2019 Summer Edition

VENTURING S U M M E R 2 0 19 I S S U E

Newsletter

2019 WORLD SCOUT JAMBOREE

US GLOBAL AMBASSADOR ALEXA AGAMALIAN RECAPS HER EXPERIENCES ON PAGE 17

MEET YOUR 2019 VOA OFFICERS PAGE 3

SCOUTING AND SDGs PAGE 25

SUMMER OF VENTURING PAGE 29

VOLUME ONE

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ISSUE ONE

Ed i t o r I n C h i e f : N i c o l e S t e e l e Co n t e n t Le a d : S o ha m Pa t e l Design: Jonathan Bergler Ve n t u r i n g @ S c o u t i n g . o r g

Editor’s Note N I C O L E ST E E L E

The vison of the Venturing Newsletter is to tie together content from other platforms and produce its own as to better unite Venturing as a whole, spreading information and spirit across the nation of Scouts and Scouters. Working alongside me to achieve this are Venturers Jonathan Bergler and Soham Patel. Jonathan joined Scouting in the first grade, recieved his Eagle Scout Award when he was thirteen, and joined Venturing as soon as he turned fourteen. Some highlights from Soham’s Scouting career include staffing Foxtrot Basecamp during National Jamboree, staffing the first ever VenturingFest, and attending the 6th Interamerican Leadership Training in Quito, Equador. I have been in Venturing since 2016 and got involved with the Venturing Officers’ Association after attending NYLT. Currently, I serve as the Western Region Area 4 Venturing Head of the Alumni Committee. All three of us have served as an officer in the VOA for two to four years. The experiences we have all had and heard about have led to the desire of sharing similar stories and opportunities with others. Feel free to contact us with any questions or ideas for content.

CONTENTS CONTENTS NATIONAL VOA - 3 NVOA Orientation - 4 M e e t t h e N a t i o n a l V OA - 5 Meet Nor theast Region - 7 M e e t C e n t ra l R e g i o n - 9 M e e t S o u t h e r n R e g i o n - 11 M e e t We s t e r n R e g i o n - 13

EVENTS - 15 20 20 Wo r l d S c o u t M O OT - 16 2019 Wo r l d S c o u t J a m b o re e - 17 20 20 Ve n t u r i n g Fe s t - 20

FEATURED - 22 Ve n t u re r Re c e i v e s a M e d a l o f M e r i t - 23 S u s t a i n a b l e D e v e l o p m e n t G o a l s - 25 O u t s t a n d i n g S u m m i t Aw a rd P ro j e c t s - 28 # S u m m e r O f Ve n t u r i n g - 29 C a l e n d a r - 31

GE T TING TO KNOW YOUR

National VOA

NATIONAL Page 5

Page 7

Page 11

NORTHEAST REGION

CENTRAL REGION

Page 9

Page 13

SOUTHERN REGION 3 | VENTURING NEWSLETTER

WESTERN REGION

National VOA Orientation Pamela Petterchak National VOA President

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n early June, the 2019-2020 National Venturing Officers’ Association gathered in Denver, Colorado for a weekend of orientation and bonding. This was the first time all six officers had the opportunity to meet face-to-face (with the exception of Natalie Nichols, who joined us via Skype), and the atmosphere was electric. From the first moments to the last moments of National VOA Orientation, it was clear that the 20192020 National VOA would be an incredible team!

The first evening of orientation consisted of a pizza party with the outgoing National VOA. Incoming officers had a chance to seek advice and share their excitement and apprehension for the term ahead of them. Outgoing officers shared wisdom from their year as National VOA officers and reminisced over the year they spent together.

The next day, orientation was in full swing!

First, we shared breakfast with the Chief Scout Executive, Mike Surbaugh, where we had the opportunity to learn about the Chief’s vision for young adult programs. The rest of the day consisted of various trainings to help us better understand

our roles: from Council Venturing Journey to Excellence and the National Standard Operating Procedures, to goal setting exercises and team bonding. In the evening, we visited the famous Casa Bonita restaurant for dinner and participated in an advisors-versus-officers escape room challenge.

The final day of orientation helped us apply what we’d learned by practicing giving elevator speeches, discussing how to assist VOAs in various stages of formation, and delving into the fun and adventure of event visits. Together, we established a vision statement for the National VOA: As the members of the 2019-2020 National VOA, we foster a nurturing environment in which we change the lives of others and ignite their potential, leading to growth that extends beyond the Venturing program.

We began the evening with an etiquette dinner (and took a few goofy pictures in our spiffy formal outfits), and ended it by hanging out and getting to know each other while wearing onesies.

In the end, we left orientation feeling empowered, invigorated, and ready to tackle the term ahead of us. We left as a stronger team - as a family! The 2019-2020 National VOA Orientation was an experience we will never forget.

NATIONAL

KATELYN ST. LOUIS VICE PRESIDENT

PAMELA PETTERCHAK PRESIDENT

ROBBIE DiBIAGIO ADVISOR

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS TERM?

Pamela Petterchak: The National Venturing Officers’ Association (VOA) worked together to compile several priorities and goals for our term. We will work to support Council VOA’s, improve the public relations efforts of the National VOA, engage youth leaders through collaboration, and create a positive environment for VOA officers across the nation.

Katelyn St. Louis: For my position specifically, we’re exploring different avenues this year through engaging the Region Vice Presidents on a national level. By allowing all four regions to communicate and exchange best practices, we can tackle obstacles on a united front and use all of our strengths to create a better program!

Also, we’re looking into creating various resources like outlining how Council VOAs and beyond are a “Return on Investment” and other documents that list some helpful tips and tricks for Venturers across the country. However, these are just some highlights for the year to come!

Robbie DiBiagio: My main goal is to support the NVOA and give them any resources needed to accomplish any tasks that are given to us. Making sure the Regions are successful in supporting and delivering the best Venturing program possible is crucial. I also will be traveling across the country throughout this year, listening and experiencing how adventure is different for everyone! By doing this, I want to be as open and transparent as possible with all our volunteers in the field.

Having an open door policy and letting them share their concerns and successes so we can connect them with resources is also a priority for me this year. We have an incredible team with so many different skill sets, its going to be a great year!

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IF YOU WERE TO HAVE ANY SUPERPOWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

Pamela Petterchak: If I could have any superpower, I would want to be able to teleport anywhere instantly. While I understand that the journey is just as important as the destination, I would appreciate the ability to decide how long my journey is!

Katelyn St. Louis: I would 100% want to control time. This includes time travel of all kinds (backwards, forwards, etc), as well as stopping time and slowing it down. The one thing I’m always running out of is time, whether it be to finish a project or just not wanting a moment to end. By controlling time, I’d be able to easily finish my homework and maybe even take a trip to prehistoric times and meet some dinosaurs.

Robbie DiBiagio: Teleporting! Could you imagine if you didn’t need to wait in lines, traffic, or delays!?

I love getting places quickly and teleporting would be perfect!

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT VENTURING?

Pamela Petterchak: I love how flexible the Venturing program is! We are one of the only programs in the nation that allows youth to choose their own adventure and determine their personal goals.

Katelyn St. Louis: I gotta say one of my favorite parts about the Venturing program is the people. There are so many motivated and passionate people that I’ve met and worked with that inspire me to keep moving forward. I think one of the most eye-opening experiences was when I went to a Council VOA event in Puerto Rico this past January. There were over two hundred Venturers there that truly took the program into their own hands and changed their own lives for the better.

Robbie DiBiagio: As a product of the program and now an Advisor, I can firmly attest that Venturing can change your life. Adventure is in the eyes of the beholder. I love that this program gives all our youth so many opportunities to go and experience new things. From leadership to character development, Venturing is and always will set the stage for our future success. There is nothing else like it!

WHAT’S THE WORST FOOD YOU’VE EVER EATEN?

Pamela Petterchak: I ate lasagna flavored crickets at the 2019 World Scout Jamboree… that was an experience….

Katelyn St. Louis: Frog legs. My dad brought them home one time and all I have to say about that is never again.

Robbie DiBiagio: Cold veggie omelet in a bag. It was something I’ll never forget for sure.

NORTHEAST REGION CLARE TOMAN PRESIDENT

GORDON LEARY ADVISOR

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS TERM?

Clare Toman: This term I plan to really focus on helping my areas reach their goals.

I want to help facilitate routine communication between Area Vice Presidents and promote collaboration between areas. Also, I plan to establish a structure for routine check-ins to gather information on council contacts at the volunteer and professional levels. Additionally, I want to use social media to show more of the goals and progress of the Northeast Region VOA throughout this term.

Gordon Leary: My first priority is to support the youth in everything that they do in Venturing and encourage their educational pursuits. One of our goals is to make the Venturing process easier on areas and councils. We feel by starting early, and emphasising the goals of JTE, we will make the reporting process less stressful. We can support them by getting the information to our Area Advisors early and insist that they pass the word as well. We also wanted to encourage all areas to think about VLA selections early. We are making a list of everything we see throughout the year. We want to recognize youth and adults who are making an impact. As a new Region Advisor, I want to visit as many area events as possible over the this year, and visit all by next year. We have lots of talent in the Northeast Region, and I want to hear their ideas, see their successes, and let them know that their voice is heard.

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WHAT GOT YOU INTO SCOUTING?

Clare Toman: My brother attended the 22nd World Scout Jamboree in Sweden and when he came home he had the coolest stories! I was obsessed and my mom immediately called BSA headquarters to see if there was a waiting list for the 2015 World Jamboree in Japan. I was the first person in the US on the waiting list! In order to go to the jamboree I had to be in Venturing, so I signed up and afterwards I found a crew I loved and the rest is history!

Gordon Leary: I have been involved in Scouting since I was eight years old when I joined as a Cub Scout. I earned my Arrow of Light and Eagle Scout. I became Scoutmaster on my 21st birthday. It was what I knew growing up. I left Scouting when I got married at age 29. I always said I would rejoin when we had sons that reached Cub Scout age. We ended up having two daughters. My eldest daughter wanted to join Venturing, I said yes, but was not going to get deeply involved. After a meeting or two, I realized that Scouting was a missing part of my life. It is what grounds me and makes me the person I am today. It makes me a better person, and I want that influence in my life. So, I guess I can say, Scouting gave me a way to live my life.

IF YOU COULD BE ANY ANIMAL, WHAT WOULD YOU BE AND WHY?

Clare Toman: I’d be a jellyfish! All wibbly and wobbly! Translucent too! They go with the flow and some jellyfish are immortal because of an adaptation that allows them to regenerate their dead cells!

How neat is that!

Gordon Leary: Never really thought about it, but maybe a whale. The oceans are unknown to many of us, and I would like to learn all of it’s secrets.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PINEAPPLES ON YOUR PIZZA?

Clare Toman: I love pizza (New York style is the best!) and would never in a million years put pineapple on mine. The tang of pineapple and the smoothness of mozzarella? Gross!

Gordon Leary: No problem! It’s pizza.

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SOUTHERN REGION ELLA HIRSCH PRESIDENT

SHERRY McGUGIN ADVISOR

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS TERM?

Ella Hirsch: My main goal for this term is to help and support my region where it needs the most help. While I do have a list of other goals, which include recognizing volunteer work and creating stronger training foundations for Council and Area Orientations, I really want my team to focus on a well rounded support system from helping with Area presidents, to JTEs and membership.

Sherry McGugin: Southern Region has multiple goals for the 2019-2020 term. Our team will support and mentor our SRVOA to ensure the communication and delivery of the Venturing program. Our major focus will always be the support and building of Area VOAs to support Council and Districts. But until SR has 100% Council VOA, we need to try and fill in the missing gaps for unit support. SRVOA is building the regional Venturing committee to expand the needs of the program, communication, administration and marketing. We have Councils with different resources and needs, but our customer is the individual Venturer. WHow do we as a Region best serve the youth? As our team travels throughout the Southern Region, we want to gather the ideas, opinions, feedback and information to support the Venturing program. How can SRVOA support you? How can we serve you?

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WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT VENTURING?

Ella Hirsch: The memories and friends you get to make. I also love the opportunities given and how the program helps to push you out of your boundaries and make you a better person.

Sherry McGugin: The unique adventures each youth can embark as well as the flexibility of the Venturing program. And the possibilities. I wish as a 15 year old I could have had not only the program but the mentors from Venturing in my life.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES OUTSIDE OF VENTURING?

Ella Hirsch: I will be a sophomore at Virginia Tech studying Animal Sciences with a pre vet track! I love working with animals, especially horses. I am active in my church group on campus and I shoot for VT on their club clay target team.

Sherry McGugin: What? Outside of Venturing? There is an outside of Venturing! Maybe that is why I love this program so much, because it incorporates the things I enjoy in life: meeting new people and talking, traveling to new places, hiking, shooting sports, & caving. I guess my favorite hobby is binge watching Netflix when all else is unavailable.

WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE?

Ella Hirsch: When I’m walking and people im walking with start walking into me and brush my shoulder. Also when people try to sing songs they don’t know.

Sherry McGugin: Terrible customer service and no sweet tea.

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CENTRAL REGION JULIE DALTON ADVISOR

NATALIE NICHOLS PRESIDENT

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS TERM?

Natalie Nichols: One of the main goals in the Central Region is to increase communication and connection between Venturers, volunteers, and professionals, both within and outside VOAs, and encourage member recruitment and retainment!

We’re focusing on connection through updating and revitalizing crventuring.org, reevaluating and streamlining resources to make them clear and easy to access, and increasing consistent Area-council communication through establishing relationships and routine conversations. On the recruitment and retainment side of things, we’re encouraging Area VOAs to partner with councils in hosting recruiting events and encouraging VOA members to become more involved in ongoing area and region initiatives. We’ve got a lot of cool projects coming your way this year, so stay tuned on our social medias to find out more about all of them!

Julie Dalton: Over the next year I hope to support the Central Region VOA officers so that they can accomplish their goals of growing Venturing. By supporting and mentoring the youth, it will strengthen the Areas and Council Venturing programs.

Their enthusiasm and excitement for the program needs to be shared and be seen by others who will want to join the program. In addition to supporting the youth officers, I want to increase the adult committee members and structure so that we will have a strong succession plan for future leadership.

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WHY DID YOU JOIN THE VOA?

Natalie Nichols: I joined the VOA because the first person who presented ILSC for me suggested I should. I had attended a council VOA meeting or two, had some fun, and was sort of considering running. I’m so glad that ILSC presenter talked me into it - I’ve met some of my best friends through VOAs, grown so much as a leader, and had some crazy adventures!!

Julie Dalton: I first became involved at our Council VOA when our Crew wanted to know “what events would be Venturing specific” at a local council event. When they were told “whatever you want to run”, the VOA was born. As I have transitioned to the Area and Regional VOA, I am in awe of the VOA leaders and amazed at their leadership abilities and the accomplishments they are able to achieve.

IF YOU COULD TRAVEL TO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHAT WOULD YOUR FIRST STOP BE AND WHY?

Natalie Nichols: For some reason, visiting Barcelona has always been the top of my bucket list. I’ve always wanted to explore the region, and I’d love to learn more about the culture and the language.

I think Catalonia is a really cool and beautiful region! I have some extended family members who live there too, and it would be cool to visit them.

Julie Dalton: I hope to travel to Europe someday and see the old world. America is such a new country and our history (especially in the midwest) is so limited. I want to see the old castles and to appreciate cultures that have evolved through many centuries.

WOULD YOU RATHER IT BE EXTREMELY HOT OR EXTREMELY COLD?

Natalie Nichols: Without a doubt, I’d rather it be extremely cold. Maybe this is just a Minnesotan thing, but we say there’s no such thing as bad weather - only bad clothing! If you’re cold, you’re just not wearing enough layers! Plus, fuzzy blankets are one of the best things ever, and extremely cold weather just means it’s socially acceptable to cozy up in a huge pile of them.

Julie Dalton: Not extreme on either end, but I do prefer colder weather than the heat. I can always put on another layer, but taking off more layers can cause a problem....

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WESTERN REGION TYLER GREY PRESIDENT

ELIZABETH FINLEY ADVISOR

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS TERM?

Tyler Grey: Throughout this term, my main goal in leading the Western Region Venturing Officers’ Association is to focus heavily on supporting each of our five area VOAs by introducing helpful resources to help with communication items or program projects, as well as being transparent and accessible for each officer. I also want to bring a stronger focus to increasing Western Region pride and promoting the cohesiveness of our region while setting a new precedent for our culture.

Elizabeth Finley: The big priority this year for the Western Region is to help Councils as best we can with membership. FInding and keeping contacts as Districts and Councils may be shifting borders. Marketing will be a large portion of this so that youth and adults will know that Venturing is still in the WR as the LDS Church changes their direction with their youth program. We will be marketing to new communities. We have started that already by implementing a ‘translate’ option on our WRVenturing.org page so that adults and youth can read our newsletter and upcoming events in their language of choice. We have also started with the “Double Dare” challenge which is to Double the size of your Crew. There are flyers and a Power Point available for download and use at the Unit level, this is a diversity exercise to get units to look outside the box when they are recruiting new youth and adults.

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WHY DID YOU JOIN THE VOA?

Tyler Grey: Quite honestly, I joined the VOA when a friend of mine from the OA invited me to join and I thought it was the “Venturing Order of the Arrow.” I quickly realized it was not what I thought it was, but I still thought it was super cool! I decided to stick around and I quickly made friends with everyone there. I thought it was super cool that I could be involved with planning a Venturing event that was put on for the entire council and there was never a dull moment!

Elizabeth Finley: My “why” is that I enjoy watching the young people learn new skills, such as developing budgets for events; skills that they may not be able to learn anywhere else and put into practice in an environment where it is ok to make mistakes.

WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE?

Tyler Grey: I hate when people ask me a question then immediately stop listening. I’m just sitting over here like why did you even ask?

Elizabeth Finley: When people text me and they do not let me know who it is (if they are not in my contacts so it just comes up a number) by introducing themselves.

WOULD YOU RATHER IT BE EXTREMELY HOT OR EXTREMELY COLD?

Tyler Grey: Extremely hot, but it has to be low humidity! I’m from California, so anything below 50 degrees is comparable to Antarctica. In Los Angeles, we live in a desert so humidity is definitely a no-go for me.

Elizabeth Finley: I have an 8 inch plate and a femoral head screw in my left leg so the cold really makes my leg ache. So I prefer any temperature above 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

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BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA

National Events

A U.S GLOBAL AMBASSADOR RECALLS HER 2019 WSJ EXPERIENCES Page 17 Page 20

VENTURINGFEST 2020 QUICK FAQs

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WHAT DO VENTURERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT VENTURINGFEST?

T O O M T U O C S D L WOR 2021 IRELAND

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E R E H G CLICKIN

“A WARM SMILE IS THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE OF KINDNESS.” - William Arthur Ward 17 | VENTURING NEWSLETTER

2019 World Scout Jamboree Alexa Agamalian

World Jamboree Global Ambassador

O

ne hundred fifty two nations. 45,000 scouts. Summit Bechtel Reserve, Mount Hope, West Virginia. Two weeks. Laughter. Exploration. Adventure. This summer, I embarked on one of the greatest adventures, the 24th World Scout Jamboree within the luscious green forests, at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in the beautiful West Virginia.

Ever since I can remember, I have been traveling. I fell in love with exploring new lands, meeting new people, and learning new things. World Scout Jamboree was right up my alley. How amazing is it that thousands of scouts from all around the globe can come together and rejoice? I could hardly wait to embark on the adventure of my lifetime!

Before the Jamboree a unique opportunity for scouts had risen, the Global Ambassador program. I applied for this incredible role and was selected! I was selected to be one of the Global Ambassadors representing the United States of America Contingent alongside

my three other ambassadors. Global Ambassadors are essentially the representatives of their respective country to the world and their homeland. The neat thing about this program is that us Ambassadors can share our Jamboree experience through our own perspective for others to see. Almost every country had a Global Ambassador. There were 91 countries with Global Ambassadors and 155 Global Ambassadors in total. As an ambassador, I had access to a cellular device to take pictures and videos and write blog posts that were uploaded to the WSJ website. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to proudly represent the USA Contingent. I met so many amazing scouts through this process.

I didn’t quite know what to expect going into Jamboree, but it sure was way better than I could have ever imagined. Different world foods lingered in the air from the international food houses. The Global Development Village hosted many opportunities for scouts to get involved through interactive programs designed to inspire. World Point housed a handful of countries with activities and ways to learn about scouting in that country and cultures, traditions, etc. The World Scout Jamboree offered so many ways to become more knowledgeable, involved, and interested in other aspects of this World.

CONTINUED >

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Throughout the Jamboree, I met lots of interesting people and learned a ton of new things! I find it so fascinating to listen to someone else talk about their interests and beliefs and thoughts on things. I love to expand my collection of lenses to view things in; to challenge and complicate my understanding of things.

The most important thing I learned on this adventure was that we are so much more similar than we think. Jumping up and down at the Basecamp B Bash, I looked down and saw hundreds of feet jumping, sliding, and grooving

to the music, all connecting down to the roots of the earth. The earth we all live in. I looked up and saw hundreds, of faces, wide grins, and laughter overpowering my sight. Smiling scouts sharing their joy and energy with each other.

This moment was so beautiful for me because I learned that no matter where you come from, what you believe, or what language you speak, harmony and peace can still be exchanged between others. We learn about each other’s differences and thrive upon our commonalities to broaden our view of the world and its inhabitants. Something as simple as dancing to a song can connect thousands of people through the actions and energy exuded. I am so amazed and forever changed by this amazing experience.

CHECK OUT ALEXA’S BLOGS AT WSJ.ORG

VENTURINGFEST 2020 Q U I C K

F A C T S

WHAT IS VENTURINGFEST? VenturingFest is the largest national gathering of Venturers at the Summit Bechtel Reserve (SBR). This six-day high-adventure experience invites participants to explore the best activities and programs that the SBR has to offer, all while meeting and interacting with Venturers from across the country and making memories that will last a lifetime.

WHO CAN ATTEND? Any registered Venturer, Sea Scout, Explorer, or Scouts BSA member over the age of 14 (or 13 and completed 8th grade) is eligible to attend. All registered adults in the BSA are invited as well (Advisors, Scoutmasters, Skippers, etc). We are also inviting the international Scouting community.

WHAT DOES THE PRICE INCLUDE? The fee includes dining hall meals (Sunday dinner through Friday breakfast), campsites (w/ tents, showers, dining flies, tables, and Wi-Fi), and all program equipment. All high adventure program areas are available and it is an open-program format (high demand areas such as the Big Zip, Canopy Tours and COPE will have a system using day-specific tokens).

Evening programs are provided by the VenturingFest staff or by the Region Base Camp staff. The optional half-day whitewater rafting trip is an additional $75 per person.

HOW DO WE REGISTER AS A GROUP? CAN OUR COUNCIL/AREA REGISTER AS A CONTINGENT? The minimum group size is 7 and must include at least 5 youth and 2 adults. Individual units or council contingents can register. Registration will open by July 1, 2019.

MORE INFORMATION AT SUMMITBSA.ORG

JUNE 28 - JULY 3

YO U T H : $ 525 | A D V I S O R : $ 425 PRICES RISE AFTER APRIL 30, 2020

CAN I REGISTER AS AN INDIVIDUAL? Yes! Provisional registration is available for youth.

Register yourself and you will be assigned with a provisional crew from your Region or Area.

WILL THERE BE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE? Yes, there will be some unique training opportunities available for both youth and adults at VenturingFest.

Stay tuned for more information.

WHAT STANDARDS ARE THERE FOR PARTICIPATION? All participants must complete parts A, B, C of the BSA Annual Health and Medical Record, which includes a physician’s examination and approval for highadventure activities. All participants must complete SBR Risk Acknowledgement (and Whitewater Waiver if applicable). To participate in aerial sports, participants must weigh between 50 and 250 lbs. They must pass a standard BSA swimmer test if participating in any aquatic activities.

WILL THERE BE BUSSES FOR PARTICIPANTS TO UTILIZE BETWEEN PROGRAM AREAS? Yes, there is bus transportation available during VenturingFest available to the large program venues, but not to the Summit Center or Base Camp areas.

CAN I STAFF VENTURINGFEST? A: Yes, we will be recruiting VenturingFest staff! We are looking for staff for all areas of VenturingFest, from supporting high adventure program areas to operations and Venturing specific activities. A reduced fee for staff will be announced.

VF Youth Lead: Ryan Davis | VF Adult Lead: Jim Lynch V E N T U R I N G F E ST @ S CO U T I N G .O R G

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WHAT DO VENTURERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT

VENTURINGFEST?

“ It was a gre at fi rst- ti me ex peri enc e. Many c am ps that I’ve at te n de d be f ore al ways had a set sc hedul e for ever y one. A t Ve ntur ingFe s t, we got to c hoose what we wanted to do, whi c h made it f e e l more free and easi er to enj oy.” - GORDAN TRAN

“M y f a v o ri t e me mor y f rom Ve ntur ingFest woul d have to be bei ng a b l e t o c o n q ue r s ome f e ars , s uch as hei ghts, wi th the hel p of some a m az i n g v en t ure rs . ” - JAI ROSE

“ Ve ntur ingFe s t has j ust enough par ti c i pants to have a feel of a Nation al Jam boree, but sti l l a m anageabl e c rowd to enj oy e v e r ything SBR has to of fer. It’s the best of both a Jam bore e & a high adv e n ture event.” - KIMTHY PHUNG

“ Ven t u ri n g Fes t giv e s s couts e xpe r ience and i nspi res them to c o n t i n u e o n i n Ve ntur ing e ithe r at the same or hi gher l evel s than t he y c u rren t l y are . ” - ALANNA UNDERWOOD

“ The Summit is a Worl d Cl ass fac i l i t y wi th some of the best e quipme n t in the c ountr y i n addi ti on to havi ng worl d cl ass p eo pl e and be ing able to get to ex peri ence the ful l camp wi th a m u c h s malle r crow d than Jamboree” - QUAN PHUNG

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VENTURING NEWSLETTER

F E AT U R E D

A VENTURER RECIEVES THE MEDAL OF MERIT Page 23 Page 25

SCOUTING’S SUPPORT IN PROMOTING THE SDGs

Page 28

OUTSTANDING SUMMIT AWARD PROJECTS

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BSA Medal of Merit The Merit Medal honors Scouts, Venturers and Scouters that have performed an act of meritorious service above and beyond what is normally expected of a youth or adult member of the Boy Scouts of America. This act should demonstrate exceptional character that reflects an uncommon degree of concern for the well-being of others. The action does not necessarily need to involve rescue or saving life, but must demonstrate some aspect of Scouting ideals or skills.

A Venturer Recieves the Medal of Merit Jean Perea

Medal of Merit Recipient

I

t was a bright and sunny afternoon in the middle of a winding West Virginian back road. I was driving myself between countless Appalachian mountains while en route to the 2019 World Scout Jamboree. The whole ride all I could think of was the amazing people I was going to

see within the next few hours. From the different foods, to the fun activities, to the vast amounts of culture that I was about to dive into, I could not wait to arrive at the Summit Bechtel Reserve. I’m marveling at the great time we’re going to have when something catches my attention out of the corner of my eye: A car on the other side of the road is swerving out of control and heading right towards me. Almost immediately, I move over a lane to avoid this unexpected car when suddenly their tire catches the dirt in the median between us. They are now flipping towards me and I have to get out of the way or get hit.

I look around to see if anyone is behind me before I jam on the brakes to avoid hitting this car.

I immediately pull over and look back to see the car now stopped, on its side, and spewing smoke.

Before I do anything else, I stop and think about the situation and what to do next. I then dial 911, tell them where I am, and what has just happened.

I get off the phone with them to then check the J e a n ( l e f t ) re c i v e s h i s M e d a l o f M e r i t d u r i n g t h e 2 019 Wo r l d J a m b o re e

23 | VENTURING NEWSLETTER

road behind me to see if it is safe to leave my car.

It is, so I run across the highway to the scene of the flipped car. There are already four other guys on site and they are pushing against the car to keep it from flipping back over. They seem to have it handled, so I move to the bottom of the car, which is now on its side.

I reach up to open the passenger side door so another guy can get the passengers out of the overturned vehicle. He reaches in and first pulls out a woman around the age of 30. Then, he lifts

out her infant which is strapped into the backseat.

Finally, he gets their extremely frazzled cat out of the vehicle. They all look fine except for some cuts and bruises. This means their vitals are all in check. Besides that, they are shaken up and in shock which means it’s time to comfort them and make sure their mental health is okay.

Two of the other guys and myself have the same idea so we walk up to them just to talk.

The mom is freaking out about the car since her infant and cat aren’t hurt. This helps make it easy to comfort them since the car can be replaced.

She calms down right as professionals arrive on site. The other guys and I feel a wave of relief as we can now hand the responsibilities over to the paramedics. We then ask them what else we can do to which they say, “Thanks for helping guys, but we’ll handle it from here!”

After doing my good turn for the day I say bye to the woman, the cat, and her infant. I then head back to my car and arrive at the World Scout Jamboree an hour later with a sense of satisfaction.

I get to camp and all I think of is how Scouting just helped save another life today. I could not have asked for a better reminder to why I keep coming back to this life changing program.

BE PREPARED

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As scouts, we strive to live out the Boy Scout motto, “be prepared.”

Whether or not this actually happens is up to you entirely, but it will pay off. Jean Perea was prepared for an emergency, with two first aid kits with him and multiple trainings under his belt. Because of this, he was able to help. Are you prepared to help in an emergency? Be sure to check in with your council to see what First Aid and Emergency Preparedness trainings there are near you!

SUMMER EDITION | 24

BY SOHAM PATEL

O

ver the years, Scouting has made extraordinary contributions to improve the sustainability of the planet, promote peace, and tackle inequality.

Already, Scouts have contributed more than one billion hours towards sustainable development through initiatives under the Better World Framework such as Messengers of Peace.

There also exists a platform where governments can build a better world for people and our planet, made up of 17 goals to be achieved by the year 2030. Sound like a lot? It is! But young people have already been extremely actively

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in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) developed by the United Nations in Vision 2030. What this entails is that in a decade, member states of the United Nations will have made progress on a variety of goals from gender equality, to life on land, and sustainable development.

Currently, there are 1.8 billion young people of the scouting age (10-24 years old) on this planet. So while the Scouting movement is not a government, our position as the largest youth movement in the world puts us in a great place to be involved! Just leading up to the 24th World Scout Jamboree in West Virginia

we saw scouts complete over 50 million hours of service.

Outside of the Jamboree, Scouts complete projects in their local communities, complete Eagle and Summit Projects, and volunteer. Keeping this in mind, it isn’t hard to see how young people are perfectly poised to meet the challenge and have been successful so far.

The SDGs are very thorough, exploring 17 distinct but related themes with methods to address the issues surrounding them and ways to measure progress. With so many of them, it can get overwhelming to learn about SDGs and may seem like complex movements to become involved in. But what

is important to understand is that our actions as youth often help in one or more categories without you realizing! Let’s break it down. I live in Southern California where a common form of service young people my age carry out is beach clean-ups.

Looking very quickly, you can see that beach clean ups help with Goal 14 Life Below Water.

But if we begin to think of the bigger picture, cleaning up water ecosystems affect our Health and Wellbeing (Goal 3) and our

access to Clean Water (Goal 6) as parts of SoCal get water from underground that can get contaminated from plastic leaching. A common Eagle Project is building something for a classroom which helps with Quality Education (Goal 4) and Reduced Inequalities (Goal 10).

If helping in the Sustainable Development Goals seemed overwhelming, hopefully now you are beginning to understand how your Unit’s usual service projects still help in Vision 2030. If you’re looking for more resources, the official Venturing Facebook Page has begun a campaign called SDG Sundays, where every weekend you can learn about a new goal and ways to get involved. Posts will break down the targets of mini-goals of each SDG and people will share ways they could work towards these projects.

There also exists the website Scouts for SDGs, a platform that aims to engage 50 million scouts to make the world’s largest coordinated youth contribution to Vision 2030. It includes a range of educational tools, trainings, and

resources developed to support you and your unit in aligning your program with the SDGs. As you explore the goals on the website, you can see that there are to-do lists of things you and your unit can do to work on that goal. You can also see what projects are being carried out in communities around the world and maybe that will inspire you to plan one for your own.

Of course, Scouting is taking an active role in shaping the progress being made on Vision 2030. To track the efforts being made, the United Nations will hold conferences. Recently, the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development occurred. The High Level Political Forum is an annual platform for the follow up and review of Vision 2030 with Heads of State and Government and NGOs as well. Scouting sent a representative, Reece Kilbey, to be a part of the conversation.

MORE ABOUT THE HIGH LEVEL POLITICAL FORUM

>

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[ CONTINUED ]

Reece Kilbey is from Honolulu, Hawaii and is the BSA’s International Ambassador. He has served in the Venturing Officers’ Association as the Western Region President and has many experiences with International Scouting such as attending the 6th Interamerican Leadership Training in Quito, Ecuador and the 6th Interamerican Scout Youth Forum.

WHAT ARE SOME SIMILARITIES BETWEEN WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN AT HLPF AND SCOUTING?

HAS ANYTHING SURPRISED YOU DURING YOUR TIME AT HLPF?

IN WHAT WAYS IS SCOUTING GETTING INVOLVED IN THE FORUM?

I would compare the HLPF to the BSA’s National Annual Meeting. There are people coming from all backgrounds and places with the mindset that we need to change the world around us. There are many formal and side meetings that are of interest, especially those dealing with education, volunteers around the world, and the progress the world is making towards the SDGs.

I was surprised with how many young people there are at the HLPF and how they are using their presence here to speak up about what they think is important. It is exciting and invigorating to see so many young people taking a stand on climate change and talking about actions they can do within their Country, NGO, etc. to help combat the problems that they see.

Scouting has partnered with a number of world organizations including Unicef, WWF, UN Women, etc. in order to inspire scouts to take action for the SDGs. We are talking about the amazing things Scouts are doing around the world for the SDGs, such as the 1 Billion service hours and 50 Million Scouts around the World participating.

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Outstanding Summit Award Projects Recipients are mapped by the location of the council headquarters and the size of the Venturing logo indicates the number of awardees from that council Read about more Summit Awards projects at Scouting.org

Catherine Bradley

Bay Area Council, TX

Erika Tolson

Great Southwest Council, NM

Cormac McCarthy

Flint River Council, GA

She extended an oyster reef by 125 feet that will protect the shore line from erosion and provide a habitat for live oysters to filter the bay. Catherine also designed and constructed a permanent sixteen foot by twelve foot shade shelter for future volunteers to use while working on the oyster reef.

She wrote a 24-page trail guide booklet for the Rinconada Canyon Trail at the the National Park Service’s Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The trail guide highlighted the 1,500 petroglyphs along the trail and provided tips to maximize a visitor’s enjoyment of the National Monument.

He dedicated a monolith, sandblasted upon it with the names of those believed to have been buried in a slave graveyard during the time of the American Civil War and an Emblem of Hands Breaking from Chains.

Colin Hill

He constructed a gun range that included six sets of handicapped accessible shooting tables and spectator benches built with treated lumber and other sustainable materials for youth to learn safe firearms handling and maintenance, hunter-trapper education, and target shooting training.

Maggie Pennington

She built and painted shelving units for Epworth Children and Family Services. The shelving units were needed so that clothing donations could be more visible instead of simply being piled onto tables.

Minsi Trails Council, PA

Greater Saint Louis Area Council, MO

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