Central Region Venturing Area 2 Newsletter - Fall 2013

Summer 2013

Area 2 Newsletter Everything new in Area Two! Area 2 is comprised of the lower peninsula of Michigan, also known as the Michigan Crossroads Council. It serves the four Field Service Councils: President Gerald R. Ford, Water and Woods, Great Lakes, and Southern Shores.

The Ranger Award The outdoors and high adventure are of the largest attractions of Venturing, BSA. Because of the attraction of high adventure, the Ranger Award is available to Venturers.

The purpose of the Ranger award is to encourage Venturers to achieve a high level of outdoor skill and to recognize Venturers achievement. Also, the Ranger provides a path for outdoor and high-adventure training.

The Ranger Award exemplifies a challenging high-level outdoor and highadventure skills advancement program.

Once earned, this award it will identify it’s earner as one who is skilled at a variety of outdoor sports and interests, trained in outdoor safety, and ready to lead or assist others in activities. Rangers can be great program assets to other Scouts.

Venturers who have received the Outdoor Bronze Award need complete only four of the core requirements and two electives to qualify for the Ranger Award.

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In this Issue: Page 2

Advisor at Jamboree

Page 3

Letter from the President

Page 4

Events to Come

Page 4

Message from the Area 2 Advisor

Page 5

Program Feature: International Scouting

Fall 2013

Ranger candidates can earn requirements by working on their own or with other Venturers. A crew may also work together. Candidates can work with outside consultants such as a scuba diving instructor. Advisors and consultants must sign a Ranger candidate's record sheet found in the Ranger Guidebook.

The Ranger award is one of the awards unaffected by the pending Venturing award changes.

Ranger candidates must complete eight of the following core requirements: • • • • • • • •

Like Area 2’s Page on Facebook!

Area 2: http://www.facebook.com/groups /CRV.Area2/?fref=ts Water and Woods: http://www.facebook.com/groups /44602549603/?fref=ts President Ford: http://www.facebook.com/groups /58006254760/?fref=ts

First Aid Wilderness Survival Emergency Preparedness Communications Leave No Trace Cooking Navigation Conservation

Southern Shores: http://www.facebook.com/groups /45491999635/?fref=ts Great Lakes: https://www.facebook.com/group s/81835021000/

As well as four of 18 challenging electives.

Resources/Links: http://www.crventuring.org/Resourc es/Ranger_Award_Links/

Also follow Area 2 on Pinterest! http://www.pinterest.com/venturi ngarea2/

Have a Scouting comic or one-liner? Send it in to be in our next newsletter!

CRVenturingArea2@gmail.com 2

Fall 2013

President’s Passage A letter from the Area President coming for a long ride. I cannot wait to have more Ventures from around the state to come by and do weekend camping. Camping events and larger council—or even state—wide events are great ways to meet people, get ideas, try something new, and keep people interested in coming back. It is important to attend events like this. Even if someone finds their niche, like I have with the horses, it is still great to go out and do something different. For example, I went shooting the other week and found that it just keep me smiling all weekend. I hope that everyone has really been enjoying the fall fun, and sharing in the adventure of Venturing, and trying something new!

Hello Area 2!

Over the duration of fall Venturing for me has really been an adventure!

There have been Rendezvous all over the state, and I was even able to make it to two of them. It was such a delight to see so many Scouts and Ventures come together and share in the experience. There were so many different activities to experience and people to meet from around each council. Also, the beginning of fall camping weekends has started. Going to camp D-bar-A, where I work on weekends as a Wrangler, and seeing all the different scouts coming in and keeping my day busy is always a delight. There is even a Venturing group coming up for the entire weekend in November, and another group

Yours in Venturing, Jasmine Dittel Area 2 President

Events Looking Ahead • 2014 Area 2 Venturing Conference—January 11 in Lansing, MI • 2014 Venturing Winter Biathlon—January 24-26 in Gregory, MI • 2014 A2 Venturing Kickback Weekend—February 21-23 at Gerber Scout Reservation • 2014 Venturing BOSS—April 25-27 in Gregory, MI • 2014 Powder Horn - May 9-11 and May 16-18 at D-A Scout Ranch • 2014 Area 2 White Water Rafting—June 14-17 in Fayetteville, WV • 2014 Can-Am Venturing Week—July 27-August 2 at D-A Scout Ranch • 2015 Powder Horn at Gerber Scout Reservation • 2015 World Jamboree in July/August at Yamaguchi, Japan • 2017 National Jamboree at the Bechtel Summit Reserve, WV 3

Fall 2013

Message from the Area 2 Advisor I am happy to announce two additions to the Area 2 Venturing Committee. Brianne Curtis has been appointed as the Associate Advisor Administration. Brianne is a recipient of the Council and Area Venturing Leadership Awards for her service and commitment to the Venturing program in the MCC. Matthew Bursley has been appointed as the Associate Advisor International. Matt has traveled extensively to overseas destinations as a member of BSA contingents and Crews. He serves on the MCC International Committee, as well as several other unit and District positions. We look forward to having Matt and Brianne as a part of the Committee.

Next year's Powder Horn course will be hosted by the Great Lakes FSC at D-A Scout Ranch in Metamora, MI. This six-day course is scheduled for May 9-11 and May 16-18. Powder Horn is a high adventures skills resource course for trained Venturers and Advisors, and Boy Scout and Varsity Scout leaders. It is a "hands-on resource management course" designed to give Venturing and Scouting leaders "the contacts and tools necessary to conduct an awesome high-adventure program" in their unit. The goals of Powder Horn are to help Venturers and leaders safely conduct outdoor activities of a fun and challenging nature, provide an introduction to the resources necessary to successfully lead youth through a program of high adventure, and familiarize participants with the skills involved in different high adventure disciplines. Early registration for the course is $275. Online registration will be available soon at http://www.michiganscouting.org/.

Many, many thanks to all of the trainers and organizers in the Field Service Councils of the Michigan Crossroads Council who are doing such a great job of offering Venturing training this year. Be sure to encourage your Crew leaders to take advantage of these training opportunities. Visit the calendar pages on the MCC web site for dates and times.

Congratulations to the MCC/Area 2 Advisors, CORs, Commissioners and professional staff - Area 2 is the only Area in the Central Region to show consistent growth in Venturing members and Crews since June 1st this year. Keep up the good work! We will be presenting the new Peer-to-Peer Recruiting kits at the Venturing Planning Conference on January 11 in Lansing. More details to follow soon.

Jeff Geralds Area 2 Venturing Advisor

We Want Your Events!

We are interested in what your crew and field service council are doing! If your event is open to other crews, councils, or even areas, please add it to our Central Region Calendar via http://www.crventuring.org/event_submission.php.

This calendar is a great resourse if your crew is looking for something fun to do. Check out all events on the calendar here: http://crventuring.org/Activities/Events_Calendar/. Â

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Program Feature of the Season: International Scouting Article Submitted by Matthew Bursley Scouting, the world’s largest youth organization bolsters membership more that 35 million worldwide. As Ventures you are interconnected with a worldwide scouting family of one brotherhood.

There are national scout programs in all but six of the world’s countries; with one of the most recent inductees into the World Organization of the Scouting movement in South Sudan.

In the Michigan Crossroads Council we are working hard on the international committee to provide Scouts and Ventures opportunities to interact with Scouts from around the world through participating in local, national, and international events. Local opportunities such as taking part in one of the many camporees with Canada or organizing a crew Jamboree on the Air or Jamboree on the Internet event in October each year. In participating in international events Ventures gain valuable cross-cultural skills and learn how to function in an international patrol or group.

As the newly appointed associate advisor - international, I will strengthen connections between Michigan Crossroads Council International Committee and the Area 2 Venturing Committee. I encourage all Ventures across the state of Michigan to become involved in someway with International Scouting. This past summer I had the opportunity to travel to a Jamboree in Norway and the 14th World Scout MOOT in Canada, and by doing so I have made scouting friend all around the world.

Locally in Area 2 there will be several international opportunities for you or your crew to become involved with. In the summer of 2014, at D-A Scout Ranch there will be an international high adventure camp for Ventures and Sea Scouts from the BSA, and from Scouts Canada.

Older Venturing activities include possible overseas trips such as Roverway 2016 in France or the 15th World Scout MOOT in Iceland. These events focus on team building through the patrol system and provide scouts the opportunity to learn together and from each other while taking part in cultural and high adventure activities. The theme for the MOOT in Iceland is Change Inspired By Iceland, and emphasizes how scouts can change the world for the better, just like the WOSM slogan Scouts Creating a Better World.

Cultural Exchange Day at the 14th World Scout MOOT near Ottawa, Canada (August 2013).

For more information on international events in Area 2 and around the world make sure to check out MCC International Committee’s webpage and Facebook.

Michiganscouting.org/scouting/international Facebook.com/MICCinternational