Combining Venturing Crews

[CNYScouter]

In my District we have 4 Venturing Crews and 1 Sea Scout Ship

One of the crews was an Explorer Post (EMT training) that switched to a Venturing Crew a few years ago and pretty much does its own thing.

The Sea Scout Ship is pretty healthy and active

The two other crews will combining into one crew and are wondering if my son’s crew might what to also combine with them into one crew.

The 2 crews combining have only 3 or 4 youth each and neither have enough adults to recharter as a separate crew.

My son’s crew has 5 or 6 youth on paper but only 2 or 3 active. We have enough adults to recharter as a crew but realize we need more youth members.

The CC of one of the old crews has said that they would be the CC of the combined crew. They are a DE for another district in our council.

If we do combine we know we would have to switch meeting nights but no decision has been made where the combined crews will meet.

Our Crew Advisor is reaching out to the youth members of the crew to see what their thoughts are on combining.

What would be your concerns if you were to combine the 3 crews?

Or would you stay as a separate crew and put a big push into a recruitment drive?

[MattR]

Any organization requires critical mass, which it sounds like nobody really has. So from that standpoint I'd say combine.

Every organization also needs a leader with an idea of where to go. Do you have that? More importantly, do the 3 crews agree with that leader's view of how a crew should run? If not, combining might be a bad idea. When I say leader there are really two that are important, the youth president and the adult advisor. I'm assuming you can find an adult, but are there any youth that are doing a good job of leadership?

Until there's a view of where this thing is going my guess is recruitment is just wishful thinking.

[Jameson76]

We had a Venture crew at the CO.  They did not really engage with the troop.  Then they got low on numbers so they came to talk to the troop.  Challenge was our guys asked "what are the activities you have planned?"...the answer was "What would you like to do..."

They did not have a critical mass to sustain.  The only selling point was "we may have girls".  Venturing is way more relationship driven.  Tough to add to the established group.

[Eagledad]

MattR pretty much posted my thoughts. Statistically  the success of crew programs is directly dependent on the leadership and agreed direction.  And statistically crews with specific programs like the EMT, Law Inforcement, Scuba, and Ships have greater longevity because the goals are more obvious with sponsors that maintain a program goal. 

Barry

[qwazse]

If youth in both groups all share a common vision regarding activities, service projects, and awards to pursue, then merge.

If both groups are really venturing, they will have envisioned different activities, service projects, and awards to pursue.

Regarding a big recruiting drive. Do you have something that your youth believe they need but can't get elsewhere? Then push with all you've got. If not, fold.

It really stunk that I had something that about 4 youth kinda sorta needed and one youth really needed (to the point that he was willing to sign on as crew president), but when I said, "Time to push." They all backed away. I took it as a sign to drop that charter.

[ParkMan]

54 minutes ago, MattR said:

Any organization requires critical mass, which it sounds like nobody really has. So from that standpoint I'd say combine.

Every organization also needs a leader with an idea of where to go. Do you have that? More importantly, do the 3 crews agree with that leader's view of how a crew should run? If not, combining might be a bad idea. When I say leader there are really two that are important, the youth president and the adult advisor. I'm assuming you can find an adult, but are there any youth that are doing a good job of leadership?

Until there's a view of where this thing is going my guess is recruitment is just wishful thinking.

 

26 minutes ago, Eagledad said:

MattR pretty much posted my thoughts. Statistically  the success of crew programs is directly dependent on the leadership and agreed direction.  And statistically crews with specific programs like the EMT, Law Inforcement, Scuba, and Ships have greater longevity because the goals are more obvious with sponsors that maintain a program goal. 

Barry

Agreed.  

One of the biggest differences I've noticed between troops and crews in our area is the lack of a vision and shared desire to succeed for Crews.  Scoutmasters, Committee Members, other adults - they understand what a troop is and what needs to happen to sustain it.  Funds, membership, program, etc.  Crews seem to float by, lack direction, vision, etc. 

I'd worry that when you combine three crews into one, all you're doing is delaying things by a few years.  If you really want to have a Crew, I think the CO (and by extension other adults) need to rally around the Crew.  Just as you would for a troop, that Crew Committee needs to push to make sure things are moving.  The Advisor needs to develop some youth leaders who really understand what it takes to lead and grow at Crew.  It's not to say that adults need to lead the Crew - they should not.  But there needs to be a longer term vision for that Crew so that it develops and grows.

Just my .02.