Venturing Gold medal

[kahits 10]

My daughter is putting together her plan for her Gold medal. She had an opportunity to attend some courses, this past summer, and is hoping to use them as credit for her Gold. She attended a pilot Powder Horn course in July that she completed, that she wanted to use as a goal for one of her six experience areas, in this case the outdoor experience. She also completed a Kodiak Mtn. Trek at PTC, that she would like to use for her leadership experience area. Her advisor is saying she needed to get this approved in advance, if she wanted credit for those 2 experience areas. Since these are both 2 week courses, my question would be is this a bit over kill, if more expected to get credit in these areas? She had talked with the advancement chair, who was absent over the summer, and now the crew is regrouping with new officers.

 

 

 

[John-in-KC 311]

Sweet mercy.

 

She went out and backpacked (not hiked, BACKPACKED) over Baldy this summer, correct (EagleSon did Mountain Trek some years back).?

 

She helped, as a youth member, pilot course a Powderhorn (granted, an adult training course, but you need victims at the test flight stage) for the Council, correct?

 

There are times to have friendly cups of coffee, and there are times to be decisively firm with an Advisor. See how far your daughter gets on her own. When she's about to hit the feather-lined brick wall (which really does sound pretty soon), get with your contacts in your District, and then make the call of where you need to be on the scale... it'd be nice to deal with this on the friendly cup of coffee level, but unreasonable folks deserve decisive firmness. There's a time when praise in public, rebuke in private just doesn't work anymore, and public humiliation is the preferred way to get the point across. You know where you need to dial that rheostat.

 

I have a war story on that... but it'll wait another day

[Crew21_Adv 25]

kahits,

 

Greetings!

 

Here is my opinion.

Sometimes reading the Bronze, Gold and Silver Award. The Bronze is a big step it seems to take a year (at the quickest pace) or longer to complete, in any of the categories.

 

To myself. The Gold demonstrates planning activities and leadership. I previously viewed Silver to be on par with Eagle Scout, but have since changed my mind. Gold requires letters of recommendation, and a Crew Review and seems to have the difficulty level of Eagle Scout. The Silver Award seems to be a continuation on the path, like Eagle Palms.

 

The Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook and Eagle Scout Rank Application have many Scouting.org, council, district and unit level instructions on how to properly fill out the applications and whom to obtain signatures from and when. But there is a lack of specific instructions for filling out the Gold and Silver Award Applications or documenting inside the Venturing/Ranger Handbook.

 

On the Gold application, it does appear that goal approval comes before goal completion and Personal Growth Goal Achievement qualification. It does not state how great, monumental and tremendous these goals must be. But I would expect them to fall under the acronym SMART goals.

 

kahits, you did state that she talked with the advancement chair, did your daughter discuss these goals? The Gold Award item 5 (Personal Growth Goals) is approved by either a crew committee member or the advisor. If she discussed and planned these goals with the Crews Advancement Chairman, there should not be any problem obtaining the signature. Your Council Advancement Committee should agree to that.

 

If I were her advisor, especially after some tremendous accomplishments of a Philmont Mountain Trek or Powderhorn, I would not care to qualify a struggle or exhausted Venturer accomplish a tremendous goal. I would care that GOLD Award candidate followed the instructions correctly, set six goals, discussed them and accomplished them.

 

To myself, After illustrating that she can demonstrate leadership and outdoor skills. Heck, she can set those goals and accomplish them in one meeting. I would be concerned that she (or any Venturer) can follow procedures, set goals and accomplish goals.

 

I have seen Eagle Applications that where completely halted or rejected, because the youth never read the application and the Scoutmaster decided that council/district advancement approval signatures was not required. Also, a Life Scout that did a project for no benefactor, so the family signed as benefactor. I've seen two Life Scouts (showing up for a photo opportunity) on a project that they did not plan or lead, and their unit submitted two rank applications without service project workbooks.

 

I am not trying to be mean here. But fellow forum members have discussed the steps to Eagle here in our forum, and not adding any more but not accepting any less. For a Eagle Project I am happy with the candidate leading 2 or more Scouts for more than 2 (or more) hours, they will know how much work they put into their project. Why should we expect less of a Gold Award candidate?

 

Should the personal growth goals be difficult, no. Should the personal growth goals be an accomplishment, yes. Should the personal growth goals, be planned goals, yes.

 

I can just imagine your Council Advancement Chair reviewing the Venturing/Ranger Handbook along with the Advancement Committee Policy and Procedure Handbook, were it also states "Gold requires a pre-approved plan of action", and while applauding your daughters effort, agreeing that she did not follow procedures or the steps to Gold Award.

 

The Advisor, Crew Committee or Council should not make it difficult to accomplish the leadership and outdoor goal. But, in accordance with written procedures, the Crew should make sure any venturers personal growth goals are planned, and then accomplished.

 

Hopefully your daughter can easily create two leadership and outdoor goals (not as colossal as Philmont and Powderhorn) with the Crew committee, and rapidly accomplish them.

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

 

[John-in-KC 311]

C21,

 

You got rambling, and I'm confused.

 

I think you wrote, since she discussed both Powderhorn and PTC Mountain Trek with her Crew Committee Advancement Coordinator, that those two are in play as outdoor goals accomplished. Are we in synch on that?

 

Active reading... it's almost as challenging as active listening

[Crew21_Adv 25]

John and kahits,

 

Greetings!

 

Yes maybe I did ramble on.

 

My thoughts, to attempt to be more brief.

 

If kahits daughter did speak and set these goals with the crew advancement chairman (before the summer); I would agree, the goals were set (obtain the signature (or email endorsement) from the past advancement chair) then the Advisor should qualify that these goals were met.

 

If kahits daughter did not set any goals and entered into no agreement with the advancement chair. I applaud the accomplishments of kahits daughter (hiking the mountain trail in PTC and Powderhorn are significant events), but without preplanning these goals (without anyone), I would have her set another set of goals. If I was her advisor, I would not require lofty dynamic goals (her accomplishments are significant to demonstrate her Venturing Spirit). I would desire her to plan simple personal growth goals that can easily be accomplished, subsequent to an agreed upon plan.

 

As a Crew Advisor, I do not withhold my signature (as thought it was a presidential decree or "the goose that laid the golden egg"). I happily give my signature away, after accomplishments enormous and monumental or minor accomplishments. (and after following procedures).

 

My question is. Did kahits daughter establish these as goals with the previous advancement chair? If yes, Then they were established goals and she did her part of the job by pre-planning.

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv