Hey y'all, it's Amanda! I had the pleasure of interviewing Edward Abraham on HOT topics in Venturing, as well as getting to know him a little better! The first big thing I asked him was about VenturingFest, and here is what he had to say: “I have the honor of being able to serve as the youth chair for VenturingFest 2016. This spectacular event is a joint effort with the Summit Bechtel Reserve, BSA Marketing and Venturing as a whole. We have so many youth officers planning our program and working around the clock to market this historical event. I enjoy seeing Venturers unite at a BSA high adventure base for the first time in our program’s history.” I know I certainly can’t wait for this great event.
The next big item we talked about was the new VLA form, where Edward shared, ”The new VLA form was another project by the Design and Development Task Force for Venturing at the end of last term. The National VOA has been advertising the new form and deadlines recently and will continue to do so for the remainder of the term. However, this winter I worked with past and present Venturing officers to create a selection policy for the VLA for the National and Regional tiers.” Exciting! Here is the link to the New and improved form: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/Venturing/pdf/512-501_WEB.pdf
Another topic we discussed is the CSVE award, which i hope all Councils handed in (still send in your forms if you haven’t!). Here is what Edward had to say about it: “The changes to the CSVE format and scorecard was a project by the Design and Development Task Force for Venturing at the end of last term. This year, the National VOA has been heavily promoting the award. Near the end of the 2015 calendar year, I assigned one of our Region Venturing Vice Presidents of Administration to serve as CSVE chair to oversee and manage our administration teams to ensure the completion of the CSVE scorecard from all of our councils this term.” I hope awareness for the importance of the CSVE award continues to grow over the years!
After we discussed the Venturing hot topics, it was time to learn some things about Edward! I interviewed him and here is what we talked about:
What was your favorite part of this term?
I don’t exactly have a favorite part of this term, it’s also far from being over. However, I’ve loved being able to see the passion and love people have for this program during my travels across the country these past months. It constantly motivates me and inspires me to constantly serve this outstanding program.
What surprised you this term?
I am always surprised by the innovation and creativity that our youth officers have across the country. I’m always impressed and surprised by the ways our units and councils perform so well, yet none of them are at all the same.
What's some advice you would give to an incoming officer?
Being a Venturing officer is not just about getting the job done, it’s about the experience. Remember to enjoy the experience as well as strive to accomplish your goals, because the time that one spends as a Venturing officer goes by quickly.
What's your favorite scouting experience?
My favorite scouting experience was the first time I ever went snow camping with my crew.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I’d love to see myself working for an airline in the airport operations department. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to work in the airline industry.
What's your favorite quote? Or story? Or both
I have lots of favorite quotes. However one of my favorites is from Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
I hope you enjoyed learning more about these Venturing hot topics as well as a little about our current National Venturing President, Edward! Check back next month for more.