Newsletter of the Central Region | Boy Scouts of America May Newsletter 2016



2016-2017 Central Region VOA



Follow us on Instagram! @CRVenturing

In this Issue… 2016-17 Central Region VOA....................…….....…. 1 This is Not Goodbye, Just See You Later.............................…....2 Pratik Vaidya: the 2016-17 National Venturing President.......…....……...… 3 2016-17 CRV President: Chris Mausshardt

2016-17 CRV Vice President of Administration: Cathie Seebauer

NAYLE…......………………..4 Venturing Blast...................5 Advisor’s Minute................6 Area Pages.........................7 President’s Corner............8

2016-17 CRV Vice President of Program:

2016-17 CRV Vice President of Communication:

Emilio Cerda

Ariana Herman

Check out our website! www.crventuring.org

This is Not Goodbye, Just See You Later



As our terms come to a close, it is hard to believe all that has been accomplished when we look back. For administration, we were able to retrieve significantly more CSVE forms, create a new council VOA start-up tool (PIVOT), and re-evaluate many of our operating procedures. We have had a wonderful year and I am truly grateful for all of the help my team and I have had along away. A special thanks goes to the phenomenal advisors we were able to work with. With that being said, I only look forward to the future of Venturing within the Central Region and I am sure all of next year’s officers will do terrific jobs! Your soon to be has-been, Nate Steele, 2015-16 CRV Vice President of Administration

Many fantastic events and conferences took place during this term year. To participate in some and listen to people speak with excitement about the ones I missed brought me great joy. It is incredible to see excellent programs in the region. As the term year draws to a close, I look forward to seeing where the new officers take the region over the next year and years after. I know there are some great events in store including Venturing Blast at Philmont and VenturingFest at the Summit this summer. Enjoy your summers, Central Region Venturers and Advisors! -Katie Bruton, 2015-16 CRV Vice President of Program

Words can’t fully convey the happiness and joy I feel as I look back on this term. Hands down, some of my favorite memories from Venturing have taken place in these past 12 months. From traveling to St. Louis and meeting the amazing officers and advisors that make up our Area VOAs, to traveling to Areas 3, 4, 6, and 7 and meeting the AWESOME Venturers and advisors that make up our councils and crews, this year has been great. I’m so excited to watch our Region and the entire Venturing program grow, and I know Pratik will do a phenomenal job as the next National Venturing President, as well as Chris, the next Region Venturing President. Thank you to everyone who has made this past year one of my favorites! Lead the Adventure everywhere you go! -Jenny Bullock, 2015-16 CRV Vice President of Communications



Pratik Vaidya: the 2016-17 National Venturing President

We got the chance to interview Pratik Vaidya, the next National Venturing President, to find out more about him and what he is looking forward to in his upcoming term. Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, what school do you go to? I’ve lived all over the country, but I’ve spent most of my life in Washington State. I’m from Area 1 of the Western Region. I g to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where I’m studying Biomedical Engineering. How did you get involved in Scouting? I joined Scouting to explore outdoors and meet new friends! I first learned about Venturing when I was a participant in Chief Seattle Council’s NYL. I loved the sound of it and joined my crew the next month. I had been involved in Scouting as a Boy Scout for several years, but jumped at the opportunity be involved in a program that allowed me to lead high adventure activities and explore lots of different interests while making friends. I learned about the VOA when I attended the Western Region Conference in Seattle, WA and Annaliese Parker, the Western Region Venturing President at the time, gave a presentation on increasing your impact in Venturing. I loved the program when I joined, and can’t even imagine looking back! What are you most looking forward to in your upcoming term? I’m looking forward to working with an amazing team of youth leaders across the country to continue building and promoting the program we’ve all grown to love! I can’t wait to talk to Venturers across the country, share all the wonderful opportunities that Venturing offers, and hear their ideas and suggestions. How has Venturing made an impact on you? Venturing has given me the opportunity to learn about myself and the world around me. I’ve developed all kinds of skills, had the opportunity to meet Scouts from all over the country and world, and has transformed me into the person I am today! What is your favorite activity you’ve done in Venturing? There’ve been so many! Last year, I had the opportunity to staff ILT (Interamerican Leadership Training) at Campo Escuela San Jorge Muxbal in Guatemala. I was exposed to the different approaches Scouting takes in each of the various countries and what they tend to focus on: adventure, service, mentorship, bringing peace, etc. The simple things — from the way we eat, the clothes we wear and our interaction with one another — differed so much. I was able to be a little vulnerable and share a piece of myself with everyone else in an atmosphere where people were accepting and excited to learn about a different perspective. Another one of my top experiences was my crew’s backpacking trip to the Olympic Coast in Washington State. Everything from the morning breakfast, hikes on the beach, and splashing in the ocean to leading ILSC and building campfires are impossible to forget. And just for fun: If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be and why? A monkey! I love how curious and mischievous they are!

We are excited to watch lead our program over this next term, and we know he will do a great job!

National Advanced



Youth Leadership Experience

Attending NAYLE is one of the best ways for youth to expand their leadership abilities, use the skills they learned at NYLT, and practice putting others first. Participants learn the best ways to lead and work as a team during many exercises and discussions: challenge events, wilderness first aid, search and rescue, geocaching, radio use, conservation projects, and others. Several courses are offered this summer at Northern Tier, Philmont Scout Ranch, and the Summit Bechtel Reserve. Don't miss out on the incredible opportunity to explore the wilderness and meet people from around the nation. Find out more: https://www.facebook.com/BSANAYLE/

-Katie Bruton, CRV Vice President of Program

Haven't been to the Summit Bechtel Reserve? This summer, you and your fellow Venturers have the incredible opportunity to have the time of your lives at the Summit. Join Venturers from around the nation for VenturingFest 2016. You won’t want to miss out on this 6-day week of canopy tours, climbing, rappelling, bouldering, kayaking, water obstacle courses, and so much more. VenturingFest 2016 is the first national gathering of Venturers at the Summit and is the perfect way to end your summer! Mark your calendars for July 31-August 5, 2016. Check out more information here: http://www.summitbsa.org/venturingfest/ -Katie Bruton, CRV Vice President of Program





Advisor’s Minute



Hello Central Region! May is here! The weather is finally getting nicer, school-work is about done, and the summer is within grasp! In addition, we have a whole new group of officers that have been selected, and are getting ready to take the reins come June 1st. With that being said, I know I cannot express enough that we are extremely grateful for the service Brian, Nate, Jenny, and Katie provided, as well as all seven of our amazing Area Presidents. This truly has been another great year for the Central Region, and it certainly is because of the youth leadership we are lucky to have! It has been a pleasure to work with each of you over this past term. I know the world is a better place with each of you in it! While we still have some time on the clock for this term, I would like to talk about training. The old saying is that “Every youth deserves a trained leader.” Well, in Venturing, our youth ARE our leaders. So, for our purposes, let’s revise that to say, “Every youth deserves trained adult advisors.” Sound ok? As you may or may not know, BSA recently rolled-out online training for Venturing. Now, this isn’t a replacement for the live training, but rather an alternative. We know that everyone has a pretty tough schedule, and this is a way for training to be completed within one’s personal time constraints. (Instead of not at all!) Thanks to our friend Ken Bower, the past WR Venturing Advisor, here are some steps to logging in and getting trained! 1. Using Google Chrome or Internet Explorer browsers, log-in to https://my.scouting.org 2. Click on the fluer-de-lis icon in the upper left and select, “My Dashboard.” 3. Here, you will find tabs for Youth Protection Training, as well as the Training Center. Click on the tab for “Training Center.” (Don’t forget your YPT, but that was last month’s article!) 4. Click on the “Venturing and Varsity” tab. 5. Select the Leader Position-Specific Training for your position and click “Take Course.” This will take you to a new page (ScoutingU). 6. Log- in (again) and select the "My learning" tab. This should display courses that have been assigned to you (either by yourself, by someone else, or automatically by your position). 7. Select a block of courses to start; such as "Crew Committee - Before the First Meeting." 8. Several short segments will appear; pick one. 9. Launch the segment by clicking the little triangle icon on the right 10. When you complete a course, wait till it really stops, then close its window (there might be more than one window to close). 11. Back in the ScoutingU web page, you'll probably need to back up a page (or two) to see that your completion has been recorded. 12. Continue with the other sessions at your leisure until complete! Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. But, help us promote this to your Councils and Crews of an alternative way to make sure all adult advisors, associate advisors, and committee members are trained for our youth! Thanks for all you do,

Kris Zahrobsky

Events to Look Forward to…



Area 1

Area 2

Upcoming Events:

Upcoming Events:

May 20-22, 2016, Powder Horn- Bay Lakes & Samoset Council, White Lake & Rhinelander, WI

May 13-15, 2016, Venturing Dutch Oven Cook Off, Shelby Township, MI

May 20-22, 2016, Venturing Spring Shindig, Camp Stearns, MN

May 13-15, 2016, Highland Games Scout-O-Rama, Monroe, MI

President: Rachel Cruse

President: Jacob Hardy

Advisor: Helen Lockwood

Adivsor: Jeff Geralds

Area 3

Area 4

Upcoming Events:

Upcoming Events:

May 20-22, 2016, Central Region Rendezvous, Salem, MO

June 12-17, 2016, National Youth Leadership Training, Lisbon, OH

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

President: Michael Gunther

President: Chris Mausshardt

Advisor: Duane Zobrist

Advisor: Bob Vogt

Area 5

Area 6

Upcoming Events:

Upcoming Events: June 29-July 9, 2016, SeaBase Scuba Adventure, Seabase, Florida

July 31-August 5, 2016, Adventure Quest 2016, Beaver Lake, AR

President: Amber Richter

President: Russell Seibert

Advisor: Anne Zimmer

Advisor: Julie Dalton

Area 7

VenturingFest 2016:

Upcoming Events: June 10-12, 2016, Powder Horn- NEIC, Trevor, WI June 12-17, 2016, NYLT-PTAC, Elgin, IL

The Next National Venturing Event at the Summit! July 31 – August 5, 2016

President: Kaia Ball Advisor: Rachel Zahrobsky

For more information on these events and to find more, go to http://www.crventuring.org/Activities/Events_Listing/.

President’s Corner Dear Central Region,

Thank you so very much for allowing me to serve you these past 11 months. The opportunities I’ve had, the friendships I’ve made, and the memories we created will stay with me for the rest of my life. As I begin to reflect on my term as the Central Region Venturing President, I am more confident now then ever before that the Boy Scouts of America is the best youth development organization in the world, and America needs scouting now more than ever.

What truly makes Venturing great is the people, and I would like to take a minute to thank a couple of individuals who have had a profound impact on my Venturing journey. First, I would like to thank my home unit’s leadership, Mr. Brian Kuntz and Mrs. Cindy Garcia. Further, I’d like to thank the Area 7 VOA and Katlin Adams for igniting the start of my journey, as well as Emily Mausshardt and Kris Zahrobsky for always being great friends and mentors. Lastly, I would like to thank my parents and family for always supporting me, through thick and thin throughout my time in this program. I would not be here today without the support of all of these individuals And, before I forget, I would like to thank my right and left hands this term, Nate Steele and Jenny Bullock. I could write a novel about my appreciation for all you have done. You both are the true sparks that make the magic happen. Finally, I would like to congratulate Chris Mausshardt on being selected as the 2016-2017 Central Region Venturing President. You’ve read a lot about Chris in this newsletter, but I wanted to encourage everyone to personally welcome Chris to the Central Region. His service to Area 3 has been great; I cannot wait to see all he will do for our region and I hope I have the privilege of being a part of it. I am forever grateful to each of you, and wish you the best in all that you do in life. Forever yours in service to Venturing,

Brian M Parro 2015-2016 Central Region Venturing President

Central Region Venturing President:

Brian Parro [email protected]

Central Region Venturing Advisor:

Kris Zahrobsky [email protected]

Central Region Vice President of Communications:

Jennifer Bullock [email protected]

Central Region Venturing Associate Advisor for Communications:

Deb Keyes [email protected]

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.