Encompass Issue 52 – May 2013 - Kawana Scouts

Branch Commissioner Venturer ScoutsPhil McNicolbc.venturerscouts@qldhq.scouts.com.auRecruing New Venturer ScoutsIt is a fact of life that Venturer Scouts connue to turn eighteenyears of age and leave the Unit, and hopefully move on to RoverScouts. In the average Unit, every departure constutes a significantdrop, in percentage terms, of the size of the Unit. This leads tosome opportunies (arranging transport to acvies can be easier)but it presents more challenges, especially to the long term viabilityof the Unit. Clearly what all Units need to do is gain new membersat the same or beer rate than they lose members. The challenge ishow to do this, and keep doing this.I have recently posted an item on the Venturer Scout forum aboutthis year’s Scouts in Acon Week. The theme this year is Scoung inthe Community and it is intended to establish partnerships, eithershort or long term, with other community groups to showcase therelevance of Scoung to the community. Any increase in thecommunity’s posive awareness of Scoung can lead to newmembership. We have an excellent program for 14 to 18 year oldsand it is a connued source of frustraon to me that so few of thisage group, and their parents, appreciate this fact. Please have alook at the item on the Venturer Scout forum and challenge yourVenturer Scouts to get involved with other community groups, evenjust for a short while. Who knows what spin-off benefits may arise.An obvious source of new members is the Scout secon, though thisis so obvious that it is oen taken for granted. Why else doapproximately 75% of Scouts fail to be Venturer Scouts? There aremany ideas for when and how Venturer Scout Units can promotethemselves to Scouts, and I am frequently impressed by the thingsthat I hear Units do do. Maybe this would be a good topic forsharing on the Venturer Scout forum. One idea I want to suggesttoday is in relaon to the VET (vocaonal educaon and training)accredited cerficates that are on offer to Venturer Scout.I am sure you are all aware of the Cerficate II in Business andCerficate II in Leadership Support that can be issued aer aVenturer Scout aains the Venturer Award – and the descripon ofthis in the front of the Venturer Scouts record book. Hopefully youall understand how, in Queensland, these cerficates relate to aVenturer Scout’s Queensland Cerficate of Educaon. If you’d liketo refresh your memory, search for “level 2 vet cerficates” in theVenturer Scout forum. The point is, I suspect that many Scouts andtheir parents are not aware of these opportunies. I have heard ofparents who are also leaders in the Scout secon be adamant thataaining the Australian Scout Medallion will translate to credit onthe Queensland Cerficate of Educaon. Boy, are they in for anunhappy surprise.For many Venturer Scouts the cerficates and the credit that theyequate to are not terribly relevant to their plans for when theyfinish grade 12. This is fine as the Venturer Scouts are old enough tohave an idea of where they are going and what they need to getthere. For Scouts though, I would argue that the picture is much lessclear. Just imagine the potenal value a Scout parent may see inthis opportunity.So there you go – find out about how Venturer Scouts can earn thecerficates and what the cerficates can do for the Venturer Scouts,even if they are clearly not going to rely on them in their careers –and make this informaon known to the parents of Cub Scouts andScouts in your Group, to Scouts who are candidates to start theirVenturer Scout Link Badge, and the general public whenever youcan create the opportunity. Scoung prides itself on being a trainingorganisaon. Let’s tell the community what that really means.Dates (a paral list)May3 – 5 May Venture – Karingal campsite, Mount Coon18 – 19 Operaon Archer – Mulgowie22 Branch Venturer Scout Council Meeng – Skype26 Unit Management Course – Eagleby denJune9 Unit Management Course – St Johns Wood den26 Branch Youth Venturer Scout Council Meeng – Skype29 Queensland Venture 2013 commences[See hp://venturerforum.scoutsqld.com.au for details of theseacvies.]10