Kevinpenguin

Hi,

I am doing the same thing in my district. I am new to my new council area, and am a young adult (22) who did the council youth president job in my old council.

Essentially, I have gone through unit by unit and asked what their current status was in regards to program and membership.

I asked if they would be interested in a district program, venturing advancement, and also if their leaders were trained. I looked over the current membership numbers and have moved to have an impact recruitment event in 6 months focused specifically on religious institutions in the area.

The main thing is pick up the "here's venturing: implementing venturing into a council or district" book, and start setting realistic small goals. Familiarity with the program is the hardest part to deal with on a district level, which may even be more difficult on a council level.

Is there a professional designated for Venturing, or do they have a knowledgeable staff in your area? They help to have at least a few who know what it is, of course.

Congrats on the position, I have read your posts. You seem knowledgeable with the program, and that is the key for this responsibility. Good Luck!

Feel free to e-mail me if you want. Send me a private message, and I will respond with a good e-mail for you to contact me at.

Kevin Majka

Crossroads District Venturing Chair

In my old Crew, our uniform was the crew polo with tan/ khaki pants. The polo was forest green with our crew logo on it... The officers were required to have an official Venturing shirt to wear with khaki's for meetings and events because they would represent us on the district level.

I am all for people mixing and matching the uniforms on the unit level. Cost is a huge issue, availability, and comfort are the keys to a Crew uniform.

As long as the program is going swell, I have no issues. I think for district our Council based volunteers, the full uniform is neccessary.

For a crew to demand a youth to pick up a full Venturing Official uniform, it would cost $172.15 for a youth member to have a shirt, shorts, and a pair of pants with basic patches, not even rank, a CSP, lodge flap if applicable or officer patch.

That is alot to ask of a crew member. Some will do it anyway. I think the green is neat, I think the uniform could be more comfortable, but I try to set an example.

I would rather have all members of the crew have a folder, spiral notebook, and a Venturer Handbook at every meeting with a t-shirt and running a program. Total cost - $50.00 if the t-shirt costs $35.00!

Thanks for the quick reply.

I was just assigned the post of Venturing chair for my district committee. I was told I was supposed to wear the District Committee patch on my uniform.

One of my friends is going to be a resource for my committee and district functions and was voted in as a District member at large. What patch does he wear on the shirt?

Thanks, I know it is uniform related but it does have to do with council and district relations.

I never owned two pairs of pants...

I bought my first pair in 2000. I had them hemmed with a couple inches extra to about a 32 inch inseam. In 2001 I had them remove the hem to get it back to about 30 inches. Last week I returned them to get a new pair with a 26.5 inch inseam.

I normally don't get mad with the quality of uniforms, but those pants cost more than my groceries for the week.

I never owned two pairs of pants...

I bought my first pair in 2000. I had them hemmed with a couple inches extra to about a 32 inch inseam. In 2001 I had them remove the hem to get it back to about 30 inches. Last week I returned them to get a new pair with a 26.5 inch inseam.

I normally don't get mad with the quality of uniforms, but those pants cost more than my groceries for the week.

After having my last pair of Venturing pants shrink on me, would it be innappropriate to only wear my new ones only during formal events and pickup some inexpensive outdoor pants to wear instead to most activities.

I was the scout who wore his class A to every troop meeting and was told if I am not going to wear one of the parts, don't wear any of it.... (this was said by my family, not my troop - I am the 4th Eagle Scout brother in my family)

If they weren't so expensive it wouldn't bother me, but it just seems extreme.

Also, does anyone else get non-BSA green knots for their uniforms? Just wondering, the tan knots just irritate me.

Kevin

Here is the site: http://www.scouting.org/venturing/awards/leader.html

I don't know how to do links yet, sorry about that.

Additionally there is a new knot emblem for the award.

Trailpounder,

If this course is through the WD Boyce council, I was invited to help out with the course.

I just got connected with the Crossroads district there to bring some help to the Venturing program.

Kevin(This message has been edited by Kevinpenguin)

I have owned Venturing pants for the last 4 years. I had them hemmed originally because I am a large waisted, short legged guy so I thought that was just fine...

A year later, I had to get the pants hem taken out because they started to shrink...

I went to wear them last week to a scouting function after not being active for a while, they were above my ankle....

Which wasn't acceptable for $65+ pants!!!!

I went to a National Scout Store today with pants in hand, they are replacing them under the satisfaction gurantee clause on their products...

Now the fading of the pants wasn't their fault, but the shrinking I couldn't handle.

They were polite and had no problem handling this for me. Thank you boy Scouts for taking care of my needs, I wish this wouldn't have had to happen in the first place but I am very pleased with how they responded.

Just wanted to pass that on.

Sea Scout Manual doesn't allow the flap to be worn.

I believe the Sea Scout uniform is regulated much more strictly than any other BSA uniform.

Kevin

I used to be around alot of different sashes as a lodge chief.

In my lodge we had a debate about wearing the sash while helping with the Ordeal as a "friend" of the candidates.... People didn't want their sash to get destroyed.... We made a t-shirt for the "friends" with a sash on it so it wouldn't get ruined.

On black, beaded, and red sashes. I have given black sashes as a recognition piece for the OA Executive Board in my lodge as chief. Those receiving it got to wear it that night, and that night only. It was nice, but not a huge deal.

We have had a few members bead their own sash, and have legends on them. It doesn't really bother me personally, but the official sash is the white cloth with a red embroidered arrow on for each honor.

Crews deciding to make their own sash to match their Crew uniform seems overboard to me. Wearing a black sash all the time would cause confusion in the public (younger scout's eyes and non-OA members) about what the OA is. Remember it is a organization based in cheerful service and not in fancy uniforms.

This topic of Crews making their own sashes, reminds me of the Vigil knots I used to see on E-bay. Pretty ridiculous if you ask me.

Who would have thought that Normal, IL would be known anywhere? Normal isn't very Normal, just full of students coming and going.

It's a neat town though.

The council here has about 8 crews, and 4 our in my district, so I am insterested in some type of a position to work with them.

We'll see. I am hopefully going to be meeting with the local district staff soon to discuss my involvement soon.

Small world, thanks for the welcome.

Check out the Learning for Life webpage. While the info may not apply in all areas to Venturing, they do have a section on drama.

You may be able to draw up a sample "Arts and Hobbies" calendar for them to see possibly activities....

Just some thoughts.

Kevin

Bloomington - Normal, IL

Home of Illinois Weslyan

Illinois State University

Heartland Community College.

I go to Heartland.

Fun town, not alot of Venturing going on here as of yet. I would like to help change that.

I just recently moved to a college town.

I am interested in serving as a Venturing Commissioner, but our council is rather large... We'll what I can manage with my school load.

When I served as a Council Youth president for Venturing, I basically ran a Venturing Roundtable complete with Roundtable, training, and awards for our Venturing District. (one district for all of Venturing in the Council - not effective as in the districts I think)

Working with the Roundtable COmmissioner we planned and promoted the event. I did more of the work, but it was successful. THe youth had rides, and the adults had someone to talk to about Roundtable.

I am most interested in possibly serving as a commissioner for my local area. This was a similar but different post, sorry about that.

Hello,

First time poster here... Read this topic and thought, wow, this is out of control.

I am a past lodge chief and section chief and council venturing president. I am a 22 year old adult member now who has been in the crew who didn't allow the use of the OA flap...

Simple solution - for OA members that want to promote the Venturing program while doing OA stuff, make it a crew rule that OA members are to wear the flap during OA activities.... We got 10 new members do to our ties with OA.

If it is a membership device for some, that's great. As a past chief, I was proud to constantly promote the lodge by wearing all of the OA garb constantly for promotion with the Venturing Uniform when Venturing was a relatively new program. It was great because as a visible youth member, people asked about the uniform and program just as much as the OA program.

The solution - forest green Velcro that you can use to either Velcro on a name badge - or a lodge flap!

Just some thoughts on a tough topic. Also, when the OA does work weekends - the Venturers come... I mean any - female, male, non-boy scout Venturers. We plan an activity while we OA members are doing member ceremonies for the Non-OA folk. THe benefit, the camp gets more service, the Venturer girls naturally recruit the scouting boys, the OA gets help with their activities!

WIN-WIN. Rules are rules, but be creative, the benefit can be great!