Multiple Crew registration

[CNYScouter 46]

One of the drawbacks to the Ships current CO is the club house is closed from Nov. to April and we had to find another place to meet for these months.

Our DE said not to worry that he had arranged for the Ship to meet at the local Naval Reserve Center and all I needed to do was contact them to set up the times we wanted.

After 4 months I finally got contact information for the Commanding Officer.

It took me a month to get in contact with him as he had gone on maneuvers.

Now he cant give us permission to meet there (he has to go through Washington) and we need to find another place.

 

I contacted the DE about this.

Now after a couple of weeks he came back and suggested to dual register the Ship members with another crew and meet with them for the winter.

If fact he is suggesting that all the crews dual register and meet with each other.

 

I just asked him for contact info for the other crews in the district.

The Ship members have expressed interest in renting a cabin over the winter for an overnight.

Having a small group makes this pretty expensive and thought that we might be able to get together and split the costs and make it affordable.

 

Instead of getting me contacts he wants the Ship to also dual register with the new High Adventure crew that the local Gander Mountain store is starting and attend outings with them.

 

According to the DE some of the other Crew Advisors think that dual registering between crews is a good idea.

 

I think that Crews getting together and doing things is a good thing but about the only thing I see dual registering does is to artificially boost Venturing membership.

 

I am really trying to build a team and teach leadership and cant see any advantage to encouraging the ship member to join another unit for the winter.

 

(And the ship has found another place to meet for the winter)

 

[Beavah 205]

Yah, that's odd, eh? Sounds like another executive numbers game to me.

 

I think you've got the right take on it. If it works for you to develop a cooperative relationship with another unit, then by all means do that. But yeh need to keep your own identity.

 

Go find a school or a church or a day care center or a service organization or meet in kids' houses on a rotatin' schedule, or be adventurous and meet outdoors, or maybe do a ski night and a meeting in the lodge, or a bowling night and meet in a side room, or...

 

There's lots of options besides dual registration.(This message has been edited by Beavah)

[emb021 16]

Am confused by what is being referred to as 'dual registered'.

 

I've only heard it referred to as:

 

* A youth who is dual registered in more then one unit (troop & crew or crew & ship or 2 crews).

 

* A Venturing unit that is dual registered as both a Venturing Crew and a Sea Scout Ship.

 

But two separate units that are somehow 'tied together' and being referred to as 'dual registered' doesn't make since.

 

Also, being dual registered doesn't affect the numbers. Someone who is dual registered only counts once, because they have the same BSA ID. No idea about a dual registered unit. While this may make it appear as there are more units, it doesn't affect the membership numbers.

 

 

[CNYScouter 46]

Emb021

DE is referring to the youth members being registered in more than one unit and not the units themselves being dual registered.

As far National may be concerned this doesnt affect numbers but the district doesnt promote it has 20 Venturers but will say that we have 2 crews with 20 members each, but doesnt mention that it will be the same 20 kids in both crews. Looks good on the DEs resume.

Most Ship members find it hard to make our 2 meetings a month so I cant see how they (and most other teens) are going to find time to attend even more meetings.

 

I had a very difficult time finding another place to meet.

The schools here are open to Scout units meeting and dont a fee.

But they are so overbooked with other organizations I couldnt find one that would add another group.

I had a couple or churches respond that they would love to have us meet there, for a nice donation to the church.

The service organizations didnt own their own places but meet at local restaurants

The American Legion in town told me that their meeting room is set up for Bingo and no longer rents to outside groups. The VFW was booked solid.

When we lost the Reserve Center our CO came up with some places to consider.

They did have a few businesses offer their conference or back rooms as a place to meet.

They were small and we wouldnt be able to do much more than sit around a table and talk.

I hadn't given any of these an answer as I didn't see being able to hold a very fun meeting there.

 

We ended up the next town over, in its planned communities meeting building. One of the Ship members live there and have free use of the building.

Its a very nice place but farther than I would have liked.

The building is brand new with a large open space and we have a full kitchen available.

Outside the distance it is exactly what I was looking for.

[jr56 92]

Glad you were able to secure another meeting place. I've had to do that myself a few times, not much fun.

[Eamonn 61]

Does this mean I get a brownie?

Eamonn

[CNYScouter 46]

Eamonn-

If you are going to the Winter training weekend in Jan. I'll hae the Ship make you a whole batch!