Greetings from Conway AR Crew 71

[GBehr]

Hello Fellow Venturer's. We are a new Crew in Conway AR. In Central AR we are trying very hard to get the Venturing Program up and running. We have a handful of Crew's that are starting. Our Crew is one of the newest Crew's. My wife and I finished up our Leader Specific Training just today so we are now officially trained leaders. Our two official Crew members are our two teenage kids and three of our Troop 71 kids that have doubled over. We are going to be presenting our Crew to our youth group in the next week to see if we can get some more teens to sign up. My daughter has a couple of her friends that are interested in coming to check it out. We are really excited. We are working to put together our committee as at the moment we are being supported by our Troop Committee but we know how important it is that we get volunteers togther to want to be a part of a committee geared specifically towards the Venturing Program. We don't know where we are headed, but we are looking forward to all of this. I don't see a lot of activity on the Venturing discussion board, but maybe its just because Venturing is just new to a lot of your areas like it is to ours. But I can tell you that in Arkansas we are very excited about it and we are making a big push in our areas to grow the program.

[qwazse]

Yo, G!

Welcome aboard! This section isn't as active, but in proportion to the size of the program, I think that makes sense. A lot of what gets talked about in other sections is pretty useful (especially the youth leadership tips).

 

I gotta warn you about some stuff that's not in the training manual. Some of it was from browsing this site, but most was from when our crew came online 5 years ago. You will need ...

1. coffee.

2. afternoon naps.

3. to be willing to negotiate things like light's out, use of electronic devices, uniforms, ceremonies, etc....

3. to coordinate events with other crews. (Give special attention to the select few youth who form your council's venturing officers association.)

4. to be willing to let the kids fail.

5. to pick up only the pieces that are really important.

 

Above all, to be in for the ride of your life.

 

As far as committees go, I've seen advisors working under every configuration. One for both units, one with crew and troop subcommittees, two harmonious committees, two highly discordant committees. I'm not tellin' which is mine, because they all manage to be great and dysfunctional at the same time. My, bottom line, get 'em all trained, and get each taking a turn getting out on the trail with the fine young people you got.

 

Oh, and one last thing ... get out of the paperwork business! Teach your VP-program to complete the tour plans!

 

I'll leave the venturing youth and advisors to spout off a few more of their lessons from the school of hard knocks!

 

Q

[GBehr]

Thanks Q

 

I have a meeting Wednesday evening with our Youth Director to do our First Presentation to her, and from there I am hoping that by next Sunday we can do our Presentation to our Youth. Coffee, I bet, my wife and two kids will appreciate that plan, so I guess the rest of the Venturer's will probably like the plan as well.

 

We don't learn to exceed except by learning to make mistakes along the way. We have another married couple that have shown an interest and haven't quite yet determined if they will fit better in the committee or as VP's, they have toddlers so I am leaning toward committee with them.

 

My fear with our Troop Committee is funds. I presented an exceptional fund raiser to get our Crew kicked off with all of supplies we need to my Troop Committee and my Committee Chairman immediatally said great, 1/2 the funds raised could go to the Troop. Crushed my spirits right away because I had already sat down and determined how much we could raise, short of our contribution to the District, how all those funds were going to be spent to get us started, 1/2 those funds gone meant our Trailer was going to be gone or 1/2 our supplies would be gone.

 

My plan is I am going to ask our Youth Leader to be our Committee Chairman and if she accepts then build our committee from there. Because this way she will feel she maintains some level of input even though this is a Crew led program. We can then fill in the remainder of the Committee with Crew Parents.

 

I think we have an exceptional plan for the Uniform and my Daughter and Son are all over it working together on it. Their plan is a Team approach with Jearsey's with Their First names across the backs and the number 71 then on the side we will put the Crew 71 Patch. We are also going to have a Hoddie Done.

 

We are excited, and I hope that our excitment and with the help of our Crews in the Area Getting together we can help start more Crews and build this great program in Central Arkansas.

 

G

[BadenP]

Hey G

 

Welcome to Venturing, it is,IMO, the best youth program for older teens and it being coed adds even more to the group dynamic. You can structure your program anyway that suits the interests of the youth in your crew. I have been involved in Venturing for over nine years as an Advisor and now the crew CC/COR. Our crew is very active with outings small and large from an overnighter at a beach camp to a five day large ship cruise of the Carribbean at the Florida Sea Base. There are other Venturing leaders as well in this forum who are always willing to be a resource for you. So get ready for the time of your life.

[jhankins]

Welcome! Please keep us updated on your progress. I'm always eager to hear how churches incorporate and use the Venturing program.

 

I have to laugh about the advice on long naps. It's the truth.

 

 

[qwazse]

G!

 

Sounds like a solid plan to me. Except the President and VP's are youth positions. That's right, have the kids be responsible for filling out the tour plan for next month's activity and getting it back to you for your's and the CC/COR's approval.

 

You want the adults to be available as consultants in their area of expertise. Mine literally sit and wait for a youth to contact them before they act. Then they'll outline with the youth what needs to be done to make an activity happen. They look at the crew calendar, and take turns serving as chaperons. Every now and then they show up with chocolate chip cookies.

 

Sharing with a troop is always a hassle. But think of it this way: if your crew did this with no input from the troop, would you earn as much? Can you leverage the efforts of some of the scouts since the funds are going to be split? (Like the older boys say, the younger scouts have the "cute factor" in their favor.)

 

My 2 cents: let the troop have the trailer and half the supplies! Venturers pack light! Regardless (and this is where that "wild ride" comes in), let your youth know the issues (try to explain it in 3 minutes or less), tell them you are going to leave the room for 5 minutes and when you return, you want their decision about going forward with the fundraiser if they have to go halvsies with the troop.

 

Even without having to split earnings, mine all decided that they could get part-time jobs or work summer camp buy up or get handed down gear and pool their resources for activities.