The Central Point Newsletter of Central Region Venturing | BSA June / July Newsletter 2013
What’s new in the Venturing Program? Venturing is getting ready to go through some new program changes, after a national taskforce has thoroughly reviewed many aspects of the current program. The new changes are designed to make Venturing easier for new units to understand, and for the youth to get more out of the program. These changes include a new award system and different ideas for adventures. The new system now has a new means of developing leadership skills, focusing on the value of service to others, and more ways to focus on personal growth. Unlike the current awards program, the new Program will be based on four “pillars”. The “pillars” will stand for adventure, leadership, service, and personal growth. The adventure pillar will focus on new experiences that will push Venturers to new personal heights. The level of difficulty will depend on the crew and individual in order to obtain new skills and experience. Allowing the Venturing program to continue to fit each individual crew and member's needs. The leadership pillar will focus on developing broad interpersonal leadership skills and applying them to real life. The level of difficulty depends on the individual as it will deal with following, leading, and mentoring.
The service pillar will focus on developing behavior which will lead to an ongoing sense of responsibility. The level of difficulty will depend on both the crew and individual. The personal growth pillar will focus on the growth in the skills and ethical/moral foundations that will support economic independence, life-long learning, and timeless values. This pillar focuses completely on the individual and helping them advance their own personal skill level. The Program will be fully implemented beginning in May 2014. However, you are able to work on the current awards program until December 31, 2014. At that point all crews must switch to the new program and awards.
Follow us on:
In This Issue: Changes to the Venturing Program
1
Changes to the BSA Membership Policy
2
Caption Contest
3
Area 3 Webinars
3
Area 1-5 Pages
4
Area 6-7 Pages
5
Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews Course 5 President’s Corner
6
Venturing Oath: As a Venturer, I promise to do my duty to God and to help strengthen America. To help others, and to seek truth, fairness, and adventure in our world.
Boy Scouts of America Adopts a New Membership Policy On May 23rd, the Boy Scouts of America met in Texas at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center to discuss and vote on the BSA membership standards. The following membership standard for youth members of the Boy Scouts of America was proposed, voted on by 1,232 voting members of the Boy Scouts of American, and approved with a 61% majority. The new standard will be in effect Jan. 1, 2014: Youth membership in the Boy Scouts of America is open to all youth who meet the specific membership requirements to join the Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, Sea Scout, and Venturing programs. Membership in any program of the Boy Scouts of America requires the youth member to (a) subscribe to and abide by the values expressed in the Scout Oath and Scout Law, (b) subscribe to and abide by the precepts of the Declaration of Religious Principle (duty to God), and (c) demonstrate behavior that exemplifies the highest level of good conduct and respect for others and is consistent at all times with the values expressed in the Scout Oath and Scout Law. No youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone. The BSA’s statement on the new membership standard can be found on www.scouting.org at the following link: http://www.scouting.org/ sitecore/content/MembershipStandards/Resolution/results.aspx
Did You Know…
Approximately 1/3 of Venturers are female?
Venturing impacts about 43,000 youth in the Central Region alone?
Afternoon thunder storms are fairly common at Philmont Scout Ranch, but rarely last more than an hour?
Do you want your event/article to be featured in the Central Point?
A newsletter can’t be a newsletter without cool new articles for each edition! If you have an article that you would like to have added to the Central Point, send it to Emily Mausshardt (vpcommunications@crventuring.org). Writing an article with pictures is an excellent way to promote your event or activity. Thousands of people receive the newsletter each month—imagine the publicity your event will get! Articles can and are encouraged to come from anyone. Crews, districts, councils, and areas are all strongly encouraged to submit articles each month. In addition to writing articles, there are numerous opportunities to have your work featured in the newsletter. Submit a picture and/or caption for the caption contest, send fun facts and cool Scouting related quotes. Are you proud of your local Scout camp? Send a picture for other readers to try and guess where it is located!
Area 3 Webinars We are proud to announce monthly Venturing webinars hosted by the Central Region Area 3 VOA! Details are still being planned on the specifics of dates for each webinar (more information will become available on www.area3crv.org shortly). However, we are able to announce the subjects of the monthly webinars. All professionals, volunteers, and youth are welcome, and encouraged, to attend the webinars from the comfort of your own home no matter what council you are located within. We look forward to seeing you there (well maybe not “seeing” since this is being done over the internet and not in person, but you get the point)!
Name that Camp!
August: Putting the “Wow Factor” into Your Program September: How Venturing Fits into the Scouting Program as a Whole October: Check List for Venturing Success (Council Standards of Venturing Excellence and Venturing Leadership Awards) November: Marketing, Recruiting, and Retaining for Venturing and Sea Scouting December: Venturing Officer Selection Process January: Special Session for Professional Scouters Only February: The New Venturing Part 1– Unit Level Changes March: The New Venturing Part 2– Council through National Changes April: Venturing Trainings/Purpose of Venturing Officers’ Associations May: Open Microphone Month
Each edition of the Central Point will feature a photo from a Boy Scout camp in the Central Region. Can you name that camp?
If you would like your photo to be a “Name that Camp?” clue, please email it to Emily Mausshardt at vpcommunications@crventuring.org.
“No one can pass through life, anymore than he can pass through a bit of country, without leaving tracks behind, and those tracks may often behelpful to those coming after him in finding their way.” - Lord Baden-powell
July Caption Contest Last Month’s Picture:
“Duck...Duck...Duck..”
This Month’s Picture:
“TARZAN!!”
We know you can do better than this caption! Send in your caption, name, and council you are from to vp-communications@crventuring.org. If you win, your caption will be featured in next month’s newsletter and on our Facebook page. Check back next month to see who wins.
Area 1
Area 2
Upcoming events:
Upcoming Events:
No upcoming events. If you have an event you would like listed here, please submit it to http://www.crventuring.org/ event_submission.php.
August 23rd-25th, Wood Badge, Twin Lake, MI
President: Mikaela Boston
Advisor: Chris Sandberg
Area 3 Upcoming events: September 13th-15th, 2013, Leave No Trace/Tread Lightly Trainer Training, Camp Drake, Oakwood, IL
President: Jasmine Dittel Advisor: Jeff Geralds
September 27th-29th, 2013, Fall Fun Rally, High Ridge, MO September 27th-29th, 2013, Wood Badge, Peoria, IL Also, check out Area 3’s YouTube page! http://www.youtube.com/user/CRVenturingArea3 President: Elizabeth Schneider
Area 4 Upcoming Events:
Advisor: Bob Vogt
Area 5
No upcoming events. If you have an event you would like listed here, please submit it to http://www.crventuring.org/ event_submission.php.
Upcoming Events: July 28th-August 2nd, 2013, Venture Quest 2013, St. Joseph, KS August 9th-11th, 2013, Wood Badge, Marshfield, IL
To submit an event, please go to: Crventuring.org
September 6th-8th, 2013, Wood Badge, Woodward, IA September 13th-15th, 2013, Powder Horn, Bonner Spring, KS President: Mallory Ware
President: Henry Gunther
Advisor: Julie Dalton
Advisor: Duane Zobrist
Area 6
Area 7
Upcoming Events:
Upcoming Events:
July 28th-August 3rd, 2013, Kodiak Challenge, Bloomington, IN
July 28th-August 3rd, 2013, Venturing Summer Camp, Morris, IL August 3rd, 2013, ILSC Training, Bolingbrook, IL
President: Mandi Forsythe
Advisor: Carla Gargas
August 4th-6th, 2013, Venture Camp at Camp Napowan, Wildrose, IL
October 5th, 2013, Area 7 Venturing Extravaganza, Morris, IL
Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews Course President: Katlin Adams Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews/Ships (ILSC/ILSS) is a leadership training course designed to give youth the tools and knowledge they need to be successful leaders. It covers topics such as Crew/Ship organization, planning, effective communication, and servant leadership, to name just a few! Split into three modules, it can be presented in several different settings and time frames. For example, each module could be presented at a separate crew meeting, or it could be done all at once during a morning or afternoon. Don’t let the term ‘training’ keep you from the course! While it has some lecture-like moments, it is mostly chocked full of games and activities! It is a prerequisite for National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT), so sign up for a course near you today!
Advisor: Kris Zahrobsky
Submit your Venturing event on the Central Region Website! Go to http://crventuring.org and click on the “submit a calendar event” button on the lower left side of the page. Fill out the form, and now you will be able reach thousands of Venturers to come to your event!
President’s Corner Hello Central Region! Once again, a new term has started and I could not be more excited. Summer is here and now is the perfect time for summer Scouting trips. As the Central Region Venturing President, I want to introduce myself a little bit better. I call Ballwin, Missouri my home, but I will be living in St. Charles, Missouri attending Lindenwood University in the fall. Go LIONS! I will be a freshman trying to double major in Business Administration and Non-Profit Management and then eventually getting my masters. But most of all my passion is Venturing and the opportunities it offers each and every day. My favorite activities are anything outdoors and enjoying the challenges that Venturing offers. This June, I have the opportunity to spend three weeks at Philmont at the Philmont Training Center and in the back country with my crew. I have been very active in Venturing since I first joined when I was 14 years old. I am very active in my crew at home, and I am also involved in a Sea Scout Ship to better my knowledge about that great program. Over the past couple of years I have held an Area Venturing President and Regional Venturing Vice President position. I am now ready to take on the Central Region Venturing President position! This year, the Central Region is going to be focusing on building the areas to allow better program opportunities. I am very excited to be able to meet as many Venturers as possible as I travel throughout the year. Remember I am always just an email or Facebook message away! Have a great year Central Region! ~Christina Vogt
Central Region Venturing President: Christina Vogt president@crventuring.org Central Region Venturing Advisor: Keith Gehlhausen venturing-chair@crventuring.org Central Region Venturing Vice President of Communications: Emily Mausshardt vpcommunications@crventuring.org Central Region Venturing Associate Advisor for Communications: Deb Keyes communicationscoordinator@crventuring.org
About Our Organization... Venturing is a Scouting program for male and female youth ages 13-21 that lets youth experience new activities, build leadership skills, earn awards, make new friends, and of course have fun. The Central Region is one of four regions of the Boy Scouts of America. This region includes the states of: Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and West Virginia.