Winter 2014
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.
New Water and Woods FSC VOA! The first meeting of the newly formed Water & Woods Field Service Council Venturing Officers’ Association was held on Sunday, January 19th at the BSA Scout Office in Flint. Twenty Venturers and Sea Scouts were in attendance, representing 8 different Crews and 3 different ships within the Water & Woods FSC. Adults representing various Crews and ships were also present. The Venturers and Sea Scouts that were present elected VOA officers (the officers for the Water & Woods FSC VOA are on page 2).
In this Issue: Page 3 Letter from the President—Area Venturing Conference Page 4
Venturing Kickback Weekend
Page 5
Message from the Area 2 Advisor
Page 5
Events to Come
Page 6
Powder Horn
Page 7
Program Feature: Aquatic School Summer Camp
Winter 2014
Continued From Page 1 Discussions of what activity to plan for the Water & Woods FSC were started, it is hoped that there will be an activity for all Venturers in the Water & Woods FSC to attend sometime in July! The next meeting of the Water & Woods VOA will be on Sunday, March 2nd at 2 pm at the Flint Scout Office. All Venturers in the Water & Woods FSC are invited and welcomed to come and share their input. We hope to see you there! Water and Woods VOA Officers: President – Andrew Black, Crew 176 Secretary of the President – Bridget Suski, Crew 176 Secretary of the President – Nathan Snow, Crew 176 Vice President of Communication – Jessica Paling, Crew 321 Assistant Vice President of Communication – David Fountain, Ship 218 and Crew 216 Vice President of Program – McKenzie Scheffler, Crew 7772 and Ship 8772 Assistant Vice President of Program – Paige Donald, Crew 7772 and Ship 8772 Vice President of Administration – Craig Terryah, Crew 42 Assistant Vice President of Administration – Lindsey Fountain, Ship 218 and Crew 216 Submitted by Jessica Paling, VP of Communication Water & Woods FSC VOA
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 Southern Shores: http://www.facebook.com/groups /45491999635/?fref=ts Great Lakes: https://www.facebook.com/group s/81835021000/ 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! 2
CRVenturingArea2@gmail.com
Winter 2014
President’s Passage
A letter from the Area President Hello Area 2! The 2014 Area 2 Conference, held January 10-12 in Midland, MI, was a wonderful winter experience for everyone who dared to take the challenge. The Area Conference is a yearly opportunity for Venturers across Michigan to meet with the current officers and with other Venturers in the area. It is also a great place to gain knowledge about upcoming events and changes, as well as to gather ideas about what to do with one’s own crew. This year we covered the changes that are happening in Venturing, discussed the range of training opportunities and events that are available for Venturers and Advisors across the area, and more. A major component of this year’s conference was the changes that will be happening in Venturing this year. One of these is that of the Venturing awards. There will be four consecutive awards for Venturers to earn, and the skills required to earn these new awards will be similar to the current awards; however, they will be more flexible in terms of what each crew does and will no longer be called the Participants enjoy a delicious lunch! Bronze, Gold and Silver awards. Outdoor-based crews to robotic crews, and everything in between, will still be able to receive the advancements. Another big change is the Venturing handbook. It will be easier to read and less flipping back and forth will be required to follow the requirements and tasks that one has to complete. The Ranger, Quest and Trust awards will still be available. Of course there are other exciting changes to come as well.
Another highlight of the Conference was the opportunities for individuals as well as crews. Since we had multiple participants that were either about to start a new crew or VOA, were a new crew, or just interested in getting and staying involved, we were able to tailor our discussions to show how a crew can grow and have opportunities for the individuals as well as the entire crew. Some of these were that of leadership training through NYLT or Kodiak Challenge, as well as the Council Standard of Venturing Excellence that a council can earn through hosting activities and growing the number of Venturers. Do to this years weekend 3
Winter 2014
Area VP, Erin Dunne is awarded with the area VLA
conference, we were able to have some one on one time between Venturers and area officers as well! Also at our conference, several officers were awarded with the area Venturing Leadership Award, showing that no matter what level of Venturing one is in, there is always an opportunity to be involved and even recognized.
While at the Conference we did recognize Venturing as a whole and the work and satisfaction one can get from it, we also had a Everyone acts as an animal in a wonderful example of how determined one has to be at times— communication game. especially due to the interesting weather. It was chilly and quite slippery where the event was hosted this year. However, overall it was an event that was helpful to those whom had been involved in Venturing for a while, and knowledgeable for those just starting. It was fun for everyone, and a bit adventurous for those brave enough to “Venture” the journey.
Area 2 Venturing Kickback Weekend Kickback weekend is quickly approaching and I wanted to remind all of you of all the details and fun activities that we have planned! It is going to be held February 21-23 at Gerber Scout Camp (1733 Owasippe Rd. Twin Lake, MI). The cost is $45 and will go up to $55 after February 14, 2014. The last day to register will be February 17! You can register at this address: http://www.michiganscouting.org/Event.aspx?id=9429 Some of the activities that will be offered this year include shooting sports, snowmobiling, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, dancing, board games, capture the flag, a scavenger hunt, and much more! We are expecting a great turnout and have very high hopes for this event. I hope to see you all at the Area 2 Venturing Kickback Weekend!!
Daniel Ruland VOA President President Ford FSC, BSA
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Winter 2014
Message from the Area 2 Advisor Venturing in Michigan is alive and well! Despite some membership declines during 2013, Venturing Crews, Council Committees, District Forums and Council VOA's strengthened significantly. We expect 2014 to be a banner year of growth and activity as we rebound from the effects of the economic decline of recent years. We are excited that we're conducting our 10th Powder Horn course in 11 years no other Central Region Area can match that record. The inaugural Can-Am Venturing summer camp at D-A Scout Ranch this summer will be lots of fun shared with Scouts Canada. The Annual White Water rafting adventure continues in June, and we welcome the christening of the 52' ketch Retriever and her new Great Lakes off-shore sailing adventures. There are other great events happening. Be sure to stay connected through our Facebook pages and the MCC web page. I would like to extend my appreciation to the hearty souls who traveled great distance in snow, ice and wind to attend the Area 2 Venturing Planning Conference in January. It was a great meeting of sharing best practices, exchanging information and having fun. Many thanks to our VOA officers, and to Jerry and Robin Kiste, for the planning and hospitality that went into the conference. Be sure to reach out to our officers and advisors if we can be of any assistance to you. And even though our year is only half way done, interested Venturers should consider submitting their applications for Area VOA officer positions now! Those applications and job descriptions can be found on the national Scouting web site. Jeff Geralds Area 2 Venturing Advisor
Events Looking Ahead 2014 Ventuirng and Sea Scout Adult Leader Training, ILSC, and ILSS—February 15, Lansing MI 2014 A2 Venturing Kickback Weekend—February 21-23 at Gerber Scout Reservation Venturing and Sea Scouting Basic Leader Training—March 10, Midland, MI 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 5
Winter 2014
Powder Horn 2014 Powder Horn is a high adventure resource management course designed to motivate and prepare adult Venturing leaders to support the Ranger award. Boy Scout leaders are also welcome to participate in Powder Horn. This course will give all participants an opportunity to experience the Ranger program themselves as if they were the Venturing youth. Powder Horn is designed to expose the Venturing leader to activities and resources necessary to operate a successful Venturing Ranger program in several ways. This course will include participation in many high adventure activities*. Get ready for 6 days packed to the brim with fun, challenging activities! The Great Lakes FSC will be putting on a course May 8, 9 & 10, 2014, and May 15, 16 & 17, 2014 at D-A Scout Ranch in Metamora, Michigan. This Powder Horn course will include the following topics: Backpacking, Cave Exploring, Communications, Conservation, Cooking, Cycling/Mountain Biking, Ecology, Emergency Preparedness, Equestrian, Expedition Planning, First Aid, Fishing, Hunting, Land Navigation, Leave No Trace, Life Saver, Mountaineering, Outdoor Living History, Physical Fitness, Plants and Wildlife, Project COPE, Scuba, Shooting Sports, Watercraft, Wilderness Survival, and Winter Sports. In order to attend the course, adults must be registered members of the Boy Scouts of America and youth must be at least 16 years old and have unit leader and course director permission. Also, all participants must be fully trained for their specific position, and must meet the physical requirements of parts A, B, and C of the Annual Health and Medical Record for high adventure activities. Act fast, the course is limited—only 40 participants will be accepted. The price for the course is $275 if paid in full by May 2, 2014 or $300 if paid in full after May 2, 2014. Register Online! http://www.michiganscouting.org/Event.aspx ?id=557. To request more information, contact Course Director, Jeff Geralds at (248) 930-9685 or jwgeralds@aol.com. You may also contact staff advisor, Denver Laabs at (313) 361-1272 or denver.laabs@scouting.org.
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/.
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*All activities are challenge by choice.
Program Feature of the Season: Aquatic School Summer Camp Article Submitted by Gretchen Schuttger; Founding Boatswain of Sea Scout Ship 681 Old Ironsides, Aquatic School 2013 Anchorman & 2014 Staffer
Aquatic School summer camp this July 13-19 near Dallas / Forth Worth. We are offering official Sea Scout advancement for 15 rank requirements spread across Apprentice, Ordinary, Able, and Quartermaster, including some major difficult items such as 100% completion of BSA Lifeguard. All Venturers, Boy Scouts and Sea Scouts through age 18 are eligible to earn the coveted Anchorman medal. Sea Scouts over the age of 18 are eligible to work as Aquatic School paid staff. See the flyer here: http://www.longhorncouncil.org/uploads/d7/d79ac5c8-fdb6-4e3eb32d-876feb4cef21.pdf BUT DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT! "Aquatic School is a once-in-alifetime experience that all Scouts should attend. It teaches you skills no other camp can!" ~ Ricky Trent; Squadron Bosun of Capitol Area Council Sea Scouts, Eagle Scout, Aquatic School 2013 Anchorman "I'll never look at any aquatics activity the same way. The knowledge Aquatic School has given me is like putting on glasses..."
Interested in having the time of your life and gaining invaluable leadership experience? Become an Area 2 officer! Apply by March 15th. Apply here: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/venturing/pdf/20112012VenturingPresidentNominationForm.pdf