From <@tcuavm.is.tcu.edu:owner-scouts-l@TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU> Thu Dec 18 14:59:43 1997 Return-Path: <@tcuavm.is.tcu.edu:owner-scouts-l@TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU> Received: from tcuavm.is.tcu.edu (TCUAVM.IS.TCU.EDU [138.237.128.148]) by cap1.CapAccess.org (8.6.12/8.6.10) with SMTP id OAA01805; Thu, 18 Dec 1997 14:59:43 -0500 Received: from TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU by tcuavm.is.tcu.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 3360; Thu, 18 Dec 97 13:52:40 CDT Received: from TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@TCUBVM) by TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 8750; Thu, 18 Dec 1997 13:53:08 -0500 Received: from TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU by TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU (LISTSERV release 1.8b) with NJE id 8746 for SCOUTS-L@TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU; Thu, 18 Dec 1997 13:52:20 -0500 Received: from TCUBVM (NJE origin SMTP@TCUBVM) by TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 8745; Thu, 18 Dec 1997 13:52:19 -0500 Received: from eagle.cc.ukans.edu by tcubvm.is.tcu.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with TCP; Thu, 18 Dec 97 13:52:05 CDT Received: from [129.237.239.172] by eagle.cc.ukans.edu (8.8.7/1.1.8.2/12Jan95-0207PM) id NAA0000024871; Thu, 18 Dec 1997 13:51:06 -0600 (CST) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message-ID: Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 13:59:24 +0100 Reply-To: Jim Peterson Sender: Scouts-L Youth Group List From: Jim Peterson Subject: Re: Starting up a Venture Patrol To: Multiple recipients of list SCOUTS-L Status: RO X-Status: Pete Farnham asked about starting up a venture crew program: Pete, I can talk a little bit about the exact situation you have described...and about the mistakes I feel like our troop made and are now feeling the consequences of. You might remember, I was the one who posted a few weeks ago about a problem we are having in our troop with our 15-16 year old scouts. They are now mostly Life scouts....have joined an Explorer post....but dual register with the troop because they want to get Eagle through the troop. They have openly stated that they want nothing to do with the rest of the troop body....do not participate in troop activities nor do they attend meetings. Well, enough of THAT problem. I only bring it up bec=E5use it started with the way that we handled the Venture Crew program in our troop. We let them call themselves "crews" instead of patrols....they immediately separated themselves in both activities and attitudes. The troop committee now feels that the semantics of this probably contributed to the separatist attitude of these scouts. I do wish that we had researched the Venture program a little more before implementing it. It is now our understanding that "crews" are formed expressly for the purpose of planning and executing an adventure outing. The crew may consist of members of various patrols but exists ONLY for the duration of the event. Once the event is over, the crew no longer exists. We've tried this with good success for a few months now....we've basically lost the earlier group but the 14-15 year old scouts that are in the new Venture program are actively involved in the life of the troop. I urge you NOT to call or organize them as "venture patrols" but to let them get excited about planning and organizing a high-adventure excursion with a group of scouts that is simply a "crew" of like-minded young men interested in that particular event. The "crew" designation helps control the size of the unit doing the event. Crews may be a little smaller than patrols for various reasons....for instance, we equip our crews with backpacking stoves and 4-man cook kits. Obviously, this doesn't fit with a 6-10 person "patrol". So equipment might be one determining factor indicating the size of the crew. There are plenty of others....the capacity of a whitewater raft, for instance. Good luck in your new program. Please post how it turns out as our troop will be anxious to learn from your experience. BLUE SKIES!, Jim Peterson RT Comm, Pelathe Dist Heart of America Council ASM, T-55, Lawrence, Kansas Any day above ground is a good day. Mic-O-Say: "Shieldmaker"