1. Understanding Teenagers Working With Cooper Wright Crew 1519 National Capital Area Council

2. So now you are almost finished with Powder Horn training! What do I do now?What do I do now? How do I take what I have learned here and build a strong crew?How do I take what I have learned here and build a strong crew? How can Powder Horn training help to build Venturing in my district and council?How can Powder Horn training help to build Venturing in my district and council?

3. Understanding Teenagers Very busy – jobs, band, sports, drama Very busy – jobs, band, sports, drama Venturing is just one small part of their lives Venturing is just one small part of their lives Very social Very social Like traveling in co-ed groups Like traveling in co-ed groups May have already had a serious relationship May have already had a serious relationship Always looking for new and exciting challenges Always looking for new and exciting challenges Do not think sequentially very well - “teens don’t do meetings” Do not think sequentially very well - “teens don’t do meetings”

4. First Things First Train your crew officers Train your crew officers Set aside several hours with lots of food! Set aside several hours with lots of food! Have them develop their own job descriptions along with your job description! Have them develop their own job descriptions along with your job description! Discuss both your and their expectations – time commitment, job responsibilities, communications Discuss both your and their expectations – time commitment, job responsibilities, communications Assign each officer a task based on their job description with a negotiated completion date Assign each officer a task based on their job description with a negotiated completion date Make sure each crew officer has an adult mentor Make sure each crew officer has an adult mentor

5. Begin The Planning Process Hold a crew weekend planning retreat Hold a crew weekend planning retreat Pick a special place where weather will not be an issue. Make sure there is lots of food!!! Pick a special place where weather will not be an issue. Make sure there is lots of food!!! Develop a crew vision statement – “what to we want to be in a year, in two years, in five years” Develop a crew vision statement – “what to we want to be in a year, in two years, in five years” Develop crew bylaws – include youth developed expectations for co-ed behavior and uniform wear Develop crew bylaws – include youth developed expectations for co-ed behavior and uniform wear Review the various program and advancement options Review the various program and advancement options Sketch out a first year’s program Sketch out a first year’s program

6. Begin The Planning Process Be sure to have a variety of fun activities; i.e. day hike, evening movie with popcorn and sodas or ice cream sundaes to break up the hard work Be sure to have a variety of fun activities; i.e. day hike, evening movie with popcorn and sodas or ice cream sundaes to break up the hard work Begin work in drafting individual Personal Growth Agreements Begin work in drafting individual Personal Growth Agreements Conduct an ethical controversy Conduct an ethical controversy Make sure the crew officers run the retreat as much as possible Make sure the crew officers run the retreat as much as possible

7. Program, Program, Program Based on the crew’s input, flesh out the program’s detailsBased on the crew’s input, flesh out the program’s details When, where, how much will it cost, consultants, indoor or outdoor activity, will teaching be required, is this an individual or crew activityWhen, where, how much will it cost, consultants, indoor or outdoor activity, will teaching be required, is this an individual or crew activity Use consultants from your Powder Horn courseUse consultants from your Powder Horn course Publish or perish – “A plan not written is only a wish”Publish or perish – “A plan not written is only a wish” Assign activity chairs with adult mentorsAssign activity chairs with adult mentors Provide activity chairs with a step by step event planning guideProvide activity chairs with a step by step event planning guide Keep good records so what works can be used againKeep good records so what works can be used again

8. Program, Program, Program Be sure to include time in your program year for:Be sure to include time in your program year for: ethical controversiesethical controversies Boards of ReviewBoards of Review parents’/awards nightsparents’/awards nights open housesopen houses Youth Protection TrainingYouth Protection Training service projectservice project crew elections and crew officer trainingcrew elections and crew officer training annual planning weekendannual planning weekend Venturing Leadership Skills Training courseVenturing Leadership Skills Training course summer high adventure trek or campsummer high adventure trek or camp

9. Program, Program, Program Try using intense weekend training sessionsTry using intense weekend training sessions Provides captive audience and sufficient time to trainProvides captive audience and sufficient time to train Use normal crew meetings to go over administrative requirementsUse normal crew meetings to go over administrative requirements Plan multi-crew training and eventsPlan multi-crew training and events Helps eliminate “we are the only ones doing Venturing syndrome”Helps eliminate “we are the only ones doing Venturing syndrome” Provides a synergy that adds enthusiasm and excitement to your own crew’s programProvides a synergy that adds enthusiasm and excitement to your own crew’s program

10. Program, Program, Program Hold a Crew Officers’ Meeting each monthHold a Crew Officers’ Meeting each month work with Crew President to develop written agenda ahead of timework with Crew President to develop written agenda ahead of time have Crew President run the meetinghave Crew President run the meeting check on progress of program planning for upcoming events with activity chairscheck on progress of program planning for upcoming events with activity chairs critique last month’s events and meetingscritique last month’s events and meetings “Failing to plan is planning to fail”

11. Program, Program, Program Think “outside the box”Think “outside the box” There is no rule that you have to meet each week or that every meeting must conform to a formal structureThere is no rule that you have to meet each week or that every meeting must conform to a formal structure A meeting can be a dinner out together, a movie, a game of putt putt golf, a night at the bowling alley or a full fledged meetingA meeting can be a dinner out together, a movie, a game of putt putt golf, a night at the bowling alley or a full fledged meeting Remember, the program is what keeps them coming back each week!!

12. Recruit, Recruit, Recruit Crews are very fragile organizationsCrews are very fragile organizations maximum youth membership retention is about 2-3 yearsmaximum youth membership retention is about 2-3 years at Venturing age, parents no longer come with their kids so don’t forget to recruit adultsat Venturing age, parents no longer come with their kids so don’t forget to recruit adults Look for opportunities to recruitLook for opportunities to recruit school open housesschool open houses community or sponsoring organization newsletterscommunity or sponsoring organization newsletters “everyone bring a friend” crew meeting“everyone bring a friend” crew meeting formal open houseformal open house crew flyer at local outdoor sports shopscrew flyer at local outdoor sports shops

13. Visibility Make sure your crew is visible at district and council eventsMake sure your crew is visible at district and council events Have crew members demonstrate a skill at adult leader trainingHave crew members demonstrate a skill at adult leader training Have your crew run a station at a district camporeeHave your crew run a station at a district camporee Attend district roundtables with your crew presidentAttend district roundtables with your crew president Have crew members in uniform assist at key council eventsHave crew members in uniform assist at key council events A Venturer in uniform can sell the program better than the best 8 color handout produced by National

14. Advice For Advisors Leave your troop scouting experience with its emphasis on uniform and advancement at the door Leave your troop scouting experience with its emphasis on uniform and advancement at the door Venturing is not “Advanced Boy Scouting With Girls” Venturing is not “Advanced Boy Scouting With Girls” Let the youth members lead; be there to guide and offer advice Let the youth members lead; be there to guide and offer advice Remember the 3 D’s of management Remember the 3 D’s of management Define the task Define the task Delegate it Delegate it Disappear Disappear Allow youth members to fail; mistakes can sometimes be the best teacher Allow youth members to fail; mistakes can sometimes be the best teacher

15. Advice For Advisors Use youth to communicate with youth Use youth to communicate with youth Let the crew members set the rules for uniform wear and behavior through the Bylaws Let the crew members set the rules for uniform wear and behavior through the Bylaws Teach your Venturers the interpersonal skills they need and then trust them Teach your Venturers the interpersonal skills they need and then trust them Coach by asking questions Coach by asking questions Be clear with your own expectations Be clear with your own expectations Reward the positive Reward the positive

16. Advice For Advisors Walk your talk Walk your talk Be understanding of the teenage years and their search for autonomy Be understanding of the teenage years and their search for autonomy Show mutual respect as a team member Show mutual respect as a team member Keep it simple, make it fun (KISMIF) Keep it simple, make it fun (KISMIF) Remember, perpetual optimism can work wonders, even in the worst situations! Remember, perpetual optimism can work wonders, even in the worst situations!

17. Resources BooksBooks 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey Outdoor Leadership by John GrahamOutdoor Leadership by John Graham Internet ArticlesInternet Articles Lessons Learned for Venturing Crews by Jamie SoetaertLessons Learned for Venturing Crews by Jamie Soetaert 101 Helpful Venturing Tips by Taylor Dewey101 Helpful Venturing Tips by Taylor Dewey

18. Resources Internet SitesInternet Sites Venturing News, www.venturing.infoVenturing News, www.venturing.info Venturing Electronic Magazine, www.venturing- mag.orgVenturing Electronic Magazine, www.venturing- mag.org USSCOUTS Venturing list, http://usscouts.org /listsUSSCOUTS Venturing list, http://usscouts.org /lists Yahoo Venturing list, http://groups.yahoo.com /venturinglistYahoo Venturing list, http://groups.yahoo.com /venturinglist

19. Leadership is the capacity to move others towards goals shared with you, with a focus and competency they would not achieve on their own – John Graham, Outdoor Leadership Effective leaders understand the KISS principle, or Keep It Simple Stupid….. They convey an unwavering firmness and consistency in their actions, aligned with the picture of the future they paint. The result? Clarity of purpose, credibility of leadership, and integrity in organization - Colin Powell’s Lessons in Leadership