Scouting Associations

[dana_renner]

Can a Venturing Association be formed as a chartering organization? And could this same Venturing Association charter more than one crew? Could it also encompass more than one council?

 

 

[Eamonn]

What is a Venturing Association?

Eamonn

[NWScouter]

Are you meaning a group just formed to charter a unit: Friends of Troop XX, Parents Of Pack YYY etc.?

It is not a preferred situation but I suppose that if they allow it for Cub Packs and Scout Troops then I imagine that they would for Venturing Crews. As for multiple units of the same level chartered to one organization I have never seen anything definitive about that.

 

[SR540Beaver]

You can create a charter with a "Friends of Troop xx" to charter a unit, but I agree it isn't preferrable. We split from another troop back in June and did this to get our new troop up and running. Keep in mind what you will have to provide to the unit as a charter. The main thing is meeting space. We got away with using borrowed space from a church that had a Pack. We had to be out when the new Cub year started. We worked hard thru the summer before finding a church in August that agreed to be our charter organization. We now have permament space and support from them. The charter organization that our old troop belonged to made an offer to act as our charter as well and have two Boy Scout troops. They claimed to have checked with the Council who told them it would be acceptable. In our case, it would have been extremely awkward and we thanked them, but declined. I still question the "legality" of one charter having multiple units of the same level. I don't know that there is actually any prohibition, but what would be the point? If their is already a pack/troop/crew there, join it instead of duplicating the effort.

[Eamonn]

While I still have no idea what a Venturing Association might be. If this is some way of getting around the Chartered Organization requirement? I don't think that it is going to fly.

I don't have a copy of the agreement that is signed by the BSA and the Chartering Organization but it does have specific requirements.

I feel sure that if our DE arrived at a key3 meeting with a new unit application with some out of the area Association with no local ties listed as the CO. We wouldn't accept it.

Eamonn.

[NWScouter]

Your district's key 3 approves the unit charter? I never heard of that and I've been on our district's key 3.

[SR540Beaver]

I don't see how a charter could cross more than one Council. Heck, it can't even cross more than one district. If Main Street is the dividing line between District A and District B and I'm on District B's side of the line, I can't be part of District A. Therefore, it would be impossible to cover more than one Council. Now your membership can come from anywhere across Districts or Councils if they want. If someone wants to drive from another town or state to attend meetings, they can.

[Eamonn]

As a key3 we look at all new units. That way we hope to avoid any surprises.

A new unit will normally need special attention. The District Commissioner needs to find out when and where they meet in order to assign a Unit Commissioner. I like to meet with the COR, face to face and invite him or her to the District meeting. We also look at what sort of organization the Chartering Organization is. We had one group that belonged to an organization called NERO. They do some sort of battles along the lines of Lord of The Rings. We were unsure if the values of this organization went hand in hand with those of the BSA. We invited the top guys in the organization to meet with us and the SE. The SE had the final word, but if we hadn't met with them there would have been things left hanging.

At rechartering time the commissioner staff go over all charters and the DE signs off on them. If there are any that are questionable we look into them.

Beaver

I think that maybe the idea is to have this Association be like the VFW or the PTA, the Association would have local chapters and these would become the chartering organization.

I can't help thinking about the story of the 3 Little Pigs and the Wolf. But not knowing what a Venturing Association is? I could be way of base.

Eamonn.

 

[SR540Beaver]

E,

 

You could be right, we won't know until dana responds back. My take on it (strictly assuming) is that rather than do the leg work of finding willing charters, they want to form a "Venturing Association" to act as a paper charter so Crews can get established anywhere and everywhere. I can see a group coming together to form a "concerned citizens" group or whatever BSA calls it to act as a charter to form an individual crew. But not to act as a clearing house for crews spread across multiple districts and councils. I appreciate the enthusiasm of promoting Venturing; but to me, it sounds like an attempt to not have to do the hard work of finding charters for crews. I can speak from first hand experience since I was turned down by a good number of organizations before finding a church that was excited about adding scouting under their umbrella. It ain't easy.

[dana_renner]

What I am referring to is this, A Venturing Association be formed

that would include crews from one council to another,They have

chartering organizations locally, but would come together as an

association with each council being represented on a joint committee the Association could deal with crews that have a common interest such as outdoor, high adventure or sea scouting or other

areas. This would not replace, council, or district jurisidiction

or that of the chartering organizations. But would be an association of crews that could plan activities together. I believe that this could be useful in areas where Venturing crews are few and far between.

[SR540Beaver]

Sounds somewhat like a Camporee or Jamboree. Talk to your Council about reserving one of your campgrounds, plan some activites and invite all the Venturing Crews in your Council and surrounding Councils to attend. I'm sure a lot of networking could take place to facilitate Crews getting to know each other and do activities together. There is nothhing that would prevent you from doing this. The Councils exist to provide the program. They certainly won't frown on you providing additional opportunities. They may expect you to organize it as their professional staff is usually stretched to the limit.

[Bob White]

Multiple council activities already exist as cluster, area, and regional activities.

 

Charters cannot be shared between councils. Multiple units cannot share a charter. There is a a perfectly good system for the administartion of scouting that already exists. What part do you find so hard to deal with Dana that THOUSANDS of units and MILLIONS of other volunteers have no trouble with?

[BadenP]

I have to agree with Beaver and Bob on this one, do your association group as an intercouncil activity, chartering a loose association of groups already chartered in other councils makes no sense. I love doing activities with other crews from other councils, we have an activity bi monthly. What would be the purpose to try to charter this association, even though it isn't even allowed by BSA rules.(This message has been edited by BadenP)

[NWScouter]

Now I understand what you are asking about and there are associations that do cross council lines right now. The church based associations, which the Lutherans, Roman Catholics, Jewish, and Methodist have just to name a few. I see no problems with a association like the Rock Climbing Venturing Association to promote and assist starting Venturing Crew specializing in rock climbing. It is now in Learning for Life Exploring but I believe there were or still are law enforcement and fire fighting associations. Now these association do not charter units but only promote.

[fotoscout]

It sounds to me that what you are trying to do is something that happens everyday. Units team up and do things together. Most often this is done solely on the basis of the relationships that the leaders have built over the years. There is nothing formal about it. If you have another crew that you would like to explore some activity with, then pick up the phone and say, "I have this great idea, do you want to do it with us"

 

On another level, Council does offer, from time to time, Camporee type of activities for Venturing Units. Maybe you just need to talk your Council into doing this.