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Program Summary WEST AUSTIN BACKPACKING CREW BSA Scout Venture Crew One Chartered to Tarrytown United
Methodist Church Purpose of Program. The Venture Crew One program is designed for older Scouts and their friends - both young men and women, under the age of 21, to learn primitive camping skills, experience high-adventure backpacking and other outdoor activities, and provide service to the community. Chartered Organization Sponsorship. The Venture Crew Program is an official Boy Scouts of America program. The program has three separate high school crews - a sophomore, junior and senior crew, made-up of Scouts and their friends. Tarrytown United Methodist Church is the sponsor of the Venture Crew One program. The Quarterly Camping Program. The Venture Crew Program will be highly focused and limited in scope. Each quarter during the school year, each crew will plan one backpacking or other high-adventure activity. Also, each Crew will have at least one weeklong high-adventure backpacking trek annually. Usually the Crew meets in Perry Hall on the south side of Tarrytown United Methodist Church. Preceding most campouts the Crew will meet one or more times, usually on Sunday nights during the school year. Parent and former Crewmember Participation and Responsibility. Parents join the Crew when their son or daughter signs-up. Parents are required to support the Crew, provide transportation, meet the BSA adult two-deep leadership policy, and make the program a success. In addition to adult leadership, Venture Crew One Alumni with extensive backpacking and outdoor wilderness experience and qualifications will support the Crew. These young men and women will serve as Assistant Advisors to each Crew, attend campouts and assist the parents with each trek and activity of the each Crew. Crew Organization. Each Crew in the Venture Crew Program will have a Crew Leadership Corps. A Crew Chief will run the Crew with the Venture Crew Advisor and Assistant Advisors guiding and supporting this Scout. An Assistant Crew Chief will serve in the Crew Chief's absence. Other positions include a Crew Quartermaster(s), Crew Scribe(s), Crew Instructor(s) and Crew Project Coordinator(s). A Crew Leaders’ Council made-up of the Senior Crew Chief, Assistant Senior Crew Chief, as well as each Crew’s Crew Chief, Quartermaster, Project Coordinator and other leadership positions, will manage the three crews. The Crew Leaders' Council operates the Venture Crew Program and ensures coordination of each Crew's activities. Adult leadership is comprised of adults, 21 years of age or older, whose function is to guide the Crewmembers in the execution of the Venture Crew Scout Program, especially with regard to the aims of Scouting (Character Building, Citizenship, and Physical Fitness). Camping Program. The Venture Crew conducts several camping activities each year. Camp-outs feature Scouting skills, campfires, worship services, special activities and tours, and lots of fun. Part of the camping program is designed to teach young men and women how to deal with adversity and the elements. This requires participation + rain or shine camp-outs. Scouting Policy Requirements. All activities will be adult-supervised, and Crewmembers are not permitted to deviate from the Crew's planned activities. Adult "ramrods" are assigned to each camp-out. They are responsible for ensuring that the BSA District Office approves the activity, that all permission slips and other required forms are turned in, that all fees are paid, that there are adequate adult-driven vehicles and seat belts (CREWMEMBERS ARE ONLY PERMITTED TO TRANSPORT THEMSELVES TO THE CHURCH AND HOME and OTHER IN-AUSTIN EVENTS) to transport the Crew to and from the camp-out, and that each activity is appropriately supervised. Ramrods are also expected to attend the camp-out, along with others, to satisfy the BSA adult two-deep leadership policy and otherwise maintain an adequate adult/youth ratio. Camping Equipment. Except for tents, Venture Crew One supplies equipment that the entire Crew uses, such as for cooking, purifying water, first aid, cutting wood and other backpacking needs of the Crew (including tarps, lanterns, etc.). Venture Crew One recommends that parents not spend a great deal of money on equipment until the Crewmember gains some experience. Most equipment can be rented at reasonable prices. Renting also provides Crewmembers the opportunity to become familiar with different types of gear, particularly if a Crewmember is contemplating a subsequent purchase. Participation Expense. Crewmembers joining the Crew pay $30 per year dues, plus a first year equipment use, no-show/senior deposit fee and T-shirt charge of $80. Also, all Crewmembers pay a camp-out fee for each trek they sign-up to attend. The fees for each trek are sufficient to reimburse Venture Crew One's cost of the trek (usually $25-30); summer 10-day treks range from $550 up . Any First Class or above Scout seeking advancement toward Eagle Scout in Venture Crew One rather then a scout troop he transferred from will also pay a $10 per year advancement fee. Scouting Principles. It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping to instill values in young people and, in other ways, to prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their full potential. With strong parental support, the Venture Crew One Program will help achieve this objective. 15 November 2005 |
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