ExploringCast

Your Exploring Executive was able identify potential Explorers through the Career Interest Survey, but what about you - the Exploring Advisor? How can you get more participants in your post? While recruiting youth for your Exploring program is generally a coordinated effort that takes place once a year, positive publicity for your Exploring program should be ongoing. To help us with marketing and promoting this fabulous youth program we call Exploring is Wes Weems, a District Director with Three Fires Council who ensures that Exploring gets the same amount of time and attention toward growth and quality program as any other Scouting program within the council.

Program Previews are a lot like Scouting’s Roundtables. Deanna Heisler, Exploring Executive for the Las Vegas Area Council, chats with us about who’s in charge, where it’s held and who all should attend. Spoiler Alert: Deanna reveals a surprise proposed attendee that made even host, Kristen Falatako, exclaim, “Wow, really?!”

The traditional Scouting program has commissioners who act as liaisons between the unit and the district committee. Well, Commissioners are now going to be of service to the Exploring program as well. Post Advisors are going to really want to hear about this, so join us as we discuss this new role in the Exploring program with Assistant Council Commissioner for Exploring with the National Capital Area Council, Jeff Schweiger.

Where does it say that Post activities have to end with the school year? It doesn’t and Lieutenant Al Blendermann, post advisor with the Harris County Sheriff's Office in Houston, Texas, tells us there are lots of benefits to keeping Explorers active during the summer and gives us plenty of ideas for activities.

Would you like to know a secret? The Exploring program is an affiliate of the Boy Scouts of America. Amy Wiernik, Exploring Executive with the Bay-Lakes Council in Appleton, Wisconsin, contacted ExploringCast to suggest that it shouldn’t be a secret and that we have an episode on how your Exploring program can work with traditional BSA districts and units in your area. She also had some pretty good ideas on how to make this happen, so we invited her on the show to share with the rest of the Exploring community some really good ways of working with other BSA programs and the benefits of doing so.

Let’s talk Cultivation Event! Special position professional with the Pathway to Adventure Council in Chicago, Illinois, Cedric Bodley, engages us in a delightful and very informative conversation on what a Cultivation Event is and all the details you need to consider when planning such an event to ensure its success!

The Exploring program is a branch of the Boy Scouts of America and, like Scouting, Exploring is called upon to assist in fundraising endeavors to support all Scouting programs. Suzanne Rees, Exploring Executive in the Capital Area Council in Austin, Texas, joins us to share insights into planning a successful community campaign. You may be surprised to find out it’s not as difficult as you might think and the rewards are plenty.

Oh, it’s true! The opportunity has arrived for Explorers to join the 2017 BSA Jamboree as participants in this exciting, once-every-four-years’ event. If you’re wondering why you should invite the Explorers in your council or district to go or how to provide resources for them, we have the answers as Wendy Kurten, assistant regional director for the Western region, joins us for the discussion.

The actor Alan Alda once said, “Awards can give you a tremendous amount of encouragement to keep getting better, no matter how young or old you are.” No one knows that better than the Boy Scouts of America and Learning for Life. We love getting awards and talking about getting awards. Melinda Inman, Exploring District Executive with the Northern Star Council in St. Paul, Minnesota, joins us for the discussion.

Just what is the difference between a regular activity and a superactivity? What makes the activity “super”? As you might already suspect, a superactivty is much grander in scale, but that also means grander in preparation. Who’s responsible for all this planning and preparation? Kelly Clark, Director of Development for the Three Harbors Council in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, shares with us her secrets for a successful superactivity.