Issuu

VOLUME THREE

ISSUE ONE

E D I T O R I N C H I E F ----- N I C O L E S T E E L E D E S I G N E R ----- J O N A T H A N B E R G L E R

Hello Venturing family,

EDITOR'S NOTE |

Ed-

If nothing else, this past year has taught many of us VOLUME ONE | ISSUE ONE adaptability and perseverance. I know I didn’t expect to do my whole freshman year of college from my bedroom, but I learned how to make the most of it and build friendships in unconventional ways. COVID-19 has impacted everyone in different ways, but we’ve all had to learn how to modify our actions to fulfill basic needs such as human interaction and getting groceries while complying with health regulations. We’ve all learned to adapt because it was the best course of action, and, well, we needed to.

itor’s

NICOLE STEELE

But this lesson goes beyond COVID-19. What may have once been successful is not always the best course of action for a different time. Venturing has done an excellent job at recognizing this and considering the best course of action, which can be seen through the new implementation of National Service Territories. As the newsletter will explain on page 34, while Venturing is looking to create a more effective Venturing Officers’ Association system, the program itself will remain the one we have all grown to love. Additionally, with the new term comes leadership changes. Please join us as we welcome our new NVOA and National Venturing Advisor into their positions. One other position that will be changing is that of our very own Graphic Designer. Jonathan Bergler has designed every edition of The Venturing Newsletter thus far, creating the professional and visually intriguing layout the newsletter is known for. While he will be greatly missed, I’m excited to see all he accomplishes in the next chapter of his life. If you or another Venturer you know is interested in filling his position, please reach out to nationalventuringcommunication@gmail.com. I’m constantly impressed by all that Venturers can accomplish, and this edition of The Venturing Newsletter certainly features some inspirational Scouts. If you know any other incredible Venturers or Advisors, let us know! We’re always looking for stories to feature, so please reach out with any questions, comments, or ideas. Yours in Venturing,

Nicole Steele

CONTENTS ADVENTURE

A National Noteworthy Crew - 5 From Venturer to Princess - 6 A Trek to Remember - 8 You Asked, We Answered - 11

LEADERSHIP The New National Advisor - 13 An Extraordinary Venturer - 14 Get to Know the NVOA - 16

PERSONAL GROWTH An Advisor's Advice to Fellow Advisors - 20 Helping Vets Save Pets - 24 Fundraising Tips for Crews - 27

SERVICE The Summit Recipients of Crew 129 - 29 The Duke of Edinburgh Award - 32 All About Territories - 34

Calendar - 36

Adventure

A NATIONAL NOTEWORTHY CREW Page 5

FROM VENTURER TO PRINCESS

YOU ASKED, WE ANSWERED

Page 6

Page 11

A TREK TO REMEMBER Page 8 4

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Crew 1978 is a SCUBA crew from Garland, Texas. Their crew helps youth become SCUBA certified by working with a local dive shop to provide reduced rates for SCUBA gear, Open Water certification, and Advanced Open Water certification. Each year, their crew hosts a SCUBA trip abroad, typically in Mexico or Honduras, where crew members get to utilize the SCUBA skills they’ve developed. Additionally, Crew 1978 helps others experience SCUBA by staffing SCUBA at National Jamborees and the latest World Jamboree. Outside of SCUBA, their crew prides itself on its focus on mental health through group discussion they call “Feelings Time.” Additionally, they have a crew mascot, a rubber chicken named Cluck, who even has his own Instagram (@cluck1978).

FALL EDITION

CARSEN POOLE L I V IN G O U T C H I L D H O O D D R E A M S B y N i co le St e e le

s with many little girls, Carsen Poole just wanted to be like her mom. When she was younger, Carsen would watch her mom play the piano. This led to her asking for piano lessons for her third birthday. Little did the Poole family know, these lessons would lead to Carsen releasing her own album 16 years later. “Once I started piano lessons, I loathed playing the songs that were on the page,” Carsen recalls. “I prefered to make up my own music. And for songs that didn’t have lyrics in them, I would add lyrics. Words that came to my mind, I would find a tune on the piano to go along with them.” In no time, Carsen was passionate about writing her own songs. Eventually, her love for music led her to expand her horizons and pick up the guitar and ukulele. When Carsen and her Venturing Crew visited Kandersteg International Scout Center in 2018, she felt inspired to write a song about the friends she made during the trip. She titled the song “Dreams of Yesterday,” and it became the first song she felt confident in performing; Carsen

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later performed “Dreams of Yesterday” in the 2019 World Jamboree Talent Show. After the show, her Scouting friends asked to hear any of her other music. Carsen says that their reactions gave her “the confidence needed to put my music out there. If it wasn’t for the support from my Venturing family, I would still just have a notebook full of songs hiding away in a desk drawer.” After many hours of perfecting each song, Carsen is set to release her album, Tales of a Princess, on August 21, 2021. The album is a compilation of songs she has written since the fifth grade, including the song she wrote about her friends at Kandersteg. In Tales of a Princess, Carsen is singing as well as playing the guitar, ukulele, and piano while her friend plays the drums and other instruments. Tales of a Princess will be available on Spotify, TikTok, Pandora, Amazon Music, YouTube, and a few other streaming platforms. Apart from song writing, Carsen also enjoys staying active, which is apparent in her choice to be an Exercise Science major at Brigham Young University. Carsen spends much of her free time rock climbing, swimming, and playing water polo. Carsen is also an active leader in the Venturing program. She is from Crew 707 in Crossroads of the West Council, Provo, Utah and has held multiple Venturing positions, including Western Region Area 2 Vice President of Programs. Carsen is excited to share her music with others, and she wants to encourage those reading this to also follow their dreams. “You can do anything you can put your mind to. Whether it be releasing an album or going backpacking in the Swiss alps, the adventure is out there. Others are there to support you and will help you achieve your dreams.”

FALL EDITION

A TREK TO REMEMBER B Y A R I A N A T W I S S , T E R R I T O RY 2 V O A P R E S I D E N T

rew 1485 has a lot of very busy people in it. We were originally an all girl crew that offered members of our Girl Scout troop more adventure, but when girls were allowed into the BSA, we opened up the crew to boys as well. We recruited friends and friends of friends, all of whom were already very involved in Scouting and just wanted to try something new. So when we all found out we’d be finishing our week long trek at Philmont--a winter trek through snow and freezing temperatures--and immediately turning around and going to the biggest Venturing event in our Area, no one was really surprised. As is usually the case with Philmont, the adventure started months before the trek. When the crew found out there

was a new winter trek program available, and that it was half the cost of a 10 day summer trek, it didn’t take much discussion to decide to sign up. Soon after our first shakedown hike, we got some worrying news. Rendezvous, a one day event showcasing everything Venturing has to offer, was on the last day of our trek. Since three of our trek members were staff for the event--one being the event lead--this was a problem. Upon closer look at the Philmont website, we saw that we had been given the latter of the two winter treks available, and the earlier one would give us time to get to Rendezvous. Unfortunately, that earlier time slot was already claimed. Since we didn’t really have much choice, we called Philmont to see if we could talk

to the other crew about switching times. After explaining why we needed to, they were kind enough to switch our trek times. With the first crisis averted, we looked back at the crew. Since the crew was unfortunately made up of very busy people, there were no weekends where we could all make it to shakedowns. And although we knew everyone would be able to do the hike, as anyone who’s been to Philmont knows, shakedowns are much more about learning to work together. On top of that, our weekend long shakedown had to be cancelled because of the Texas snowstorm. So we prepared to go into a week of backpacking in the snow without ever hiking as a full group. What could go wrong, right? As it soon became clear at Philmont, not much. We split the drive into two days, and both were a blast. We took advantage of our last night with electricity in the hotel by eating as much junk food as possible, featuring a rather horrible failure at making mac and cheese. The first instance of our only continuing conflict

reared its head when we were sorting trail food and gear on the first night. We had several very strong leaders in the crew, and without time beforehand to negotiate these personalities, a few arguments broke out. Fortunately, they were quickly resolved, and we moved on.

The week on the trail flew by, and as long as you are okay with the cold, I would highly recommend the winter trek. We alternated between hiking on solid ground, ice, and thigh-high snow; often wore up to six layers; and encountered no bugs (a serious perk). We got caught in an unexpected snow storm one night, got lost in the snow the next day, and hiked an extra five miles. On the last day, we climbed

the Tooth of Time at dawn and watched the sun rise from the top; which is an experience that should not be missed! After one night staying in the Philmont dorms (and finally taking showers), we immediately turned around to go back to Texas, and to Rendezvous. The ride back was much quieter, mostly because at least one person was asleep at any given time. Having been together for a week straight, most of us honestly assumed we would be tired of each other, but that wasn’t the case. We were just closer as a group, sharing new memories and experiences, and it felt like we could’ve easily spent another week together. The comradery was surprising, but it was something to be thankful for. The turn around to Rendezvous was surprisingly natural. We got home from Philmont the night before, made some jokes about not knowing the next time we could possibly meet, and then everyone showed up the next morning. Even for those leading the event, Rendezvous wasn’t a huge challenge after Philmont. The activities were tons of fun, and came with the added bonus of being less than ten miles apart. The only challenge was the forty degree change in temperature, but most of us were just grateful to be wearing less than four layers.

You Asked, We Answered How do I balance the need for a high adventure program with Venturers that may not be into trying new and challenging activities? A S K E D B Y M E I S . Great question, Mei! The nice thing about Venturing is that you can customize the program so that the adventures your crew goes on are ones that interest them. Adventure is whatever fun activities you define it as; it can even be something as simple as a game night. We do, however, encourage Venturers to try new things and push themselves out of their

comfort zones at times; that’s what personal growth is all about! I would encourage your crew to plan a variety of events that offer Venturers varying levels of excitement. To learn which high-adventure events to plan, ask your Venturers which ones they would be the most interested in.

Does a Crew Advisor have the discretion to make decisions to do what's best for the unit? A S K E D B Y D A L T O N Hey Dalton, as I’m sure you’re aware, Ventuing is designed to be youth-run, so advisors should try to enable youth leadership and let them make decisions whenever possible. With that said, however, there are also some aspects of the program that aren’t meant to be

youth-led, such as rechartering. These decisions are up to the Crew Advisor and Committee Chair, who should be working together to make the best decision for the Crew.

Do you have questions or need advice about Venturing? CLICK HERE

FALL EDITION

Leadership

JULIE DALTON: NATIONAL'S NEW ADVISOR Page 13

EXTRAORDINARY VENTURERS

MEETING THE NEW NATIONAL VOA

Page 14

Page 16

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Along with a new set of NVOA officers, this year we welcome Julie Dalton as the new National Venturing Advisor. Most recently, Julie served as the Central Region Venturing Advisor, but her Scouting journey started long before that. As a youth, Julie was an ambitious Girl Scout. She later became an active leader in her childrens’ Scouting careers, which eventually led her to Venturing in 1999. In everything Julie does in Scouting, she remains dedicated to serving the youth. Her selfless service to Scouting at every level has been commemorated with numerous awards, including the National Venturing Leadership Award, Silver Antelope, and the OA’s Vigil honor. As for Venturing specifically, Julie notes her favorite aspect “is you never know where it will lead you. The program is as diverse as its members. There is always another adventure or road waiting to be traveled. In addition to all of the fun, Venturing provides the opportunity for personal growth for both youth and adults.” Julie’s role as the National Venturing Advisor allows her to continue opening up growth opportunities for other Venturers and Advisors. “With the transition to the new Service Territory

model for BSA, I want to be able to guide and mentor our NVOA to determine how best to support the local council Venturing programs,” Julie states when discussing her goals for this term. “The local Venturer and their crew are the most important aspects of our program. By fully supporting our crews, we will strengthen Venturing; with a stronger Venturing program, we will attract more members. Membership growth to Venturing is vital to our success. Coming out of COVID, we are all excited to reconnect and I am excited to see the Venturing adventures this summer and beyond.” When not volunteering with Venturing, Julie loves spending time with her family. She has four granddaughters, two of which are already beginning to carry on her Scouting legacy as they participate in Webelos events. She also enjoys various types of needlework, including quilting, knitting, crocheting, and more. Please join the National Venturing Committee as we welcome Julie into office. We appreciate everything she has already done for Venturing, and look forward to seeing how she further supports our program through the position of National Venturing Advisor.

FALL EDITION

W H AT I S T H E

Extraordinary Venturer of the Year Award? The Extraordinary Venturer of the Year Award is meant to recognize the everyday Venturer who goes above and beyond the normal call of duty to excel in the Venturing program. The requirements of the award are intentionally left open to interpretation as a Venturer can excel in a variety of ways, including community service, service to the Venturing program and other Scouting programs, life-saving, adventure, leadership, and more. We received a wide variety of nominations from all across the country. Each nomination contains basic information about the Venturer and an approximately 200 word essay stating why the Venturer should be the Extraordinary Venturer of the Year. It was definitely a hard task for the selection committee to go through the nominations to select the winner. This is the first year that the National Venturing Committee will be offering this award. All winners are recognized nationally and the 1st place winner receives a commemorative plaque recognizing their accomplishments.

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MEET A RECIPIENT

John Aaron Bozanic We are proud to present the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners, and will be highlighting them in consecutive editions of The Venturing Newsletter. To start, our 1st place winner this year is John-Aaron Bozanic.

ohn-Aaron’s Venturing career is one of ultimate service in Venturing, Order of the Arrow, and Conservation. John-Aaron has served as President of Crew 774. He also served on the Western Region Area 4 VOA as VP Program Support and VP Administration. In OA, John-Aaron’s responsibilities have included serving as Amimi Chapter Chief, Wiatava Lodge Chief, and he is currently Section W-4S Chief. Under his leadership, Wiatava received one of four national recognitions for outstanding service. John-Aaron is a regional staff member helping with the National Leadership Seminar. This year John-Aaron received his fourth BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Award Silver Medal. His first project was constructing an environmental education center for Moulton Elementary School. Next, he led a lionfish eradication effort in the Florida Keys. During his third project, he coordinated a two-year effort to rebuild a council camp trail that was destroyed in a wildfire. For his final project, John-Aaron developed the “1,000,000 Pieces of Trash” initiative during a global pandemic. His project resulted in 10,403 people from 29 countries participating in 25,552 hours of service. He exceeded his goal, ultimately removing 1,244,839 pieces of trash. John-Aaron helped thousands of Scouts earn their Messenger of Peace award, fostering international spirit and global community. FALL EDITION

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR NATIONAL

VENTURING OFFICER'S ASSOCIATION ANDREW STECKNER

N AT I O N A L VOA P R E S I D E N T

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE UPCOMING TERM?

My most important goal is to create an environment for Venturing where everyone can make their voice heard. We’re one giant Venturing community, and we all need to work together to move this program forward. Sharing ideas is one of the best ways to help us do that. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR FREETIME?

Whether I’m working with wood, leather, metal, or plastic, I love to make stuff. Metal is definitely my favorite as I am a blacksmith who dabbles in machining and I’ve made a few knives. I got into leatherworking because I needed sheaths for the knives I was making, but I also love 3D printing. IF YOU COULD INVENT ONE THING TO BRING ON CAMPING TRIPS, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

A dry sack that doesn’t make a terrible pillow. I forget my pillow ALL the time, but I very quickly learned to waterproof literally everything, so I always have dry sacks that end up being my pillows on most trips.

MICIAH THACKER

N AT I O N A L VOA V I C E P R E S I D E N T O F A D M I N I S T R AT I O N

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE UPCOMING TERM?

My biggest goal is to support the administrative functions of all VOAs in the country. To do this, I’ll be promoting membership initiatives, organizing award implementation, and creating resources to support VOAs and keep our contact up to date. All these administrative functions are integral to supporting VOAs and ensuring our Venturing program runs smoothly. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEAL FOR A CAMPING TRIP?

My favorite camping meal is tin foil dinners! Nothing else compares to that crisp veggie/ meat mix while camping. IF YOU COULD INVENT ONE THING TO BRING ON CAMPING TRIPS, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

I would invent an inter-dimensional backpack where I can store all my stuff and always have what I need without having to physically carry it around.

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FREEDOM TANSLEY

N AT I O N A L VOA V I C E P R E S I D E N T O F P R O G R A M

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE UPCOMING TERM?

I seek to provide opportunities and resources for crews and councils to further expand their programs. Our ALPS weeks (more info coming soon) and program guides will help Venturers at every level get the most out of their time in the Venturing program. By encouraging and supporting crews to get out and safely enjoy in-person programming again, we will help Venturing meet all of its goals. WHY DID YOU WANT TO SERVE IN THIS POSITION?

As a student of Outdoor Leadership and Management and Recreation Programming, I look forward to bringing my experience and skills to the Venturing program. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEAL FOR A CAMPING TRIP?

Definitely has to be 3P Cobbler. Peach, Pear, and Pineapple -- it’s a whole meal!

STEVEN SOTO

N AT I O N A L VOA V I C E P R E S I D E N T O F C O M M U N I C AT I O N

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE UPCOMING TERM?

The BSA believes it is essential for us to help drive our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. My goal is to highlight and develop some sort of content about diversity and inclusion via specific subscriptions or social media platforms each month. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SCOUTING MEMORY?

My favorite Scouting memory is actually from when I was a Cub Scout. I was at a Cub Family Camp hosted by my Council; our camp has rowboats out on the lake and my mom thought it would be fun to go out on one. She thought it was easy to maneuver, but little did she know, she could not figure it out for the life of her. We ended up beaching down the lake and needed someone to tow us back to the dock. IF YOU COULD INVENT ONE THING TO BRING ON CAMPING TRIPS, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

I lose things super easily, so I would like to create some sort of tracking device to find my flashlight or essentials that I always misplace.

FALL EDITION

CARINA LANDGRAF

N AT I O N A L VOA V I C E P R E S I D E N T O F T E R R I TO R Y S U P P O R T FO R T H E E A S T E R N T E R R I TO R I E S

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE UPCOMING TERM?

Venturing remains a formative way to mentor, inspire, and empower youth across the country, and we all have a pivotal part to play with regards to this new transition to territories. Tara and I have a great deal of specific benchmarks we are aspiring towards for the upcoming term, and I personally hope to cultivate lasting relationships with this inaugural class of territory leadership teams and have an active role in building the strong foundations necessary to ensure the successful future of each one! WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SCOUTING MEMORY?

There are so many to choose from! I would say that my crew's "Summer Superactivity" from the summer of 2018 was certainly incredible. We spent the whole year training for Philmont, only to hear the news of the countless fires devastating the area less than a month out from our departure date. My friends and I worked to revamp the entire itinerary and budget of our trip and ended up going on a multi-week backpacking trip that included white water rafting, canoeing, spelunking, and rappelling. It was amazing!

TARA IZADI

N AT I O N A L VOA V I C E P R E S I D E N T O F T E R R I TO R Y S U P P O R T FO R T H E W E S T E R N T E R R I TO R I E S

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE UPCOMING TERM?

My biggest goal for the upcoming term is to support our Councils and Crews in the best way possible. I’m looking forward to working with each Territory VOA to see what support the Councils in each National Service Territory need in order to maintain and develop a strong Venturing program. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SCOUTING MEMORY?

My favorite scouting memory has got to be attending NYLT. Attending NYLT was my first real exposure to what the Scouting program was all about, and I had a ton of fun getting to meet and work with new people. The NYLT course really motivated me to grow as a person, and to become a better leader. IF YOU COULD INVENT ONE THING TO BRING ON CAMPING TRIPS, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

I would either invent a bug repellent that smells good, works well, and also doubles as sunscreen or a sweatshirt that gets warmer as it gets colder/ gets cooler as it gets warmer.

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Personal Growth

AN ADVISOR'S ADVICE Page 20

HELPING VETS SAVE PETS

FUNDRAISING IDEAS FOR CREWS

Page 24

Page 27 FALL EDITION

40 years ago, Bob Vogt, was one of the three adults that helped found Explorer Post 2783, which later became Venturing Crew 2783. Bob has been involved in Venturing since the day it began, and he now sees children of past unit members becoming members of his Crew. Hundreds of youth have gone through the unit in the 4 decades, and yet Bob is still faithfully serving them, because, as he puts it, “Venturing develops teenagers into the leaders of tomorrow, by being the leaders in their program today. And besides, Venturing is too much fun not to be a part of it.” There is no doubt Scouting runs through Bob’s veins; he was a Scout as a youth and has been in Scouting for over 58 years. Bob’s family is also active in Venturing, as his wife, Dee, is the crew’s Associate Advisor and his daughters, Amanda and Christina, have both served on National VOAs. Bob and Dee are so invested in Scouting that they even had 13 of their youth attend a week of their honARTICLE BY PATRICK GROSS eymoon at Florida Sea Base.

AN ADVISOR'S ADVICE Bob Vogt

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Having participated in a variety of roles both within Venturing and other programs, Bob averages over 1,000 hours a year volunteering. In accounting his experiences as an advisor of a 40-year-old unit, Bob says he loves to witness and assist the youth succeed.

“Being an Advisor is an honor and privilege. One of the toughest things for an Advisor is to let the youth lead,” Bob says. “It is our job to help and mentor the youth with the skills and knowledge for their role, whether it be for a crew’s VP of communication or as the National VOA Venturing President.” In his time volunteering for the program, Bob claims to have dozens of what he calls “mountaintop experiences,” or key moments that had a great impact on him personally. One of Bob’s most treasured moments was when his daughter, Amanda, wanted to plan Venturing’s first national event in 2010. While they had the approval of the National Venturing Committee, they were told that an event of that scale would likely take 2 years to plan and the National Office could not allot any budget for the event. Amanda pushed forward and Bob assisted

her throughout the process. In the end, they raised enough funds and held the event after a mere 11 months of planning and more than doubled Venturing’s presence on Facebook, and had over 1,400 participants from 25 states. Seeing youth accomplish such incredible feats is what excites Bob about Venturing. Beyond Amanda, Bob’s mentorship has led to the growth and successes of countless youth. From his crew alone, youth have held 34 District VOA positions, 22 Council VOA positions, 21 Area VOA positions, 12 Regional VOA positions, and 7 National VOA positions. After decades of service in his unit, Bob Vogt remains a close ally and mentor for his youth. If you’re lucky, you may run into Bob at one of the countless Scouting events he attends. You can often find Bob behind a camera, taking eye-catching photos that have been featured in various Scouting media, such as previous editions of The Venturing Newsletter. If you do run into him, I would highly encourage you to ask Bob what wisdom he’s learned from his years in Scouting. In case you don’t get the chance though, we’ve already asked Bob for his advice for other advisors. CONTINUED --------->-

ADVICE FROM BOB 1. MAKE THE PROGRAM EXCITING Many decades ago, I coined the phrase “Putting the WOW into the Program.” At each of our crew’s monthly officer meetings, after the officers have listed out what the events or activities are going to be, I have them challenge each other to figure out a way to make each event go “WOW.” That means looking at what will make the Venturing activity different from what they can do outside of Venturing. If Venturing isn’t better than what they youth can achieve on their own, then why would they want to do Venturing. 2. STEALTH ADVANCEMENT When planning events, our officers incorporate the Venturing advancement elements and the Ranger Award elements into their program. Stealth advancement works well because the youth are having fun. We have had 25 Silver/Summit Award recipients.

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3. MEMBERSHIP RETENTION All crews’ membership numbers will ebb and flow. My crew has had as many as 90 members on its charter some years and other years with much, much less (the pandemic was hard on all units). A lot of our membership retention has to do with our crew’s activities and events. We seldom have a “crew meeting.” The officers meet monthly and plan the program based around the crew’s interests, and they are always planning 6 months to a year out. By having long term plans, the youth stay interested in what is coming up in the future.

5. COMMUNICATION 4. CREW COMMITTEES Be careful that the adult Crew Committee doesn’t take over the jobs of the youth officers. If the adults take over, then the youth will eventually leave. Monthly adult Crew Committee meetings are usually not needed on the crew level, especially after the crew is well established and the officers are trained. In my crew, the President and the officers not only attend the annual Crew Committee meeting, but they run the meeting. The Committee Chair (former unit youth member from the 1980’s) conducts any voting needed. The crew officers present their budget and their program.

It is important that the crew officers communicate with the members, adult leaders, and parents about the program they have put together. As communication methods have changed over the years, the crew has used a combination of communications. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Texting, email, and even snail mail all have a role. Use them well and often. 6. ACTIVITIES If the activity was outstanding and everyone loved it, make it an annual activity. For over 30 years, our unit has helped staff the council’s Fall Fright Fest for Cub Scouts. The youth have so much fun that we even have our unit's alumni come back each year to do the haunting.

FALL EDITION

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BY STEPHANIE YOUNG C EO of SKYPAWS

My start with Scouting began with my father and twin brother. My brother, Jeffrey, started as a Cub Scout with my father as the Den Leader. I tagged along with them for everything. From carving soap to archery at camp, I loved every second of it. As my brother grew more involved with Scouting and crossed over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts, I wanted a way to be involved with Scouting without being the “tag-along” twin sister. That’s when I found out about Venturing. As soon as I was old enough to be eligible, I joined. Throughout my experience, I was able to staff at Camp Post and Tres Ritos. I learned so much about myself and what it means to be a Scout. The Scout Oath and the Scout Law molded me into the woman that I am today. Using the problem solving skills that I learned in Venturing, I was able to pinpoint a need in the veterinary industry. It all happened one day when I was working as a kennel technician at my local veterinary clinic. At the time, I wanted to be a Veterinarian and this job gave me the opportunity to shadow and watch surgeries. We had a dog come into the clinic that was going under a routine procedure. He was in tip-top

shape and a perfect candidate for anesthesia. The surgery went without complications. After the pet woke up, the Veterinarian asked me to place him in a kennel to recover. The Veterinary Technicians would then check on him every ten to fifteen minutes to make sure he was recovering well. Not but five minutes later, I was doing my end of day tasks and mopping the facility. I happened to walk by that particular kennel and noticed the patient was unusually still. Knowing something wasn’t right, I called the Veterinarian over. The pet wasn’t breathing. At that moment the whole clinic flew into a frenzy. The code kit was pulled out and the Veterinarian performed CPR, but sadly the patient passed away. The hardest part of the entire situation was sitting with the pet owner and listening to the Veterinarian say, “I am so sorry. There is nothing more we could have done.” I decided there had to be something we could improve upon to prevent this from happening to another pet. My first thought was that my clinic was too rural and couldn't afford that advanced technology. I learned that the Veterinary medical industry is ten to twenty years behind the Human medical equipment industry and that kind of remote monitoring equipment didn’t yet exist for pets.

FALL EDITION

I had a local science and engineering fair coming up, so I decided to create a device that could measure the vitals that the veterinarian needed remotely. Over the next four years, I ran into so many speed bumps and road blocks. Even then, I held onto the values that both Scouting and I hold so dear to remain determined and persistent. Prototype after prototype, competition after competition, and I was able to get the funding needed to get to the point where I am today. I am now the Founder and CEO of a company called SKYPaws. The SKYPaws device is an all-in-one patent-pending device that measures heart rate, ECG, and temperature wirelessly. All of the data is collected from the small two and a half inch device and streamed wirelessly via wifi to any display in the veterinary hospital. If the pet’s vitals were to go outside of a threshold that was previously set by the Veterinarian, it would set off an alarm letting the staff know that the patient needs help. At the end of the monitoring session, all of the data can be exported into the patient’s record.

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Throughout both Venturing and building up SKYPaws, I was able to grow in my individuality as a leader. In Venturing, I was in many leadership roles locally and regionally. Learning how to delegate and lead in those roles prepared me for the position of CEO that I am in today. Venturing has also created a lasting community around me through all my celebrations and hardships; I know that I will always have a home with Scouting. Even to this day, the memories I spent camping with my crew and leading are some of my absolute favorites. Whether it's helping out by donating to a food drive or buying popcorn, I will never be able to repay such an amazing organization that gave so much to me. I am so grateful for the community and lessons Venturing gave me that helped me become who I am today.

FUN DRA I$E BAKE SALE While it can get messy, being in the kitchen together is always fun. Get together with your crew and bake as many treats as possible. Then set up a booth somewhere and sell them. CAR WASH Got a hose, soap, and soft towels? Set up some signs around the neighborhood advertising cheap car washes for a good cause. YARD SALE We’ve all got random items cluttering up space somewhere. Ask your crew to bring those items to a designated house for a yard sale. For additional profit, ask members of your community if they’re willing to donate any unwanted items to your yard sale.

1O FUNDRAISING IDEAS BY NICOLE STEELE Venturing provides youth with the experiences of a lifetime, but they’re not free. To help keep costs down, Venturers have the opportunity to fundraise. Fundraising can be a fun way to keep event costs down while practicing project management and engaging your community. Here are a few easy fundraising ideas for your Crew to try:

RECYCLE COLLECTIONS

HAUNTED HOUSE

Similar to Scouting for Food, your crew can post a picture or leave a flyer on every neighbor’s house asking for recyclable products to be picked up or dropped off at a certain location at a designated time. Crew members can then sort and sell the collections at a recycle location.

Building out a haunted house in October can put many good Scouting skills to use, provide entertainment, and become a popular seasonal attraction in your community.

PARTNER WITH A RESTAURANT See if there are any restaurants who will donate a certain percentage of proceeds made on a specific night to your crew. After getting a restaurant to agree, all you will need to do is advertise to get your community to mention your crew at the register. FIRST AID FUNDRAISING For the Discovery Rank, Venturers have to complete a First Aid & CPR training; your crew might as well take advantage of that knowledge by offering a crew-led course to the community for a price. To increase revenue, Venturers can also assemble and sell first aid kits.

TALENT SHOW Everyone’s got talent, right? Find a space such as a school auditorium or park, then advertise like crazy and sell tickets for the show. COMMUNITY MEAL Arranging and selling tickets for a large-scale meal such as a pancake breakfast, BBQ luncheon, or spaghetti dinner could bring in large profits. To increase excitement, consider hiring or organizing entertainment throughout the meal. DECORATION SERVICES During various holiday seasons, offer your services to the community by putting up decorations such as lights, trees, flags, and more at a small price.

FALL EDITION

Service

THE SUMMIT RECIPIENTS OF CREW 129 Page 29

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S AWARD

ALL ABOUT TERRITORIES

Page 32

Page 34

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Crew 129's Summit Recipients A RT I C L E BY N I CO L E ST E E L E

Imagine a Venturing Crew, Explorer Post, and Sea Scout Ship all interconnected; that’s the experience the members of Venturing Crew 129 get. The beauty of the Boy Scouts of America is that all of the different branches of the BSA can work together to provide Scouts with a diverse and customized taste of adventure as well as retain engaged older Scouts who can mentor younger Scouts. Venturing Crew Advisor Melissa Townsend--otherwise known as “Mrs. T.”--leveraged this when she realized her Venturers and other local Scouts wanted an additional consistent intake of S.T.E.M. and water-based activities, so she helped found an Explorer Post and Sea Scout Ship to partner with Venturing Crew 129. This blended unit approach offers a larger variety of programs for Scouts in

their district to participate in as well as encourages whole families to get involved in Scouting. However, as any Scout would know, what truly makes any unit special is the people in it. Venturing Crew 129 is full of ambitious Scouts. Recently, I was able to talk to two Scouts who have earned not only the Summit Rank, but also the Eagle Scout Rank, William T. Hornaday Award, Council Venturing Leadership Award, SCOUTStrong Presidential Active Lifestyle Award, the Venturing Shooting Sport Outstanding Achievement Award, the Ranger Award, and more. To narrow down the conversation regarding these accomplished Scouts and their Crew, we decided to focus primarily on their Summit Rank journeys. FALL EDITION

When Ashley Schultz began looking for a Summit project to complete, she recalled having visited Save Barnegat Bay with her crew. Many of their native plants were dying due to Save Barnegat Bay not having a proper composting bin, so Ashley decided to help them out. After planning, fundraising, collecting supplies, and rallying volunteers, Ashley and her team got to work building an adjustable compost bin that allowed Save Barnegat Bay to recycle their food and help plants grow. Additionally, Ashley and her team built several new picnic tables to replace the organization’s old ones. “I learned a lot about composting and how it helps sustain our environment,” recalls Ashley. “I also learned some

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more lessons in leadership as I had never been the sole leader of a larger scale service project; I learned the importance of servant leadership and the importance of proper communication and demonstration.” Ashley was then able to transfer these leadership skills to other branches of Scouting, including throughout her Eagle project. Similarly, Romel Cruz Easton also discovered the opportunity for his Summit project through Crew 129. The American Legion Post charters Venturing Crew 129, so Romel decided to thank them for supporting their crew as well as give back to veterans by doing a project that helped the American Legion Post in Toms River, NJ. Romel and his team built a Community Garden and the Victory Garden for the Toms River American Legion Post. “The Garden was created to grow fresh vegetables for veterans in the community that need the assistance,” says Romel, “that way they don’t have to make the hard choice between buying healthy food, paying bills, or buying medicine.” Since the completion of Romel’s Summit project, the gardens he built have grown over 650 pounds of vegetables.

Both Venturers reflected upon how their experience earning the Summit Rank has helped them in other branches of Scouting. For Ashley, Summit was her first time leading a major project, so she’s been able to apply many lessons on leadership and project management learned throughout her Summit project and apply them to other branches of Scouting. Romel, on the other hand, had already learned a lot about leadership in Scouts BSA by the time he joined Venturing. According to Romel, he joined Venturing because he “wanted to expand on the knowledge [he] was learning in Boy Scouts and wanted to experience the High Adventure Programs being offered.” His experiences in Venturing and all he learned through completing the Summit Rank helped him feel prepared to support other Scouts throughout their own journeys in any of the BSA branches. Just as Ashley and Romel are ready to help other Scouts, those in their Crew helped them throughout their Summit Rank journey. Ashley even goes so far as to say “I practically owe them my entire Scouting career thanks to my crew’s constant support of me and my endeavors inside the program.” Romel notes that his advisor’s goal to “make Venturing fun, interactive, and engaging,” certainly helped him remain invested in his Summit project and Venturing as a whole. While the combination of different Scouting programs helped Scouts stay interested in Scouting, Mrs. T. states that it is the members of the Crew who motivate each other to achieve various accomplishments. According to Mrs. T., the Venturers of Crew 129 lift each other up and “make it a priority to hold each other accountable and support all members to achieve the Summit Rank.”

FALL EDITION

The

Duke of Edinburgh's Award

ARTICLE BY TANADET I TSARAPAK DETAM

I N T H E SUMMER OF 1921, Young Prince Phillip was born into

the Greek and Danish royal families, but the new Greek military government exiled his family from Greece when he was only 18 months. His family fled on British navy ships and settled in France. After being educated in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, 18-year-old Prince Phillip joined the Royal Navy and served during the Second World War. After the Second World War, Prince Philip was granted permission by King George VI of the United Kingdom to marry Princess Elizabeth. Before the official announcement of their engagement in July 1947, he abandoned his Greek and Danish titles. He married Princess Elizabeth on November 20th, 1947. Just before the wedding, King George IV granted him the title "His Royal Highness" and gave him the title "Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich." Having reached the rank of commander, Prince Philip left active military service when Princess Elizabeth became queen in 1952 and became the Consort of the Queen. 32

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There was a three-year gap in the United Kingdom between young men finishing school at the age of 15 and entering the National Service at the age of 18. In 1954, Prince Phillip began searching for a way to help young men make the best use of their free time during this period. He wanted a solution that would build a young man's different interests, self-confidence, and sense of purpose to help them become good citizens. After discussions with the Minister of Education and various youth organizations, the pilot program of the Duke of Edinburgh Award began in February of 1956. The four main sections of the program included Rescue and Public Service, Expeditions, Pursuits and Projects, and Fitness. The pilot program also included Local Education Authorities, the Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, and a few independent and grammar schools across the United Kingdom. The program was so well received that they added a program for overseas and a program for girls by the second year. After many decades of evolving to suit young people, the program has now reached over one million young people between the ages of 14 and 24 and expands to over 130 countries across the globe.

The Boy Scouts of America became the program's partner in 2018; Scouts can build their own custom DofE program experience, choosing from a range of skills-based challenges, physical activities, volunteering opportunities, and expeditions to suit their interests and goals. There are also levels within the DofE program, but Scouts can work on Eagle Scout Rank, Summit Rank, or Quartermaster Rank while working toward the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. To find out more, please visit The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award website. Besides serving young people as chairman of The Duke of Edinburgh Award, Prince Phillip has helped over 780 organizations as president or a member. He was the longest-serving consort of a reigning British monarch and the longest-lived male member of the British royal family. Sadly, The Duke passed away from old age on April 9th, 2021, two months before his 100th birthday. Scouts can continue to honor him and his legacy by working towards their Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

FALL EDITION

All About Territories BY ANDREW STECKNER N AT I O N A L V E N T U R I N G P R E S I D E N T

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You may have heard the word “territory” floating around recently. This change is designed to strengthen the BSA, but I understand that all change can be intimidating. With that, I wanted to explain what’s going on and how Venturing will remain the program we all know and love. Several months ago, the BSA’s National Executive Board received a proposal from the Churchill Project to consolidate the Regional and Area structure into one intermediary level between the local Councils and the National Council. The decision to move forward with this recommendation to implement the new intermediary tier--later known as National Service Territories (NST)--was announced in June of 2021. For Venturing, this meant that a redesign of the VOA structure was needed to correlate with the new BSA structure. The 2020-2021 NVOA worked together to create a new plan that would align with this structure. 34

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The only impact this redesign has on Councils is where they will be receiving support and how they can partake in operations with the VOA in the tier above. Venturing Officers’ Associations follow a diagram known as the Venturing Service Model, which states that National is the smallest and least important level of Venturing while individual Venturers are our highest

priority. With that in mind, everything we do as a National VOA and as Territory VOAs should maintain a central focus on doing everything we can to help our Councils support our Venturing Crews and Venturers. This year's officers will often hear me say that each of our jobs are entirely meaningless without the Councils, and I hope that message is taken to heart by everyone who hears it. The National Council wanted to place a stronger focus on the local Councils, and this redesign helps us do exactly that.

FOR A DETAILED MAP CLICK HERE

As far as how the Territories compare to Areas and Regions, things will be different. Instead of planning events like areas used to, territories will instead be encouraged to support their Councils in fostering joint events with Territory Support. The number of Territory Vice Presidents has been reduced from three to one. This reduction in volunteer positions is a common theme across the BSA, not just Venturing. In most other areas of the BSA, you will see significantly smaller structures at the territory level. The intent behind this significant reduction in the number of positions is to concentrate our efforts on supporting Councils more effectively. We need more highly motivated and invested Venturers who want to be involved in the VOA to direct their time and efforts towards the Councils. By limiting the number of other positions available, more Venturers will feel inclined to apply for Council VOA positions. Council VOA officers are the most essential leaders in Venturing as they support our Crews. Of all I’ve done, one of the things that gives me the most pride is to say I never really left my Council VOA. I've loved being able to mentor many of the VOA officers that have come through my Council since my term ended. If you are looking for a way to serve as a leader, I can't encourage you enough to join the wonderful community known as your Council. The more we do for them, the brighter the future we can build for Venturing. Thank you for your support as we redesign the VOA structure to better support our local Councils, Crews, and Venturers. FALL EDITION

LIST OF UPCOMING

EVENTS

O C T 2 0 2 1 - N OV 2 0 2 1

October 30 NST 4 Northern Star Council’s University of Scouting October 30 NST 14 Atlanta Area Council’s Halloween Party November 6 NST 14 Atlanta Area Council’s Fall Training Extravaganza November 12-14 NST 6 Glacier’s Edge Council’s Rock the Castle November 12-14 NST 16 South Florida Council’s Venturee November 12-21 NST 15 Old Hickory Council’s Kodiak Challenge November 13 NST 3 Golden Empire Council's University of Scouting January 14-17 NST 16 Alabama-Florida Council Klondike February 2 NST 11 Green Mountain Council’s Winter Trek March 6 NST 11 Green Mountain Council’s Winter Trek

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*NOTE: some events may be canceled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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