central region venturing newsletter - the central point - november 2015
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The territory spanned by the Central Region includes council headquarter cities in thirteen states, including all of Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Virginia, and West Virginia. As a whole, these councils positively influence the lives of over 715,000 registered youth in traditional BSA programs. Included in that figure are over 43,000 Venturers in over 3,600 crews (including Sea Scouts in over 90 ships). #crventuring #LeadtheAdventure #ThankfulforVenturingTRANSCRIPT
Newsletter of the Central Region | Boy Scouts of America
November Newsletter 2015
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Lead the
Adventure!
What made you fall in love with the Venturing program? What
skills, memories, and friendships through Venturing are you
thankful for? On Wednesday, November 25, we want to read
your reasons why you are #ThankfulforVenturing. Maybe you
are thankful because you have had the opportunity to travel
around the country or maybe because you have learned life
skills in the program. Whatever your reasons may be, we
want to read about them on social media! So on November
25, use #ThankfulforVenturing and #CRVenturing and let us
know! We will feature some of our favorites in the December
edition of the Central Point. Lead the Adventure!
-Jenny Bullock, CRV Vice President of Communications
#ThankfulforVenturing In this Issue…
#ThankfulforVenturing……… 1
College Crews……….............. 2
Area 5 Update…………………. 3
Seabadge…………….………… 4
Advisor’s Minute……………… 5
Area Pages…………………….. 6
President’s Corner…………… 7
Things are very exciting here at Venturing Crew 365 based out of The University of Evansville in Southern Indiana! We recently had our open house where 80 new people came to get more information on Venturing and how to register. We are now up to about 100 registered members with more on the way!
We enjoy this success due to support from the Student Government Association on campus and connections with other crew and Boy Scout troops in the Region. As a registered organization, we receive benefits of advertising and funding. We receive money to provide trips for all of campus, but also to offset travel costs, advisor fees, and risk management expenses. We also have a space on campus where we can store all of our tents, sleeping bags, and other gear that members and other organizations on campus can rent.
Our first event of the year was a canoeing and kayaking trip to Bluegrass Fish and Wildlife Area. 50 of our new members spent quality time on the lake, eating delicious food, and playing entertaining games. Our next trip will be to Lincoln State Park and Lincoln’s Boyhood home. We also have a trip planned over Fall Break to go to camp Roy C. Manchester to go sailing, kayaking, and canoeing. If the water levels are right, a mud fight might be in order as well! Both of these trips are part of our 4-year plan. This is our way of providing diversity of trips and experiences for our members over their four year careers at college. It guarantees that students will not go on the same Fall or Spring Break trip. It also helps the officers plan trips! To finish off the semester, we will participate in a campus-wide volunteer day, an extreme hayride, and rock climbing.
We are excited for this year and all of the adventures it holds! If you are interested in starting a Venturing Crew at your university, we would love to help you get things set up and support you through the years.
Happy Venturing!
-Alex Schmitt, Crew President of Venturing Crew 365, Buffalo Trace Council, Area 6
College Crews
College crews can be such a rewarding experience during your college years. Are you
part of a college crew? What tips and tools do you have for other college crews or for
youth wanting to start one on their campus? Email [email protected]
and be featured in next month’s edition of the Central Point!
Area 5
Update!
Are
a S
po
tligh
t!
Hey Central Region!
The Area 5 Leadership Conference is going to be held on November 20th-22nd
at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas! Keep an eye out for registration, we
hope to be have it open very soon. This conference will include ILSC, Goal
Setting and Time Management, Project Management and more trainings for youth
and adults! It will also include more information about VOAs and their roles at the
Council, Area, and Regional levels.
To keep updated with Venturing throughout Area 5 and Central Region, look out
for posts made by our VP of Communication Matthew Bippes on the Central
Region Area 5 Facebook group and our Council VOA groups. Lastly, our next
Council VOA call is on November 8th, an agenda will be sent out to Council VOA
Officers and Advisers.
Lead the Adventure!
-Russell Seibert, CR Area 5 President
Save the Date!
November 20-22, 2015: Area 5
Leadership Conference
Name that Camp!
Last month’s camp was
Beaumont Scout Reservation.
Can you name this month’s
camp? Find out the answer in
next month’s edition of the
Central Point!
The updated CSVE form has just
been released! Follow this link to
check it out and help your Council
earn the Council Standards of
Venturing Excellence Award!
http://www.scouting.org/scoutsour
ce/Venturing/Awards/Excellence.a
spx
-Nate Steele, CRV VP of
Administration
Seabadge is an advance leadership development experience
for Sea Scout adult leaders (21 years and older) and other
adult Scouters at the Unit, District, Council, Area, Regional, or
National levels who support or are interested in the Sea Scout
program. Seabadge is a participatory experience. There is
intense involvement of participants and faculty in seminars,
workshops, role-playing, discussions, and activities. The
program, Ship operations, leadership development, team
building, and motivation. Additional topics include instructional
techniques, communications, goal setting, planning, and
recruiting both youth and adults.
More than half of the 31 Participants were from Michigan. They
were joined by Participants from WV, OH, IL, WI and MO. Staff
members included representation from MI as well as OH, IN, IL,
WI and MO and included three former Course Directors. This
was truly a Central Region Seabadge. The Participants and
Staff meshed unbelievable well. The atmosphere was electric
during the entire weekend. The Course evaluation was filled
with positive comments. Many indicated that this was the most
fun they ever had at a training course. While most Participants
were Sea Scouts, we were joined by Venturing Leaders,
Council and District representatives, a few Scouters and even a
Cub Scout Leader. This afforded us a great opportunity to
exchange ideas across Programs.
During Seabadge, we conducted a Change of Watch ceremony
(a transfer of authority)
between our outgoing Central Region Commodore Dr. George
H. McNeal and our incoming
CR Commodore John T. Paprocki. Mac was honored by a gift
and citations presented by
National Boatswain Edward Campbell on behalf of National
Sea Scout Director Keith
Christopher and National Sea Scout Commodore Charles
Wurster.
-Jay Montgomery, Course Director SB-22-MI-2015
Updated CSVE
Form!
Advisor’s Minute
One example I would like to highlight is this year’s annual Fall Fun Rally. Of course, many of you
know what a time-honored tradition this event is in St. Louis, MO. But, many might not realize just
how many people it takes to put it on! What was just mind-blowing to see was how many people
come together to make this event just an overwhelming success. With over 1200 people, how
can you not love that?
Our group was invited to participate in the Osage District Dinner on Saturday night. While we
attempted to be the most helpful of Scouts, and the most humblest of guests, District leadership
insisted that we couldn't assist. So, instead we had a chance to observe and talk with many of
the over 175 people in the city of tents that had popped up in one of the fields at the camp.
Besides amazing food, want to know what we saw? Scouters together as a family. Helping and
pitching in. Serving, clearing, and cleaning. Youth helping adults, and adults helping youth. It was
amazing, and is everything that defines Scouting!
I know I have thanked each and everyone one of you in the past, and I will continue to do so. Our
movement is stronger each day because of your efforts.
I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! See you in December!
Kris Zahrobsky Central Region Venturing Advisor
Happy November, Central Region!
As we enter into the 11th month of the year, and the
beginning of the holiday (and shopping) season, we
are called for a bit of introspective investigation.
Certainly, with a holiday like "Thanksgiving", it is
pretty clear that we should be extending our
gratefulness to our creator, family, and friends.
I have had some amazing opportunities to join many
of you in action all across our Region. What really
amazes me the most isn't what activities you plan
and host. (Which are incredible, by the way!) Rather,
it is the sense of family that so many of you have
with each other. I not only get to observe your Crews
in action, but also see the unending bond that is
created between everyone involved! Through trials
and tribulations, each member of the family pulls
their own weight to make sure the entire team
succeeds and has an incredibly fun time doing it.
Area 1
Upcoming Events:
November 13-15, 2015, Area 1 Venturing
Leadership Conference, Menomonie, WI
January 22-24, 2016, Area 1 Fun Event: Ice Age,
Haugen, WI
President: Rachel Cruse
Advisor: Helen Lockwood
Area 2
Upcoming Events:
February 5-7, 2016, Celebrating the Winter Adventure
Woodbade, Jeddo, MI
President: Jacob Hardy
Adivsor: Jeff Geralds
Area 3
Upcoming Events:
January 29-30, 2015, Area 3 Venturing
Leadership Conference, Normal, IL
President: Chris Mausshardt
Advisor: Bob Vogt
Area 4
Upcoming Events:
November 20-22, 2015, Venturing Star Wars Weekend,
Peninsula, OH
April 22-24, 2016, WorldFest 2016, Kinsington, OH
President: Michael Gunther
Advisor: Duane Zobrist
Area 5
Upcoming Events:
November 21, 2015, Area 5 Leadership Conference, Topeka, KS
President: Russell Seibert
Advisor: Julie Dalton
Area 6
Upcoming Events: June 29-July 9, 2016, SeaBase Scuba Adventure, Seabase, Florida
President: Amber Richter
Advisor: Carla Gargas
Area 7
Upcoming Events:
March 5, 2016, Area 7 Venturing Conference, Gurnee, IL
President: Kaia Ball
Advisor: Rachel Zahrobsky
Summer’s Last Bash
August 5-7, 2016
Camp Illinek, Springfield, IL
Events to Look Forward to…
President’s Corner Central Region Venturing President:
Brian Parro
Central Region Venturing Advisor:
Kris Zahrobsky
Central Region Vice President of
Communications:
Jennifer Bullock
Central Region Venturing Associate Advisor
for Communications:
Deb Keyes
Venturing is a Scouting program for male
and female youth ages 13-21 that lets
youth experience new activities, build
leadership skills, earn awards, make new
friends, and of course have fun.
The Central Region is one of the four
regions of the Boy Scouts of America. This
region includes the states of: Minnesota,
Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota,
Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois,
Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and West
Virginia.
About our Organization…
While we’re in this season of thankfulness, let us think
about what we are thankful for in the Venturing program.
The time I have spent a part of this program, and really all
of my time in the Boy Scouts of America, I have had
numerous opportunities and memories made that I don’t
take for granted. I have had the opportunity to travel all
over the country, meeting Venturers and Scouters from all
over. I have had the opportunity to travel to Japan and
meet Scouts from all over the world. This is one of my
favorite parts; meeting and getting to know people who
have the same passion for Scouting as I do. I am incredibly
grateful for the life skills I have learned through Scouting as
well. From knot tying to communicating with others,
Scouting has had an impact on my life.
I want to find out why you are #ThankfulforVenturing. So,
on November 25, share your reasons all over social media.
But don’t stop there. Invite at least 1 non-Scouting friend to
like our Region Facebook page and follow us on all of our
social media, so they can find out why everyone is
#ThankfulforVenturing. I can’t wait to read all about it
Yours in Venturing,
Brian M Parro Central Region Venturing President
Hey Central Region!
I can’t believe it’s already
November! Thanksgiving will
be here before we know it!
Thanksgiving is such a
remarkable time. I love
gathering with my friends
and family and getting to
spend quality time being
grateful and thankful for all I
have in life. All of the food,
parades, and football help
bring everyone together and
kick off the holiday season.