The Time Has Come To Stand On Your Own Two Feet.

[dsteele]

I have been asked, recently, to help out with our council's Venturing Impact Event -- designed to get chartered partners and youth excited about joining Venture Crews. Reals ones, guys and gals, not just groups of older Scouts. The idea is to start stand alone crews and get some visibility to the program.

 

When I first met with the Venturing Membership Chair, she was talking about a meeting on a Saturday morning for youth and potential charter partners and some kind of activity in the afternoon. She and I talked about a climbing wall or caving.

 

I didn't like the climbing wall. Any kid from the age of 6 or so can go to a Galyans Sporting Goods or other spot with a wall and climb on their own. The caving idea I liked, but it proved too expensive.

 

Now I'm thinking of doing three activities (the meeting part is not a problem) offering a choice of which activity the kids participate in.

 

The charge for the event would be $5.00 per youth and would include patch, equipment and site rental.

 

At first I was trying to think of stuff they couldn't do on there own, but this evening it occured to me that if we're selling the Venturing program, we need to show stuff they CAN do on their own.

 

So the activities I'll propose to the chairman tomorrow are:

 

1) Frisbee golf (we'll supply regluation, Venturing pre-printed frisbees. Four person best throw format. Trophies at the end.

 

2) One-eyed dodge ball. We'll supply the eye patches. The "captains" chosen that day will pick people for the other team, not their own.

 

3) A "no rules" pinewood derby. We'll set up the track similar to a rifle range. We'll supply the cars. It doesn't matter what the car weighs or if they shove a rocket engine in the back.

 

Actually, come to think of it, if we charge six bucks a head, we can include a patch. Something with the Venturing logo and the phrase "Venturing -- Rule Yourself!"

 

What do you think?

 

Unc.

[Bob White]

Have you considered turning the activity planning over to a small group of Venturing-aged youth to come up with activities that interst them?

 

[Eamonn]

Unc, Old Chap,

Some ideas of mine. Not that yours are bad.

The Great Egg Race.

You supply an egg, balsa wood or light wire and a set of wheels along with a rubber band.

They design and build a vehicle to transport the egg. One that covers the most distance is the winner.

Pasta Bridges.

Like indoor or mini pioneering. You supply uncooked pasta and they design a bridge. The bridge that can withstand the most weight is the winner. (A toy truck with weights in.)

Head and Catch:

Use a volley ball or a not to hard soccer-ball.

Have them form a circle.

Someone stands in he center of the circle with the ball. He throws it to a player and calls "Head it" or he calls "Catch it"

If the call is head it - the player must catch it and if the call is catch it - the player must head it. Get it wrong and you are out.

Young people this age love eating contests!!

I don't know how many people you are expecting??

Shame your deadline is so close.

Eamonn.

[OldGreyEagle]

Is it too late to get Crews that are High Adventure, Sea Scouts, Arts and Hobbies, Sports and Youth Ministries based to make a poster or display about what they have done?

 

Have some Ventures there talking about what they did?

 

If possible, don't concentrate on what CAN be done, that can be ephemeral in the teens mind, present them what's being DONE, by teens who live in their community(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

[dsteele]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

 

Actually, OGE, we're following National's recommendations for an impact luncheon. My co-chair is looking for a female and male Venturer from different crews to give short descriptions of what they have done as crew members.

 

The only difference between ours and the national plan is that we're including youth as well as potential chartered organizations. we're doing it on a Saturday morning. Impact program for about an hour, then hot dog lunch, then the youth activities I mentioned.

 

Unc.

 

Isn't this better than arguing over "crybabies." I prefer action to rhetoric any day.

 

U.

[BadenP]

You guys ever notice that its just the three or four of you old senior members on this forum, I wonder why? Unc, I'm glad your buddies could help you plan out your meeting, even though it is already done for you in the book "Here's Venturing". You all should get a copy of it if you stay in Venturing, its a great resource of ideas. Well it is obvious you good ol boys are not wanting anyone else crashing your lil group so I wish you all well, even you Unc. I hope you treat your units well and they continue to grow in the scouting spirit.It has been a pleasure getting to know you gentlemen. SEE YA!

[OutdoorThinker]

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.

 

 

[wojauwe]

Ok.I'm going to stay out of the politics and philosphy I got a little carried away with that on the OA site that Eamonn spun from.

But I wanted to share with you what can be done at Council level by Venture age youth.This took 3 years of the lead youth banging his head against the wall of a council that was still

unsure about how to deal with Venture.This year Council let him promote at reasonable time and event filled up in less than 2 months.The Web site doesn't reflect changes in location and some program.But it's basically the same thing.

Check it out http://www.joinventuring.com/ranger_quest.htm

[buffalo2]

Good to see some constructive ideas rising above the noise! And Bob thanks for the reminder that we are ADVISORS.

Prime the pump and sit back for questions...

[BadenP]

It is sad that this topic has come to an abrupt end considering its importance. This is one forum that everyone involved with Venturing should be participating in. It does not matter whether you guys think that Venturing is good or bad, but to brand it as not being a scouting program is a grave injustice. All of us involved in Venturing could tell you some fantastic stories about what this program has done for youth. Case in point, I have one boy who was deserted by his dad and beaten by his mom most of his life. He had been in and out of trouble with the law and then he came to one of my meetings. He always hated authority figures and structure, but I asked him to give it a try. Well to cut to the chase, he excelled in advancement and leadership and the other teens started looking up to him. Last Sunday he was awarded his Bronze award and his religious emblem. Even better the crew unamiously nominated him for President next year, the transformation in this teen has been phenomenal. This kid lives the spirit of scouting everyday thanks to the program some of you think is not a scouting Venturing. This gives all teens troubled or not a real chance at being all that they can be. Venturing is not a program to dismiss as substandard, rather it should be embraced and allowed to grow. As for me I dont care if it is the fastest growing program or not; all I know that Venturing is a winning program that helps this crazy world make sense to a lot of confused teens. I think Baden Powell would have supported Venturing 100%, and I know that I do.

[wojauwe]

I agree with you BP.Did you take a peak at the web site I put in the entry I made a couple of boxes up?It's a flyer for a youth designed and planned Venture event.It's a great example

of what a youth run organization can do.

I'm not involved as a Venture advisor,but the originator of this event is my son and I've watched closely as he brought together a team of youth and 'adult advisors' and made his dream become a reality.

[Backpacker]

Hello to All of You.

 

I am new in here, but I have a lot of scouting experience under my belt. I have been drafted to be a Venture Advisor this fall. I have been to all the training , except Powderhorn. I want to get together with other Venture Advisors to hear your experience of what has gone real well for you and what hasn't. I am real excited about this program and want to swap ideas.

[BadenP]

Hi Backpacker

 

Welcome to the forum, this is my second year as a Venture Advisor. One important thing for the first time is get good officers who can motivate and organize well, this will make your task a whole lot easier. My first year I had the crew replace 3 officers who were not doing their jobs, after that it went real smooth. Another hint, let the teens fail once in a while, don't rush in to bail them out, you will see some real leadership come out of them. Well I look forward to talking more to you and others.

[boleta]

I am a new Venturing Advisor. I just took the Leadership Specific Training. The Crew President is doing a great job and I view my role as strictly advisor. The guys are 15 to 18 and run the show. They do what they want to do, when they want to do it. They are not interested in advancement, but if they do things, I keep track of it and will tell them if they need to do anything additionally to get their Bronze Award or Ranger.

[Backpacker]

Thanks for the welcome BadenP and for the advice. I know how different this program is from Boy Scouts and it looks like a lot more fun and less structured as well. I look forward to hearing more about the program.