Venturing officer associ

1. Central Region Area 4
Venturing Training Conference
Starting and Sustaining
Venturing Officer Associations

2. What is a VOA?
The mission of a Council Venturing Officer’s Association
is to promote and support the Venturing program,
utilizing a standard organizational structure
that enables the council to grow membership
by advancing leadership opportunities through
communication, program, and administration.
2
Rewording of Area VOA Mission

3. 3
A Council VOA
preserves the Service
Model
The National Cabinet
serves the Region VOAs
who
serves the Area VOAs
who
serves the Council VOAs
who
serve the Crews
and their Venturers

4. 4
Central Region
Brian Parro
Kris Zahrobsky
Area 4
Michael Gunther
Duane Zobrist

5. 5
Step 1
Critical
Step 2
All officers
Step 3 Full VOA

6. VOA Structure
• Entirely youth driven
• Advised by adults
• VOA consists of four main officers
• President
• VP of Administration
• VP of Program
• VP of Communications
• VOA consists of all Crew Presidents
• Other may may be added or removed
6

7. Council Venturing President
• Works with the Council VOA Advisor
• Is one of the two top youth leaders in the council.
• Is the primary Venturing Ambassador in the Council
• Helps to achieve the Area 4 Venturing President’s goals
• Sets the Council Goals and oversees their achievement
• Delegates responsibilities to Council VPs
• Sets the tone for the program for the Council’s crews
• Any other jobs as assigned by Area or Council Advisors
7
Full description in SOP

8. Council VP of Administration
• Works with the Council Associate Advisor for Administration
• Develops and implements strategies to increase Venturing
membership in the Council
• Promotes and facilitates the selection and presentation of
the Venturing Leadership Award and other appropriate
Venturing awards
• Promotes Venturing with Charter Organizations
• Takes minutes of the Council meetings and publishes them
• Any other duties as assigned by the President
8
Full description in SOP

9. Council VP Program
• Works with the Council Associate Advisor for Program
• Supervises activity chairs and the planning of fun, training and
service activities (conferences, outings, summits, and other
events).
• Facilitates internal training events of the VOA.
• Promotes external training events and maintains a knowledge
base of all training opportunities available for youth and adult
members in Venturing.
• Any other duties as assigned by the President
9
Full description in SOP

10. Council VP Communications
• Works with the Council Associate Advisor of
Communication
• Ensures communication is happening throughout the
Council via Facebook, newsletters, websites, etc.
• Works to maintain a contact list of crews in the Council
with the help of the other Council Officers
• Any other duties as assigned by the President
10
Full description in SOP

11. VOA Advisor
• Works with the adult Area Venturing Committee to
support the youth driven program
• Chairs the Council Venturing Committee or is a
principle member of the committee and part of the Key
3 (or 4)
• Serves as a mentor and advocate for the Council
Venturing President
• Works with each youth officer, mentoring them in their
roles
• Works with coordinating things between youth and
adults
• Ensures fiscal, programmatic, and risk management
issues are properly addressed.
11
Full description in SOP

12. Starting up, Stepping up
• Select Officers
• Suggestion: First time? Invite all Crew Presidents to a pizza
evening. Ask the youth the best way to come up with a Council
Venturing President. If they want to name someone on the
spot – let them.
• Create SOP
• Set goals
• Set meeting dates
• Start working on activities
• Communicate – make your presence known
12

13. Selection of Officers
• Selection process is handled at the council’s discretion
(eventually written in to your Council Operation
Procedures)
• Council Venturing Presidents are to be selected by April 30
• Current and past crew officers are eligible to submit an
application
• All tier terms start on June 1st and end on May 31st
13
See the section in the SOP

14. Standard Operating Procedures
• States purpose and responsibilities
• Provides guidance and clarification
• Example: Dates of newsletters, which weekend is your fun
event, etc. and the backdating timetable to achieve.
• Outlines organization and responsibilities
• Can customize to fit specific needs of each council
• ByLaws generator located on CR website
(http://www.crventuring.org/Leadership/Venturing_Officers_Association/ )
• Copy the Area OPs as a model (on http://area4.crventuring.org )
14

15. SOP Contents
• Mission (National Youth Cabinet and Region and Area
VOA’s)
• Methods to select youth officers and appoint adult
Advisors to the Council VOA
• Timetable for selections
• Position descriptions for each role
• Organizational charts for Council VOA
• Detail of your annual events (fun, training, service,
recognition)
• Short glossary to provide definitions and clarify terms
15

16. Council Venturing Goals
• As a VOA create a set of goals
• Focus on:
• Administration
• Program
• Communications
• Personal
• Remember, keep them
SMART!
16

17. Council VOA meetings
• Hold meetings at least once a month
• In person
• Freeconferencecall.com
• Set an agenda for each month
• Allows VOA to stay on task throughout the year
• Ensures constant communication with the officers
• Who attends:
• Council Venturing President, runs the meeting
• Council VPs
• Crew Presidents
• All respective advisors
17

18. We have a VOA, now what?
• Fun Events
• Training Events
• Recognition Events
• Service
18

19. Fun Events
• Get creative!
• Use all of your resources
• Promote, promote, promote...
• Examples
• Video Game Nights
• Skiing Trips
• Whitewater
• Caving
• Putting the WOW into your Program (handout)
19

20. Training Events
• Effective training leads to well performing
teams
• Hold at least one training event each year
• Provide Opportunities to:
• Train new officers (officer orientation)
• Plan the year
• Get to know your crews
• Get involved in your Council’s University of
Scouting Venturing Courses
20

21. Recognition Events
• Recognize the hard workers!
• Venturing Leadership Award
• Good way to promote Venturing
21

22. Council Standards of Venturing Excellence
• Similar to JTE
• Presented by BSA National
Council
• Must meet 12 core
requirements
• Must meet 5 of 9 electives
• Goal of every council to earn
the CSVE
• Councils sends report to Area
whether they earn or not.
22

23. Council Venturing
President and the
Council VOA
Advisor are part of
the Area VOA while
leading the Council
VOA
Recognize your President and Advisor
23
The Area 4 VOA will
supply these patches
and conduct an
Area COH installation.

24. Council Venturing
Vice Presidents and
their Council
Advisors are part of
the Council VOA
24
Recognize your VPs and their Advisors
Council provides these

25. Crew Presidents
and their Crew
Advisors are part
of the Council
VOA
25
Recognize your
Crew Presidents and their Advisors
Council provides the VOA insignia
and Units provide the other.

26. Starting and Sustaining
Venturing Officer Associations
Questions?
area4president@CRVenturing.org