Long Cruise Badge

[Argyle]

In the spirit of conflicting messages and conflicting requirements, let me throw another one out here. The Long Cruise Badge. My understanding of this award is basically 2 weeks on the water, days recorded after earning Ordinary, cruising on any boat or vessel. The days can be either 14 days straight, weekends, or single overnighters. An overnighter being at least 24 hours.

 

One of our ship's officers reported back that at Seabadge, it was stated that a Long Cruise could modified to fit basically anything, it was said that a Sea Scout who goes to Philmont could earn the Long Cruise Badge by going on a trek. Some kids might have hiking boots the size of a small boat, but can the Venture program twist and morph stuff to fit their own needs this badly? Commander Keane is rolling in his grave.

 

 

[GNX Guy]

Yes, that was stated by one of the staff, however, I believe I stated "No way" then I believe Bob White quoted the text from the Sea Scout Manual on page 73 where it specifically says vessel or boat under council or ship authority. So sorry, a 7 day Alaskan cruise aboard a cruise ship does not count. I guess unless you went as a ship activity????

 

Sea Scouts wishing to qualify for the Long Cruise badge must 1st rreach the Ordinary rank. The long Cruise badge is then earned by participating in two weeks of cruising aboard any vessel or boat provided by the local council or by the Sea Scout under council or ship authoirty. Where a 2 week cruise is not possible, your Skipper may authorize a series of overnight cruises. An adult officer may earn it without qualifying for Ordinary.

 

Sea Scouts may use their own vessel when authorized by an adult officer from the Ship.

 

A vessel, is not a car, or a camper, or a pair of hiking boots.

 

Vessel may refer to:

 

a boat, ship or starship

liquid or food vessel, such as a pitcher, bowl, cup or bottle

other kinds of packaging containers

a tubular structure of vascular tissue in plants such as xylem and phloem

 

 

I guess you could float in a big soup bowl for 2 weeks and meet the requirements, but it might be more comfortable in a row boat.

 

I guess one would have to ask....how about a canoe trip and camping on the shore?? The rules do not specifically state you have to stay on board the vessel consecutive hours or that the vessel has to be untied from the slip and making way?

 

 

 

 

[GNX Guy]

Found a few more definitions of a vessel

 

A seaplane on the water.

 

A watercraft specifically designed to operate on a permanently fixed course and guided by a mechanical device that restricts the watercraft's movement to the fixed course.

 

A floating structure that is designed and built to be used as a stationary waterborne residential dwelling, which, (a) does not have and is not designed to have a mode of power of its own, (b) is dependent for utilities upon a continuous utility linkage to a source originating on shore, and © has a permanent, continuous hookup to a shoreside sewage system.

 

[Argyle]

An overnighter would seem to be two days, one night, or at least 24 hours of cruising time. That would mean cruising time, off the dock, up the lake, or across the river. At this point in our new ship's time, our Ordinary's are totally capable of leading a cruise out on their own for at least 24 hours.

 

I would think that the Long Cruise award would have to be for more than just sleeping aboard at night.

 

Well if the Venture Scout Leaders can morph a vessel into hiking boats.....as Skipper of a boat upon the water, I can enact ship policy to ensure that our Sea Scouts who do sport a Long Cruise Patch are young men and women who absolutely know what they're doing out there, and have the full confidence of this skipper and his mutinous mates.

[SSScout]

Check out Bayport Scout Reservation of the Colonial Virginia Council. Jamaica Virginia. Two ocean racer yachts available for summer cruises. Scouts Age 14 and up.

Talk about appreciated contributions...

[emb021]

I have to agree with GNX. AFAIK, there has been no approval of any such modification of the Long Cruise to allow for non-boating time. I've not heard of any such policy change. Wonder what kind of response I'd get on the National Sea Scout mailing list if I ask, considering our National Commodore's on the list...

 

Also, Argyl, please get the program names right. Its Venturing, not Venture. Venture is a Boy Scout program. There are no "Venture Scout Leaders" in the BSA. There are Venturing leaders, Sea Scout Leaders, Boy Scout leaders, etc, but no 'Venture Scout leaders'.

[Argyle]

What if the youth want to call themselves a Venture Scout Venturing Patrol Crew? You'd be in a real pickle there.

 

There's a new Central Region Commodore. I wish her the best, especially after having to pick up the pieces from her two predecessors. Under the last two previous commodores number in the midwest dropped over 25%, there was no regional training to speak of for years, poor communications, a weak, uncooperative committee, well, it just wasn't any good. Wouldn't the national commodore and the national committee be the ones responsible for the floundering program in the Midwest? Yet, it was blek for the last 10 years.

 

But, from where I sit, at unit level, mentioning the national commodore, the national committee, or any regional or area commodores, doesn't make me sit any straighter in my chair or fill me with awe of any kind. Actually, the more contact I have with some who only server at district, council, region, and national levels only, the more we want to reject being involved with them and concentrate solely at unit level, back where the Rudder meets the Rode.

 

Instead of correcting poster's use of terminology, would you benefit the program more by using your vast array of knowledge and starting a crew or ship?

(This message has been edited by Argyle)

[emb021]

"What if the youth want to call themselves a Venture Scout Venturing Patrol Crew? You'd be in a real pickle there."

 

Why would the youth want to do that? Its a mess, confusing, and wrong.

 

"There's a new Central Region Commodore. I wish her the best, especially after having to pick up the pieces from her two predecessors. Under the last two previous commodores number in the midwest dropped over 25%, there was no regional training to speak of for years, poor communications, a weak, uncooperative committee, well, it just wasn't any good. Wouldn't the national commodore and the national committee be the ones responsible for the floundering program in the Midwest? Yet, it was blek for the last 10 years."

 

I prefer to fix the problem, not the blame. A lot of people might be at fault. There are many people, at many levels, who can help fix it. I've never carried for do-nothing, obstructionist volunteer leaders, no matter what level they are at.

 

"But, from where I sit, at unit level, mentioning the national commodore, the national committee, or any regional or area commodores, doesn't make me sit any straighter in my chair or fill me with awe of any kind. Actually, the more contact I have with some who only server at district, council, region, and national levels only, the more we want to reject being involved with them and concentrate solely at unit level, back where the Rudder meets the Rode."

 

There are many people, at many levels, including unit, who aren't contributing to the program. Fix the problem, get the right people, and things will be better. A mistake that people at the local level get into is thinking they are better off without those at the upper levels. They are wrong. A mistake that people at the upper levels make is thinking they are more important then those at the local level. They are wrong.

 

"Instead of correcting poster's use of terminology, would you benefit the program more by using your vast array of knowledge and starting a crew or ship?"

 

Incorret terminology causes confusion amoung those who don't fully understand things. This leads to further problems. This is why we teach people stuff like communicating clearly and understand what happens when we don't communicate (or don't communicate clearly). This is why we have things like dictionaries and glossaries so we can use the correct term in the correct way.

 

As to your final comment. Everyone contributes to the program. There are those who have the time, skills, and abilities to setup and run a crew/ship. There are those who do not have the time, skills, and abilities to run a crew/ship, but who DO have the time, skills, and abilities to support such people at the upper levels. We all have a place we can help out the program. I find it incrediblty rude and un-scoutlike to consider those who support the unit-level leaders at district/council/etc and aren't also unit leaders to somehow be lesser contributors to scouting.

 

[Argyle]

Support......yeah, right.

 

Looks like regional/national adult volunteer politcs and egos just took out another commodore.

[Argyle]

I find it indredibly rude that instead of sending someone a PM to correct their misuse of this confusing terminology you continue to correct them in public.