qwazse 4342 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 MT: We're still trying to figure out the implications of this Venturing District. But it maps with "facts on the ground." Venturers aren't as geographically locked as Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts. They make tight associations with youth on the opposite ends of council (and area, region, nation, and world) and seek out activities in and provide service to districts other than their own. They have this proclivity to venture beyond district boundaries (go figure). We're just trying to tap that and make it work more smoothly for the unit leaders (who still are more than welcome to go to their local district roundtable if it suits them). Who knows if this will be the case if the price of gas keeps climbing. But the point is our COR is as proud of the kid in our crew who becomes a volunteer fireman in our neighborhood as he is of the kid who works at an orphanage overseas. He just doesn't want to be obliged to another roundtable. (I'm not even sure if he's gone to a the pack and troop's district roundtable.) He certainly doesn't want to fret over herding cubs into our troop when there are plenty of young men in our community who weren't cubs who deserve our invitation. Link to post Share on other sites
fred8033 1592 Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Okay. Thanks. Sounds like there is no "rumor" or other initiative. Just something in our own council or district. Hmmmm.... I know there was an inquiry last year or the year before on how to improve scouting locally. I know one idea was to focus on troops supporting their CO's pack. Maybe it is just the local full-circle result of that suggestion. Link to post Share on other sites
emb021 16 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 "MT: We're still trying to figure out the implications of this Venturing District. But it maps with "facts on the ground." Venturers aren't as geographically locked as Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts. They make tight associations with youth on the opposite ends of council (and area, region, nation, and world) and seek out activities in and provide service to districts other than their own. They have this proclivity to venture beyond district boundaries (go figure). We're just trying to tap that and make it work more smoothly for the unit leaders (who still are more than welcome to go to their local district roundtable if it suits them). " Also, with Venturing Crews & Sea Scout Ships, most district leadership doesn't know what to do with them, and there are usually too few in a district to run a decent district Venturing Roundtable. Also, there should be Venturing Officer Associations formed of the youth leadership in the crews to drive the program. Again, there are usually too few in a district to form these at that level, so you will see Council VOAs forming, which means you almost have a de facto council-wide 'venturing district'. Link to post Share on other sites
moosetracker 132 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Again Fred, that just sounds like the same old retoric that has been uttered for years.. Of course it is ALWAY good for the units within the CO to support each other in various ways.. Especially the Troop if they want a bonding relationship with the pack so that cubs will think of them when looking for a troop to cross over to.. I just think they re-packaged and sold it in a bright new box with ribbon & bow, and it might have caught your interest when they said something about it a year or two back.. Some sort of example they gave or the speakers charisma made you sit up, take notice and say.. "Wow! That is interesting".. Although you probably had heard it said 20 times before then, and 20 times since. Link to post Share on other sites
Basementdweller 608 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Well we don't seem to have that much diversity in our scouting programs in the city. Basically car camping, hiking, canoeing and summer camp. There is an eagle mill not to far away, they attend merit badge boot camps, summer camp and that is the extent of their outdoor activity. We differentiate ourselves by backpacking and canoeing......I would love to see the boys organize a trip to mammoth cave or Gettysburg or even the Appalachian trail for a week Link to post Share on other sites
Twocubdad 665 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Haven't heard anything, but would welcome it if true. I've often heard the statistic quoted that we loose 50% of Scouts between Webelos II and the first year of Boy Scouts. So what if it is just an effort to bump numbers? Isn't that what the pros were hired to do? Our troop and pack work closely together. We try to supply den chiefs to as many dens as possible and work closely with the Webelos II dens on transition. Right now one of my older scouts is working with the pack committee to coordinate Scouting for Food between the troop and pack. We work together on Scout Sunday with the CO. I attend pack leader meetings several times a year and all the unit leaders are cross registered on emails. We try to get our Webelos to see Boy Scouting as just another step in the same program. Our CO offers a Scouting program, ages 7 to 18, and hope our boys will stick through it all the way. If a family feels they are better served moving to another program, we'll be as supportive as we can. But I see no reason why winter/spring of the fifth grade needs to be some watershed point of changing units. I've maintained for several years the biggest problem with the loss of boys between Webelos and Boys Scouts is the big deal we make of crossover. Ten-year-old boys are just coming to the age of deciding for themselves what they do and don't like and wish to participate. So right at the wrong time we hold up this big EXIT sign. Too many families see crossover as "graduation." The are no longer part of the pack and take crossover as a good time to quit with no on-going obligations. More that just a PR "emphasis" I think we should make program modifications to blur the line between pack and troop. Webelos IIs should start the year as Cub Scout and one morning wake up to discover they're in a tent at Boy Scout camp. You guys know the saw about how you boil a frog? We're taking the frog out of the pot, drying him off cooling him down, then asking if he wants to get back in. Stop making such an big deal over "completing" Cub Scouts. Drop the line about Arrow of Light being the "Highest Honor in Cub Scouting". It's the highest honor in Webelos just like Bear is the highest honor for third-year Cubs. Why require a new application when moving from the pack to troop? I understand under the current setup it's necessary, but change the setup. And it's a two-way street. If the Cub leaders or parents have an issue with the Boy Scout program we're offering, they are welcome to become involved and help make the program better. I understand the "free market" argument. But families are free to choose a different unit at any time, not just between Webelos II and Boy Scouts. If the leadership is taking the big view of the program, hopefully they are working together to improve both the troop and pack programs. I know this would leave those in stand-alone units out in the cold, especially for units like Fred, registered to an elementary school PTO and not really in a position to start a troop. But if it keeps boys in the program, wouldn't it encourage your to join forces with a brother troop or pack or perhaps even start one? Link to post Share on other sites
John-in-KC 311 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 It's all about program. If Troop 123 has superb program, and they care about their relationship with Pack 123, then most likely the boys of Pack 123 will move right up. If Troop 123 doesn't care about the relationship, or if Troop 123 has bad program, the families most likely will find Boy Scouting in Troop 456. If someone tells me it's Troop 123 or the highway, well, thank you very much, our time in Scouting is done. Link to post Share on other sites
Twocubdad 665 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I can't imagine it ever being a my way/highway deal. If you have a Wolf in Pack 123 and they have a poor program, you can always move to Pack 456. Same is true as a Webelos or as a Tenderfoot. Link to post Share on other sites
emb021 16 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Back in the 40s and 50s they spoke of charter orgs having the 'whole scouting family': chartering a pack, troops, & post or ship. Recommended was having a single committee to oversee the whole thing. In other countries, (for instance the UK), they have the concept of a 'group': a pack, troop, etc under a single group, lead by a group scoutmaster, etc. Link to post Share on other sites
fred8033 1592 Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 Twocubdad ... You hit it on the head. I've had many of the same thoughts but never put them down. ... EVERYONE - Read TwoCubDad's Jan 17th post. What a great statement! I wish BSA would realign with the approach TwoCubDad wrote. - Drop the Cub Scout "graduation" idea. It's just an excuse to leave. - Make Cub Scouts / Boy Scouts a continuous progression. - Drop the need to fill out a new form to join a boy scout troop. It's just the next step. - Drop the Arrow Of Light being the Cub Scout highest award, instead it's just the award at the end of the Webelos year. Like changing from Cub Scouts earning their current rank to the Boy Scouts earning their next rank. ... I was really just wondering if BSA had an initiative. Now, I wish TwoCubDad's post was that initiative. Link to post Share on other sites
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