It was fun while it lasted...

Thanks to all who have participated in the training process for Venturing Leader Specific Training.  Due to the announcement from the LDS church in May 2017, the Venturing Forum for the Hobble Creek District has been discontinued.

Venturing Leader Specific Training Parts 2 & 3

Last evening at Roundtable we discussed parts 2 & 3 of the Utah National Parks Council Venturing Leader Specific Training .  We've had a good sized group last month.  Last evening we also had a great turnout, and we've had some fun trying to lower the "helium stick".

  We'll plan on seeing you next month for parts 4 & 5:

Part 4: Adviser Responsibilities

Part 5: Program Emphasis and Awards

Leader Specific Training for January's Roundtable

Our goal is to have every scout leader in our district attend leader specific training.  According to our records, only 5% of scout leaders in our district have received leader specific training.  I'm helping to teach the training related to Venturing leaders.  There will also be leader specific training for Varsity and Scout leaders along with normal breakout sessions. Roundtable is always the 2nd Thursday of the month at 7 pm and is held at the stake center at 245 S 600 E, Springville.  

Will you be willing to come and start the leader specific training class in January and invite the rest of your group to attend as well?

May Venturing Forum: How to conduct a Venturing Open House

Join us this Thursday as a local Venturing Crew Adviser leads a discussion on how to promote your Venturing program to youth and parents by conducting a Venturing Open House.  The purpose of a Venturing Open House is for your crew to show off their program so they retain and gain new members.  See you on Thursday!

No Joke! Outdoor Climbing and Rappelling Opportunity

Join Owen Witesman (AMGA Single-pitch Instructor) and Tom Johnson (BSA Level 1 Climbing Instructor) for an exciting day of outdoor climbing and rappelling in one of our local canyons.  This course will cover the primary BSA Climbing Merit Badge requirements, but is open to young women as well as young men, ages 12 and up. Youth participants will be given priority over adult participants if the class fills up. The course fee is $10 for equipment use, which must be paid in advance to hold a slot. Course size is strictly limited to 12 participants, after which interested youth will be wait-listed for the next course date. Custom courses for groups are also a possibility. Interested youth should contact Owen Witesman at 801-491-4343 or owen@witesman.com.

A story about Adult Leader Recognition

Last month at the Venturing Forum we heard from Andy Wagstaff about Adult Leader Recognition.  He described some of the the BSA square knots and how they are grouped.  He then shared a bit of his scouting history.  With his permission, I've posted his experiences:

I grew up in Maryland, just outside of Washington DC.  I was one of the lucky ones, because I grew up in a Stake that was very dedicated to Scouting and we had a lot of leaders who were well trained and stuck with the program for a long time.  I got my eagle scout award, as did most of my friends.  I had great experiences, and I think in the long run, that shaped my attitudes to Scouting now in ways that I hadn't realized at the time.  Just as a side note, two of my scoutmasters later served as our Stake Presidents.

So flash forward a decade or so.  Scouting has been behind me for some time and I didn't have any particular interest in the program.  My wife and I had graduated and I took a job in Phoenix, AZ.  After a few years, I was called to serve as YM President.  Now, I did a reasonable job of trying to run a program, but our scouting program was pitiful and my heart was just not in it.  I say that with deep regret.  I didn't get it - I was not sufficiently grateful for the gift that I was given and I didn't understand the benefits of training.  I served for a couple of years and soon thereafter, I took a job up in Provo, UT.  We bought a house in Springville and on my very first Sunday, Matt Shockley (one of the best men that I know) walked up to me, introduced himself and asked if I like Scouting.  Oh no!  What can I say?  I was trapped!  Curse that man!  So, the next thing that I knew, I was called to serve as Asst. Scoutmaster, working with Matt.  And that's where my sight slowly began to return.  Matt wasn't flashy - he just did the right things.  He showed up to each meeting in uniform (how embarrassing).  He had a simple agenda for each meeting.  We always started with a game or gathering activity.  Then we had instruction and then he had some sort of closing activity where the boys utilized the skills that they learned.  They didn't know that's what was happening, because it was a game (just as Baden-Powell intended).   I remember the time that he brought boards and rope and told the boys that they had to get across a chasm, but the boards were just to short to reach all the way across.  He also taught cheers and songs and we went on monthly outings.  It began to open my eyes to the possibilities.  As far as I know, just about all of those boys went on missions.

Soon afterward, Matt disappeared for a week.  When he returned, he tearfully described to us something called "Wood Badge."  I didn't understand at that time how influential his example would be.  Within several months, Matt moved away, and I changed callings.  In February 2006, I was called to serve as Second Counselor in the Bishopric, which included serving as COR.  By this time, I felt more determined to dig in and succeed in my calling.  Our Stake presidency was desirous to increase our involvement in Scouting and our training.  Not wanting to look like a slacker, I reluctantly completed my basic training and signed up for Wood Badge and went through a course in May 2007, up at Heber Valley Camp.  This proved to be life-changing.  I remember driving off the mountain at the end of the course, just crying as I drove because of how much it seeped into my soul.  I really wanted to do better.

Since that time, I had to opportunities to work closely with my Scout Committee Chair, Scoutmasters, YM presidency, Cubmasters and Primary presidency.  We used principles of continuous improvement ("Start/Stop/Continue") and have looked for ways to do just a little better.  Our stake held some combined Courts of Honor and along with the boys, several leaders have periodically been called out for recognition.  Right after Wood Badge, I attended a Court of Honor and received a Second Miler award.  It felt so great.  The next year, I received a District Award of Merit.  I didn't want to serve just for the accolades, but I have to tell you that it sure didn't hurt.  It was nice to be appreciated.

Scouting is hard work for the leaders.  I don't have to tell anyone that.  It is even more challenging when you begin as a conscripted leader.  When a Bishop calls you and tells you that he would like for you to put on a uniform, give up hours each week and several days of vacation, and work with boys (and parents) who will be less than grateful for your sacrifices, you have some uncertainty.  These leaders may be tempted to do just enough to not look like a loser.  This is working to not lose, rather than working to win.  If we are in a position to oversee scout leaders, then we need to mindful of the emotional progression that they need to go through to become effective.  I remember serving as an Asst. Scoutmaster and having a lady in the Stake who served on the district berate me for not coming to round table.  Suffice it to say, that I did not feel more motivated to go to round table after that.  We need to encourage them.  We need to mentor them.  We need to recognize and celebrate their successes.  We need to follow D&C 121 and work with them "by gentleness and meekness and love unfeigned ... That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death."  As far as I know, that is the only way to lead another person to joy.

March Venturing Forum - Running a Safe Venturing Program

Kevin Christensen, a Venturing Crew Advisor to Unit 1459, presented at our Venturing Forum last evening on the fundamentals of running a safe Venturing program.  He shared important insights he gained from asking the UNPC office questions about specific policies in the Guide to Safe Scouting, and created the presentation below:

February Venturing Forum - Adult Leader Recognition

Join us Thursday as Andy Wagstaff, a unit commissioner from the Springville West Stake, presents on Adult Leader Recognition.  We've had a good sized group lately, so come prepared with any questions or discussion related to Venturing.

I also heard back from Gordon Lowe on the Venturing Biathalon held last month.  He said that although there were not any units from Springville who attended (correction, see comments below, Unit 1459 attended and had a blast!), the council or his district has sponsored this successful event for almost 20 years.  He plans on it happening again every year during the second week of January.  So, if your crew is interested, you might start planning for it on January 8-9, 2016 at Miller's Flat in Fairview canyon.

January Venturing Forum - Vision and Recruiting Parents

Before trying to recruit help for your Venturing program, it's beneficial for recruits to know the "why" or the vision behind Venturing.  I thought about vision, and what future success looks like for the Forum, and came up with a simple vision for the Hobble Creek District Venturing Forum:

• Fulfill Duty to God
• Perpetually Staffed
• Worth My Time

I figured if the Forum can meet these goals, we'd be successful.

After talking about vision, we focused on how to recruit people to help with your Venturing program.  Little did the unsuspecting Venturing Forum members know that during this Forum session I was going to try to recruit them for the opportunity to fill Venturing Forum Adviser positions!  I am happy to report that we were somewhat successful!  For your reference, we followed the Venturing Forum's "Seven Ways to Recruit and Retain Top Leaders" found in Appendix K - Page 106.  See you on Feb 12th!

Venturing Biathalon on January 10, 2015

The Black Diamond District will be holding a biathlon at Miller's Flat on January 10th, 2015, for Venturing-age youth. This event has been organized at the council level in the past. The early bird fee is $15 before Jan 1st.  Register at http://www.utahscouts.org/event/1641245.  Contact Gordon Lowe at blowe1532@gmail.com or (801)377-7785.

November Venturing Forum - Venturing Roadmap Discussion

During this Thursday's Venturing Forum we will discuss the new Venturing Roadmap.  I'll be referencing the Venturing Advisor Guidebook.  We will discuss the new Venturing Program Areas (The ALPS Model - Adventure, Leadership, Personal Growth and Service) and the Venturing Program Levels (Venturing, Discovery, Pathfinder and Summit).  Details of the Venturing Roadmap can be found here.  Hope to see you at the Forum.

October Venturing Forum - Sub-District High Adventure

Has your crew thought about a large-scale Venturing High Adventure?  If you would like to know what it takes to have a successful experience, come to the Venturing Forum on Thursday October 9th to hear from Venturing Crew Advisor Kevin Christensen, who also serves as the Hobble Creek District Venturing Forum Secretary, as he presents his crew's Venturing experience with the the Springville West Stake Sub-District at Entrada High Adventure Base in Moab, Utah.

September Forum Topic - Crew Officer's Briefing and Seminar

September's forum focused on the Venturing Crew Officer's Briefing and Venturing Crew Officer's Seminar.  The briefing for crew officer's is just that, brief.  The purpose of the briefing is to get all of the crew officer's on the same page to prepare for the crew officer's seminar.  The crew officer's seminar is the annual planning event.

The BSA developed a great Venturing Crew Officer's Orientation that gives a high level overview of the briefing, seminar and the tools used to prepare for the seminar, including the PCI and AIS.

August Venturing Forum - The PCI and AIS

August's Forum focused on the Program Capability Inventory (PCI) and Activity Interest Survey (AIS) Venturing tools.  We learned that the PCI + AIS = Venturing Program Possibilities.

The PCI and AIS tools help us as advisers discover the needs and interests of our young men, letting us help them develop an effective Venturing program.  

The LDS Church's Venturing site says it best:

"Venturing focuses primarily on the needs and interests of young men, using the talents of Church members and other community specialists to help them explore their interests and prepare for missionary service and other key aspects of their lives."

High Adventure Venturing - At the Sub-District Level

Summer has been busy.  We did not have a great turn out at the July Forum, so we'll see if Kevin can present later on his Sub-District High Adventure at Entrada.

New Venturing Program Updates

Our District Executive, Randell Keys, just sent me an update to the Venturing program that is being rolled out.  Here's a link to the site, and specific links to updated Venturing materials.

Program Updates - 2014 and Beyond

• 2014 Program Changes Overview - Venturing
• 2014 Program Update - ALPS Program Model and Requirements
• 2014 - 2016 Program Change Overview

The ILSC and ”What is Venturing” - By Owen Witesman

Photo credit Teampedia - Tools for Teams

In May at the Venturing Forum we discussed the Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews (ILSC) course, which, along with the version for Boy Scout and Varsity troops (ILST), is a prerequisite for NYLT (Timberline), the Kodiak Challenge, and NAYLE. Crew 65 recently had a great experience implementing the ILSC course over a two-day business style seminar at a local hotel. The crew hatched the idea for the business seminar last year when we were discussing how to conduct our planning retreat (we ended up going to a cabin instead) but then the ILSC gave us a ready-made purpose for reviving the idea. We learned a lot about the ILSC course, had a lot of fun, learned some lessons about how to conduct ourselves in a business seminar setting, and bonded as a group (video). And we stayed out of the headlines, which is always a bonus.

During the Venturing Forum discussion last week, many of the questions focused on the basic issue of “What is Venturing?” I think this is a natural thing to ask for anyone familiar with the Boy Scout and Varsity programs—is Venturing different somehow? The ILSC is actually a perfect vehicle for explaining not only Venturing, but Scouting in general.

Scouting is a youth leadership program. From the very beginning, the boys should be in charge. If they aren’t conducting the meetings and making the decisions, it isn’t scouts at all. Just look up some Baden-Powell quotes. Yes, this means chaos. Yes, this means burned food and missing sleeping bags, and all sorts of other lessons learned the hard way. But it also means age-appropriate fun and learning that sticks. These aren’t our patrols, teams, and crews. The program belongs to the boys. As they learn and grow, they should gain additional responsibility. When they’re Boys Scouts, they go to scout camp. When they’re Varsity, they do high adventure. When they’re Venturers, they design their own adventures and determine their own goals. Venturers even vote on their own uniform.

The ILSC/ILST, Timberline, Kodiak Challenge, and other leadership training opportunities are not an addition to the scouting program, they are a foundation for the program. For a patrol leader, team captain, or crew president to lead, they need examples and training, just like any scoutmaster, coach, or advisor needs training. These aren’t skills we come born with—they have to be learned.

Scouting is a game with a purpose, and the ILSC is no different. Each of the three training modules is made up of initiative games, opportunities for reflection, and discussion of important concepts (although keep any discussion brief!). Sound familiar? It should, because this is the basic formula for any scout event or training. We play games and do activities and then reflect on lessons learned. Venturing is no different from any other scouting in this regard.

Where Venturing is different is in the content built on the foundation of youth leadership. Boy Scout patrols are handed a complete program of advancement, camps, and program features (Did you know a new version of these is due out any month?—They’re awesome!). Varsity teams are given fields of emphasis and a range of options to choose from. Venturers, on the other hand, choose their own adventures (an adventure is anything new to the youth), a process that starts with an interest survey and can lead to the crew focusing on literally anything that interests them and will lead to personal development. Careers, sports, academics, outdoor activities, ethics, service, life skills, travel, religious study—all that matters is that the groups sets their own direction towards something they believe is worthwhile and their advisors can support. As an example, Crew 65’s program over the last year started with a planning retreat in the fall and has or will include CPR/First Aid certification, SAR K9 training, a visit from an Air Force recruiter and counter-sniper, hunter safety training and a live hunt, rock climbing, hiking, swimming, welding, shooting, LDS temple trips, a visit to the Nickelcade, a science demonstration, a trip to the BYU planetarium, impromptu Slurpee runs, our ILSC seminar, and a Kodiak Challenge. No, everything hasn’t gone just how the young men planned, but a couple of weeks ago we had a significant activity initiated and executed with exactly zero adult involvement other than driving and swiping the credit card, which was a pretty huge accomplishment that never would have happened a year ago.

Trying to convince a 17-year-old young man to focus on earning merit badges instead of his part time job and dating is a hopeless endeavor, which is exactly why Venturing isn’t about merit badges and advancement. Real life is coming on fast for these young men, and the best way for our youth programs to stay relevant for them is to put them in the driver’s seat and focus on their interests.

Some tips for the ILSC:

1. Keep it active. Sometimes the curriculum has too much discussion for young brains to stay focused.
2. Get creative with Module 3. The content is great, but it needs more engaging activities.
3. Break it up. Especially with younger groups, don’t even think about delivering all three modules back-to-back. With Scouts and Varsity, you’d probably want to play the games over several weeks without ever telling them it’s part of a training curriculum. Even with Venturers, doing all three modules over a weekend was pushing it.
4. Make notes of what games you play. If you do the ILSC each time you have a new crew presidency, you’re likely to have some of the same youth participating, so choose different games.
5. Use the games when training your adults too.
6. Give it a try, learn, and keep improving!

Owen Witesman

Hobble Creek District Venturing Forum Associate Advisor - Programs

May Forum Topic: Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews (ILSC)

Have you wondered how to facilitate your crew's ILSC?  May's forum will focus on what the ILSC is and how to run one for your crew.  We'll hear from a Venturing Advisor about his crew's experience, do one of the exercises from the course as a group and review the overall youth leadership training flow.  We'll leave plenty of time for discussion and questions.

April Forum Topic: How to conduct "Ethical Controversies"

Don't misinterpret the subject of this month's Venturing Forum.  We're not going to be doing anything illegal or controversial, but, we will have an opportunity to learn the five steps in conducting an "Ethical Controversies" activity for your Venturing Crew (Venturing Leader Manual, p. 197-228), and participate as teams in discussing our own ethical controversy.

After participating in this activity as a Venturing Forum, consider the possible learning opportunities for your crew and possible combined activities with young women.  

March Forum Topic: Conducting a Safe Program isn't Rocket Science

The plan for the March Forum on Thursday, March 13th, 2014 will be on conducting a safe Venturing program.  We'll review the LDS Church's new video on Safety through Planning and Relying on the Spirit that features a scout leader/rocket scientist that took a group of scouts to Havasupai and discuss similarities and opportunities to improve.  We will also have a chance to share some of our past activities.  We will also introduce the Forum Advisor roles for the Venturing Forum.