OA starting Crews???

[OutdoorThinker]

I just returned from a Council Venturing Roundtable where I discovered that the OA will be starting to form Venturing Crews. I have yet to be able to comprehend the OA's need for Venturing Crews and maybe you all can enlighten me, because they wont let me join for another two years or so.

 

The OA is an honors and service society of the Boy Scouting, how does Venturing fit in?

 

Why dont these OA boys join their home crews?

[Bob White]

I would doubt that the OA is a qualified Chartering Organization. It is possible for an approvewd organization to charter a crew and limit membership to OA members. But the BSA's congressional charter restricts the BSA from chartering units itself. So a troop cannot charter a pack and an OA Chapter, I am pretty sure, cannot charter a crew.

 

One way I have seen Venturing and befor that Explorring used in conjuction with OA was that a unit was formed for the dance team and ceremony members of the OA. This allowed them control of a separate bank account that was used exclusively to fund costiming and props needed for OA ceremonies.

 

Bob White

[Proud Eagle]

That seems very unusual at best. I know of nothing at the national level that would support this. I also know of nothing locally that would support it in my area.

 

Is it possible for the OA to charter a crew? I don't think they can. Maybe the council will turn a blind eye toward it, or maybe some other group is the charter org. on paper, with the OA being it in fact.

 

My greater concern beyond this being within the rules or not is the question of this being of benefit to the youth and the program. The only possible uses I can see for an OA venturing crew would be to create a unit based on ceremonies and dancing that could carry out additional activities beyond those of the lodge, to allow the OA lodge a way to send expiditions to the high adventure bases and other such activities, or perhaps to offer some part of the venturing program to youth in parts of the council without local venturing crews. As to how Venturing fits into the OA, it doesn't, nor does OA fit into it. The two programs are seperated at all levels.

 

I would certainly not be in favor of any OA lodge chartering a unit. OA supports the program and the units. It should not become a unit. On the other hand, a Lodge being able to do some of the things a unit can do would be a great use to the OA. However, creating a unit from a different prgram in a way that is probably contrary to the rules is not a good way of gaining those abilities.

 

Oh, one other thing. What is that about not letting you join for another two years? I am a bit uncertain what that is about.

 

[OldGreyEagle]

Proud Eagle, Outdoor Thinker is a female Venture Crew member and even though she is an ASM, she is denied eligibility do to her status as a female youth under 21.

 

I was at the same meeting with Outdoor Thinker, she is the President of the Venture Executive Board, the Council Wide Youth Venturing group. The Council Chair on Training said he had heard from good authority that the OA was going to start to charter Crews, or that they could. It didnt make sense to either Outdoor Thinker or the guy who said it, but he told us thats what he understood.

[le Voyageur]

This is indeed odd?!?!?!

 

With the way BSA is structured I can't see how National can, or would want to, to issue it's self a charter and work directly at the unit level.

 

Guess this will be a wait and see story yet to unfold...

[Twocubdad]

Apparently this is a bad idea making the rounds through the back channels. It came up around here about this time last year --in my opinion -- as a means of padding the unit recruitment numbers. There was a plan for our chapter to charter as a crew, but then the other districts got wind of it and everyone wanted to do it. Fortunately, someone put a stake in it's heart. The last incarnation was to charter an OA crew to the summer camp. That didn't help anyone's district numbers, so the whole idea was dropped.

 

This is similar to the practice of chartering other pre-existing, non-Scout organizations as Venture crews. What's the point of that? I don't think our district has any crews like that, but it's not for lack of trying. I know there is some marginal benefit to the crews, like DSteele's ROTC crew which gain access to BSA rifle ranges. But if a church youth group charters as a Venture crew only to have free use of Scout facilities but continues its original program, adopting none of the Venture program, where's the benefit to either the group of BSA? Is is just part of the numbers game?

[buffalo2]

2Cub - I think that you're beginning to get a little closer to the truth. Locally saw our Council summer camp staff formed as a Crew and that seemed to make sense; but then saw our Cub Day Camp (1 week duration and by District) staff organized as a new Crew and had to wonder about

the purpose. Easy enough to throw stones I guess but still...

[Overtrained]

I agree, Twocubdad is probable closer to the truth.

 

When I was a Camp Director, both our Cub Camp Staff (8 weeks) and Scout camp Staff (10 weeks)had Explorer posts. They met throughout the year to keep the comradrie going. It actually helped have a stronger staff.

 

As for OA units, I see no good reason.

[Eamonn]

Oh boy.

In the quest for more units. I have heard of most of these ideas.

As far as I know none of them have got off the ground as yet here in our neck of the woods.

We do in another district have a "Crew" that is a school ski club. Sad to say other then the cover of our insurance they do nothing to follow any of the program.

I don't know much about insurance but I would think that you might be able to buy some sort of coverage for $11.00 just to cover ski trips?

IMOHO. I think that these number games are pulling the program down.

Eamonn