Multi-Council Venturing Camps

[dana_renner]

Is there enough interest in the scouters that use these forums for anyone to go to their council and suggest a council or multi-council Venturing camps. Maybe somewhat similar to a BSA summer camp. I have been suggesting this for a while to scouters in our district and council and it is suggested in some Venturing literature. How would this be done?

[Bob White]

Do you know of a scout camp whose programs are not open to scouts from other councils?

[Bob58]

Gooood Morning!

 

Dana, I'm not sure just what the question is.

If you are asking if there are BSA camps that welcome Venture crews for summer camp, the answer is a resounding yes!

...is there a regional organization that specifically addresses the needs of these campers? Not that I know of.

...do BSA camps provide adequate program oppoptunities for VEnture during the summer? Can only be answered on a case by case (camp x camp) basis.

 

But, "By Jove I think you've got it!" This could be just the place to raise the topic & get some input for addressing your question.

 

Best of luck.

Bob

 

[Bob58]

Hey Guys, I'm a little disppointed that there haven't been a few more posts to help Dana hash this out.

 

Does anyone w/ Crew experience at BSA summer camps have anything to offer? I know that some camps welcome co-ed Crews on paper, but have they worked on the program to make the Crew friendly or is BSA going to leave that up to Dana & company?

 

Bob

[Bob58]

Hey Guys, I'm a little disppointed that there haven't been a few more posts to help Dana hash this out.

 

Does anyone w/ Crew experience at BSA summer camps have anything to offer? I know that some camps welcome co-ed Crews on paper, but have they worked on the program to make the Crew friendly or is BSA going to leave that up to Dana & company?

 

Bob

[Bob58]

Hey Guys, I'm a little disppointed that there haven't been a few more posts to help Dana hash this out.

 

Does anyone w/ Crew experience at BSA summer camps have anything to offer? I know that some camps welcome co-ed Crews on paper, but have they worked on the program to make the Crew friendly or is BSA going to leave that up to Dana & company?

 

Bob

[Bob White]

There are hundreds of scout camps in the US. Do some offer Venturing summer camp weeks? Yes.

Are others making plans to do them? Yes.

Do they all allow units from outside their council to attend? Yes.

 

It is done by showing the council that it is a financially responsible program offering for the council to support. Dana has taken the first step, to show an interest. Now he needs to show that there are enough others interested in his council or surrounding councils that would attend. Others have been able to do it, but that doesn't mean that every council or cluster has enough interest and membership to make it feasible.

 

Please pardon me if in order to save time I only post this once.

[dana_renner]

In the camps that I refer to, Is where Co-ed crews and ships would be welcome as well as crews that are all male or all female. Also these camps could do COPE, Ecology, do requirements for the Outdoor Bronze Award, if close enough to a large body of water, sail, and where Sea Scouts could work on the Sea Scout Bronze Award. The week could conclude with an awards ceremony, and a large social event to really conclude the week. Has any crew or ship been to John Swift Base in Missouri? I need all the information I can get.

[dana_renner]

In this I mean where there are a part of a council or where other councils would come together and design a Venturing camp for High Adventure activities in Venturing or a Sea Scout interest camp, something located near a large body of water. Or maybe a Venturing Camp that would do a program designed for all the Venturing specialties. I am aware that most BSA Camps are open to crews as well as troops, teams, ships and posts, and packs. But where one would do primarily a Venturing camp for just a week or so.

[Bob White]

Dana keep in mind that property adjacent to a large body of water is very expensive. Few Scout camps are located on LARGE bodies of water. Most are small to medium.

 

As has been posted previously, a lot of BSA camps do a week or two of "Venturing only" summer camps, or are in the development stage of doing so. And all those camps welcome out-of-council units. Whether those camps are convenient to you can be more easily discovered by your local council professionals then on this forum.

 

 

So as to your origanial questions,

Is there interest? Certainly there must be since councils are already doing it.

 

How do you get your council to do so? Do your homework. What activities can your local camp offer? Do you have enough interest and membership to make it financially feasible to offer a Venturing only camp? What is being offered in this activity at surrounding councils? What kind of attendance can be expected from out-of-council units? When on the council calendar do propose this to be held?

 

You can't just go in like Mickey Rooney's character and say "hey, lets put on a show". The council has a fiscal responsibility to make sure that decisions to do expensive projects, like staffing a camp for a week, have been based on some good business decisions as well as good program development.

 

 

[dana_renner]

Now let's do a new thing a Venturing Camp completely dedicated to the entire Venturing Program for the entire summer. Are there many scout camps that are large to accomodate a seperate Venturing Camp, if so then why not have one that will serve many crews and ships from their councils as well as others? High Adventure activities, Arts and Hobbies activities for those crews, Relgious Life crews may could help lead religious services at the camp. Sea Scouts could do COPE or the land based programs that Sea Scouts do. Summer Camp Crew for the staff. Sports clinics for the Sports crews. Well maybe some of the people involved in my council will read this as well and consider doing some of these ideas. Maybe something to consider.

[Bob White]

Dana,

Do you know of any council that has enough Venturing units to make that feasible? If a council were to give its entire summer camp program over to Venturing then what would happen to the summer camp program for the Boy Scout troops who surely greatly outnumber the Venturerers?

 

It would not be financially responsible to send several hundred Boy Scouts elsewhere to serve only a couple hundred Venturing scouts. I don't think you have given this much thought beyond the "hey lets put on a show".

[dana_renner]

What I am talking about is this, If scout camps have much land that they can devote to a Venturing Camp why not run a Venturing Camp and invite crews from the hosting council as well as the neighboring councils. Instead of every council running their own Venturing Camp. This could be helpful to the councils and every council that send it's crews to that camp could also have a representative on the camp committee for the Venturing camp. Maybe this idea could go down to the Boy Scout and Cub Scout camp activities too. This may save a lot of money in the long run. The neighboring councils could send their Scouts and Venturers to that camp to work on camp staff. The hosting camp could also charge a higher fee to cover expenses. Maybe even the OA could be on a multi-council level.

[Bob White]

What I am talking about is this, If scout camps have much land that they can devote to a Venturing Camp why not run a Venturing Camp and invite crews from the hosting council as well as the neighboring councils.

 

THEY ALREADY DO!

 

Instead of every council running their own Venturing Camp.

 

Camps are run by councils, and each council is an independent non-profit corporation. They have no choice but to operate their own camps.

 

This could be helpful to the councils

How?

 

and every council that send it's crews to that camp could also have a representative on the camp committee for the Venturing camp.

 

Read the part about the councils being independent corporations again.

 

Maybe this idea could go down to the Boy Scout and Cub Scout camp activities too.

 

Each council and there volunteer and professional staf are judged by that councils program, membership and financial growth. Is your council so thick with volunteers that you can send them to help another cpouncils program rather than the one serving your community?

 

This may save a lot of money in the long run.

 

How?

 

The neighboring councils could send their Scouts and Venturers to that camp to work on camp staff.

 

They already do that.

 

The hosting camp could also charge a higher fee to cover expenses.

 

They Already do that.

 

Maybe even the OA could be on a multi-council level.

 

And how to you propose they do that logistically?

 

Most of what you propose is already being done.

 

Some of what you propose cannot be done unless you chnage the way that the councils are structured nationally.

 

The balance would just make it more difficult to get to events and meetings.

 

Where is the benefit to Venturing in all of this?

 

 

 

[dana_renner]

In my Council 2 years ago we had a multi-council event the University of Scouting where 3 councils went together and had a UOS in a neighboring council in a different state. Anyway there were people there from 3 councils even Girl Scout leaders were invited. Point is if they can do that with a UOS they can do that with Venturing Camps. Sea Scouting holds regattas and invites other ships from other councils to attend and invites volunteers to help staff the regatta. Look at Jamborees, and I am just talking about Venturing Camps for the summer. I do believe it can be done as far as volunteers from one council helping in another council. That too is being done here in my own council. One person who belongs to the OA in this council resides in another council. I have heard of people registered in two councils. Also the event can be held one year at one council and another year at another council. Large Councils can build Venturing Camps and have volunteers that are registered in both those councils serve on the camp board or staff.