Eamonn

But how good can the list be when John has a Dope on the list?? Ea.

This thread has become a little long and I could well be missing some parts of it. Anyway!! Over the years I have worked with a lot of Scouts who have served as PL's and SPL's. Each Scout was different. Some were what might be called "Natural born leaders", some had no idea, some led by intimidation, some seemed to lead by committee. The list goes on. While most were about 15 years old, we did have Lad's as young as 13 years old. My role as a SM was to do my best to develop leadership skills. As each Scout was an individual, no two Scouts had the same needs. Looking back, I remember Andy. A super kid, in fact one of the most enthusiastic Scouts I ever met. His problem was that he was so keen to go out and get going that he didn't wait to find out what the task at hand was. Steve on the other hand waited to find out exactly what the task at hand (or whatever) was took notes, asked questions, went back explained in great detail what was going on, kinda held back waiting for other to volunteer as to who was willing to do what. My point is that we the adults need to tailor how we develop the leadership skills to the needs of the Scout. When I do our Quarterdeck Training's, I use a lot of the material from the White Stag and some stuff that I have adapted from Wood Badge. Mainly dealing with the 11 Leadership Skills, in part because the Sea Scouts seem to see these as being more real than the Wood Badge material. Eamonn.

I was really pleased to read what raisinemright posted. Nearly all the units that have been chartered by "The Friends of ???" in our Council don't seem to last very long. Once the group that starts the unit move on the unit tends to fold. Most often, but not always these groups form when they are unhappy with a unit they have been in. From what I have seen they do seem happy to follow the program. For the first few years the group is very tight knit, but at times is not really open or welcoming to new adult members or outsiders. The Council and District have never seemed to treat these units any differently than any other unit. From what I have seen at times these units seem to be more about activities and as the boy's are sons of the CO, do tend not to have strong committees. I know this is not going to sound good! But things start to go wrong when the initial enthusiasm's fade and friendships are tested. In part because everyone is a little too close. (If you get my meaning?) We do have in the District a Pack and a Troop who has a funeral home as it's CO - They have been around for a very long time. Like most units they have had peaks and valleys. They are out in the sticks! I'm not sure if that comes into play or not? Ea.

John, The bylaws do give a job description for the Council Commissioner,District Commissioner, but other than what I have posted say very little. But... When it outlines the responsibilities for a Council which it refers to as a corporation it has this to say: Bylaws Article II, Section 2. Clause 1. It shall be the the duty of the corporation to promote the program of scouting through the organization and registration of units and their personnel: also to approve and provide leadership and supervision of all program activities within the territory covered by its charter, in such a manner as to ensure compliance with the provisions of the bylaws of the Boy Scouts of America and the Rules and Regulations thereof. Clause 2 - Goes on about Uniform! As I posted "I think the program is found in the publications and the Training's put out by the BSA. This would include the Commissioners. Their role is found in the Commissioner Handbook and other BSA publications that deal with Commissioner Staff and Staffing. While I shouldn't put words in Beavah's mouth or speak for him! I think we would both agree that we just don't have enough Commissioners. In fact the numbers on the National web site make this very clear. I happen to think that for a very long time some of us -Me included have not done a very good job of selecting people to serve as Commissioners, sometimes in my case going as far as using it as a "Dumping Ground" for people I didn't know what to do with! The numbers make it very clear that Councils have not made recruiting Commissioners a priority. As to the role of a Commissioner? As we know he or she is the friend of the unit. But he or she does receive their commission from the Council Executive Board. Along with being the friend they are also charged with observing and reporting. This report is normally to the District Commissioner, who reports to the District Key 3 and the Council Commissioner. The Council Commissioner is part of the Council Key 3 and reports to the Council Executive Board. The Executive Board does approve or disapprove all unit charters. Of course in the real world much of this doesn't happen. I tend to think that if a Unit Commissioner seen something that was very serious a lot of the middle men would be bypassed and a member of the professional staff would contact the Executive Officer of the chartering organization, so that what ever was not right could be fixed. Still if the CO was unwilling to fix what was not right, the Council Executive Board could revoke the charter. In over 20 years I have never seen it happen! I have been involved with helping fix things where the fix was having the CO remove an adult leader. Sadly we had one ASM who by himself took five scouts camping. While they were in camp he tied them to a tree and scratched the letter "T" on their foreheads. The T it seems was supposed to stand for Trustworthy. When the boy's arrived home and their parents seen the scratch they were upset, they called the police. The ASM was charged with assault, found guilty and sentenced to two years in jail. The parents sued the Council. The BSA settled with them out of court. I don't know what the settlement was. Our Council did have to pay the attorneys fees, for a firm from Pittsburgh who charged over $600.00 an hour. The Church that chartered the Troop, gave up its charter. The press had a field day. We had by far the worst school sign up night in years. This guy stated that he didn't mean any harm, it was "Just an initiation ceremony". I didn't see any of the Scouts, so I have no idea how deep the scratch or the cut might have been. A lot of Scouter's went on about parents letting their kids go with only one leader. My answer to that was that parents don't know the rules. We the adults who serve are supposed too know them and adhere to them. Eamonn. (Of course me being a Dope!! What do I know about this stuff!!) (This message has been edited by Eamonn)

Copies of the Charter and Bylaws(57-491) and the Rules and Regulations (57-492) Can be purchased from the Boy Scouts of America, Mail/Purchasing S100, 1325 West Walnut Hill Lane. P.O.Box 152079, Irving, TX 75015-2079. Your SE should have a copy. Eamonn.

"Purpose of the Boy Scouts of America The purpose of the Boy Scouts of America is to promote, through cooperation with other agencies, the ability of youth to do things for themselves and others, and to teach youth patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred virtues. In achieving this purpose, emphasis is placed upon the Boy Scouts of Americas educational program and its oaths, promises, and codes for character development, citizenship training, and mental and physical fitness." The above is from the BSA Adult Application. http://www.scouting.org/forms/28-501.pdf Maybe? "In achieving this purpose, emphasis is placed upon the Boy Scouts of Americas educational program and its oaths, promises, and codes for character development, citizenship" Is open to different interpretations? Some might say "through cooperation with other agencies" means that we adapt the BSA program or allow these other agencies to change the program to suit them and their needs? However, when I read the bylaws article VII section 1. Which deals with Commissioner Staff and Professional Staff, I see: Each member of the commissioner staff shall serve as a volunteer and carry out the mission of the of the position commissioned in cooperation with the council's plan for the delivery of it's programs to chartered organizations and community groups in accord with these bylaws,policies, procedures and the rules and regulations of the Boy Scouts of America" This seems to me to be saying that the program is owned by the BSA and the Council. We talk a lot about "The Program" Maybe we don't spend enough time talking about "Where to find it"? I think the program is found in the publications and the Training's put out by the BSA. Some people seem unhappy with this and seem to want to turn the clock back, they seem to want to return to the early days of Scouting. From what I sometimes read it would seem that William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies could be the foundation of a program for some people!! Jack in Lord of the Flies does say: " Weve got to have rules and obey them. After all, were not savages. Were English, and the English are best at everything." OK so I left the "Were English, and the English are best at everything." just to be a tease! But Jack makes a good point, we do have to have rules and we should do our best to obey them. When we knowingly break the rules we are not setting a good example for the youth we serve. Doing our best to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do is what we should be doing. If we think change is needed we can do what we can to try and bring that about. When Scouting changed in the UK in 1969, a lot of people were very unhappy, some quit, others went ahead and formed Scout-like organizations that were more to their liking. As adult volunteers the example we set for the young people we serve is just as important as the activities that we help to provide. Eamonn.

Merlyn, Strange you should mention the Balboa Park case. While my thinking might very well be flawed. Sometime back I remember watching a web-cast of part of the proceedings. It seemed to me that had the BSA been a religious organization, maybe something like the Catholic Charities who do have a lease,that maybe the BSA might have been treated differently? As I say I really don't know and other than wanting to find out, I don't have any hidden agenda or thoughts. Eamonn.

"So I'm gonna ask outright, eh? Can we agree, as a bunch of brother and sister Scouters, not to ever again accuse a brother or sister scouter of "not doing the BSA program" in public, especially in a way that implies they are dishonorable or should just quit da organization?" I'm sorry Beavah,in the light of some of what has been posted here in the forum, it seems clear to me that some people are not following the program and are acting recklessly and in ways that place children in danger. While of course you, I and many experienced people who have been around for a while know what should and what shouldn't be allowed to go on -Even if at times we might not agree. Sadly not everyone does. Going back to the "Sod -Surfing" -Many of the families in the area where I live have tractors and lots of sod. Some people do seem to think that once they see something on the web, that is has to be. While someone posting "I'm thinking of doing sod-surfing" might be one thing. The guy who posts what fun sod surfing is and when someone points out that this is very dangerous then goes on to defend it as a great and safe activity, seeming not to care about the safety of the Scouts is a totally different thing. When someone clearly is not following the program and is doing so knowingly. - I for one have no problem telling them so. Eamonn.

A question to those who know more about this kind of thing than I do. What would happen if the BSA were to come out and state that it was a religious organization? (I'm not saying it should, just asking how things might change?) Eamonn.

scoutmomma, Sorry to hear about the tail-bone! If you have to miss the ski trip, you might want to take a drive to Intercourse, PA (On the Old Philadelphia Pike) in Lancaster and visit the old English Shoppe and Tearoom, it's across the road from the Candle factory. The food is great and they sell all sorts of good stuff that you can take home. A nice cup of tea makes everything seem better -That's what my Mum used to say! - Me? I can think of other beverages. Get Well Soon. Eamonn.

milwscout580, I'm not sure about how things are in all Councils. In the Council I serve we do invite a couple of youth members to represent different sections (The OA and Venturing) to sit on the Executive Board, they are not voting members. Of course this just might be how things are in this Council. Ea.

Hi Jeff, About 3 years back we started a Sea Scout Ship. Looking at "BuffaloSR793", I'm guessing that you took WB? Taking time to look over your notes on Team Development might be very worth while. Right now I'll bet that everyone is very enthused and expectations are high? Be ready for what is sure to come next!! Set realistic goals: Frustration about what the unit isn't ready for can kill the unit. You are not the Troop next door that has been around for a very long time and expecting to do everything that they do just isn't going to happen. On the other hand you can see what they are doing (Right or wrong) And learn from it. Remember when you see the Troop with 40 Scouts attend something with 20 Scouts that they have a 50% turn out. If you have 4 Scouts out of 6 show up! You are ahead of them!! Find ways of making the basic skills fun: Remember you are only ever as good as your last meeting! Listen to what the Scouts have to say. "Feed back is a gift" What you do with it is in your hands! Don't just focus on the Program Side: A new unit needs to make sure that the Committee is up and running, even if it is small. When you get to the "Storming" stage having a working committee will pay off. Don't get bogged down with lots of rules and by-laws. Just about everything you need is covered by the BSA and everything the Scouts need is covered by the Oath and Law. Never ever be afraid to ask for help. Everyone wants to see you do well. There are a lot of people who are charged with helping and supporting you and most Scouter's enjoy reaching out to help a new unit. They may not come knocking on your door, but will not turn you away if you knock at their door. Trying to do things as close to the way the BSA recommends they should be done, might seem like hard work, but in the long run does seem to work. This does mean reading and finding out what is being recommended! Put a system in place that helps to resolve disputes as quickly as possible, don't allow them to fester and grow. Establish open and clear lines of communication, within the unit, the District and with the CO. Some new Troops do seem to do well from the get go, while others go through a lot. Some of the people you have working now will sadly fall away. If you and the group can sit down and come up with a list of short term and long term goals on paper (Much like your WB ticket) and every now and then stop and do a 360 degree assessment of how things are going -Being honest, looking at the good and not so good. My big challenge with the Ship was finding funding. Sea Scouts being that little bit older and having so many school fund raising events made life hard. They and their parents were happy to pay for the activities, but finding cash for equipment and that sort of thing was hard. My other big challenge was getting them to understand that it was their Ship and we did what they wanted to do. In part the problem was we had so many Boy Scouts who had never been asked and had been spoon fed a program that the adults had come up with. Good Luck. Eamonn.

"I am registered as 1) Pack Trainer, 2) District Member at Large, 3) Cub Scout Roundtable Commissioner, 4) Troop Committee Member" Hi, I'm interested to know what you do as a District Member at Large? This is one position that seems to be not very well understood. Thanks. Ea.

scoutmomma, I'm not a fan of Hans Zeiger. I don't live in Philadelphia. Working for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections,it does seem to me that there are a lot of young men from the Philadelphia area ending up in the State Correctional Institutions. While I tend to deal with only people who have committed and have been convicted of serious crimes, I am at times shocked at how very young these men are. I'm not involved in tracking or dealing with why they end up in our SCI's, but from talking with these guys it does seem that drugs and gangs are a big part of the problem. Having lived and been raised in a big city, I know that there are in all big cities areas that are nice and areas that are not so nice. Living just outside of Pittsburgh, everyday our local news seems to have a story of someone being shot or killed and sadly these events seem to be concentrated to a few not very large areas. IMHO, I don't think that there is a quick fix. I don't in any way see the the BSA riding in on a big white horse and saving the day. I do hope that we as an organization can try and be more diverse. I'd really like to see the Scoutreach programs be more active in inner-city areas. From watching the local Pittsburgh news, there does seem to be a lot of people in the areas where the shootings are happening who want to try and do something? They seem to be from local churches and many seem well organized. While maybe something is being done in these areas? I don't live there, maybe we (The local Councils / BSA) have tried in the past? It could be that our efforts end up like the little Lad tossing star-fish back into the sea? Still doing something and something more than what we are doing now, does seem to be the right thing to do. My hat is off to the Scouter's who do serve in the inner-city areas and are reaching out and helping the youth who live there. We might not fix all that is wrong, but we sure as heck can help one kid at a time. Now if you could only get a good football team!! (Go Eagles!) Ea.

"Did you know that there are common medications that when stored at high temperatures such as those you can get inside a car at camp, change in composition and become lethal? And that others if stored to warm or too cold lose the potency?" I didn't. Of course this would only happen when it's hot!! I can't help thinking maybe we are between a rock and a hard place. Do we (The adults) offer to look after a little Lad's meds? Or do we make it his responsibility to ensure that they are: Stored correctly, not lost or stolen? You might remember Ed served as my ASM at the last Jambo? I have no idea why? But he seems to be addicted to Tums!! I never met anyone who takes as many of these things as he does. He never seems to go anywhere without a never-ending supply on his person. He had a big problem at the Jamboree with his Tums melting or disintegrating. I don't know much about Tums, having never taken one in my life. But if an adult leader is having such a problem with a medication (If Tums are indeed a medication?) I can kinda see that a young Scout would have similar problems with any medications (Not just Tums!!) That he might have to take. Maybe in the ideal world Scouts would always keep their kit tidy and tents would never be the mess that they sometimes are? Maybe I'll never again hear the shout "Someone has stolen my underwear!" Maybe pigs will fly? Eamonn.

" A CO may if it chooses to let the unit adult leaders fulfill the CO's responsibilities when it comes to running the unit." BrotherhoodWWW I'm not sure what this means? Be a pal and explain it for me. Thanks Ea.

$1600? Might be enough to half fill the heating oil tank? Would buy a lot of dog biscuits! Would pay for a couple of jackets. Could replace this old computer. Might buy a new TV? I'd be happier if they kept the rebate and removed some of the taxes from petrol. Ea.

In the Camp Health Officer thread,scoutldr posts: "I don't believe it requires any special medical license to take Johnny Scout's pill bottle off the shelf and hand it to him. That's neither prescribing nor "distributing". That's just "storing" and "documenting" that he got his dose." Bob White posts: "If he is storing and handing it he is distributing it. Many prescription medications common among youth today are controlled substances that to even have them in your possession if you are not the person they are prescribed to their legal care giver, is illegal, unless you are a licensed medical professional". I posted: " I can and do see good reasons why a leader might want to store Scouts medications in a safe place. This might be seen as being a little different than accepting the responsibility of making sure a Scout takes the necessary medication at the appropriate time?" I'm not sure who is right and who isn't? I'm not sure if any local or state laws come into play? From my point of view which might not be right. If I demand that all medications be handed over and I take on the responsibility of handing them out. I have in fact taken on the responsibility of making sure that the medication is the right one, the dose is right and that the Scout takes it. To my way of thinking this is indeed handing and is distributing. But if the Scout has medications and I suggest that for safe keeping he keeps it in my car and even if I do remind him "Isn't it time for you to take your meds?" And he toddles off to the car and takes them. I don't see this as the same thing. Eamonn.

Can't help thinking that the style of leadership will depend on where the team is? The team leader is who? The role of the SM is helping the SPL and the PL's develop leadership skills. We talk a lot (Well I seem to!!) about: "Train them, Trust Them, Let Them Lead" We the adults need to be aware of how far along we are with the "Train Them" The end results we expect from a newbie SPL would be very different than from an experienced one. A Patrol or a PLC that had come together as a high performance team would act very differently than a team that was at odds (Storming). The role of the SM is knowing where the team is and helping them move to the next stage, even if they have have gone in reverse. -That is to say maybe the team has changed and they are back to stage one: Forming. There are so many variables that maybe there is no clear cut answer. Doing our best to ensure that leaders understand what real leadership is about and is different from "Bossing" is the first step. Eamonn.

Seems to me that this comes up a lot in the forum. As others have posted the Guide To Safe Scouting states: Prescriptions The taking of prescription medication is the responsibility of the individual taking the medication and/or that individual's parent or guardian. A Scout leader, after obtaining all the necessary information, can agree to accept the responsibility of making sure a Scout takes the necessary medication at the appropriate time, but BSA does not mandate nor necessarily encourage the Scout leader to do so. Also, if your state laws are more limiting, they must be followed. While maybe a lot of people seem willing to ignore this or go with what they think is best (Sometimes in my opinion with good reason.) This is what the Guide has to say on the subject. For my part, while I'm up to date with all of the First Aid Training's. (I have to be for my job!) I'm not a Doctor or in any way qualified to be handing out medications. At work, if an inmate comes to me asking for some sort of medication, I tell him that I can't and he needs to go to the Medical Department. With Scouts if a Lad asks me for some sort of medication, I have to tell him that I need the permission from his parent. I can and do see good reasons why a leader might want to store Scouts medications in a safe place. This might be seen as being a little different than accepting the responsibility of making sure a Scout takes the necessary medication at the appropriate time? While of course OJ is now an adult, back when he was a Boy Scout he suffered with allergies. The medication he took moved from being a prescription medication to a over the counter medication. I as his parent was happy that he knew how and when to take these pills and didn't feel the need to ask anyone to dispense them to him. I did list on the medical form that he suffered from allergies and that he took this medication. There were times when the Camp First Aid Staff did try and take his pills from him. When this happened, he called me and I made them aware that I didn't want them to take his pills from him. At times this didn't go over very well. But such is life!! Eamonn.

Hi, I have never served as a Camp Health Officer. In fact I'm a little unsure what is really expected? I think I would have a chat with the organizer of the event and ask for a clear job description. My reason for this is that I see the role of Camp First Aider or Camp Medic as being very different as Camp Safety Officer. Much of what I see as the job of a Camp Safety Officer will need to be done before the event and will require a lot inspections and ensuring that emergency procedures are in place and have been distributed. I'm thinking along the lines of what to do in the event of sever weather, lost scout, fire,. What will the alarm be? How are people supposed to respond to it? Before the Scouts arrive there will need to be an inspection of the sites that they will be using, looking for any hazards. Things like dead limbs on trees, over-head or underground power lines. Going over equipment that the Scouts will be using? Ensuring that everyone knows the correct and proper way to use it. Ensuring that the water supply is safe and other essential services are in order (Garbage removal, waste water disposal) Making sure that the people assigned to work in areas have the needed training and if need be certifications. This sounds like a lot of work for one person and is very different from just being the Camp First Aider. As this is a Council event, you might want to have a talk with the SE about what Safety committees the Council has in place that could help. A quick read of the G2SS might also be a good idea. Ea.

The Council I serve isn't very big. We have approx. 85 Boy Scout Troops. Us being small and me being me! Does mean that I know almost if not all the Scoutmasters. Over the years our paths have crossed. With the exception of maybe two or three, I like these guys. (As yet we don't have any female Scoutmasters.) They are hard working men, who make time to work with kids. Form what I have observed they don't spent a lot of time trying to do things right or by the book, they just kinda do what they do and have been doing for a while or what the Troop has always done. Over the past 20 years or so I have helped with training these good men. At these trainings we have had a lot of fun, enjoyed the fellowship and camaraderie which seems to just happen when a group of adult Scouter's get together. I like to think I did use and stick to the training syllabus's provided by the BSA. I hope that I have done my best to set a good example for the people who I have trained and for others. Of course I'm not perfect and have my failings. For the most part when anyone attended a training I was really happy that they were there. I didn't beat them over the head with a 2X4,if they weren't in full uniform or when they may have said that the Troop they served did things which maybe weren't 100% by the book. Over time I came to accept that no matter how good the training or what sort of an example I set, these guys would return to the units they serve and in most cases nothing would change. The Troops that cooked as Troops would still do so. The Leader that arrived at training wearing blue jeans, wasn't going to rush out and buy Scout pants. I kinda justified the time I spent away from my family and chores, presenting these training's by telling myself that maybe? Just maybe I had planted a seed. As a District Commissioner I seen units that offered programs which were I a Scout? I knew I'd run a mile from. I knew of CO's that had no interest in the units that they chartered. I know the Troops that are abusing the advancement method, not using the outdoor method and the list goes on. Why didn't I do something? To be honest part of it was I didn't want to rock the boat and part of it comes back to the fact that there really wasn't anything I could do. Other than offer friendly advise and maybe point people to where the resources were. At some point I think I chose my battles, trying in my mind to do what I seen as being best for the Scouts in the unit and putting the "By the book" on a back burner. Of the 85 or so Troops in the Council, I see differences in the way each Troop does things and presents the program to the youth. Maybe this might be a good thing? At least if a Lad doesn't like what one Troop is offering he can go down the road and sample what the Troop down the road has to offer. If each and every unit was a clone of the Troop down the road? The Lad wouldn't have this choice. I'm not in any way saying that having the book on the back burner is the way that we should go, but just maybe it isn't always a bad thing. Eamonn.

I'm all for using the nominating committee and all that good stuff. However in the "Real World" (Whatever that might mean?). Most of the adults who serve as Boy Scouters in our District have been around for a very long time, their number grows when Cub Scouter's (As a rule Dads) cross over with their son. When a SM is ready to call it a day, there normally is a ASM waiting in the wings ready to come on and take his spot. There have been times when this newly "Promoted" ASM is just not the right person for the job. Sometimes he kinda knows this and will come up with a reason why he can't continue. Again as a rule someone else from the unit is willing to do what is needed. But there have been times when even in a Troop with a lot of adult help, no one is willing to step up to the plate. When this happens having and using the nominating committee to give someone a nudge is a good thing. I have had ASM's who were great assets to the Troop and a great help to me, who just didn't seem to get on with the Scouts. Some of these guys had outstanding outdoor skills and had been through the Scouting program, they just didn't have the people skills. A couple of them were fathers of Scouts or ex-Scouts, some were leaders from failed Troops (Surprise, surprise!!) Our organization is big enough to accommodate just about everyone, but at times is not big enough to accommodate everyones ego. Eamonn.

Last time I visited Gander Mountain, I seen all sorts of different camo, not being a hunter or into that sort of thing I didn't pay it any attention. It's just not my bag !! (Pun intended!) Anyway as I sit here, I have a mental picture of a Patrol of Scouts hiking down the trail. I see them wearing the red topped socks, green shorts, tan shirt and the BSA ball-cap. Along with this camo necker. I might not have the greatest imagination in the world, but even when I really try somehow I just can't mistake them for anything but Boy Scouts. This to me seems a long way from any "imitation of military uniforms." I can't see me wearing it. -But if the Scouts choose to go with it? I fail to see any real harm. At the end of the day it's just a neckerchief! Ea

Funding is a big problem. The boats we have were all donated. Two from other Ship's and one thanks to the efforts of a forum member!! Each Ship faces different obstacles. At times I get a little upset that Sea Scouting (At least in our part of the NE-Region) seems to be about sailing. Most of our local boaters are not into sailing and spent their time on one of our Three Rivers. Even the Safe Boating courses that our Scouts attend presented by the Coast Guard Auxiliary seem to skip over anything to do with sailing. While I have never been a great fan of the Venturing program. I do wish that Councils would open their eyes and see that there is a need for a youth program for youth this age. (Yes Venturing and Sea Scouts) and really start supporting the program. Not a Ship or a Crew but the program. We spent big bucks every year on Boy Scouts and Summer camps for Boy Scouts, we spent a lot of time and money trying to attract Cub Scouts and over the past 15 -20 years on resident Cub Scout camps. While at least in the Council I serve we do nothing to support Venturing. I know all about Crews following different areas of interest, I'm aware that each Venturing Crew is not following the same program and may not even participate in an area that a Council understands or can do anything to help with. Still most Crews will have some sort of Super Activity and with so many Venturing Crews claiming to be High Adventure, surely we could do more to help them out? The Council I'm in won't even accept boat donations, this forced us to spend money becoming a 501©(3). I understand that a good many people don't know about Sea Scouts and a lot of professional Scouter's don't have a real understanding of Venturing. But I can't help feeling that after all these years it's about time that they did. (End of rant!) Eamonn.