crew Committee Member, I agree that Boy Scout Advancement has no place in Venturing, I dont see Venturing as Superior, just different

Hey, do you know the Bear fan's rally cry? Wait til 1985!

Let me make one thing perfectly clear I AM NOT AN EAGLES FAN!!!

C'mon, Rushie was stoned when he made that statement that Donavan was over rated. He gets his team to the NFC Title game three straight years without a receiver that could even remotely be considered a pro-bowler. Tell you what, I have long stated I am a Chicago Bear fan by birthright. I would trade Kordell Stewart and Chris Chandler for Donovan without hesitation.

NJCUBSCOUTER Now, I don't want to cause to a "flap" over hijacking a thread, but I had to agree with Pounder and "Lodge" an objection to the prescence of the OA on Venturing Unfiforms when not all Crew members are eligible for membership is a "Chief" beef of mine. And yes, this is exactly like a Venturer earning Eagle. I have stated on this forum that I beleive that Eagle is a BSA rank and should stay in the Boy Scout program. The Venturing Program has Outdoor Adventure, SeaScouts, Arts and Hobbies, Sports, and Religious Life Bronze Awards along with the Ranger and soon the Quest and Trust along with the Gold and Silver awards. Why we need to steal a rank from Boy Scouts, when its professed Venturing has no ranks is beyond my comprehension. Maybe we should "TeePee" National in protest However, to spare the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune, I "bow" to the original intent of this thread and promise no more posts on this topic in this thread. BTW, Not wearing a Lodge Flap has got to be number ten on the uniform police's most wanted(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

Meanwhile in Philadelphia the line to jump off the Ben Franklin Bridge shows no sign of ending... After three straight failed attempts to win the NFC Championship I wonder if the president would declare the Eagles as a disaster area and help Donavan McNabb get receivers who can catch and have heart? BTW OutDoor Thinker is safely back home

Ah, yes, Whiffenpoof's... From the tables down at Mory's, To the place where Louie dwells, And the dear, old Temple Bar we love so well, Sing the Whiffenpoofs assembled, With their glasses raised on high! (non-alchohol of course) And the magic of their singing, casts a spell. Yes the magic of their singing, of the songs we love so well; "Shall I Wasting" and "Mavourneen" and the rest! We will serenade our Louie, Till health and voices fail' And we'll pass and be forgotten with the rest. We are poor little lambs Who have lost our way, Baa!Baa!Baa! We are little, black sheep Who have gone astray! Baa!Baa!Baa! Gentlemen, songsters, off on a spree, Doomed from here to eternity; Lord! Have mercy on such as we, Baa!Baa!Baa! (Now if they were competent in Orienteering and GPS they wouldnt be lost)(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)