Voyageur Council Venturer Advisor’s Forum

Meeting Minutes for December 5, 2006

Scout’s Headquarters - National Boardroom

Final

 

Name

Group

Name

Group

Alan Clapp

8th Orleans

Jim Peverley

VAF Chair

Alan Griffin

112th Nepean

Joe Boudreau

1st Greely

Bill Bowman

1st Nepean

John Dougherty

DAC Odawa Pgm

Bob Dore

Joint Council

John Stalker

1st Valley Highlands

Catherine Snedden

7th Kanata

Laurel Rosene

1st Glen Cairn

Cathy Bellinger

LCS-VRSC

Malcolm Volmer

29th Nepean

Chris Tyler

1st Manotick

Paul Bellinger

Lost Children

Christiaan Burchell

1st Nepean

Phaedra Glushek

28th Ottawa

Claudio Mota

1st Metcalf

Phil Edens

VRSC / LCS

Dan Karwowski

1st Glen Cairn

Ray Renton

1st Dunrobin

Doug MacKinnon

112th Nepean

Roger Aston

3rd Ottawa

Erin Pate

VRRRT

Russ Jones

36th Ottawa

Greg McGinnis

2nd Russell

Steven Smye

1st Wakefield

Ian Marsh

3rd Ottawa

Stewart Ross

Nepean Rover Crew

Jim McQuaid

112th Nepean

Tim Redpath

1st Stittsville

Jim Montgomery

1st Glen Cairn

Wally Gale

14th Gloucester

 

Opening:

 

Corrections to the Presentations section of the previous minutes:

 

Also Note: Jim Montgomery (1st Glen Cairn) noted that the Badges for Venclimb were on the back table with the group names on them.  See Jim if you did not pick up your badges.

 

Events Past:

 

None to discuss this meeting

 

Events to Come:

 

Winter Mountaineering (Adirondack) Adventure: Christiaan spoke and noted that the forms are out, and were at the back of the room at the meeting.  The Adventure is essentially a snowshoeing trip in the Adirondacks.  The groups drive down to Lake Placid, NY and stay in the ACC (Alpine Club of Canada) Keene Farm hut.  The dates are February 9,10,11 and 23, 24, 25, 2007.  There is a limit of 20 members per group.  The cost is $37 per person if you do not have snowshoes but if you have the technical snowshoes it is $20.  The groups will most likely hike on Hurricane this year and either Giant or Algonquin as they did the other routes last year.

 

Christiaan noted that one trip is already full and the second almost full.  He is trying to work it out so there is more space on a trip, however one of the limits is the number of spots reserved in the hut.  If your group is up to camping outside, then he can accommodate more but there is still a limit of 15 per hike.  However true confirmation is payment and as yet Christiaan has not received any payment.  Email is best to contact him with your numbers and get him the cash as soon as possible.  Christiaan also noted that he needs help leading the other hiking trips, i.e. 2 people for the other hike and one to help him on his hike.  Qualifications are someone who is familiar with hiking, can set a pace, know the expected conditions and know when to turn around.  Any person who helps to lead a trip has their costs covered (i.e. goes for free).

 

The VAF agreed that we should be looking to prioritize participants for people who have not done it before.  If a group has participated before, they are more likely able to do their own trip on another weekend with different leaders.  If you wish to lead a group, you must take out a membership with the Alpine Club of Canada and make a reservation.  Also note your group can do this at other times of the year and with different leaders.  There are other options than the hut as well, other local places to stay.

 

 

Keskinada Loppet:  Wally introduced the topic noting that it’s a world class Loppet in cross county ski Loppets.  There was a hand-out at the back of the meeting.  For the last decade or so, scouts have taken care of food stations, serving food to local recreational and serious skiers on Saturday and Sunday who will be passing by the food station.  The stations that are off-road turn out to be a camping weekend for scouts.  The organizers are looking for 10 to 15 Venturers who would be interested in helping out.  The date is February 16-18, 2007.  There are no costs involved, only your own group’s gear, and shelter.  Note they are looking for autonomous units so leaders can be responsible for the group.

 

The sites are at the Keogan and Huron warming huts.  Keogan can only be used for emergency purposes so groups that stay there sleep out as part of the security at the site.  If your group wants a choice to sleep in then it is better to be at the Huron hut.  Neither site is on a road but transportation is provided Friday night and on Sunday, and all food provided.  There will be one or two ski-doos to help them out.  The event starts on Friday evening by meeting at the parking lot on the road to Camp Fortune around 7:30 pm and later.  Emergency communications will be provided, no cell phone coverage.

 

There is inside sleeping at the Huron hut.  It is a winter camping opportunity with the focus on serving.  The afternoons and evenings are then free time.  Venturers are encouraged to bring skis and snowshoes.  The trails are well groomed and manicured every night so snowshoeing is on side trails.  If you are interested, call Wally Gale [613-830-1372 or windygale4@rogers.com] or Frank Ellis [613-739-3983 or ellisfj@forces.gc.ca] who are coordinating this for scouting.  They are hoping to have this nailed by Mid Jan but earlier would be nice.

 

 

Camp Slush:  Jim McQuaid noted that he got an info package on this event and wanted to share with the VAF.  It is sponsored by 4th Petawawa Rover Crew and takes place on the Biathlon Range on the base at Petawawa on March 9 to 11, 2007.  Sleeping accommodations is limited within the biathlon building with the other option being tents.  The theme not yet stated but the Saturday night supper is the 3rd annual chilli cook-off (competition).  Registration deadline is March 2nd with a cost of $15 per person.  After that point it is $20 per person.    The registration form and information form is with Jim.  The contact for the camp is Mike MacKenzie at 613-687-4665 or  micklynnmackenzie_1@sympatico.ca.

 

 

Reports:

 

Service Corps:   Winterlude:   Lost Children wants us think about Winterlude now, and are currently scheduled for the weekends of February 10th,11th  and  17th,18th, 2007.   The objective is to provide services to the NCC to help locate and recover lost children on the canal.  They will send out groups of 3 or 4 people with a radio and a booklet used to record descriptions of the child to help ensure that lost kids are reported and found quickly.  There is usually about 100-125 members of scouting over the 2 weekends although other groups also help out for that event.  The organizers are looking for 4 to 8 hours on one of the two weekends.  Participants can come out as an individual or as a group and will be assigned trailers as they sign up.  It is a good social event.   Venturers just need to show up with their forms (physical fitness and permission).  It is also good for community service hours for high school.  The contact for this event is Amy at 613-853-5910 or vrsc.lcs@gmail.com.  It is on the events calendar as well.  Hours are usually from 10am to 6 pm.

 

 

VRRRT: Erin noted they had a display at the AGM, but no other activity to report at this time.

 

 

Joint Council:  The December event is a ‘67s game on 15th at 7:30 pm at Lansdowne park.  The group will be meeting at the gate off bank street.  Adults are $14 and Students are $13.  The winter camp is at the YMCA camp on 6th line north of Kanata on February 2nd to 4th.  There is room for 75 participants.  The camp has indoor accommodation and washrooms (although the washroom building is separate from the sleeping cabins).

 

NOTE:  The JC is moving their January meeting to January 9th, 2007.  Bob Dore needs to contact the office anyway to see what he can do.  So the VAF will meet on the 9th as well either in the Board room or in an alternate location.

 

 

RSVP:  The Nepean Rover Crew wanted to announce that RSVP is scheduled for the first weekend in May at OPE and they will send out registration information when all costs are known.  It is expected to be the same set of activities for youth, with games on Saturday and a  formal campfire Saturday night.

 

 

Training: VIEW and Part I:

 

View: Stephen has not heard from anybody but at the meeting there still seemed to be some interest.  Flip (John James) offered to conduct the course if there is any interest so get back to Stephen if your group would like to attend.  The View is a Venturer executive workshop with the material similar to Woodbadge part I but targeted towards the youth.  The objective is to teach Venturers how to run a Venturer Company. It is a weekend course from Friday to Sunday.  The last time they did one was at the Connaught Range.   Stephen will still take names and will coordinate with Stewart to ideally schedule a Woodbadge I session at the same time.  Contact Stephen at  Stephen.Smye@bell.ca.

 

Part I:  Stewart noted that we need 4 things, location, date, trainers and participants.  Iain Holness did get a list of participants of about 18 people.  The training committee has booked the building for 4 dates from January to May so one of those dates could be available if necessary.  So the one remaining item is trainers.  Contact NickWise@magma.ca if you are interested in participating but Nick will also get the list from Iain.  Also let him know you if have taken a part I in any other section because if the participants have then some of the common information could be dropped off the course, i.e. drop the Friday night sessions.  They are planning to have courses just for those moving up from section to section.

 

Kayaking for WWII:  There is still interest in a 1st level course for the kayaks.  It would be during the WWII course timeframe at Paddler’s Coop at Palmers Rapids.  The outfitter has the ability to rent both types of boats.   Let Stephen Smye know if there is an interest from your youth in taking this course.

 

Follow up Discussion:

 

White Water I venue: Bill noted that WWI will not be running with Don due to his illness but Bear creek is interested so they are getting back to Bill with a proposal.  They will also do WWIII.

 

Parade of Lights:  For the parade of lights in Orleans, the organizers need help with road closure sections and people to help direct crowds around them.  If there is an interest in other companies and other volunteers, then the organizers will come to VAF early next fall to come in and talk about it.  The parade is usually the last weekend in November and they are usually short volunteers.  It is the largest night time parade in Canada and draws floats across the city.

 

Offer of Service course: Feb 17th is the date for the Offer of Service training for Ventures.  Look on events calendar. 

 

 

Next Meeting:  January 9th, 2007.  The SECOND Tuesday of the month.

 

If there are any omissions or corrections in the minutes, please contact Catherine Snedden at csnedden@forethoughtsystems.com

 

Also view current and previous copies of the minutes and other VAF notices at http://web.ncf.ca/ad554/ or contact Bill Bowman to get information posted to this website.

 

 

Presentations:  Theme was dehydrated food.  The presentation was from Jim Peverley and Bill Bowman on the recipes and sauces possible with a dehydrator.  They walked the group through the steps to prepare the fresh food for dehydration and then storage with associated tips and tricks.  Jim demonstrated his approach for Curried Chicken and Bill demonstrated how to dry sauces such as spaghetti sauce.  Both extolled the virtues of home prepared dehydrated foods being low cost, better taste, light weight, fit into small containers for camping and are made with known ingredients.  Jim had recipes at the back for his Curried Chicken (and a sample, yum) and Beef Chilli.