Newsletter of the Central Region | Boy Scouts of America

January Newsletter 2016

What do you think of when you hear: sailing, slip and slide kickball, canoe tug-of-war, snorkeling, and a bonfire and luau? We hope it’s the Summer’s Last Bash, the next Central Region Venturing event! These are only some of the many events that you could enjoy at Summer’s Last Bash on August 5-7, 2016 and you can help decide which activities will take place too! Just fill out this quick survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZLBFCPY. We are excited to see you there!

-Katie Bruton, CRV Vice President of Program

In this Issue… Summer’s Last Bash… ........................ 1

Area 3 Update. ........... 2

CSVE: Our Journey to 100% ........................... 3

Central Region Order of the Arrow .................. 4

Follow Us ................... 5

Advisor’s Minute ........ 6

Area Pages ................ 7

President’s Corner. ... 9

Follow us on our new Instagram!

@CRVenturing

Area 3 has been busy working towards an amazing Venturing conference. A promotional video (http://alturl.com/w6znf) was filmed, as well as creating new classes to make the conference more fun and educational to the councils attending. If you would like more information on the Area 3 Venturing Conference, follow the link below.

Area 3 Venturing Conference - Central Region Area 3 Venturing

We hope to see you there!

-Chris Mausshardt, CR Area 3 Venturing President

Area 3 Update!

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CSVE: Our Journey to 100% Wait! What does CSVE stand for?

The Council Standards of Venturing Excellence Award (CSVE Award) is presented by the BSA National Council to councils that complete the requirements during the calendar year. The

2015 CSVE Award is determined by successfully achieving the 2015 criteria between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2015. Councils that earn the award are recognized at the National

Annual Meeting in May.

Hello Venturers! It is hard to believe that 2015 is over and it is already 2016. From an admin level, we have truly seen some amazing things being accomplished at the Area and Council levels. I am continually amazed by the program put on throughout Councils all across the Central Region and nation. In order for us to better serve both the Areas and Councils, we need your feedback! With this being stated, CSVE has been overhauled this year! At a National level, we believe the new form will be a better tool to measure the success of Venturing in each Council. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions! Make sure to help us out and get the forms turned in on time! The final deadline is February 15th. Get those forms turned in and, of course, don't forget to keep leading the Adventure!

-Nate Steele, CRV Vice President of Administration

I already know my council doesn’t qualify for the award?

Why should we fill out the form?

Nate: “This year marks a transformational year for the Council Standards of Venturing Excellence Award. With all new changes, the feedback from this form allows National, Regional, and Area VOAs better monitor and track the results of Venturing across the

nation. Your active participation not only allows us to recognize those outstanding Council VOAs in our nation, but also aids as an important tool for creating resources to

better strengthen the weaker areas of our program. I encourage each and every Council VOA to aid us in our ongoing goal to improve the Venturing program.”

Find the form here: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/Venturing/pdf/512-500_WEB.pdf

For more than 90 years, the Order of the Arrow (OA) has recognized Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives. This recognition provides encouragement for others to live these ideals as well. Arrowmen are known for maintaining camping traditions and spirit, promoting year-round and long term resident camping, and providing cheerful service to others. OA service, activities, adventures, and training for youth and adults are models of quality leadership development and programming that enrich and help to extend Scouting to America's youth. The Order of the Arrow was founded by Dr. E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edson in 1915 at the Treasure Island Camp of the Philadelphia Council, Boy Scouts of America. It became an official program experiment in 1922 and was approved as part of the Scouting program in 1934. In 1948 the OA, recognized as the BSA's national brotherhood of honor campers, became an official part of the Boy Scouts of America. In 1998, the Order of the Arrow became recognized as Scouting's National Honor Society when it expanded its reach beyond camping to include broader service to Scouting and the community. Membership in the Order of the Arrow is obtained not through personal pursuit, but by the vote of their peers, even those not already members of the OA. The Order of the Arrow has leadership teams on almost every level from districts to national. Most councils organize their OA leadership by district, which are called chapters, which often has an elected chief and vice-chief. The OA equivalent of a council is a lodge which has a chief, one or more vicechiefs, a secretary, and a treasurer. The next level up, unlike Venturing which utilizes the Area level, the OA often splits an Area to make two or three sections, comprised of 4-7 lodges. Section leadership, including the chief, vice-chief, and secretary, is the first level on the national stage. Beyond the section, OA and Venturing are quite alike. Each year, the OA holds its National Planning Meeting in which is elects the National Chief, Vice-Chief, and all four region chiefs. Only the current section chiefs at the time of the National Planning Meeting are eligible to run for national office.

-Preston Podolske and the OA CR Communications Team

Central Region Order of the Arrow Calendar

February 19-21 National Leadership Seminar, National Lodge Adviser Training Seminar Rochester, IN

April 29-May 1, National Leadership Seminar St. Croix, MN

July 30-August 3 NEXT: A New Century Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

October 14-16 National Leadership Seminar, National Lodge Adviser Training Seminar Parkville, MO

November 18-20 Section Officer Seminar Parkville, MO

Thank you to everyone who participated in #ThankfulforVenturing on November 25!

Be sure to participate in Venturing Creation Day on February 9, 2016 as we celebrate the day Venturing was officially created!

-Jenny Bullock, CRV Vice President of Communications

Tell Us About Your Crew!

What makes your crew the best one out there? What has your crew done to #LeadtheAdventure? Submit your story and it will appear in the next edition of the Central Point!

Click here to submit your story

Send photos to Instagram@crventuring.org to be featured on our Instagram

account, @CRVenturing!

Follow theCentral

Region onSocialMedia!

Advisor’s Minute Hello Central Region and Happy New Year!

Many people refer to the beginning of a new year as a chance to start over and make "resolutions." Of course, one of the most popular ones is to join a gym, get in-shape, and eat less. And with the amount of amazing restaurants, chefs, and cooks we have in this world, it is easy to see why this is usually a challenge!

Regardless, take a moment to think about your 2015. What do you want to change for 2016? For the Venturing side of life, here are a few suggestions:

1. Meet some new friends You can easily accomplish this by joining a new Venturing Crew, attending a variety of Venturing events all over the country, or just striking up a conversation on a Facebook group!

2. Try something new Each year, there are dozens of new Venturing events that are being started. So, while the existing ones are great (and please continue to support them), maybe take a chance on a new event like Venturing Blast at PTC this summer!

3. Recruit a friend Many have said that there is importance in numbers. It is much easier to have fun on unimaginable adventures if you are surrounded by friends. You know all that great stuff you get out of Venturing? Maybe your friends that haven't joined yet might like it too!

So, as we celebrate the beginning of 2016, and the numerous options for adventure ahead of us, let's raise a cup of kindness, celebrate times gone by, and plan to have the best 366 days ahead of us!

Thank you for you do, and what you continue to do,

Kris Zahrobsky

Events to Look Forward to…

Area 1 Area 2

Upcoming Events: Upcoming Events:

January 22-24, 2016, Area 1 Fun Event: Ice Age, January 23, 2016, Area 2 Conference, Saginaw, MI Haugen, WI

February 5-7, 2016, Celebrating the Winter Adventure May 20-22, 2016, Powderhorn- BLC and SC, White Woodbadge, Jeddo, MI Lake & Rhinelander, Wi

February 19-21, 2016, Venturing Kickback Weekend, President: Rachel Cruse Twin Lake, MI

Advisor: Helen Lockwood March 19, 2016, Venturing Advisor Leader Specific, Lansing, MI

President: Jacob Hardy

Advisor: Jeff Geralds

Area 3

Upcoming Events:

January 29-30, 2015, Area 3 Venturing Leadership Conference, Normal, IL

June 26- July 2, 2016, Kodiak Current River II, Salem, MO

President: Chris Mausshardt

Advisor: Bob Vogt

Area 4

Upcoming Events:

March 19, 2016, LSC and Advisor Training, Canton, OH

April 22-24, 2016, WorldFest 2016, Kinsington, OH

President: Michael Gunther

Advisor: Duane Zobrist

Area 5 Area 6

Upcoming Events: Upcoming Events:

June 29-July 9, 2016, SeaBase Scuba Adventure, Seabase, Florida President: Russell Seibert

Advisor: Julie Dalton President: Amber Richter

Advisor: Anne Zimmer

Area 7

Upcoming Events: Summer’s Last Bash

January 23, 2016, Venturing Bi-Athlon, Gregory, MI

March 5, 2016, Area 7 Venturing Conference, August 5-7, 2016

Gurnee, IL

President: Kaia Ball

Advisor: Rachel Zahrobsky

Camp Illinek, Springfield, IL

President’s Corner Happy January, Central Region!

Wow! I can’t believe it is already 2016! I hope everyone had a great holiday season and an even better break from school. I personally am super excited for this year: the Summer Olympics, a Presidential Election, and it’s a leap year!

I hope all of us are brainstorming our New Year Resolutions. Last year, I feel that I was pretty successful in my resolution- I wanted to run a half-marathon and I did in May.

But, it is time for all of us to put the skills we learned in Venturing to use! Think of your New Year Resolution as a vision of future success. It’s not enough to just have your resolution, but you also need SMART goals to help you achieve your vision, and you need to make a plan to accomplishing your goals. IT is exactly what we learned in Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews and Goal Setting- Time Management Training.

2016 is a special year because it is a leap year. We have an extra day, a total of 366, to accomplish our resolutions. That means, the goals that were not possible in just 365 can now be accomplished with an extra day. You have an extra 24 hours to achieve whatever you want.

I haven’t figured out what my 2016 New Year Resolution is going to be yet, but I know one thing. Venturing has prepared us to be part of the small percentage of individuals who stick to their New Year Resolution. It is tough, but we can do it! Find your resolutions, make your goals, and prepare your plan!

2016 is going to be something special and I am honored to be able to lead the Central Region for a couple more months as we learn and grow as Venturers.

Yours in Venturing,

Brian M. Parro Central Region Venturing President

About our Organization…

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.

Central Region Venturing President:

Brian Parro

president@crventuring.org

Central Region Venturing Advisor:

Kris Zahrobsky

venturing-chair@crventuring.org

Central Region Vice President of Communications:

Jennifer Bullock

vp-communications@crventuring.org

Central Region Venturing Associate Advisor for Communications:

Deb Keyes

communications-coordinator@crventuring.org