The Crew completed its first (and first in this Council) Introduction to Leadership Skills – Crews course…the ILSC. We had beta-tested the curriculum last year when it was known as Crew Leadership Training, but we nailed it this time. We were joined by some youth and adult visitors from Bellevue Crew 898 and Burien Crew 391.

It was cold, wet, and dark when we kicked off on Friday night at Banting Lodge on Camp Parsons. We got through Module 1, Unit Organization, that night and Chef Bob treated us to dutch oven dump cakes, fresh off the coals. The cherry one disappeared within moments, while some of the apple version made it to breakfast the next morning. No one made it into their sleeping bag until after midnight and we were all up and feeding at 8 the next morning. The overnight low was 36F and we slept in the Adirondack shelters in the Quilcene camp area behind Banting Lodge. Yes, it took a while to warm up after such a short, cold, wet night…it was a serious tribute to the Venturers for even getting up the next morning!

Module 2 was Tools of the Trade, which covered the core skills sets to help Venturers lead, including communicating, planning, and teaching. In all three Modules, each learning point was followed with a “reinforcing exercise” or game that drove home the points to be learned. As we completed the Module, the rains stopped and the sun peeked out. We abandoned the confines of Banting and headed out to Mystery Beach and a quick hike and tour of the Camp via the Swim Beach (no, we didn’t go in), the Met Jr chapel, boat shed, out on to the pier, up to the newly rebuilt Silver Marmot Grill, and back to Banting for lunch.

After lunch, we dove into Module 3, Leadership and Teamwork. Now the magic started as the pieces of the first two modules came together. While brainstorming a Vision for the Crew, we all listed every possible idea about what we each wanted our Crew to be, to do, and to represent. Conner and Zack lead this difficult session. After filling up the whole board with ideas, the group combined all the similar items and were left with 7 basic, descriptive phrases that best described the whole group’s Vision of our Crew. Those phrases turned out to be – wait for it – the same ones in the Venturing Oath. Duty, service, helping others, improving ourselves, seeking adventure, growing in leadership!

As ILSC graduates, yesterday’s participants are now eligible to move on to National Youth Leadership Training and a Kodiak Leadership Trek in their Venturing leadership continuum. Both are scheduled for this summer. We want to particularly single out and congratulate Zack and Conner for their outstanding presentations and facilitator skills for Modules 2 and 3. There’s nothing greater a Venturer can do than demonstrate servant leadership by teaching others. Bravo to them!

So ask yourself: What happens when you turn in your balloon?  Why is it necessary for a team to storm?  How does a Crew act like a yurt? Better yet, where’s the EDGE in a Crew for a leader?