Updates – Page 2

Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews 2018

April 16, 2018 By Jean-Baptiste Mollet

On April 14th, our venture crew attended the Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews held by the Northern New Jersey Council Venturing Officers’ Association at the Council office.

There the three attendees from our crew (Ashna, Mackenzie, and Sandra), learned about such different topics as Creating a Vision, Goal Setting, Communication, Group Decision Making, Planning, Delegating, and Team Development.

While this course is essential if you are looking to do some advancement, we are hoping the 3 attendees will use it to help propel the crew to greater heights!

If you missed the ILSC or want to obtain some of the materials used there don’t hesitate to contact Jean-Baptiste ([email protected]) since he is on the VOA and will be more than happy to help you learn more about leadership in Venturing.

Goal Setting & Time Management 2018

April 16, 2018 By Jean-Baptiste Mollet

On March 24th, the crew came together in a conference room of Mount Saint to take part in a presentation on Goal Setting and Time Management.

The presentation was facilitated by Nora Jr., Nora Sr., and Jean-Baptiste. They each taught different sections of the presentation and worked with the crew members present to help them realize what areas they could work on.

This was a very beneficial presentation for members of our crew, seeing how most of them are either entering or going through high school, a time where responsibilities pile up and homework gains increasingly longer due dates.

While this presentation did count for advancement, a copy can be found under training resources for those interested.

Escape the Room March 2018

March 12, 2018 By Jean-Baptiste Mollet

The venture crew spent their weekly meeting at Empire Escape Rooms on March 5th. There we were instructed by an alumnus of our crew, Elena, on the protocol and proper use of an Escape the Room location. Once unleashed in the room the crew – represented by Mackenzie, Ashna, Tim, Jean-Baptiste, Andrew, and John – proceeded to tear it apart in an effort to find clues and tips on how to solve the different challenges.

Although we were ultimately unable to Escape the Room, we were truly within seconds of finding our way out. Overall it seems that everyone enjoyed their time, even if some of our members were disappointed with the break in their win streak.

As a crew, this event serves as a reminder of what we can manage to accomplish if we work as a team and just how much fun we can have. We remain grateful to the adults for accompanying us and enjoying our mad dashes via the cameras. This is hopefully not the last of many fun ‘Activity’ meetings our crew will hold and take part in.

Results for January 2018 Election

January 16, 2018 By Jean-Baptiste Mollet

After some rousing speeches and tasty bribes, the crew elected the new officers for the coming 6 months.Congratulations to all and to those who ran but were not voted in, we thank you for the effort and urge you to run again during the next election cycle.

Here are the officers for the upcoming 6 month term:

President: Mackenzie

Vice President of Administration: Ashna

Vice President of Program: Timothy

Secretary: Isabella

Treasurer: Jean-Baptiste

We congratulate you once again on your election and hope that we can not only see your campaign promises fulfilled, but that we can have more of those delicious brownies.

Nominees for January 2018 Election

January 10, 2018 By Jean-Baptiste Mollet

As we face the new year the Crew is also facing a new election cycle for the leadership of the Crew. Here are the nominees for the upcoming 6 month term:

President: Mackenzie

Vice President of Administration: Ashna

Vice President of Program: Timothy, Isabella

Secretary: Isabella

Treasurer: Jean-Baptiste, Timothy, John, Isabella

When the Crew next meets, on the 15th of January, all the nominees will give a small speech detailing why they are each most capable for the position, and the Crew will then vote.

Best of luck to all the nominees!

(From personal experience, chocolate might be the best material for bribing…)

Winter Camping at Nobebosco, January 2018

January 8, 2018 By Jean-Baptiste Mollet

This January, from the 5th to the 7th, the Crew attended a weekend of winter camping at Nobebosco. Tho we had reserved a cabin at Camp Glen Gray for the weekend, the forecast proclaiming a “Cyclonic Bomb” we decided to choose a cabin with a more reliable heating system.

Arriving Friday night, the Crew set up and sat down for a round of board games. Included in the mix was Spit, Go Fish, and Munchkin. Having eaten before getting there we aimed for an early night and called it around midnight.

Waking on Saturday around 9, Isabella, Mackenzie, and myself under the guidance of Kate proceeded to reheat the crepes. And to everyone’s delight and joy, Nutella and whipped cream was in abundance! Using these liberally, the crew (both adults and youth alike) enjoyed their breakfast and left nothing for later.

Afterwards we headed off for a hike following the Yellow Trail around camp, and enjoyed the snow-covered grounds as well as the shanties and other songs. Having looped back from the A Field to the Range, a contingent of the crew went down to Sand Pond and observed the frozen expanse. Having observed, from a safe distance, the solidity of the ice we returned to the cabin as much to eat lunch as to find warmth.

On the menu for lunch was a platter of grilled cheese sandwiches that required some longer cooking for some… Accompanying the grilled cheese sandwiches was a chicken noodle soup cooked in a crock pot, thus limiting the amount of time spent outside and in the cold. The lunch was provided by Tim, John, and Andrew under the guidance of Kate.

The program for the afternoon mainly consisted of debates about the merits of the latest Star Wars movie, the never-ending arguments between Andrew and Jean-Baptiste, and another round of Board Games. This time Jean-Baptiste did not win the Munchkin game, since it became increasingly impossible for monsters to be fought… But added to the afore-mentioned mix of games was B.S. A game of great dexterity and skill, which tested our ability to convince each other of what cards we actually held in our hands.

That evening, dinner was a chilly prepared by Isabella and heated up in the crock pots by Mackenzie, Isabella, and myself under the guidance of Kate. After this tasty dinner, we proceeded to return to our board game soirée. We ended the day on this high note of fellowship and cutthroat card play.

The following morning, while I had to leave early, the crew cleaned up and after a hearty bagel breakfast left camp.