The Central Point Newsletter of Central Region Venturing | BSA
A Year in Review Over the past year, the Central Region has accomplished many great tasks. For the first time in several years, all seven areas had officers serving their area! Out of the 69 councils within the Central Region, over 45 councils submitted information for the Council Standards of Venturing Excellence Award! This information will greatly help enhance Venturing within the Central Region. Plans for the third Central Region Venturing Fun Event began based off of evaluation results from the last fun event in 2012. The Central Region Venturing website was reviewed and updated and the Central Region Venturing Facebook continues to grow, reaching more Venturers and Advisors daily. The new changes to the Venturing program were released and will be implemented starting June 2014.
Special Edition Newsletter 2014
Follow us on:
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.
Who Represents You? Meet the 2014-2015 Central Region Venturing Officers’ Association The Special Edition of the Central Point has been created to allow you to get to know the incoming Central Region officers better. Find out more about who represents you throughout the rest of the newsletter! Their term officially begins on June 1, 2014. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of the officers at any time over the upcoming year!
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.
Central Region President Emily Mausshardt Emily Mausshardt is currently the Central Region Vice President of Communications. She is from Ballwin, Missouri in the Greater St. Louis Area Council. She will be a sophomore at Truman State University in the fall, studying mathematics and secondary education. Favorite Outdoor Activity: Slacklining Interesting Fact: She has belayed a Halloween decoration skeleton down a rappelling cliff. Favorite Quote: “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” ~James Keller
Central Region Vice President of Administration Lizzie Schneider Lizzie Schneider is currently serving as the Area 3 Venturing President. She is from the Greater St. Louis Area Council in St. Louis, Missouri. She will be a sophomore at Lindenwood University, where she is studying mathematics and secondary education. Did you know?! Lizzie is one of 6 children in her immediate family! Favorite Scouting Memory: Watching the sunrise from a canoe in the middle of a 270 acre lake during NYLT If you were stranded on an island with all of the basic necessities and could bring only one luxury item, what would you bring? A hammock!
Central Region Vice President of Program
Central Region Vice President of Communications
Dagny Gargas
Brian Parro
Dagny Gargas is the current Central Region Venturing Vice President of Administration. She is from Indianapolis, Indiana and is part of the Crossroads of America Council. She attends St. Mary of the Woods College, where she is majoring in Biology, Psychology, and Pre -Medicine. Fun Fact: Dagny is the Commissioner at Ransburg Scout Reservation, where she has served on staff since 2010. Favorite Quote: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” ~Wayne Gretzky If you were a salad dressing, which type would you be and why? Citrus Vinaigrette—it is an uncommon type of salad dressing that brings a lot of flavor to a salad!
Brian Parro is completing his term as the Area 7 Venturing Vice President of Administration. He is from the Rainbow Council in Bolingbrook, Illinois. Brian will be attending Case Western Reserve University as a freshman studying Business Finance and Economics in the fall. Fun Fact: Brian is the valedictorian of his high school class. If all of your clothes for the rest of your life were made out of the same type of fabric, what fabric would you choose and why? Cotton—it can be used for every article of clothing and is super comfortable!
Central Region Advisor
Central Region Area 1 President
Kris Zahrobsky
Michael O’Hara
Kris is from LaGrange, Illinois and is part of the Des Plaines Council. Kris is currently serving as the Area 7 Venturing Advisor, where he has served for 12 years. He is the Service Manager for Life Safety/Fire Protection and Prevention Company. Did You Know? Kris served as the Central Region Venturing President as a youth and is one of the youngest recipients of the Silver Antelope Award. Outside of Scouting: He has a dog named Hawkeye.
Michael is currently serving as the Area 1 Vice President of Program. He is from St. Paul, Minnesota and will be pursuing a degree in business. Fun Fact: Michael is starting his own business and managing a band!
Scouting Experience: He has attended 2010 National Jamboree, 2012 National Order of the Arrow Conference, Philmont Scout Ranch, and Northern Tier.
If you had to have a toaster for a hand or a donkey follow you around for the rest of your life, which would you choose and why? “The donkey because maybe it would have the comedic stylings of Eddie Murphy.”
Scouting Fact: Michael earned his Eagle in 2012 and has been a part of three different Venturing Crews!
Central Region Area 3 President
Central Region Area 4 President
Katie Bruton
Nate Steele
Katie Bruton is currently serving as the Central Region Sea Scout Boatswain. She attends St. Francis Borgia Regional High School. Katie is from Union, Missouri in the Greater St. Louis Area Council.
Nate Steele will be attending The Ohio State University in the fall, studying biology with a concentration in Pre-Med. He is from New Concord, Ohio and is part of the Muskingum Valley Council.
Did You Know? Katie has had her feet in Canadian water, but not on Canadian land! Favorite Scouting Memory: Sailing on a J-35 Racing Yacht on Lake Huron for a week with the Sea Scouts If you could swim in a pool filled with any liquid, what liquid would you choose and why? “Orange Juice— Orange Juice is my favorite beverage and why wouldn’t you want to go swimming in a pool full of orange juice!?”
Interesting Fact: Nate owns a tandem bike that he frequently rides through the park with his friend! Favorite Food: A large steak right after an enjoyable hike Hobbies Outside of Scouting: Skiing, reading, running, and hanging out with friends If you were a crayon in a crayon box, what crayon would you be and why? “Atomic Tangerine—who wouldn’t want to be a color named that?!”
Central Region Area 5 President
Central Region Area 7 President
Ramin Rostampour
Katlin Adams
Ramin is from the Heart of America Council in Lexena, Kansas. In the fall, he will be a sophomore at Kansas State University, where he is majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry.
Did you Know? Ramin has a pet crested gecko named Cheerio. Favorite Scouting Memory: Serving on staff for the 2013 National Jamboree at the Rocks. If you were a kitchen utensil, what utensil would you be and why? He would be a spoon because he is really laid back most of the time and is not very rough around the edges. He is also good at catching things at the very end.
Katlin is from Markham, Illinois which is part of the Calumet Council. She will be a junior at St. Francis Xavier University, where she is studying Elementary Education. Interesting Fact: Katlin’s nick name from her crew is Squirrel because she loves to talk and frequently talks without stopping! Favorite Scouting Memory: First trip to summer camp Hobbies Outside of Scouting: Photography If aliens landed in front of you and would give you any one item in exchange for your most prized possession, what would you ask for and what would you give them? Katlin would ask for a rock climbing wall in her backyard in exchange for her claddagh ring.
Area and Region Positions— Why Serve?
Big Shoes to Fill—A Job Well Done
Serving as an officer at the area or regional level is the experience of a lifetime. While planning events and conferences, working on various projects, and teaching training courses, officers get to meet countless passionate youth and adults and travel around their respective area or region providing support for councils or areas. It is truly an eye opening experience to see how Venturing is run in different parts of the country. Serving in a leadership role also teaches youth lifelong skills. Officers learn skills such as public speaking, organization, professional writing, and more! While that sounds great, the best part is that the position is a blast! While attending events and conferences and working on projects, officers get to experience new opportunities that are extremely fun and rewarding. Consider applying next year—or this year if there are positions open in your area!
As we welcome in new officers for the 2014-2015 term, let us take a moment to recognize and thank those who have served during the 2013-2014 term. Venturing in the Central Region wouldn’t be what it is today without the hard work of the Central Region and area officers that served this past year. Thank you for all of your hard work, dedication, and service. Thank you to Christina Vogt who tirelessly served the Central Region as the President over the past year, implementing new ideas, enhancing old ones, and bringing endless enthusiasm for the Venturing program. Thank you to Keith Gehlhausen, who has served for TEN years as the Central Region Venturing Advisor. You have left a lasting impact on the Central Region and we could not thank you enough for your service. The Central Region will undoubtedly miss you for years to come!