Venturing Crew Officer Responsibilities

The following are the responsibilities of each of the officers elected to represent the crew (reference: "Venturing Leader Manual" pgs 9 to 16)

President: The primary leader of the crew

Youth leader of the crew

Plans and implements crew program in cooperation with other officers, members and advisors

Represents crew at Venturing Officers' Association (VOA), round table, and other scout and chartered organization functions

Assists crew advisor in conducting crew officers' seminar (training & planning)

Appoints youth chairs for crew activities and special crew officers

Presents crew annual report to chartered organization at conclusion of the term of the office

Assesses on an ongoing basis whether the responsibilities of the officers are being considered and carried out effectively

Approaches Venturing and encourages others to approach Venturing in a spirit of fun and enjoyment

Vice President - Administration: Leads crew's recruiting and recognition activities

Administrative officer of the crew

Assumes responsibilities of the President in his or her absence

Leads the recruiting ad admission of new members during the year

Organizes and recognizes the achievements of crew members

Conducts opening and closing ceremonies for meetings and special occasions

Attends all crew activities

Participates in council VOA program planning conference

Approaches Venturing and encourages others to approach Venturing in a spirit of fun and enjoyment, and seeks to reflect this spirit in the recruiting of new members and through recognizing the achievements of crew members

Vice President - Program: Leads the development of the crew's program of activities

Program officer of the crew, and in that position, arranges the program planning process for the crew

Collects and maintains a crew activity file consisting of the program capability inventory, a list of crew member interests and suggestions for activities, program resources and an annual activity schedule

Determines the interests of the crew members on an ongoing basis (using Venturing activity interest surveys)

Provides support for the chair and committee for each crew activities

Maintains an up-to-date calendar of crew meetings and activities

Approaches Venturing and encourages others to approach Venturing in a spirit of fun and enjoyment

Secretary: Leads the crew's communication

Communication officer of the crew, and in that position, manages all communications and publicity of the crew

Maintains crew membership and attendance records

Handles crew correspondence and minutes

Coordinates crew publicity through local media, crew newsletters, and the crew's telephone network

Approaches Venturing and encourages others to approach Venturing in a spirit of fun and enjoyment

Treasurer: Leads the crew's finances

Financial officer of the crew, and in that position, maintains financial records and monitors the crew budget

Collects and disburses crew funds

Communicates with the other officers and members on a regular basis to keep them informed about the crew's finances

Approaches Venturing and encourages others to approach Venturing in a spirit of fun and enjoyment

Venturing Crew464 Officer Responsibilities - Specific Assignments for 464 Officers

President

Presides over crew meetings

Runs Officers meetings

Make assignments of responsibilities for crew tasks

Appoints activity chairpersons

Appoints Quartermaster, Webmaster, Grubmaster, Historian and other positions as required

Represents Crew with VP-Admin at Venturing Round Table

Works with officers & advisors to make sure activities go as planned

Makes sure other officers & crew members perform assignments

VP-Admin

Assumes responsibilities of President in her absence

In charge of membership – checks up on members not attending – makes new members welcome

Youth member responsible for active crew roster for rechartering in December

Organizes & puts on Firstnighter (recruiting meeting)

Responsible for crew membership recruiting.

Keeps crew/leader phone & email roster current & available to crew

In charge of crew ceremonies - meeting openings & closings, special ceremonies, etc.

Manages recognition and advancement of crew members

Represents Crew with President at Venturing Round Table

VP-Program

In charge of crews program planning process

Maintains crews Activity Idea File/Program Capability Inventory/Lists of Crew interests

In charge of crew activity/meeting schedule, keeps current & distributes monthly to crew in newsletter

Makes sure scheduled activities are coordinated with Troop, School, Religious and Community calendars

Lines up meeting places 2 months in advance & publishes monthly in newsletter

Works with and supports activity chairpersons and committees for all crew activities

Helps activity chairperson complete activity checklist before activities & files report after activity I is over

Secretary

In charge of crew communications

Manages crew phone tree

Maintains membership & attendance records at meetings and activities

Handles crews correspondence

Provides minutes of meetings – submits to webmaster for posting on web site within a few days of the activity

Coordinates crew publicity

Publishes crew newsletter monthly (w/ support from other officers & crew members)

Treasury

In charge of crew finances, maintains financial records and crew budget

Collects & disburses crew funds

Informs crew officers and advisor on a regular basis about crew finances

Collects crew dues, informs officers when members fall behind in payment of dues

Collects and tracks

President:
The primary leader of the crew

· Youth leader of the crew

· Works closely with Advisors and other adult leaders in a spirit of partnership.

·

· Plans and implements crew program in cooperation with other officers, members and advisors

· Represents crew at Venturing Officers' Association (VOA), round table, and other scout and chartered organization functions

· Assists crew advisor in conducting crew officers' seminar (training & planning)

· Appoints youth chairs for crew activities and special crew officers

· Presents crew annual report to chartered organization at conclusion of the term of the office

· Assesses on an ongoing basis whether the responsibilities of the officers are being considered and carried out effectively

· Approaches Venturing and encourages others to approach Venturing in a spirit of fun and enjoyment

As the president, you are the primary leader of your crew. You were selected by crew members as the best person to lead and represent them. Being president carries honor and privilege, but it also requires hard work, responsibility, and dedication.

You share the responsibilities of leading your crew with the other elected officers, working together to develop a leadership team. When you delegate specific responsibilities to other officers and members, it is your responsibility, with the support of your Advisors, to encourage and follow up to be sure that their jobs have been carried out. You provide leadership at all crew meetings and activities, and you conduct monthly officers' meetings in consultation with your Advisors. Communication with your Advisors, officers, and crew members is essential.

You also represent your crews members to the chartered organization and to the BSA council, through its Venturing officers’ association. The VOA is an association of the crew officers in the area. You should know your own members’ needs and desires so that you can adequately rep-resent your crew at the council VOA meetings.

You set an example for members by following the rules and standards of the crew. You may counsel individual crew members who have problems, questions, or concerns. Listen to what they say, and help them find answers that are best for the crew.

With your Advisor, direct the planning of your crew program, and use this manual to plan meetings and activities. The crew president appoints crew members to serve as activity chairs. With your Advisor’s help, select members who are suited to the activity and need leader-ship experience. Coaching and follow-up are necessary to be sure they understand what to do.

Don’t hesitate to ask your Advisor for advice and help. That is the Advisor’s responsibility-to be your counselor and coach. It is likely that neither of you knows everything about Venturing, but together you can learn how to make your crew succeed. It is important that you work through, not around, your Advisor, who is held responsible by the crew’s chartered organization and Venturing for the programs and actions of your crew.

Your duty as crew president is exciting, important, and challenging. You are one person who can really make the difference in how successful your crew is. Read this manual carefully, and attend BSA council Venturing meetings and conferences to learn from other crew presidents
Vice President - Administration:

Leads crew's recruiting and recognition activities

· Administrative officer of the crew

· Assumes responsibilities of the President in his or her absence

· Leads the recruiting ad admission of new members during the year

· Organizes and recognizes the achievements of crew members

· Conducts opening and closing ceremonies for meetings and special occasions

· Attends all crew activities

· Participates in council VOA program planning conference

· Approaches Venturing and encourages others to approach Venturing in a spirit of fun and enjoyment, and seeks to reflect this spirit in the recruiting of new members and through recognizing the achievements of crew members

Two key responsibilities characterize your position: (1) leading the recruiting efforts for new crew members, and (2) managing the recognition of members.

First, you provide leadership for the recruiting of new members into your crew by ensuring that prospective members are made aware of your crew and are invited to your crew’s first-nighter, and by encouraging members to bring friends to crew meetings. You follow up with any members who seem to be losing interest. Find out why, so that their needs can be addressed in officers’ meetings and in the planning of program activities.

Second, you are responsible for recognizing members and making them feel a part of your crew. When prospective members come to your crew’s firstnighter or to meetings, it is your responsibility to welcome each one. It is also your job to stage the installation ceremony admitting new members if such a ceremony is a tradition of your crew. It is your responsibility to recognize the achievements of individual crew members, honoring members who win scholarships, win awards, or gain other achievements in or out of Venturing. You may also conduct opening and closing ceremonies to add color and meaning to crew meetings.

It is your responsibility to recognize the achievements of individual crew members, honoring members who win scholarships, win awards, or gain other achievements in or out of Venturing. You may also conduct opening and closing ceremonies to add color and meaning to crew meetings.

Like every officer, you are responsible for maintaining the crew’s code and bylaws.

Vice President - Program:

Leads the development of the crew's program of activities

· Program officer of the crew, and in that position, arranges the program planning process for the crew

· Collects and maintains a crew activity file consisting of the program capability inventory, a list of crew member interests and suggestions for activities, program resources and an annual activity schedule

· Determines the interests of the crew members on an ongoing basis (using Venturing activity interest surveys)

· Provides support for the chair and committee for each crew activities

· Maintains an up-to-date calendar of crew meetings and activities

· Approaches Venturing and encourages others to approach Venturing in a spirit of fun and enjoyment

Much of a crew’s success depends on the program of activities, and managing the development of a good program is the core of your responsibility. Venturing is based on planning a program that meets the needs and interests of crew members. This is done by asking crew members what they want to see their crew do, and being sure that meetings and activities are adequately evaluated after they take place.

It is your responsibility to maintain an activity file of programs, projects, and trips in which the crew could participate. Base this file of ideas for activities on responses you’ve collected from the PCI, from Venturing activity interest surveys, and from the activity planners completed by activity chairs. Keep your ears open for ideas from unexpected sources, and ask other crews what they are doing.

You are also responsible for keeping an up-to-date crew schedule and being sure that all the members in your crew know what is happening. You maintain the crew's calendar to avoid scheduling conflicts. It might be useful to publish a calendar or newsletter on a regular basis to keep crew members informed.

You help the crew's activity chairs plan and conduct successful activities by sharing ideas from the activity file, discussing possible activities, and coordinating their dates with the crew calendar.

On of the crew's adult associate Advisors is recruited to help you with program responsibilities. Meet as often as possible to share ideas, improve the activity file, support activity chairs, and review the interests of members.
Secretary:

Leads the crew's communication

· Communication officer of the crew, and in that position, manages all communications and publicity of the crew

· Maintains crew membership and attendance records

· Handles crew correspondence and minutes

· Coordinates crew publicity through local media, crew newsletters, and the crew's telephone network

· Approaches Venturing and encourages others to approach Venturing in a spirit of fun and enjoyment

Effective communication is a key ingredient any organization. As the crew secretary, you are responsible for the communication that needs to be put into writing - correspondence, records, and minutes showing discussions, plans, and publicity. It is up to you to ensure that everyone has the right information.

You keep minutes of officers’ meetings and crew meetings, which include group decisions and actions taken by officers. You record the names of those assigned to carry out activities, including all dates, times, locations, and important details.

You remind the president and the other officers of agreed-upon decisions that affect them. Most people appreciate a friendly reminder.

You keep membership records for your crew using the Venturing Secretary’s Records which will help you keep accurate registration and attendance information. You supervise all the crew’s correspondence, calling the officers’ attention to important items and writing letters on behalf of the crew.

You help the program vice president publish a schedule or newsletter for crew members and keep them informed about meeting plans, activities, and last-minute changes. You should organize a telephone network among crew members. You handle all publicity through school or community newspapers, newsletters, radio, television, speakers, bulletin boards, and other media.

Effective communication is an important leadership skill. You have the challenge and the opportunity to use this skill for your crew. An adult member of the crew committee may be assigned to assist you. If you become over-whelmed by the publicity and communications needs of your crew, don’t hesitate to enlist the help of other crew members. Sharing your responsibility with others is a part of Venturing. It’s a quality of good leadership.

Treasurer:
Leads the crew's finances

· Financial officer of the crew, and in that position, maintains financial records and monitors the crew budget

· Collects and disburses crew funds

· Communicates with the other officers and members on a regular basis to keep them informed about the crew's finances

· Approaches Venturing and encourages others to approach Venturing in a spirit of fun and enjoyment

As crew treasurer, you are responsible for keeping accurate records of the income and expenditures of your crew’s funds. Your crew expects an exact accounting of all the money taken in or paid out.

You collect, deposit, and account for all money coming to the crew from dues, money-earning projects, or other sources. If your crew collects dues, you keep accurate records and review them with the other officers at officers’ meetings. You make regular reports at crew meetings and officers’ meetings of the status of your crew’s budget and treasury.

Use the Venturing Treasurer’s Records to help you set up a budget by estimating income and expenses based on the crew’s activity calendar. Review this budget with crew officers, your Advisor, and the chair for each activity.

You see to it that crew officers and the Advisor approve all expenditures before writing any checks. Crew members should approve large amounts. An auditor from the crew committee may be assigned to assist you in setting up bookkeeping procedures, bank accounts and money-handling methods.