emb021

"Welcome to my world of "Educating the Public on Venturing". It's a slow process but people will warm up to it. " Your world? I think there are a dozen or more of us who have been doing this on-line from day one. We're getting close to the 10th anniversary of Venturing, and I've only seen a little bit of improvement.

First off, please stop confusing "venture" and "venturing". They are are 2 separate programs. Venture is a program for older boy scouts. It has nothing to do with Venturing. Vicky has given you the official line on Venturing uniforms. It can be found in the Reference section (a kind of dictionary of Venturing) in the Venturer Handbook and the Venturing Leader Manual. Who is saying that they should be in uniform? Some district/council people? Point out to them the policy. That said, I personally recommend that Venturers and Venturing adult wear the green & gray at event

"Several scouters, includng myself, are EMT's in my District, and we do First Aid at District/Council events. We all wear Pennsylvania EMT patches (1 wears a Medic patch). I earned my EMT when I was 16, and I still wear the same shirt as I did when I was 17. My patch is above my right pocket (with room for a nameplate) - this is the standard position for Jambo patches." I'm not a UP, but, as you note, it doesnt go there. A more appropriate location is the RIGHT POCKET. "At least one was Staff at Jambo. His is on his Left Breast pocket. I will probably be moving mine there somet

Several things. CNYScouter- please get the program names straight. Sea Scouting is part of the Venturing Program. We have Venturing Crews and its Venturing Leader Training, etc. "Venture" is a program within Boy Scout troops. Has nothing to do with us. Please don't use the terms interchangably. SR540Beaver- that organizing a Venturing Crew is from National. However, its important to realize that the program of a Venturing Crew can be from a wide range of possibilities (outdoor? sports? art&hobbies? religious?). Not so in Sea Scouting. A Sea Scout Ship follows the Sea Scout

Yes, kind of ridiculous. I wouldn't expect this from a troop just starting, other then dates like council events, etc. That said, you COULD provide them something along those lines. Find out what regular Sea Scout events occur in your region. Pick several that are nearby that would welcome a new ship attending. Also, lay out a basic three month schedule. Yeah, that might all get chucked when the youth come on board, but it will give something for them to start with and shut-up the idiots like that.

Also, another thing to keep in mind is the time committement for WB Staffer is high! This can cause some not to step up and be staff. I turned down a second round of being on staff because I knew that I would not have the time needed to do it. I'd like to do it again, but don't know if I'll have the time I feel is needed in the next year or two. I know that on the course I was on, we had one day meetings, once a month for about 4-5 months prior to the course (and I missed 2-3 because of when I came on board, so it might have been more like 6-7 months prior). We used these to make sure

eagle-pete- Nothing is perfect. As you say, a CD must balance the desires of people to JUST get a third bead with those who are good trainers. A BIG chance from the old WB to the current one is that in the old WB it was almost impossible to get on staff, and Course Directors would routinely repeat as course directors. Under the new WB they MUST include a percentage (25% or 30%, not sure) of NEW people, which makes it MUCH easier to get on board as staff. Those that get on staff are usually those who have stepped up and become trainers for other courses. There IS a requirement tha

I was a scout during the 70s and don't recall any "World Wildlife Award". That was when the "World Conservation Award" was created. I think you are thinking about that award.

As to lodge flaps. Some lodges have rules that they want their members to be wearing their current flap. This is sometimes done to 'catch' people who don't bother to pay their dues (usually youth who join and never stay, but continue to wear the flap they got). Some members will wear older flaps that were flaps they received as youth, or flaps they think are nicer looking then the current ones. I've rarely seen people were flaps from previous to when they joined. Be aware that old flaps can be worth a LOT. The flap I got as a youth is worth too much for me to wear. I've also

The course was actually DESIGNED to bring a group of Venturers for the second weekend to work with the course participants. Typically, a Venturing leader is picked to oversee these youth, either someone already on staff or another person (who has already gone thru WB). Sadly, I hear that in some councils they get a bunch of arrowmen instead. Ideally, there should be several Venturing leaders already on staff and as participants. (PS Venture and Venturing are not the same. Venture is a Boy Scout Program for troops.)

"Part of my reluctance to attend Woodbadge was that I knew it to be advanced training and really didn't think I had the required skill base to attend. The only people in my District that I knew took the course were the old time experienced Scoutmasters. Don't see any woman in my District wearing the beads! " Hooboy. Two things here. First off. What do you need to attend Wood Badge? You need to have completed Basic Training for your position. And you should have a year or two of experience as an adult. That's it. It used to be with WB that it was very exclusive and e

Sigh. Those who complain about others wearing the knots they are entitled to say more about themselves then they realize. And its not always positive. There are some who choose to wear all the knots they are entitled to. That's their choice. This can be positive or negative. There are some who choose to wear only some or certain knots they are entitled to. That's their choice, too. This can be positive or negative. There are some who choose not to wear any knots. Again, that's their choice. This can be positive or negative. I leave it to others to decide for them

"I have subscribed to the a Sea Scout discussion list (SeaScout-Net) but haven't received an e-mail from it in months. Which discussion board should I be on? " That list can be fairly quite, but its the main Sea Scout list. There is nothing stopping you from posting questions and seeing what answers you get. There is also the general Venturing list on Yahoo. "This forum has been about the only place I have been reading about Sea Scouts. " See the above. "I'll have to find out about the 501c3 status and see about my council accepting donations for the Ship."

"The rank pin is not the same as the mother's pin. The rank pin may be worn instead of the rank patch. This practice is rare but is correct according to the Insignia Guide." Correct. they are two separate items. The rank pin is larger then the mother's pin. Also, they are NOT to be worn on the expedition hat. Only the large First Class Badge or Universal Badge is worn there.

"I have been asked several times by folks in my Council to take Woodbadge. Maybe because they know I am an ardent Scouter and maybe just so that they can fill the quota for the course. " "My question. What will I get out of the course that will benefit my Troop? Right now, I am only concerned with helping my Troop become organized, focused and successul. " "I have been in Cubscouts for many years, Tiger thru Cubmaster. I've worked on the District level in traing new leaders and day camp. I've been to National Camping School so that I could deliver a Cub/Webelos Resient Camp (Director

"No coin." Actually, AFAIK, the coin is called for in the syllabus. Its just that in my council, instead of using the one from National Supply, they make their own course specific one. Actually, with the increased popularity of 'challenge coins' amoung non-military types and geocoins, it should be fairly easy and inexpensive to have coins made.

Get on the Sea Scout mailing lists and get in contact with Sea Scout leaders. Most Sea Scout Ships have 2 chartering partners, the second being a 501c3 charatable org whose only purpose is to own the ships that get donated to the Ship. (for various reasons you do NOT want your local council to own your ships!) BSA has insurance that you can add your ships to for a small additional amount (based on the size of the ship). This is done through your council. Don't have first hand knowledge of how this all works, but I hang out with enough Sea Scout leaders to pick it up.

Check out the seascout.org website. Did you check with any US Power Squadrons in your area? They have a Memorandum of Understanding with Sea Scouts. Did you contact your Region Commodore for help?

In my area, the standard seems to be: * course t-shirt * course hat * course ceramic mug * course coin [instead of the generic WB coin at the end] (participants get the participant neckerchief, make their own neckerchief from cords, leather nametag) Many course directors will make up a staff ceramic mug to give to all the staff. On my course, the course director signed the bottom with his totem. There are also usually totem gift items during the courses from patrols and some staffers.

"One thing that these groups bring to the table that the Order does not: $,$$$,$$$.00. Our Council annually exceeds its FOS goals in both the community and family campaigns. Part of this is the scouting network that reaches across the Kansas City metro, called the Tribe. More than a few business relationships in this town happen because we wear hardway or honorary claws." I don't think that is true with the OA anymore. Now, this may very from council to council (and lodge to lodge). But as part of the new Strategic Goals of the OA put in place a few years back was that the Lodge was

COHs should be held about 3-4 times a year. As I recall, my old troop did it around Dec/Jan, then toward the end of the school year (around june), then another toward the end of summer/begining of school. This way we could 'kick off' major parts of our year, and hit a time when there were enough awards to give out. We basically gave out the cards, passed out parent pins, and (as appropriate) swore in new officers. As to getting the patches. You should be able to get patches without advancement reports. Keep in mind that some kids may have more then one shirt. How can they get th

FWIW, some of the Jamborees in the past were bigger then the recent ones. Largest National Jamboree was the 1960 one, with 53,000+ people. Larger then the last one.

"Each camp is different, so it's not surprising that each camp would want a program tailored to them. The original purpose of any camp honor society was to entice Scouts to return to that camp each year. If the same program is available at multiple camps it defeats the purpose. " Well, if that were so, then we wouldn't be speaking of all these camps establishing groups based on the Mic-O-Say program. If you look at them, they are copying pretty much everything. The terms. The necklace and symbolism. I would have to wonder about the rituals.

"As to the alleged "problems" "* they are secret groups". No more so than OA, which of course is not a secret group either. " While the OA is not a secret group, my encounters with these non-OA group is they seem very unwilling to share info with adults that aren't part of their org. While I don't want to share OA 'secrets' with youth, as I don't want to spoil their experience, I am willing to explain in more detail about the OA. ""* they are too adult-run ". That's a common criticism I've heard about both programs -- and a common observation of many troops. " There is a

"From my experience with Mic-O-Say and Mannaseh they'd compare very favorably with OA for "membership, leadership, and organization." " My understanding is that MOS and the various groups using the MOS program have a 'problem': * they are secret groups * they are too adult-run