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Congratulations to Mick K, Zach F, Nat W, and Rob K, who were all selected as delegates for the 2013 convening of Evergreen Boys State at Central Washington University in June.
 Boys State is a summer leadership and citizenship program sponsored by the American Legion for high school students between their junior and senior years. Boys State began in 1937 and is held in each of the U.S. states (excluding Hawaii), usually on a college campus within that state. In most states, only one or two students are sent to Boys State from each high school. Therefore selection is highly competitive, and the population of students attending represents the top talent from across the state.
Program participants are first divided up into subgroups referred to as cities. The citizens of each of these cities elect mock municipal officials and representatives to the mock state legislature. If enough citizens are present, then a county level is added to the program between city and state. The participants also elect state officials, such as governor,lieutenant governor, and other state-level officials that their real state has. The legislature meets to organize, elect leaders, and to pass bills, in a way that is similar to how their actual legislature operates. Some programs tend to have a more traditional education focus, providing speakers and training throughout the week and then concluding with mock political functions. Other programs take a more hands-on approach by running the mock government activities all week.
Famous alumni of Boys State include Neil Armstrong, Tom Brokaw, Bill Clinton, Mike Huckabee, Michael Jordan, George Pataki, Dick Cheney, Michael Dukakis, Roger Ebert, Jon Bon Jovi, Trent Lott., Adam Ogden, Jeff Zantek, Thomas Karren, and Zack Turley. |
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 Success can be measured in lots of ways. For a Scouting unit, there is an objectives-based scoring system where points are earned in 11 different areas. The BSA calls it the Journey to Excellence or JTE. For a Venturing Crew, they must complete 9 of the 11 requirements and score 700 points to earn a Bronze, 1,000 points for a Silver, or 1,600 points for the top level Gold. The maximum a Crew can score is 2,600 points.
The requirements include
- how many events or activities have occurred in the past year,
- membership growth,
- retention of existing members,
- completion of formal training for the youth leaders,
- completion of formal training for the adult advisors,
- participation in a number of service projects for the community,
- have an annual major event called a Superactivity and have a majority of the Crew participate in that Superactivity,
- have regular parent meetings,
- have a written budget,
- reregister on-time, and
- have a formal fitness program.
Our Crew amassed 1,925 points and was awarded a JTE Gold Unit Award for this past year. This is the sixth successive year that the Crew has received top unit honors from the Boy Scouts of America. The patch can be worn on the right sleeve of the uniform. |
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It's great to have a lot of Crew traditions, and one of the best is the annual holiday party. Given the theme from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy that was so integral to their mindset when they formed the unit 6 years ago, that annual party has become known as their Pan-Galactic Gargleblaster Brew Off. The 2012 version was just as fun as ever, and some of our college vets were home on break to share it, too. Obviously, we needed a group shot, right?
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The Crew spent a wintery Saturday afternoon in Silverdale with a round-robin ethical controversies forum. What's that, you ask?
An important goal of Venturing is to help young adults be responsible and caring persons, both now and in the future. Venturing uses ethical controversies to help young adults develop the ability to make responsible choices that reflect their concern for what is a risk and how it will affect others involved. Because an ethical controversy is a problem-solving situation, young adults should employ empathy, invention, and selection when they think through their position and work toward a solution. Consider it like participating in a debate, but you don't get enough time to prepare and have to think quickly on your feet. It may not be the most popular activity for a Crew that prefers to hang in the wilderness, but it's certainly the most thought provoking. |
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Written by VOA President Ian B
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 Hello Fellow Venturers and Sea Scouts,
As the year ends, we want to let you know about a number of upcoming event dates and other information that you can share with the other members of your crews and ships. Starting with this message, we'll be sending out periodic messages and newsletters with important updates. Here's some of the highlights to know now:
Monthly VOA Meetings- Every 3rd Tuesday, 7 PM
These meetings are open to all Venturers, Sea Scouts, or adult leaders, and are usually held at the Chief Seattle Council Service Center in Seattle. We'll be discussing upcoming events, program and training opportunities, best practices, trip ideas, and more. Our December 18th meeting will be holiday-themed and feature a white elephant exchange. Bring a gift ($5 or less) and get a gift!
Venturing Winter Challenge- February 1-3
We'll be returning to Ensign Ranch near Cle Elum for a weekend of winter fun! Registration will be online before Christmas.
Western Region Venturing Conference- April 19-21
The Western Region comes to Camp Pigott this April. This is an event you won't want to miss. More details will be released in the coming weeks, but be sure to mark your calendars now.
Website and Multimedia
You can find the latest information on our webpage, www.seattlebsa.org/venturing. In the next few weeks we'll be launching a brand new website, www.seattleventuring.org, with a bunch of cool new features. You can also join our Facebook page, Chief Seattle Council Venturing, if you haven't already, and watch our videos on YouTube.
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