All leaders and youth of GNFC Venture Crews & Sea Scout Ships are invited to join us at …

Follow up to April 23 Venture Leaders meeting to make plans for future events, training, and to enjoy hot dogs and a Lake Erie sunset at the Buffalo State College Great Lakes Research Station, Porter Avenue, Buffalo. Secure parking at the water’s edge, at the foot of Porter Avenue, just south of the West Side Rowing Club.

Come on in at 6PM, bring a dish to pass, or chips, or pop, if you can. Meeting starts at 7PM.

Dress for the weather, it might get windy, but we will conduct the meeting in their indoor, enclosed, education pavilion, and we will have access to indoor restrooms.

Directions from BSA Headquarters: Take Kensington Expressway [Rte 33] West to Buffalo. Take Scajaquda Park way [Rte 198] West to Niagara Thruway [I-190] South. Take Porter Avenue Exit, turn right of the ramp, take first right, service road that passes the Naval and Marine Reserve Training Center (on your left), continue past the Reserve Center, to Buffalo State College Great Lakes Center entrance gate on your left. Gate should be open, if not, press button and wait for it to open. Park inside the gate, along the dirt road. For point of reference, if you miss the GLC, you will end up at the West Side Rowing Club.

Any questions from the road? Call 998 – 5133 that night.

Tom Johnston

District Director 

I attended Kodiak and Kodiak X Course Director training at Camp Bucoco, Slippery Rock Pennsylvania over the March 14-15th weekend. First – what a facility – The Conference Center rivals many corporate resources that I’ve visited over the years.  The hospitality of the host and coordinator Rick Neff was second to none. Great job Rick.  Rick performed double duty this weekend as a group of Venturers from across Pennsylvania were meeting to put together the final touches on their Northeast Area 4 Quest program being held in April.

I just returned from UoS, a little disappointed that the afternoon sessions were canceled due to the weather – wise move though as the weather was the worse we’ve seen this season. My Venturing Leadership Class was a victim, much to my dismay. I added my presentation to this site – see the side-bar Blogroll for a link.

Much to report regarding Venturing. Rick and his lovely wife Sue were manning the Venture Table on the mid-way. They had a constant stream of visitors asking about Venturing. Seems a lot of folks in our scouting community have never been expose to Venturing. The Venturing Committee is looking at ways to “market” Venturing within our Council.

“Other Council Fires were here before ours.”

This phrase is found carved on the doorway lentil of the main hall of the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society. From the Haudenosaunee (People of the Long House), it reminds the reader that we are building on a place where others have passed before.

We have a rich history of Scouting in Western NY. I started down the scouting path back in 1968, with Pack 119, sponsored by Resurrection Lutheran Church on Doat and Genesee Streets.  Later I became a Boy Scout in Troop 259, sponsored by St. Luke’s RC Church on Sycamore and Oberlin Avenues.   St. Luke’s parish was closed in 1993 and reborn in 1994 as St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy. 

Here’s one Leader’s thought. Listen in… 

One of the problems that we have is that we haven’t “primed the pump”. The concept of the old BSA Leadership Corp should be considered. It lives today in the concept of a Troop’s Venture Patrol. The Venture Patrol is akin to a Webelos Den, where boys are not quite a Cub Scout, not quite a Boy Scout.  As Webelos is to Boy Scouts, a Venture Patrol is to Venturing.

Take a listen to this Podcast on BSA Leadership Corp.

How do we promote Venture Patrols within Troops? What ideas do you have?

The website is taking form. Initial feedback has been positive. We’re looking forward to obtaining additional feedback from Advisors and Crews.  A communication will go out to all Advisors asking to complete the online Venturing Survey to understand the demographics of our Venturing Program and gain insight into gaps so we can develop Initiatives to work on to strengthen our Programs.

Take the time to communicate your thoughts on this site. If we’re missing something or if you want to contribute an article or triplog, please feel free to do so.

YIV,

B-P