How to start a Crew?

[blw2]

I'm interested in following this conversation. I'm thinking forward that it might be in my future to spin off a crew for my CO..... just maybe.

I like the high adventure idea.... seems like it would be a lot more fun for the kids.

and as the father of two girls I'm intrigued at the idea of letting girls in. My middle daughter is starting with GS this year, but I'm just not seeing that pan out in the long run. She's sporty, and I think down the road she might get something out of an outdoor program.

[Basementdweller]

I'm interested in following this conversation. I'm thinking forward that it might be in my future to spin off a crew for my CO..... just maybe.

I like the high adventure idea.... seems like it would be a lot more fun for the kids.

and as the father of two girls I'm intrigued at the idea of letting girls in. My middle daughter is starting with GS this year, but I'm just not seeing that pan out in the long run. She's sporty, and I think down the road she might get something out of an outdoor program.

It isn't family scouting, so have mom stay at home.

 

This is where many leaders fail. It becomes a couple of families Cub Scout style.

[baggss]

You need mom, most female advisors are moms, just as most male sdvisors are dads. Sometimes thats the only way the crew can get up and running is with whole familys my crew started with 1 young lady and both parents ( with a son in a troop) dad is registered with troop 2 sisters and mom ( brother in troop) mom is registerd with troop 2 brothers and dad ( oldest is bsa dropout, other is still active) all adults of the membership are registered with the crew as either associate advisor, committe chair, or committee member. You need family units to start. And as to no dating, Not my idea, my crew picked that one out from a dozen sets of bylaws from the net as a must-have.

[baggss]

You need mom, most female advisors are moms, just as most male sdvisors are dads. Sometimes thats the only way the crew can get up and running is with whole familys my crew started with 1 young lady and both parents ( with a son in a troop) dad is registered with troop 2 sisters and mom ( brother in troop) mom is registerd with troop 2 brothers and dad ( oldest is bsa dropout, other is still active) all adults of the membership are registered with the crew as either associate advisor, committe chair, or committee member. You need family units to start. And as to no dating, Not my idea, my crew picked that one out from a dozen sets of bylaws from the net as a must-have.

excuse the typing... very tiny keyboard...

[qwazse]

You need mom, most female advisors are moms, just as most male sdvisors are dads. Sometimes thats the only way the crew can get up and running is with whole familys my crew started with 1 young lady and both parents ( with a son in a troop) dad is registered with troop 2 sisters and mom ( brother in troop) mom is registerd with troop 2 brothers and dad ( oldest is bsa dropout, other is still active) all adults of the membership are registered with the crew as either associate advisor, committe chair, or committee member. You need family units to start. And as to no dating, Not my idea, my crew picked that one out from a dozen sets of bylaws from the net as a must-have.

Well then, don't tell them that I thought their by-law was ridiculous! And, if any of baggss's youth are reading this page, I'm sorry if I sounded judgmental!

 

But,do review your by-laws every year or so. Younger youth tend to be overly strict about public displays of affection, and older youth can be overly permissive. The challenge is to find that balance where everyone can respect one another.

[Basementdweller]

I disagree baggss.

 

Yes Yes I am familiar with the crew rules and Youth Protection. What I disagree with is it becoming a family outdoor adventure. That was never the intent of Venturing.

 

So what we have is Venturing becoming the new Cub Scouting????? Family camping and all...... Not a good thing.

[Stosh]

I have run youth programs for 40+ years and never needed bylaws in any of them, and that includes Cub, Boy, Exploring and Venturing. The Venture Crew "went through the motions" as prescribed by setting up the crew and then seemed to have lost them. I never saw a copy of it ever since they first adopted it 15+ years ago.

 

Stosh

[qwazse]

My crew presidents had the foresight to not waste a meeting on by-laws.

I did explain them once, and then on several occasions where they were a little confused about procedural issues I would reply with some snark, "Pity someone didn't write down how we should operate in our special case ..."

 

But overall, they did fine without them.

[scoutergipper]

I'm interested in following this conversation. I'm thinking forward that it might be in my future to spin off a crew for my CO..... just maybe.

I like the high adventure idea.... seems like it would be a lot more fun for the kids.

and as the father of two girls I'm intrigued at the idea of letting girls in. My middle daughter is starting with GS this year, but I'm just not seeing that pan out in the long run. She's sporty, and I think down the road she might get something out of an outdoor program.

Can't do that if you have a co-ed Crew. Have to have both genders of Adults along if both are along in the Crew.

[scoutergipper]

We just did this - opening opportunities for our older Scouts so they don't feel they're are stuck as "babysitters" or kept from doing fun things by a younger Troop. Also going co-ed as we will be the only one in the District. Recruitment's slow, but we'll get there.

 

It's funny how people have such different DE experiences. Ours was over the moon about the new Crew and attended a couple of meetings in a single week getting all the paperwork filled out.

 

Oh, and we signed up a female adult who's not part of the Troop and won't have a Scout or daughter in the Crew so we're covered from that angle.

[qwazse]

We just did this - opening opportunities for our older Scouts so they don't feel they're are stuck as "babysitters" or kept from doing fun things by a younger Troop. Also going co-ed as we will be the only one in the District. Recruitment's slow, but we'll get there.

 

It's funny how people have such different DE experiences. Ours was over the moon about the new Crew and attended a couple of meetings in a single week getting all the paperwork filled out.

 

Oh, and we signed up a female adult who's not part of the Troop and won't have a Scout or daughter in the Crew so we're covered from that angle.

Sounds like your DE has learned that most crew start-ups need a lot of immediate attention. Not everyone gets that.

[baggss]

I disagree baggss.

 

Yes Yes I am familiar with the crew rules and Youth Protection. What I disagree with is it becoming a family outdoor adventure. That was never the intent of Venturing.

 

So what we have is Venturing becoming the new Cub Scouting????? Family camping and all...... Not a good thing.

Actually, venturing is the Old boy scouting, it seems that atleast around here troops are weblos threes, way too many helecopter adults keeping an eye on their kid so as not lose sight of their race to eagle.

as to "family outdoor adventur"...So scoutmasters should not have sons in the troop, nor ASMs, Nor any committe members, nor should they be allowed on campouts?. So family members should not be recruited as leadership?

[baggss]

I disagree baggss.

 

Yes Yes I am familiar with the crew rules and Youth Protection. What I disagree with is it becoming a family outdoor adventure. That was never the intent of Venturing.

 

So what we have is Venturing becoming the new Cub Scouting????? Family camping and all...... Not a good thing.

Actually, it seems the intent of scouting nowdays is to generate income for the districts, scouting is a business now and the bean counters run it anyway. The just pay lip service to "youth led" ideals, yada yada. At least parents that are involved with their scouts, even the helicopter ones, are involved with their kids.

[Pack18Alex]

I disagree baggss.

 

Yes Yes I am familiar with the crew rules and Youth Protection. What I disagree with is it becoming a family outdoor adventure. That was never the intent of Venturing.

 

So what we have is Venturing becoming the new Cub Scouting????? Family camping and all...... Not a good thing.

We had a Venture Crew come out and teach some Scout Craft to our Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts. It was great for all involved.

 

I was chatting with the advisor, and we were talking about how, in some ways, Venturing is more like Cub Scouts. Not the parental involvement, it's WAY less, but in the outings.

 

In Cub Scouting, most of our campouts are connected to an activity, we don't camp to camp. We do one hiking/camping trip/year, and the rest are more activity, oriented (Camporee, Cuboree, etc). At the Venture level, you're camping for an activity. Sure it's high adventure and not a youth program, but it's still "camping to go canoeing in the morning" you're not camping to learn to tie knots and practice camping.

 

The Boy Scout program is the only one where the camping itself is the focus. Also, Venturing/Cub Scouts are similar in that the meat of the program is in meetings, and the outings are raw fun. In the Boy Scout program, it seems that the meetings are mostly to learn the basics, but the real learning is the camping itself.

 

Just my observation.

[Basementdweller]

We just did this - opening opportunities for our older Scouts so they don't feel they're are stuck as "babysitters" or kept from doing fun things by a younger Troop. Also going co-ed as we will be the only one in the District. Recruitment's slow, but we'll get there.

 

It's funny how people have such different DE experiences. Ours was over the moon about the new Crew and attended a couple of meetings in a single week getting all the paperwork filled out.

 

Oh, and we signed up a female adult who's not part of the Troop and won't have a Scout or daughter in the Crew so we're covered from that angle.

He is more focused on his review score for starting a new unit