Newsletter of the Central Region | Boy Scouts of America
Among the First Cathie Seebauer of Area 3 was one of the first to earn the Summit Award in the entire nation. Cathie is from Prairielands Council, where she currently serves as their Venturing Officers Association (VOA) President as well as the Vice President of Administration for Central Region Area 3. Go to Page 2 to read more about her Summit Award experience, her personal Scouting highlights, and her advice to Venturers working their way through the advancement structure.
March Newsletter 2016
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In this Issue… Among the First…….....…. 1 Cathie’s Interview........…...2 Sea Scouts, BSA is Independent …....……...… 3 Area 6 Update…......………………..4 VenturingFest Info.............4 Officer Applications...........5 Advisor’s Minute................6 Area Pages.........................7 President’s Corner............8
Tell us about your Summit Award service project.... For my service project, I wanted to do something to give back to my school. I wanted to help create a better educational experience for the future students. Therefore, I chose to lead a team of my peers in painting more than a dozen beautiful and inspirational murals in the halls and classrooms of our school. These paintings make the school a better atmosphere for learning by keeping students more comfortable, interested, and motivated. I really enjoyed this project because it allowed me to use the skills I have learned in Scouting, like leadership, time management, and project planning, in order to give back to my school and community. We encountered some challenging situations during the project, but luckily, everything worked out in the end. We had a short two-week window to finish all of the paintings, from school getting out until all of the volunteers let for vacation. So we had to make sure everything was prepped and ready before we began. We had to work through challenges during work, like safely painting in tall locations. But the project was completed on time and satisfactory, and will hopefully have an impact on students for years to come.
Personal Scouting highlights.... I joined the Venturing program right when I turned 14 years old. I grew to be highly active in my crew, and had opportunities to take on additional Venturing leadership roles in my local council and in the area. Some of my favorite adventures with my crew include kayaking for a week in the Apostle Islands, backpacking with my crew in the Ozark Mountains (and getting stuck in a blizzard on the ride home!), Philmont, and participating in Rayado (an individual Philmont trek). One of my favorite things I have done was to help my council achieve the Council Standards of Venturing Excellence last year; we were one of only three councils in the entire Central Region to earn it. I have met some of my best friends and made my favorite memories through Venturing, and it has been a truly life-changing experience. Outside of the Summit Award, I have also earned three Bronze Awards (Outdoors, Arts & Hobbies, Sports), the Gold Award, and the Silver Award, as well as two NOVA awards and the Council Venturing Leadership Award. What have you learned about leadership? In my time in Venturing, I have had the opportunity to learn a lot about leadership. I have been able to work with people that I really respect while at the same time learning from them. If I had to choose one thing that I think was the most helpful, I would say learning to adjust my leadership style to the situation was really important. Venturing exposed me to different situations, like working with people older than me, younger than me, and people that hold different values than me. I had to learn to adjust to the role I was in, in order to help attain the best outcome. I think some people try too hard to get others to respect them based on force, but through my experience, you have to earn others’ respect through your words and actions.
What did earning the Summit Award teach you? The Summit Award really showed me all of the different aspects of Venturing. While many people see the aspects of adventure, leadership, and service in the Venturing program, I think that the Summit Award really allowed me to see the personal growth quality. While you do have personal growth through the other three aspects, setting specific goals was really useful. Through these goals, I was really able to take advantage of the opportunities for development available in Venturing. I learned outdoors skills through adventure, communication skills through leadership, and how to use these new skills to help others through service. What advice would you give to a new Venturer in the program as he/she strives to work their way through the Venturing Advancement structure? The awards are very achievable. Do not be intimidated to start, because once you do, you will realize that the system can fit almost seamlessly into your program. If you are active in your crew, you will notice you already have the majority of requirements completed. So, make sure you are getting credit for what you do by actually getting things signed off. Also, make sure you have fun when finishing the requirements. If you just treat them as things that you have to do for an award, then they won’t actually help you. They work with your program, not outside of it. So, make sure you are working with your crew. If you get others to work through the requirements at the same time as you, it makes it easier to stay on track and stay motivated. Thank you Cathie - we appreciate you sharing your experiences as you work with others to Lead the Adventure!
Officer Applications! Join for an Unforgettable Experience! Are you wanting to Lead the Adventure beyond your crew? Then apply for the 2016-17 Region and Area Venturing Officers Associations (VOAs)! Region applications are due March 15 and Area applications are due April 1! Here’s what some of the current VOA Officers have to say about being on a VOA: “Being on a VOA is a lot of fun, you get to meet new people, and have the opportunity for great learning and leadership experiences.” -Russell Seibert, CR Area 5 President
“It’s a great leadership opportunity and it allows you to make connections with people all over the country.” -Jessica Paling, CR Area 2 VP Administration
“You should apply because it is a great leadership opportunity. If you have any interest in growing the Venturing program, this is a great way to do it!” -Nick Meier, CR Area 2 VP Communications
“It gives you real, hands-on leadership training with experienced volunteers and teaches you how to be a problem solver.” -Rachel Cruse, CR Area 1 President “It’s a great leadership experiences and it allows for personal growth in Scouting!”
“You will get the opportunity to meet people who have a passion for Venturing, just like you do. You will also get opportunities to help yourselves and others grow!” -Olivia Stacey, CR Area 6 VP Program
-Michael Gunther, CR Area 4 President
“Being on a VOA provides an incredible opportunity to serve your fellow Venturers and it helps you further develop yourself as a leader.”
“By being on a VOA, you can directly influence change.” -Jacob Hardy, CR Area 2 President
-Kaia Ball, CR Area 7 President Go to http://www.scouting.org/filestore/venturing /pdf/512-042(16).pdf to find the application!
Area 6 Update! Hello Venturers! This is your Area 6 President Amber Richter presenting the Area 6 update! Alright, first and foremost I would like to thank all the councils in Area 6! You guys helped us turn in all of our Council Standards of Venturing Excellence Surveys in on time. Not to mention, we were first in the Central Region and even first in the Nation to have them turned in. Great job Councils, you guys rock! If you’re a Venturer in Area 6 who wants to Lead the Adventure beyond your crew or council, apply for the 2016-17 Area 6 VOA! Yours in Venturing, Amber Richter, CR Area 6 Venturing President Haven't been to the Summit Bechtel Reserve? This summer, you and your fellow Venturers have the incredible opportunity to have the time of your lives at the Summit. Join Venturers from around the nation for VenturingFest 2016. You won’t want to miss out on this 6-day week of canopy tours, climbing, rappelling, bouldering, kayaking, water obstacle courses, and so much more. VenturingFest 2016 is the first national gathering of Venturers at the Summit and is the perfect way to end your summer! Mark your calendars for July 31-August 5, 2016. Check out more information here: http://www.summitbsa.org/venturingfest/ -Katie Bruton, CRV Vice President of Program
Sea Scouting Becomes an Independent Program
Ahoy! Have you heard the news? The National Council of the BSA has approved a resolution that establishes Sea Scouts BSA as a stand-alone program. Venturing and Sea Scouts will no longer be tied together as co-partners within the BSA. For some, this is greatly exciting news and others it is confusing. What does this mean for me if I was a Sea Scout working on Venturing awards? Well, hang in there! For now, function as you always have, working hand in hand as our programs have for the past 18 years. However, be on the lookout for some FAQ’s coming out soon to help explain and ease the transition. You can also watch for some of the latest news on our newly redesigned website: www.seascoutbeta.org which will be available for a short time before it transitions to a new “permanent” site. If you have questions that may be of help in formulating our FAQ sheets, please send them to me, Edward Campbell, your current National Boatswain at: national.sea.scout.boatswain@gmail.com .
If this is all new to you and you have no idea what Sea Scouts is all about, well, let me tell you, we have been around since 1912, after Baden Powell’s brother began Sea Scout’s UK . This means we are the second oldest nautical Youth program in the world! We work on nautical skills in, on and around the water. There is a lot of fun to be had in Sea Scouting and if you think it could be for you contact me or check out our website as well to get the information needed! -Edward Campbell, National Sea Scout Boatswain
Advisor’s Minute Shona Marta! If Google Translate is accurate, that should be the Irish greeting for, “Happy March!” As we start off the most festively “green” month of the year, I was left wondering, “Why do we wear green for St. Patrick’s Day?” Of course, there are multiple answers stemming from various legends, but some of the most popular results were:
In honor of the “emerald isle” Color of shamrocks and clovers Color of spring One of the colors on the Ireland flag / Ireland pride Green makes you invisible to leprechauns
Whatever the reason, many of those celebrating choose to wear the green loud and proud this month, and especially closer to the 17th. I guess this helps give some explanation why the City of Chicago even dyes their river green in March. (A must-experience if you ever have the chance. And don’t forget the corned beef and cabbage!) So, we have an idea of why people wear green for March, but what about Venturing? Why do we wear green almost every weekend? What does it mean to you each time you put a uniform shirt or Venturing tee on? I’m sure it means something to everyone, but I’m sure we can all agree on a few common themes: pride and love. We are proud of our program, of our experiences, for the friends we make, and for the memories we take with us. We love each moment and can’t wait for the next one. Venturing has impacted each of our lives in many ways and it is very easy to admit that Venturing has changed mine. But do you know how it all started? The day I applied to be an officer. I was very fortunate to have some amazing professionals that pushed me to complete the Region President Application, and now is our turn to the do the same for you. We need you. We need a Region President and Vice-Presidents. We need Area Presidents and Area Vice-Presidents. We need people like YOU to help lead our program and help make a difference for all those we serve. How can you do this? Well, the journey starts here: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/venturing/pdf/512-042(16).pdf Applications for Regional officers are due March 15th, and Area officers by March 31st. Help support the program we love and show everyone why you love to wear green. In Service,
Kris Zahrobsky
Events to Look Forward to‌ Area 1
Area 2
Upcoming Events:
Upcoming Events:
May 20-22, 2016, Powder Horn- Bay Lakes & Samoset Council, White Lake & Rhinelander, WI
March 19, 2016, Venturing Leader Specific Training, Lansing, MI
President: Rachel Cruse
March 19, 2016, Spring Leadership Summit, St. Johns, MI
Advisor: Helen Lockwood
President: Jacob Hardy Adivsor: Jeff Geralds
Area 3
Area 4
Upcoming Events:
Upcoming Events:
June 26- July 2, 2016, Kodiak Current River II, Salem, MO
March 5, 2016, ILSC Training, Wadsworth, OH
President: Chris Mausshardt Advisor: Bob Vogt
March 19, 2016, LSC and Advisor Training, Canton, OH April 22-24, 2016, WorldFest 2016, Kinsington, OH
President: Michael Gunther Advisor: Duane Zobrist
Area 5
Area 6
Upcoming Events:
Upcoming Events: June 29-July 9, 2016, SeaBase Scuba Adventure, Seabase, Florida
June 25- July 2, 2016, Powder-JAC, Topeka, KS President: Russell Seibert Advisor: Julie Dalton
Area 7 Upcoming Events: March 5, 2016, Area 7 Venturing Conference, Gurnee, IL March 23, 2016, Wood Badge C8-118-16, Camp Betz, MI President: Kaia Ball Advisor: Rachel Zahrobsky
President: Amber Richter Advisor: Anne Zimmer
VenturingFest 2016: The Next National Venturing Event at the Summit! July 31 – August 5, 2016
President’s Corner Happy March, Central Region! With the wrap-up of collecting the 2015 Council Standards of Venturing Excellence form, Area and council events happening all over the Region, and applications for the 201617 Venturing Officers Associations, it’s an exciting time for all! Hopefully you’ve heard by now about VenturingFest 2016, the new National Venturing event at the Summit! VenturingFest 2016 is going to be July 31st through August 5th, and will be one of the most cost effective ways for Venturers to experience the Summit ever! Participants (under 21) can attend this national event for just $400 and adults can attend for $300. Participants will get the chance to experience the best that the Summit has to offer. BMX biking, climbing, water sports, skateboarding, challenge courses, shooting sports, and more! Not only is it a great bargain, but the evening program is going to bring Venturing to life. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to meet Venturers from all over the country and experience the Summit at the same time! For more information and to register, go to: http://www.summitbsa.org/venturingfest/ We can’t wait to see you there! Keep leading the Adventure, Venturers!
Yours in Venturing,
Brian Parro
Central Region Venturing President:
Brian Parro president@crventuring.org
Central Region Venturing Advisor:
Kris Zahrobsky venturing-chair@crventuring.org
Central Region Vice President of Communications:
Jennifer Bullock vp-communications@crventuring.org
Central Region Venturing Associate Advisor for Communications:
Deb Keyes communications-coordinator@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 the 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.