Fall 2020 Edition

DRAFT 1 FALL 2020 THE VENTURING NEWSLETTER (COVER COMING SOON)

VOLUME TWO

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ISSUE TWO

EDITOR IN CHIEF: NICOLE STEELE DESIGNER: JONATHAN BERGLER

Hi again Venturers, Advisors, friends, and families, While things have been closed near me, my go-to social VOLUME ONE | ISSUE ONE distancing activity has been one that I think many Scouts can relate to: hiking! And as life is taking different twists and turns this season than I had anticipated, I'm realizing just how similar life is to hiking. We're all on the trails, be it the main trail, getting side-tracked by pretty scenery, or a bit more challenging of a section. And of course, some N I C O L E ST E E L E of the most memorable parts are when we hike portions with friends. As weird as it sounds, though, I often forget to breathe while hiking. However, just as it's important to breathe while hiking, it's important to stop and rest during your everyday life.

EDITOR'S NOTE |

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itor’s

NICOLE STEELE

One of the many reasons I and so many I know love the Venturing program is because it provides a break in your life to just breathe and have fun with friends. In this edition, we highlight Southern Region Area 7 taking a break from the world as they band together during the event they call SOAR. We also added a fun, Scouting-related craft for you to try that ties into Scouting's humbling history. And while Venturing does provide a break from regular life, we decided to share the story of one incredible Venturer who chose to tackle a more rigorous, yet rewarding path as she achieved various awards.

In this edition is also perhaps my favorite article I've ever worked on. After binge-watching World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji as "research" with my family, I got the incredible joy of talking to one of the contestants and an influential Venturer, Katie Hancock. The experience she went through will make any other adventure look like a piece of cake in comparison.

Of course, if you have any fun stories about Venturers, Advisors, or Crews you know, we'd love to hear from you! We're always looking for stories to highlight and new ideas to feature, so please reach out to nationalventuringcommunication@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or ideas. Additionally, if you're interested in working with our newsletter team, please reach out to us as we'd love to connect with you.

Enjoy your reading!

Nicole Steele

CONTENTS 3 ADVENTURE P I V OT b y Ce n t r a l Re g i o n A r e a 7 - 2 Scout Scarf Day - 3 C r e a t e Yo u r O w n Wo g g l e - 6 The Wo r l d ' s To u g he s t Ra c e - 7

LEADERSHIP G e t t i n g t o K n o w Yo u r Re g i o n V O A V PA s - 13 Le a d i n g t he Ad v e n t u r e i n Pu e r t o R i c o - 15 D i r e c t o r o f O l d e r Yo u t h Pro g r a m s - 17

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PERSONAL GROWTH A l u m n i S p o t l i g h t : C h r i s M u l ha l l - 19 U p d a t e s o n Ve n t u r i n g Ad v a n c e m e n t s - 2 0 Ra n g e r Aw a r d S p o t l i g h t - 21

SERVICE

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Yo u As ke d , We A n s w e r e d - 24 S u m m i t Pro j e c t H i g h l i g h t - 25 J a m b o r e e o n t he A i r / I n t e r n e t - 2 8

Ca l e n d a r - 2 9

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Adventure

CR AREA 7'S PIVOT Page 2

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SCOUT SCARF DAY

THE WORLD'S TOUGHEST RACE

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PIVOT

by Anna McLaughlin, CR A7 VOA VP of Communication

The Central Region Area 7 VOA proudly hosted their first event early in the 2020-2021 term with a Program to Initiate Venturing Officer Training course, otherwise known as PIVOT, only a month after the beginning of the term.

The course is given to both new and old Council Venturing Officers’ Associations within the Area to help strengthen and improve upon their skills. During this training, new VOAs learn how to run their association while older VOAs can benefit by becoming stronger and more experienced. This is an example of strengthening Venturing from the bottom up, because by strengthening the Council VOAs, the Area Venturing Officers’ Associations and upwards also benefit.

The course typically consists of presentations given by the Area team, such as Communications 101, Program 101, and How to Form a VOA. The team has been working on our future projects tirelessly since taking office, and we were excited about hosting the course. PIVOT ran extremely smoothly, with many engaging questions and exchanges between the Area team and the participants. This year, it was held virtually on Zoom so that participants could listen and engage in discussions from the comfort of their own homes due to the coronavirus pandemic,

whereas normally we hold PIVOT in person.

Because of this, we were able to garner participants from as far as another Area within the Central Region and some members of the Central Region team. We also had representation from two different Councils in Area Seven. We are looking forward to hosting another PIVOT course later in the fall, and to continue working on some of our bigger projects for the term.

Be sure to keep up with what your Region, Area, and Council VOAs are up to! You won’t want to miss some of the cool events and helpful trainings they offer. If you’re looking to start or strengthen a Venturing Officers’ Association in your council, we have plenty of people and resources available to help. A good way to start this process is by checking out our website. Venturing.org also has some great resources to help Crews grow, to serve as guides for future trainings, and information about various topics in the Venturing world.

LOOKING TO START A VOA?

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Scout Scarf Day ---------------------------------------------------- A B r i e f H i s t o r y b y Ta n a d e t I t s a r a p a k d e t a m

O

n the foggy morning of August 1st, 1907, Lieutenant-General Robert Baden-Powell, the Great Britain war hero of the Boer War of 1899-1900, was looking for a way to improve the quality of life for boys that would soon be joining the military as he did. He took twenty-one boys across Poole Harbour to an Island that he and his brother visited as kids.

Brownsea Island became the site for an experimental camp that Baden-Powell had chosen for the activities. The island covers 560 acres of woodland, an open area, and two lakes. The location was perfect as it was isolated from the mainland, yet only a quick trip to Poole, making it ideal for easy camp logistics.

Images from https://heritage.scouts.org.uk

The experiment was to see if his activities would appeal to a diverse group of young men, and so he set off to recruit ten boys from different schools and ten members of local Boys Brigades branches in Bournemouth and Poole. The boys were aged between 10 and 16 years old, and they were divided into four Patrols; wolves, bulls, curlews, and ravens. Four of the older boys were given the responsibilities of Patrol Leader.

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Donald Baden-Powell, nephew to Baden-Powell, aged nine years old, was too young to join. As a result, he served as Baden-Powell's assistant and orderly. To help Baden-Powell with running the camp were Boys' Brigade Captains George Walter Green and Kenneth McLaren, whom Baden-Powell had served with while he was in the Army.

Percy Everett also attended for a day to observe the activities. Percy Everett later became Deputy Chief Scout of The Boy Scouts Association.

The nine days experiment between August 1st to August 9th, 1907 had various activities. These included: fire-lighting, navigation, observation and tracking, cooking, life-saving, and boat management.

The boys were given colored ribbon and triangular pennants with their patrol animal's image to wear on their shoulders, khaki scarves, and a brass fleur-delis badge (the first use of the Scout emblem). These would later become the standard Scouting uniform.

The Brownsea Island Camp is often referred to as "The First Scout Camp," but technically, the boys weren't Scouts at that time. Some of the boys joined Scouting after the camp, and the first Scout handbook, "Scouting for Boys," was released in 1908.

The World Organization of the Scouting Movement (WOSM) officially declared August 1st of every year as the "World Scout Day" to commemorate the beginnings of the Scouting program.

Some countries celebrate this day by encouraging both active and former Scout members to showcase their Scout pride by wearing their neckerchief (also known as a "necker" or a "scarf") for a day in public. This is to emphasize and support the idea that "Once a Scout! Always a Scout!" Some call it "Scout Scarf Day," and it has been very popular and well participated by many Scouts around the globe.

Of course, scarves are great symbols. However, it's what we do as Scouts, to live out the Scout Oath and Scout Law, and to leave our world a better place, that's the true meaning of the "Scout Scarf Day."

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CREATE YOUR OWN WOGGLE All you need: 52 inches of paracord or more, a knife, a lighter or glue

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Have your palm up, wrap the paracord behind your three fingers, around the front, and back around the back so that this loop is positioned below the first.

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Tuck the long end under the paracord that rests towards the top of your pointer finger.

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Take the long end of your string, and weave it under the middle of the lower piece of paracord you just crossed and pull it up in between the two crossed chords.

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TIP: If you would like to have two strings dangling for decoration purposes when your woggle is finished, leave some extra material on your beginning side as you wrap your paracord around three fingers as shown in step one.

Flip your hand over so that the palm is down. Then, take the two parallel strings and cross the bottom one over the top so that they look as shown in the picture.

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Tuck the long end of your string under the paracord that rests towards the top of your ring finger.

After tracing, your woggle will be almost finished. To complete it, simply choose your style: 1) you can tie off the extra string, cut the two ends to equal lengths, and leave some hanging, or 2) you can cut the remaining paracord and glue or melt it to the inside of your woggle.

Flip your hand back over so that the palm is up. Trace your remaining paracord along the right side of the already weaved string two or three times.

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VENTURING NEWSLET TER

KATIE HANCOCK

ARTICLE BY

NICOLE STEELE

If you’re looking for a new TV show, World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji will definitely blow your mind. Between the intense challenges, the beautiful scenery, and being awe-struck by the endurance of the 66 competing teams, my family thoroughly enjoyed binge-watching this show. Even more than binge-watching, I loved getting to talk with one of the competitors of Team Eagle Scout, Katie Hancock, to bring you some behindthe-scenes details.

“OUR GOAL WAS JUST TO BE IN THE RACE. WE WEREN’T THERE TO WIN. WE DIDN’T EVEN REALLY KNOW IF WE WERE GOING TO FINISH. OUR GROUP WAS JUST TO SHOW UP. SHOW HOW A GROUP OF SCOUTS AND SCOUTERS COULD USE THAT BACKGROUND THAT THEY HAD TO GET THROUGH THE WORLD’S TOUGHEST RACE.”

Katie is a twenty-year-old Venturer who lives in South Lake Tahoe, California. Throughout her time in Venturing, she has gone through NYLT, NAYLE, Kodiak, and three years of serving various positions in Venturing Officers’ Associations. Katie earned the Venturing Ranger Award and the Venturing Silver Award. After flooding in Lubbock, Texas, Katie was the sole

American to be named one of the 2016 Messenger of Peace Heroes in honor of her contributions in raising funds and delivering food to those affected. During the 2019 World Scout Foundation Investor Conference and Baden-Powell Fellowship event in Korea, Katie presented on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Apart from Scouting, Katie was a nationally ranked Snowboarder. It was actually during a snowboarding tour in Canada that she started to prepare for The World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji.

So what exactly is adventure racing?

Adventure racing is a way to test endurance on non-stop, long-distance, multi-disciplinary courses that can range in length and time to complete. For Eco-Challenge Fiji, this consisted of 11 days, 460 miles, and disciplines most competitors had never seen before. As Katie shared FALL EDITION

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on television, “for my first adventure race, I had a little bit of a realization. You’ve got to be insane to do this. You’ve gotta be absolutely insane” (Episode 2).

World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji consisted of five separate legs (ocean, jungle, river, highland, and island) and a cutoff time to finish each leg. Within the legs, teams switched between various transportation disciplines, including paddle boarding, outrigger sailing, mountain biking, trekking, canyoneering, whitewater rafting, and more. With all four members of Team Eagle Scout being entirely new to the world of adventure racing, they were less concerned about finishing the course with the fastest possible time and more focused on finishing in one piece. In the end, after 266 hours and 47 minutes, Team Eagle Scouts was one of the 44 teams to finish the race. Not only were they entirely new to the sport of adventure racing and just completed the hardest in the world, but they did it without having too much history as a team.

“We had only met as a team twice before the race, and we actually didn’t really know who our team TAC member was until a couple of weeks before we left… Luckily, it was a super awesome team. We ended up having a reputation amongst the coordinators, the checkpoint volunteers, and the other teams as just happy-golucky… One of the things was that we would always get to the checkpoint volunteers and be really unsure of if we were going to make the next cut off.

We would ask, ‘Ok, how do we look? Do you think we’re going to make it?’ And they would always say, ‘Well you look good. You know, you guys look great.’ And we were always like, ‘Well what does that mean?’ They would simply re9

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spond with, ‘You’re smiling.’ I think any time we saw a camera, Cory and I would dance. We would also dance a lot with the locals. It was super awesome to hang out with the locals. They definitely took really good care of us. So yeah, we were trying to be happy and just kind of show that happy-go-lucky Scouting spirit in the World’s Toughest Race.”

Team Eagle Scout was composed of four competing members and a team assistant captain, all of which had received the highest rank in their respective branch of Scouting. In addition to snowboarder Katie Hancock, there was team captain Eric Lilstrom (a polar expedition guide as well as an adventure guide for the Northwest Passage), Matthew Moniz (National Geographic Adventurer of the Year 2010 and mountaineerer), Corey Mullins (ultramarathoner and competitive mountain bike racer), and team assistant captain, or TAC, Charley Walton, (Environmentalist and Philmont Scout Ranch staff alumni). As one of the aspects of Eco-Challenge was that no modern technology could be used

Charley Walton, Katie Hancock, Bear Grylls (host), Matthew Moniz, Corey Mullins, Eric Lilstrom

PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:

and teams had to chart out their own routes to get from checkpoint to checkpoint, Team Eagle Scout relied heavily on the experience of Eric and Matthew. “They have pretty awesome backgrounds,” Katie remarked, “and so they were able to guide Cory and I through the jungle. They would kind of chart out where they thought we were going to go, and then as we got there we’d use landmarks and navigate through.

But really I just followed them. I trusted them.” Luckily, they were able to finish each leg in the allotted amount of time, but there were ups and downs of the race along the way.

Some of the unique opportunities Eco-Challenge Fiji gave contestants were to see many beautiful landscapes and interact with locals. From seeing the sunrise at the top of Vuwa Falls to being one of four teams sleeping on the floor of the same Fijian’s

house during a rainstorm that paused the course, Katie recalled that she’s “gotten to see Fiji in a way that most people can’t on a normal vacation, which is really a privilege.”

Being absolutely blown away by the rigor of each portion of the race as I watched, I asked Katie about some of the most memorable sections of the race. Instantly, she brought up, “We had the bilibili section, which was awful. No one enjoyed that. I think it ended up taking us like 13 hours to get through.” Bilbilis are bamboo rafts the teams had to hand-lash, and they often filled with water. Other than bilibilis, as a viewer, one of the most memorable parts of the race was watching teams trek through a freezing and muddy river, scrambling over bamboo, and suffering from various stages of hypothermia afterward. I was dying to know, so I asked Katie what her experience was. She recalled dreading it immensely, but being able to travel that section with the cheery team known as the Mad Mayrs, which “probably saved that portion of the race for us… Just having com-

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pany there made everything a little more tolerable.” At one point, Team Mad Mayrs’ captain, Tyson, even helped pull Katie through the swimming section.

This sort of comradery between teams was something that surprised me, but as Katie put it, “It wasn’t really us versus another team, it was the course. It was just can we survive this course?” The more experienced teams offered help and advice to the rookie teams during the pre-testing before the race started. At one point, Katie even lost a piece of her bike, which would have meant her bike didn’t pass inspection, and that would be the end of the race. Luckily, Team Flying Jay had an extra part that they gave to Katie, saving Team Eagle’s race, and only asking for a Snickers bar in return. And when Katie was at the low point of her race, ready to call it quits and doubting if she could make it, Team Endure was the reason she kept going.

Team Endure was composed of four inspirational members, including 65-year-old Mark Macy, who was an Eco-Challenge legend battling Alzheimer’s on his last race. Between Mark and his son Travis, when Team Eagle ran into Team Endure, the two of them gave Katie the motivation she needed to finish the race. She recalled that “as they were leaving, Travis turned around and said, ‘Team Eagle, you guys are a lot tougher than you know.’ And man, I could not quit after that”

The encouragement Travis gave Katie was a pivotal moment of the race, but of course, it wasn’t the only reason Team Eagle was able to finish. With all members coming from such

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strong Scouting backgrounds, I asked Katie how that affected her race. Here’s what she said: “The leadership skills definitely came through. Being able to be both a leader and a follower. Leading by example was one really big thing. If everyone else was bummed about what we were going through, if you could just be chipper for a second, everyone else would catch on.

I would say kind of that goofy Scouting attitude. We weren’t singing Scout songs along the trail, but we were definitely singing and kind of keeping that attitude up. We had this one running inside joke where we’d be sailing through the middle of the night and we’d say ‘ah, thank God for the small boat sailing merit badge!

Now I know how to do this!’ And so we just had running Scouting jokes. But I think just having a similar background and having those leadership skills that Scouting teaches you, along with a great foundation of those outdoor skills like navigation, sailing, trekking, just all of those outdoor foundation skills were able to give us a good foundation as a rookie team.”

As Katie reflected on her experience, she noted how empowering it was to be able to walk away from the race, knowing that she was so much more capable than she could have ever known before; “It’s just totally enabling to be able to do an adventure like that.” While it’s important to stay safe, Katie would also love to encourage others to push their limits. Adventure racing is a relatively small community, and it would be wonderful to see more Scouts get involved in it and be able to use some of their Scouting knowledge and background. Similar to the inspiring words Travis Macy gave to Team Eagle, Katie’s encouragement to anyone looking for an adventure or to challenge themselves is “you’re capable of so much more than you know. Find out what you’re capable of, take time to visualize that adventure, and go for it.”

Leadership

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR REGION VOA VPAs Page 13

LEADING THE ADVENTURE IN PUERTO RICO

NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF OLDER YOUTH PROGRAMS

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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR REGION VOA

VICE PRESIDENTS OF ADMINISTRATION L AUREN COMLY

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N O RT H E AST R E G I O N V OA V P O F A D M I N I ST RAT I O N

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS TERM?

My biggest goal this year is to run a recruitment campaign called “#IChooseVenturing” in November. The campaign is going to feature Venturers from around the Region talking about all the cool things their crew does. The focus is going to be at the crew level because that’s how people find out about Venturing in their area. Another goal is to have 5 Councils improve their JTE scores. I have spent some time analyzing the 2019 JTEs and have had a conversation with each Area VOA VP of Administration on how the Area VOA and each individual Councils can improve.

IF YOU COULD REDECORATE ONE ROOM IN YOUR HOUSE WITH NO LIMITATIONS OF MONEY, WHAT WOULD YOU REDECORATE?

If I could redecorate one room, it would be the front porch. I would screen it in so bugs can’t attack me when I’m enjoying the weather. I would also replace the furniture so we would be able to have meals outside during the spring-fall, and it would be more comfortable for longer periods of time. My family usually eats dinner together and that is something that means so much to me, so creating a space that is capable of being bug free outside would be fantastic.

MELODY FEWX

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W E ST E R N R E G I O N V OA V P O F A D M I N I ST RAT I O N

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS TERM?

My biggest goal this year is to get the VOAs focused on setting goals based on their JTE data. I have already taken big steps to encourage this by creating individual analysis sheets for each Area based on the 2019 JTE data with recommendations for areas of focus and ideas to get started. I have also talked one on one with each Area VOA Vice President of Administration in the Western Region to guide them in setting their goals and helping the Councils set their goals via JTE score analysis. It has been going well so far, so I am expecting big things and hope to set some best practices for the future of JTE! WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BE A VICE PRESIDENT OF ADMINISTRATION?

Last year, as the Western Region Area 3 VOA President, my Area VOA Vice President of Administration and I worked together on getting a VLA committee together, gathering Journey to Excellence submissions, and completing our rosters. During this time, I discovered many ways I could improve the Western Region VOA as their Vice President of Administration. From creating a collective roster with age ranges and VLA recipients to creating materials to ease the lives and processes of future VOA Vice Presidents of Administration, I felt I could really make an impact.

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TREVOR MCMILLEN

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SO U T H E R N R E G I O N V OA V P O F A D M I N I ST RAT I O N

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS TERM?

My primary goal this year is to get VOAs to focus on setting goals and improving upon their scores for this year’s JTE. Our team is adapting during this COVID-19 pandemic by making sure our communication is better than ever and that we keep in contact with our VOAs to help them improve. To do this, we are encouraging Councils to set goals and have Area VOAs work with Councils to achieve their goals.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MEAL?

My favorite meal is pancakes with bacon and scrambled eggs. It is a family tradition that every time we visit our grandparents, we go kayaking in the morning and then sit down to have pancakes, so there are a lot of good memories associated with that meal. Also, I’m just a huge fan of breakfast foods!

WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF YOUR GO-TO QUARANTINE ACTIVITIES?

My go-to activities during quarantine are going for daily long distance runs, baking cookies, playing with my cat Caroline, and reading books.

MICIAH THACKER

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C E N T RA L R E G I O N V OA V P O F A D M I N I ST RAT I O N

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS TERM?

My biggest goal is to create and utilize multiple resources and methods of building and maintaining Council VOAs and Venturing programs. This includes developing trainings for Council Venturing programs and for Areas who are helping to develop those programs as well as utilizing CVJTE data from the last few years to start conversations with Council representatives and help build relationships between the Area and Council levels.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BE A VICE PRESIDENT OF ADMINISTRATION?

I have been involved in the Central Region VOA for the last two years as the Area 6 VOA President. During my two terms, I saw a lot of work that could be done through Administration. When creating goals for the 2020-2021 CRVOA during the application process, nearly all of my goals had an administration focus, and I was very hopeful that as CRVOA Vice President of Administration I could change how we communicate with Councils and help form VOAs and grow Venturing programs in the every area.

WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF YOUR GO-TO QUARANTINE ACTIVITIES?

My go-to Quarantine activities include drinking my morning coffee on the front porch next to our pond, watching Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix, playing Animal Crossing New Horizons, and listening to audiobooks from the library while doing anything and everything else (puzzles, dishes, yard work, etc).

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PR

LEADING THE ADVENTURE IN PUERTO RICO

English translations in yellow

Nuestra isla pertenece al Concilio de Puerto Rico 661, el cual se divide en 6 Distritos. Los Distritos son: Guaitiao, Yagueka, Arasibo, Majagua, Caribe y Boriken. El programa de Venturing en Puerto Rico y su VOA se han caracterizado a través de los años por su liderazgo y diversidad de actividades. En la actualidad, contamos con 36 crews activos. Todos los crews de la Isla del Encanto tienen un mismo objetivo, crear líderes y participar de muchas aventuras al mismo tiempo. Tanto los líderes como los jóvenes están muy comprometidos con el programa y desean que este sea uno muy exitoso. Nuestro evento tradicional es el Venturee. El Venturee es una magna actividad que se celebra anualmente en Campamento Guajataka, en la misma, se reúnen todos los crews de la isla. Ese fin de semana es dirigido por nuestro VOA, es uno de mucha diversión, confraternización, competencia y sobre todo, aprendizaje. Durante el año 2020-2021 Nuestro VOA Conciliar será presidido por la joven Adianez Vélez.

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Our island belongs to Puerto Rico Council 661, which is divided into 6 Districts. The Districts are: Guaitiao, Yagueka, Arasibo, Majagua, Caribe, and Boriken. The Puerto Rico Venturing Program and its VOA have been characterized over the years by its leadership and diverse activities. In reality, there are 36 active crews.

All of the crews from Encanto Island have the same objective: to create leaders while participating in as many adventures as possible. Both the advisors and the youth are very committed to the program and want it to be very successful. Our traditional event is Venturee, which is a huge activity celebrated annually at Camp Guajataka where all the Crews from the island go.

That weekend is directed by our VOA, and it’s one of a lot of fun, interaction, competition, and above all, learning.

During the 2020-2021 year, our VOA Council will be run

by Venturer Adianez Vélez.

Cada uno de los distritos tienen su propio DVOA y un sinnúmero de actividades para mantener activo nuestro programa. Nosotros siendo la directiva del DVOA de Guaitiao (Distrito Guaitiao) le podemos hablar sobre nuestras experiencias. Bajo la libertad supervisada de nuestro VOA hemos podido realizar diferentes actividades que benefician a todos nuestros aventureros. Debido al COVID-19 todo nuestro programa se está llevando a cabo de forma virtual pero con una mentalidad muy positiva. La pandemia nunca ha sido vista como un obstáculo, más bien, la hemos utilizado para el beneficio del programa y todos los crew. Hemos aprovechado el tiempo y hemos sido recurso de cursos como Time Management, Goal Setting, Standard First Aid, entre otros. Además, se han realizado varias iniciativas por medio de las redes sociales para mantener contacto con los aventureros. Algunas de estas iniciativas lo han sido: videos, mensajes de motivación, la primera edición del periódico de nuestro DVOA y un Ribbon. Tanto los DVOA como el VOA han mantenido contacto con todos los crew de la isla y han ofrecido su servicio a los mismos. Confiamos plenamente en nuestros líderes y estamos seguros que harán lo necesario para mantener este programa activo al igual que todos los jóvenes.

Each one of our districts have their own DVOA and countless activities to remain active in our program.

As the leaders of the DVOA of Guaitiao (Guaitiao District), we can talk about our experiences. Under the supervision of our VOA, we have been able to accomplish many different activities that benefit all our Venturers. Due to COVID-19, our program is carrying out virtually, but with a very positive attitude. The pandemic has never been seen as an obstacle, but rather, we have used it to the benefit of the program and all of the Crews.

We have taken advantage of the time and have made course resources like Time Management, Goal Setting, Standard First Aid, and others. What’s more, we have accomplished various initiatives through social media to maintain contact with the Venturers. Some of these initiatives have included videos, motivational messages, the first edition of the DVOA magazine, and a Ribbon. Both the DVOA and the VOA have maintained contact with the Crews from the island and have offered their service to each other.

We completely trust in our leaders and youth and are certain that they will do whatever’s necessary to maintain this active program.

National Director of Older Youth Programs ------------------------------

TIM ANDERSON

T

im first got his start in Scouting after being tricked by one of his childhood best friends, Eric Walker, who had unsuccessfully tried to recruit him to join Cub Scouts for many years.

At 11 years old, Tim attended a "Hunter's Safety Course" with Eric, which was basically a Boy Scout Troop meeting in disguise. After much conversation and disagreement, Tim agreed that he would attend the upcoming Boy Scout Summer Camp at Camp DeSoto on a scholarship afforded to him by Friends of Scouting. During this exchange, Tim said to Eric, "I will go, but after I do, please never talk to me about Scouting again." Eric agreed to this "deal," and they shook hands to seal it. Well, Tim obviously enjoyed his summer camp experience, because after becoming an Eagle Scout, Exploring Post President, Order of the Arrow Chapter Chief and Vigil Honor member, and completing college, he joined the Scouting Profession where he has served for nearly 24 years.

Tim has served in various different positions in both the council and national levels of Scouting. As a professional lead, his goal is to serve as the National Director of Older Youth Programs by tirelessly working with and through volunteers to grow and support Venturing, Exploring, Sea Scouting, and Learning for Life. In more detail, his goals are to: Inspire, motivate, train, and equip a growing number of passionate national, regional, area, and council adult volunteers who are dedicated to growing and supporting the Older Youth Programs of the BSA. l

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Grow the number of current youth that serve in national, regional, area, and council positions. Help them enthusiastically promote membership growth and program development through the solid mentorship of their adult counterparts. l

Provide the very best youth program opportunities and experiences to current and new youth members while providing a proven older youth program track that retains and attracts current youth members who participate in the Cub Scout and Scouts BSA programs. l

Tim is extremely passionate about ensuring that youth today have the opportunity to learn and grow through engaging in leadership opportunities.

He believes that the Scouting programs taught him the vital skills necessary to become a productive father, husband, and community leader. He wants every youth to have the same opportunities he was afforded so that they, too, can realize their dreams and become strong, positive examples for the people that depend on them. This new position allows him to play an even greater role in offering these fantastic leadership opportunities to today's youth.

Outside of Scouting, Tim enjoys spending time with his wife, Cybil, daughter, Hannah, and his chihuahua, LuLu. He also loves studying the Bible, traveling, and, of course, watching the Arkansas Razorbacks. Tim is also known to collect a few sports cards from various sports, including his favorite player, Michael Jordan.

Personal Growth

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: CHRIS MULHALL Page 19

UPDATES ON VENTURING ADVANCEMENTS

RANGER AWARD SPOTLIGHT

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From Crew President to Mayor Venturing Alumni Spotlight: Chris Mulhall

While we often hear stories of how a Venturer who joined the program at age 14 was shaped from it, Venturing has the ability to leave its mark on anyone, regardless of how long or short their time in the program was.

Some may join after they get their Eagle, others simply may not hear about it until their senior year of high school. For Chris Mulhall, however, it wasn’t until college that he got the opportunity to put on that green shirt.

“At Penn State, University Park, I was a member of Alpha Phi Omega. Our Chapter, Alpha Beta, was the charter organization for a Scout unit for Scouts with intellectual developmental disabilities,” Mulhall recalled. While most of the other Alpha Phi Omega members had no previous Scouting experience, Mulhall and another Eagle Scout “brought up Venturing as a way to get them more involved beyond the chartered unit.” Their newly formed crew then got involved in their local Council, organized First Aid trainings, and had fun camping. Despite not being a youth Venturer for long, Mulhall certainly left his mark on Scouting after he aged out.

“I currently serve on the Northeast Region Board, I’m the Course Director for N6-539-20, and am a member of the Horseshoe Trail District Committee. I volunteer with two units primarily: Troop 79, where I got my Eagle from and served as Scoutmaster for three years, and Troop 111, a female unit registered on the first possible day. Besides those positions, I’ve been a Crew Advisor, served on the NER Area 6 VOA as an Advisor, reached Brotherhood in the OA, done every position in NYLT an adult can do, and overall just been a random volunteer.”

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In addition to all he is currently doing within Scouting, Mulhall is also known as “Mayor Chris Mulhall” to the people of Honey Brook Borough, Chester County, PA. When he first ran for office in 2013 against the well-known Borough Council President, he won by a mere three votes. “I credit my success in that campaign to the work ethic instilled in me during my trail to Eagle (Class of 2006) and the ability to organize people that I gained during my time as a Scout.” He then added that “at the time of my first election, I was Pennsylvania’s youngest currently serving Mayor. Thankfully, I have lost that title as I shouldn’t be the youngest of anything in my thirties.”

Beyond his campaign, Mulhall also notes how Scouting has impacted his ability to uphold his office. “Scouting helped teach me how to organize groups of people, plan for events and large projects, and how to be a leader/ coach/mentor instead of a boss. It also helped me to break out of my shy self. I’ll freely admit that before Scouting, I was a quiet, shy, young man. Now I am loud, obnoxious, and rambunctious. Everything you want in a politician!”

Since then, Mulhall has become well-endorsed by the community he so diligently serves; during his re-election campaign, he even ran unopposed. By listening to what will help the people of Honey Brook Borough, Chris Mulhall has found a way to incorporate two big parts of the ALPS model into his everyday life: Leadership and Service. Through his story, we see not only the impact he has made on countless Scouts, but the way that Scouting has impacted him.

U P D AT E S O N

Venturing Advancements __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Bain McHale, National Venturing Communications Content Lead

It is our hope that Venturing will be the next step for many Scouting youth as they grow older and look for new adventures. However, we have noticed that roadblocks were stopping many people from joining the program, so we’re removing those roadblocks to clear a path for future Venturers. Venturing will now be more consistent and flexible with other branches of the Scouting program by awarding credit for activities completed in other programs and converting to a rank system.

DOES THIS MEAN AWARDS ARE GONE? No. There will still be specialty awards such as the Quest, Ranger, and Trust Awards. They are independent from the ranks and will remain unchanged.

WHAT IS THE NEW SYSTEM?

IS THIS A CHANGE IN VENTURING VALUES OR OBJECTIVES?

Activities completed within Scouts BSA or Sea Scouts may now count towards Venturing ranks and specialty awards at the advisor’s discretion. This parallels the existing system within Scouts BSA and Sea Scouts. We hope this change will allow Venturing to better integrate with the rest of the Scouting organization. That being said, the Summit Project still must be separate and distinct from a Scout’s Eagle Scout Project and Quartermaster Service Project.

No. The focus of Venturing is not changing. Venturing will not further emphasize “Summiting,” and the progression of ranks is not necessary unless that is the goal of a specific Venturer. The intent of these changes is strictly to remove barriers that stop people from joining Venturing and to further create fluidity throughout the Scouting organization.

Venturing is now, as it has always been, a stepping stone that gives Scouts the opportunity to “lead the adventure.”

WHAT IS A RANK?

WHEN IS THIS TAKING EFFECT?

The rank system in Venturing will reflect the existing systems promoted by Scouts BSA and Sea Scouting. Venturing, Discovery, Pathfinder, and Summit ranks are substituting what were formerly the “core awards” in the Venturing Program. Do not be alarmed. Instead of a change in requirements, this is more of a rebranding to better align with Scouts BSA and Sea Scouting.

These changes are effective immediately. Advisors may now use their discretion to determine what should count toward requirements. Although specific revisions have not been finalized, all of these changes will be reflected in the next editions of Guide to Advancement, Handbook for Venturers, and Venturing Awards and Requirements.

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RANGER AWARD SPOTLIGHT AWA RD REC I PI EN T: GR AC E PRO RO K

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INTERVIEWER: ANDREW STECKNER

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO COMPLETE THE AWARD? In all actuality, I began working on my Ranger award as soon as I started my time in Venturing. A lot of the different requirements for the award were things that I was already doing within Scouting or my life in general. It took me about a year or a year and a half of actively working to fill in those gaps to finally complete the award.

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WHICH REQUIREMENT HELPED YOU GROW THE MOST AS A PERSON? When I think about what requirement helped me grow the most as a person, there are so many just because this award is tied so intrinsically with my time in Scouting and my time in Venturing as a whole. But one that really stands out was earning my lifeguard certification, which I believe is the life saving requirement for the award. I had looked up what the pretest was going to be to get an idea of if I could pass it, which I could. But what I didn’t think about was everything else that came after that pretest. I was 14, I was not exactly a big or strong person, and I was being expected to pull people twice my body weight out of the water. So not only was it physically demanding, it was scary to think that I could be in a real situation like this and I need to be able to help people. At the end of the day, I learned those skills even if it was hard and even if it was scary.

And that made me a better person. It made me a more empathetic leader and ultimately, when I became the pool director at my local summer camp almost four years later, I was able to help my lifeguards and help my staff because I knew what they were going through.

HOW WAS THE RANGER AWARD BENEFICIAL TO YOUR LIFE?

WHAT’S THE BEST STORY YOU HAVE FROM EARNING THE AWARD?

The really cool thing about the Ranger Award is that without even meaning to, it goes through every step of the EDGE model. The Ranger Award is the perfect leadership award because you're taking the skills that you've learned through Scouting, and you're getting the chance to truly apply them. Many of the times where I had to teach or lead others for a requirement, it pushed me out of my comfort zone. Ultimately, the Ranger Award has helped me apply my leadership, to be a better leader, and to be a better person in everything that I do.

As any good Scout does, I procrastinated and wound up needing to complete it about a week before my 21st birthday. At this point in time, I was studying abroad in Geneva, Switzerland. For one of the requirements, I decided to go down by the river and pick up some plants that I recognized as edible. After all of my tests on them, they seemed fine to eat. But a couple hours after, I started feeling not so great. My mom and the rest of my support system on the other side of the world were very concerned. Neither Swiss nor American Poison Control wanted to help me, so I wound up in the Swiss E.R., trying to explain through a language barrier why I ate these plants from next to the river. I ended up being fine, but it was my most challenging requirement and by far my best story from earning the award.

BE A PART OF THE TEAM!

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Service

YOU ASKED, WE ANSWERED Page 24

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SUMMIT PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

JAMBOREE ON THE AIR / INTERNET

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WINTER EDITION

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You Asked, We Answered "What is the most effective way to use the ALPS model?"

To answer this question, let’s first break down what the ALPS model stands for: Adventure, Leadership, Personal Growth, and Service. The easiest way I have found to incorporate the ALPS model in my own Crew is while planning events. My Crew likes to routinely sit down and find dates for events for the next three months.

During this time, we ensure that we plan events with adventure as well as some service projects. Personal growth can come in many different ways. Sometimes when we have repeat events, we see how much better various Venturers are the second time around. Other times, we incorporate the “P” in ALPS by purposefully

A S K E D B Y JAC K

planning events that push Venturers out of their comfort zone. Several of my crew members found that they really enjoy working on their leadership skills by joining the local Venturing Officers’ Association, however, you don’t need to be in a VOA to learn how to lead. Crews tend to have different leadership positions that help them function, but you can also include members other than your Vice President of Programs and President to help plan. By delegating certain tasks for planning an event, you slowly teach everyone how to lead the planning of an event, whether they hold a position or not.

"I'm an Advisor trying to get my Crew to do more activities, but it seems most of the youth don't want to suggest or lead an adventure.

How can I get them more active?" A S K E D B Y B E N Hey Ben, this is a great question! One of the aspects that make Venturing so unique is the fact that it is a youth-run program. Venturing has a lot to do with ownership, so the Crew needs to feel like they are the ones in charge and they can do the events that they want to do. With that, I would suggest that you try to get a leader to ask their peers what events interest them. If they aren’t verbally suggesting anything, asking people to write down possible events that come to mind often gets better responses. Only step into that process if absolutely necessary. Then, try to enable your Venturers to

Do you have questions or need advice about Venturing?

plan the events. It’s common for new youth leaders to lack the motivation or skillset it takes to plan, but as an advisor, it’s your job to help them along the way (the teaching EDGE is a great tool for this). Another method I have found that gets youth more excited to lead an adventure is by ensuring that they have friends in the Crew. One of the simplest ways to do this is by having your youth invite their non-Scouting friends to events.

This will not only help your Crew grow and gain more people who can bring enthusiasm, but will be exciting for those already in the Crew.

CLICK HERE!

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SUMMIT PROJECT HIGHLIGHT

AVERY SYTSMA

The Venturing program takes young men and

I joined Venturing because I loved hanging out

women on an adventure that starts at the age

with my brothers in Cub Scouts; unfortunate-

of 14 and lasts until they turn 21. Upon turning

ly, I could not register. As soon as I turned 14, I

21, a point that I recently reached, you venture

joined a crew that existed on paper only so that

into the next chapter of your Scouting career.

I could start doing things as a legitimate Scout

During those seven years in between, the possi-

and begin recruiting like-minded individuals

bilities of what you may experience and accom-

until we had enough to form our own crew a

plish seem endless.

few months later. Being new to Venturing along with the sheer excitement and pride of wearing

During my time as a Venturer in Crew 1776, Cra-

a BSA uniform was the motivation for me to get

dle of Liberty Council, Philadelphia, PA, I made

started on advancement, beginning with the

lifelong friends, consumed a lot of snacks, took

Outdoor Bronze Award.

road trips, had adventures, and fell more in

Soon after founding Crew 1776, we learned that

love with Scouting than I ever had as a sibling

the program was undergoing a change that

with a Cub Scout pack. I also accomplished a

would bring a new awards and advancement

few things along the way, including Venturing's

system. Those that were already registered were

highest honor, the Venturing Silver Award, fol-

given until the end of the year to finish advanc-

lowed by its successor, the Venturing Summit

ing under the original systems and earning their

Award, as well as the Ranger Award, the Quest

Silver Award. The deadline over my head made

Award, and finally the TRUST Award. Although

me more determined because it was an all or

the Summit Award succeeded the Silver Award,

nothing opportunity to finish what I started

the processes and experiences were different.

with no grace period. I knew it would be tough, but I was going to try no matter what.

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Earning the Silver Award was like a high-speed train, but before I knew it, I made the December 31st deadline. However, with the difficulty of finding a required training course, it was only with four days to spare that I made it. It was exciting, thrilling, and exhausting, but I would not change the experience for the world. Earning Silver that fast and at that age opened a world

The requirements throughout the new system

of opportunity, fostered my leadership skills

for the path to Summit flow naturally as you

development, and prepared me for earning the

rise through the Venturing program. You start

Summit Award a few years later.

by attending events, having a blast. Then you begin to learn and practice leadership skills

While working on both awards, I was busy going

and plan your own adventures. Older Ventur-

on adventures and marking off requirements.

ers mentor you, teaching you what they have

Eventually, though, it did come to an end. The

learned. Eventually, you are applying leadership

results could not have been any more different.

skills without even noticing and begin mentor-

As I stated, Silver was a rushed process; I felt

ing a new generation of Scouts. With the Silver

accomplished and proud at the end, but I al-

award in my pocket, I worked through the be-

ready had my mindset on tackling the Summit

ginning of this quite easily. My Summit Award

Award. My Crew Advisors presented me my Sil-

project, "Serving Those Who Served and Sacri-

ver Award during a Crew meeting; I didn't even

ficed for Us," involved my Scouting family. I held

have a Court of Honor or a big celebration as I

a donation drive that consisted of 45 days of

knew that I had another big goal in front of me.

collecting items that were in need at our local

I was not done yet; the work had just begun.

veteran's hospital. During this time, I gathered

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Scouts and leaders to provide an in-person service, hosting a Bingo night for the veterans at the hospital's adjoined nursing home. We were able to talk to those we were helping firsthand and hear their stories as well as sharing a few of our own. While packaging up donations, everyone designed and colored cards to be delivered with the care packages, thanking the veterans for their service.

Finishing my Summit project filled me with a sensation I find hard to describe. Understanding who I was able to help was such a rewarding experience that strengthened my passion for service. My board of review felt like an accumulation of my years in Scouting; I was filled with a variety of emotions. Being surrounded by some of my favorite people and so full of love, my Court of Honor was an event I will always treasure.

Although, that wasn't the end. I feel that I have accomplished even more during my Scouting career since; I've become an assistant leader in a pack and then a Troop, I was the founding member of 3 other units, and I earned the three special interest awards. As I continue Scouting in a new capacity, I will continue mentoring and advising a new generation of Venturers.

And through all I will experience, I will keep in mind that moment of pure bliss and pride upon earning my Summit Award that followed the rigorous journey of Silver, as it truly was a summit of my Scouting career.

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LIST OF UPCOMING

EVENTS

O C T 2 0 2 0 - M A R 2 0 21

O c t o b e r 10 N E R A r e a 6 Re C o n n e c t O c t o b e r 9 - 11 S R A r e a 5 Le g a c y 8

VENTURING 30-DAY CHALLENGE O c t o b e r 15 N E R S t a t e o f t he Re g i o n

APR 2020

O c t o b e r 16 - 18 J OTA - J OT I O c t o b e r 16 - 18 C R A r e a 1 We l c o m e t o t he J u n g l e O c t o b e r 23 - 25 N E R A r e a 4 E n g a g i n g Q U A D O c t o b e r 24 S R A r e a 3 V i r t u a l G a m e N i g h t O c t o b e r 3 0 - N o v e m b e r 1 S R A r e a 7 The L a s t Ve n t u r e r N o v e m b e r 13 - 15 C R A r e a 6 Re b m e v o n The v e N o v e m b e r 14 C R A r e a 7 Le a d e r s h i p C o n f e r e n c e N o v e m b e r 15 W R O p e n H o u s e D e c e m b e r 18 - 2 0 C R A r e a 4 Le a d e r s h i p S p a r k J a n u a r y 22 - 24 C R A r e a 1 Le a d e r s h i p C o n f e r e n c e J a n u a r y 23 N E R A r e a 2 I g n i t e M a r c h 12 - 14 C R Pr o g r a m S y m p o s i u m M a r c h 19 - 21 C R A r e a 6 E r i e S h o r e s E v e n t

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