OR Pioneer Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I am both an Assistant District Commissioner for the BSA and the Education Chair at our local National Wildlife Refuge. A DE has approached me about the Friends of the Refuge chartering a Venture Crew. I'm wondering if anyone has experience with a Crew at a NWR or other Federal facility or a Wildlife Refuge that is State or Non-Profit. I need to pick brains about issues and assets that such a crew raise. Could someone give me contact information for such Crews if any exist? Thanks, Berk Moss, Newberg OR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emb021 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Biggest problem I see is that Venturing Crews (not "Venture crew") must follow BSA membership policies regarding religious belief and homosexual behavior. This is usually a major issue for government bodies to be Charter Orgs for BSA units (which was why we moved Exploring to Learning for Life). If its this "Friends of the Refuge" who will be the Chartering Org, and they don't have an issue with following these BSA membership policies, I think it sounds like a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OR Pioneer Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 Yes, these are my yellow fags too. We might also charter through the a local service club. I am also wondering about activities and service ideas. Really looking for some successful models. Berk Venturing Crew... Venturing Crew...Venturing Crew...Venturing Crew...Venturing Crew... I'll bet my brain slipped and was remembering Venture Patrols. but I've got it now: Venturing Crew...Venturing Crew...Venturing Crew...Venturing Crew... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John-in-KC Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Venturing is about the youth, not about what the adults want to do. Look at the area high schools: Are there kids who enjoy the outdoors? Are there interest groups in things supported within the refuge? The youth can come from an outdoor recreation bent, or from an outdoor service bent (ranger, firefighter, forester, what have you...) That's the target audience for membership. Once you have a coherent group of kids who have a concept of what they want to do in your outdoor environement, then you can think about the other things Venturing will do for them. Find your audience, then becoming a crew is not quite a mechanical process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OR Pioneer Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 Absolutely! I agree that the Crew should be oriented by the youth involved. In my role as a commissioner, I work to help Troops be youth led all the time. Endlessly. Persistently! But here I have the new (for me) role of looking at this as a chartering organization. For me to present this to our Friends board, I need to tell how it would help with the Friends mission and where we can look for successful models. Berk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John-in-KC Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Find the kids first. Then have them help you sell the concept of a Crew to the potential Chartered Partner. You have to know what their interests are, so that the Friends can see that there's a fit. From the National website: Starting a Crew/Ship Organizing a Venturing crew is easy to do. Just follow these steps: A survey is conducted annually in community high schools to determine students' recreational, hobby, and avocation interests. FIND THE KIDS FIRST. The process is easier to sell if there are young people wanting to do things. BTW, since you are a Commish, may I assume you will not a direct contact leader in this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OR Pioneer Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 Thanks for your thoughts, John. Right, I don't plan to be the direct contact leader. I guess there is some chance that I'd be CoR. The kids shouldn't be to much problem as there has been a very, very active Refuge Club at the middle school and years of those kids have moved to the high school which does not have such an activity. I think we could recruit a core group from there and then have them present to the Friends of the Refuge board or to the service club about obtaining a charter. If the charter is done by the service club, I'd be the point of contact between the Crew and the Refuge. As it is now, I serve that role for Eagle projects, various service projects and advancement activities from Cubs through Merit Badges. Again, can anyone help identify a similar Venturing connection somewhere in the country? The DE has been on the professionals network and to Venturing at BSA headquarters in Texas and we seem to be first on the block. I'd like to learn from other's eherience. Berk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Skipper Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 OR Pioneer, Not to challenge the others here, in fact, for the most part, I subscribe to what they are saying. I agree that if there is a charter partner who has a particular interest, and they are in a position to reach out and recruit youth, this is a great way to start. I believe that the real long term success of most units is best when there is an active charter partner who is involved with the program. And an experienced scouter as the CoR is always a plus! Two years ago, one of our local Sea Scout ships was formed after the local Yacht Club expressed an interest in the program (they had chartered a ship from the 1930s to the 1960s). They were "hands off" with the running of the unit, but the CoR is an experienced scouter as is their Commissioner (who is a YC member). All things considered, it is the CO's support which has gotten this unit off the ground and it is now a thriving unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emb021 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 "Not to challenge the others here, in fact, for the most part, I subscribe to what they are saying. I agree that if there is a charter partner who has a particular interest, and they are in a position to reach out and recruit youth, this is a great way to start. I believe that the real long term success of most units is best when there is an active charter partner who is involved with the program. And an experienced scouter as the CoR is always a plus!" I have to agree. While many successful crews start off with a core group of youth and go from there, there is nothing wrong with a CO or a leader having a vision for a particular kind of crew, then working to find youth who want to be involved. It may take a little longer to get it off the ground, as you find said youth, but I think it could be worth the effort. Such a crew could have a focus on outdoors, conservation, and the like. They could work on earning the Hornaday Award (and other Venturing awards like Outdoor Bronze, Ranger, World Conservation Award, etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jr56 Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Sounds like a great idea, if you can avoid the legal hassles, which it sounds like you have. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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