Unit Leader
1st Ballan Venturer
Deputy Unit Leader
1st Ballan Venturer
Treasurer
1st Ballan Venturer
Secretary
1st Ballan Venturer
Quatermaster
1st Ballan Venturer
Learning new skills can be a challenge. However, when that skill is Lead Climbing the challenge is heightened to a whole new level. Joining the Scouts Victoria Vertical Rockclimbing Team three of our Venturers accepted the challenge to learn, acquire and apply the skills required to be a Lead Climber.
Involving four weekends over a couple of months this course required commitment and dedication from both the participants and their families. With each weekend implemented at Mt Arapiles it gave the Venturers a real insight into what climbing can offer including the variety of different climbs, levels and locations. Throughout the course the Venturers learnt all aspects of climbing including safety, gear, weather, knots, ropework, techniques, protection placement, cultural respect, historical knowledge and minimal impact practices.
While exhausted at the end of each day, our Venturers thoroughly enjoyed the course and look forward to more opportunity to climb and further apply their skills in the future.
Within the Scout Association a Jamboree is a large gathering of Scouts who come together to continue and share their Scouting Journey through adventure, pioneering, service and community. Jamborees occur at both a national and international level and enable Scouts to gain a greater insight and appreciation into the largest youth organisation on planet Earth.
A World Jamboree brings young people from all over the world together for a common cause ... Scouting.
A World Jamboree is an exceptional experience where youth live as one without prejudice, colour, language, race, economic background, religion, borders or names. It's an experience dominated by acceptance, laughter, happiness and freedom. A world where there is only one currency, badge swapping and youth have the freedom to move from country to country through the community of campsites.
With a focus of walking Cradle Mountain's Overland Track in the Tasmanian Wilderness as a team of Venturers (with some experienced Scouts invited) it's an obligation to work on the logistics, paperwork and preparations required, but without the fitness, experience and training, the journey will be a struggle.
This is the story of a team of youth who worked together to achieve their goal and walk the Overland Track.
With funds secured from the Pip & Dick Smith Leadership Through Adventure Fund the reality of going to Cradle Mountain become real. So a plan was created, a Committee formed and actions implemented.
One of the first actions implemented was to keep up the fitness levels and hiking experience ... to go outside, explore, discover and have fun through the experience of hiking and expedition training.
Venturer Units are built on traditions, and after meticulous planning and preparations the 1st Ballan Venturers were ready to initiate their first tradition, a formal dinner at a local fast food restaurant.
Walking into the restaurant with confidence, the Venturers located an ideal table and set it up complete with tablecloth, plates, cutlery, serviettes, glasses, jugs and place mats ready for their Fast Food Formal dinner. Next challenge ... ordering dinner and waiting for their number to come up.
With all meals on the table, the Venturers very quickly deconstructed their meals onto their plates and thoroughly enjoyed their formal meal. They had great fun laughing, talking and sharing stories while eating dinner, before devouring dessert to complete another Fancy Fast Food dining experience.
The night was so successful that the Venturers are looking forward to their next one, where? Who knows?
Whenever the Venturers get together it is always a fantastic night focused on fun, friendship, laughter and engagement.
This night was no different as the Venturers embraced the theme of Disney Princesses and dressed up as best they could. As they celebrated simply being together, they had a lot of fun as they set up their own fashion show and proudly paraded their outfits and cheered for each other's effort and achievement. It was a wonderful display full of colour, imagination, magic and laughter. Everyone simply enjoyed being there together.
With the catwalk closed it was time to party and celebrate a birthday. Decorations were placed throughout the hall, with an introduction to line dancing courtesy of the Nutbush the dancing began. They continued to fill the hall with joy and laughter as they sang together before finishing the night with happy birthday and cake.
A fun night had by all.
Dick Smith has lived an amazing Scouting Life. Philanthropist, Adventurer, Entrepreneur and a successful Scout. Dick's love for nature and everything outdoors came to him through opportunities as a child to be a Scout and enjoy growth, development and skill acquistion through engagement with the Scouting Program.
Dick has never forgotten his Scouting background and is always happy to support and give back to Scouts ... locally, statewide & nationally. Through a very significant donation given to Scouts Australia the Dick & Pip Smith Leadership Through Adventure Fund was created offering Scouts of all ages the opportunity to apply for funding for projects and adventures that further helps develop their leadership skills.
With a focus of walking the Overland Track in Tasmania, our Venturer Unit accepted the challenge and made a submission to the Dick & Pip Smith Leadership Through Adventure Fund Committee for $10,000 to help them achieve this goal. Through Unit Council approval their application was discussed, created, refined and proudly submitted. Result .... our 1st Ballan Venturer Unit was the only Victorian Recipient, receiving $10,000 towards their Tasmanian Overland Track Adventure in the Funds inaugural Leadership Through Adventure allocation.
THANK YOU, DICK & PIP SMITH and SCOUTS AUSTRALIA.
1st Ballan Venturers Dick & Pip Smith Leadership Through Adventure Fund Application
INAUGURAL DICK & PIP SMITH LEADERSHIP THROUGH ADVENTURE FUNDING ALLOCATION
STATE
SECTION
ADVENTURE
ADVENTURE DESTINATION
South Australia X 2 Groups
Western Australia X 1 Group
Australian Capital Territory X 1 Group
Northern Territory X 1 Group
Victoria X 1 Group ... 1st Ballan
Scout Section X 2 Adventures
Venturer Scout Section X 6 Adventures
Rover Scout Section X 1 Group
Fraser Island Walk X 1 Expedition
Overland Track X 4 Expeditions
Western Arthurs Traverse X 1 Expedition
Great Ocean Walk X 1 Expedition
Camel Trek (Broome) X 1 Expedition
Keppler Track, Rakiura Track, Fox Glacier X 1 Expedition
Queensland
Tasmania
Tasmania
Victoria
Western Australia
New Zealand
Whether it's Joeys, Cubs, Scouts, Venturers, Rovers or Adults Investitures, are an important step in any Scouting Journey and at our Venturer Unit our Venturers choose the location of their investitures.
On a perfectly clear but cool evening with the sun setting in the background at the Ballan Oval, three Venturers were invested and welcomed into the Unit. It was a wonderful setting for an investiture and with the cool evening wind holding the flag to the football net at the back of the goal posts, the Venturers re-confirmed their Scout Promise & Law and prepared themselves for the next stage of their Scouting Journey.
With an option to be invested 7½m off the ground the temptation was too great with an overwhelming ... "Yes please." Standing on top of the tower, the Venturers held parade. With parade finished, the investiture began with one Venturer using Auslan to sign the Scout Promise & Law throughout the elevated investiture. Once invested there was only one thing to do ... throw the new Venturer off the tower to celebrate.
On a perfect night for fishing the Venturers arrived at Pykes Creek Reservoir ready to try their luck at catching a fish ... marlin, barramundi, blue whale, shark, carp, red fin, clown fish or a cold ... the Venturers didn't care what they caught, as long as they caught something.
With everyone onsite and ready to go they picked up their gear and prepared to fish when tragedy struck ... a fishing rod snapped, broken before a line was even cast. Undisturbed the Venturers carried on, setting & baiting their rods ready to go. Standing on the edge of the Reservoir lines were cast ... and patience kicked in as the Venturers sat down and simply waited. It didn't take long before a fish was caught. Reeled in with excitement the Venturers celebrated before realising the fish had died. So, a burial site was chosen and a fish funereal arranged. Standing in a circle the fish was honoured as the mourners individually relived the happy but brief times they had together with the fish before respectfully burying the fish. With the funereal over, the fishing continued and to the surprise of the Venturers they caught more fish, four in total ... a very successful and fun evening had by all.
With an offer to travel to Marvel Stadium in Melbourne to watch Australia beat New Zealand in the Bledisloe Cup, our Venturers excitedly jumped at the opportunity to go. In the early evening they boarded the train and quickly found themselves at Marvel Stadium ready to enjoy the game. Regardless of one slight issue ....
Only one Venturer knew anything about Rugby League ... but the Venturers didn't care, they were just happy to be there and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere within the Stadium, as they watched and absorbed the experience that is Bledisloe Cup.
Throughout the game they watched intently, learnt about the game and simply had fun together throughout the night. While the result wasn't what they'd hoped for, it was still a very enjoyable evening, and everyone had fun watching the Rugby and travelling on the train.
With the Venturers implementing their own program, it was agreed that one night would be a cooking night, where the Venturers were challenged to cook a meal of their own choice.
Arriving at the hall with their ingredients, the Venturers very quickly found themselves in a Master Chef challenge where not only were they challenged to cook the best meal, they were also challenged to cook using different cooking appliances.
One Venturer used the stove tops; one the oven & a third Venturer used a trangia. It was great fun and the Venturers thoroughly excelled at the social aspect of cooking as they laughed, chatted and enjoyed each other's company during the cooking challenge. With each meal presented on the table, the judges sampled each delicious delight and awarded a winner, before the meals were devoured by all.
Anything Goes or AG is Australia's largest weekend Venturering Event designed to create amazing, enjoyable times for its participants and to help promote Venturers to Linking Scouts. The event is largely designed around freedom; allowing for Venturers to do as little or as much as they want. If Venturers just want to just chill out and catch up with mates, or even if they you are the type of Venturer that craves adventure, then AG is the perfect event and experience for all Venturers.
AG activities include horse riding, rafting, mountain biking, ten pin bowling, scuba diving, a high ropes course, four wheel driving, helicopter rides, laser tag and much more.
With heaps of onsite and offsite activities, AG provides something for everyone’s tastes and interests! With this being the first Branch Venturer Event attended by our 1st Ballan Venturers it was a wonderful introduction and thoroughly enjoyed by all.
