The By-Laws are the governing rules of Crew 167. While all youth and adult members must follow the Scout Oath & Law, Outdoor Code, Guide to Safe Scouting, and Safeguarding Youth, the Crew established a higher level of rules to keep ourselves accountable.
The By-Laws outline how the Crew meets, how we make decisions, how our officers are elected or appointed, and what the expected behaviors are. Our By-Laws are upkept by our Crew Secretary, and are written and voted on by the Crew. Anyone can propose changes, but it is up to the Secretary to make changes. Changes to the By-Laws may voted on at any meeting by a 2/3rds majority of the Crew youth members with approval of the Key 3.
The Key 3 is the unit’s adult leadership trio: the Crew Advisor, the Committee Chair, and the Chartered Organization Representative.
Nothing in the by-laws matches that. .
1 Business Rules
Venturing Crew 167 will meet at Good Shepherd Church on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month, when possible.
Venturing Crew 167 may occasionally meet on 5th Tuesdays, with location dictated by the program.
Venturing Crew 167 will strive to hold at least one outing or event every month, either as a weekend event or day-trip.
Officers are required to attend 50% of meetings and outings that occur in their term.
Decision making
Any non budgetary decisions shall be decided by a 50% +1 vote of all registered Crew members present at the time of the vote.
Budgetary decisions shall be decided by a 2/3rds majority vote of all registered Crew members.
Crew leadership has the authority to defer critical decisions to a majority vote of Crew officers, subject to approval by Key 3.
Dues
Each member of Crew 167 will be required to pay dues on a yearly basis (during Unit Renewal in March).
These dues will equal a sum of $25 per youth and $5 per adult.
Dues will be used to pay for fundamental necessities needed to run the Crew.
2 Crew Elections and Leadership Roles
Crew elections should occur annually in May. Half of all registered Crew members must be present for an election to be held. If an election cannot be held due to attendance issues, the Crew officers can discuss the best course of action with approval of Advisors.
Any member of the Crew may nominate another eligible member for office. The nomination will then be seconded by another member, and the nominee must agree to serve. If there are multiple nominees, then their names will go on a ballot and Crew members will vote, whoever has the larger number of votes will be elected. If there is only one nominee, then a simple majority will decide if they take office.
The terms of office for President, Vice President, and Secretary shall be 12 months from May to May. All other positions shall be appointed by the president as needed.
Crew Officers
President – The President will serve as youth leader and is elected by the youth members. Nominees for Crew President must have at least 6 months Venturing experience. If no Venturers meet the experience requirement, or there are no volunteers, the Crew Advisor will appoint the President.
Vice President - The Vice President reports directly to the Crew President, enacts duties assigned to them by the president, and is elected by youth members. There is no Venturing experience required for this position.
Secretary - The Secretary serves as the youth record-keeper and is elected by the youth members. The Secretary is responsible for keeping attendance records and meeting minutes, and posts them to the Band App. The Secretary shall also fulfill duties assigned to them by the Crew President. There is no Venturing experience required for this position.
Appointed Positions
Treasurer - The Treasurer serves as the youth financial officer, and is responsible for keeping accurate records of the Crew’s funds.
Quartermaster – The Quartermaster keeps track of the Crew’s equipment. This includes ensuring all equipment is in working condition, and replacing non-working condition equipment.
Order of the Arrow (OA) Representative - The OA Representative reports the standing of Crew 167 to the Apache Chapter, and gives reports to the Crew about OA, Lodge, or Chapter updates.
Guide - The Guide serves as a buddy for new Venturers, assisting their understanding of the Venturing program and participation in Crew activities.
Historian - The Historian collects and preserves memorabilia, press releases, photos, and other data of historical significance to the crew. Maintains information about crew activities and members. Maintains the crew website and Instagram account.
Chaplain’s Aide - The Chaplain’s Aide position is to promote a greater understanding of and appreciation for all religions. Offer meaningful non-denominational prayers and grace. Lead the Scout Oath and Law and pledge of allegiance at meetings and events.
Youth members will be given an appointed position by the President on a case-by-case basis, with approval of the Advisor.
It is the duty of the Crew Advisors to provide support to all youth leaders.
Officers will be required to keep a notebook of records and requirements. When their term has been completed, it will go to the next officer.
Each youth serving in a leadership position must attend Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews (ILSC) training within 90 days of the election.
3 Behavior Guidelines
All registered youth and adults of Crew 167, referred to as “Crew members” henceforth, must follow the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
All Crew members must adhere to the Guide to Safe Scouting:
For transportation to and from any meeting or outing, referred to as an “event” henceforth, a driver must be above the age of 18 and hold a valid driver’s license.
“Two registered adult leaders 21 years of age or over are required at all Scouting activities, including all meetings. There must be a registered female adult leader 21 years of age or over in every unit serving females. A registered female adult leader 21 years of age or over must be present for any activity involving female youth or female adult program participants.”
“One-on-one contact between adult leaders and youth members is prohibited both inside and outside of Scouting.”
“The use of smartphones, cameras, mirrors, drones, etc., in places or situations where privacy is expected is prohibited.”
The buddy system must be followed at any and all Crew outings, which includes:
Any Crew member over the age of 18 is not required to have a buddy.
“When exceptional circumstances warrant, a parent or legal guardian may serve as a buddy for their child’s Scouting activities, but youth buddies meeting the above criteria, if available, are always preferred.”
All Crew members must follow the Leave No Trace principles and Outdoor Code when outdoors.
All Crew members must follow the principles of the “Safeguarding Youth” training, which includes:
Violence, bullying, hazing, etc., will NOT be tolerated at ANY Venturing activity. Any violations of this must be reported directly to any Crew Advisor.
No Crew member will be forced to participate in any activity against their will.
If deemed necessary by Crew Advisors, gear may be searched to ensure the safety of all Crew members.
Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Use Policy – Crew members shall neither use nor possess alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and/or prescription drugs that are not prescribed to that member or drug paraphernalia during any Venturing activities.
All Crew members should set a good example by following these Behavior Guidelines and the uniform policy mentioned below.
4 Uniform Policy
Class A (or Field) uniform consists of the following:
Green Venturing shirt with all applicable patches and insignia
Grey shorts or pants
Belt
Closed toe shoes
Class A uniforms will be worn at the following times:
Crew meetings
Boards of Review
Traveling to and/or from Scouting events
As required during District, Council, or other events
As determined by the President
Class B (or Activity) uniform consists of the following:
Scouting T-shirt or hoodie
Activity-appropriate pants or shorts
Closed toe shoes
Class B uniforms will be worn at the following times:
Outdoor activities
As required during District/Council/OA events
As determined by the President
5 Revisions and Changes to Crew By-Laws
A discussion regarding any changes to the By-Laws will be held before any vote to change the By-Laws takes place.
Crew 167’s By-Laws may be edited in any way, at any time, by a 2/3rds majority vote of Crew members, with approval of the Key 3.
Revisions of the Crew 167 By-Laws are the responsibility of the Secretary and should be reviewed when deemed necessary by the Crew officers or Advisors.
Crew Leadership
Every officer attends at least 50% of the meetings and outings in their term, keeps a
notebook of records and requirements to hand on to the next officer, and completes
Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews (ILSC) within 90 days of the election. The
Crew Advisors support all youth leaders.
Elected positions
Elected by the youth members. Terms run 12 months, May to May.
President
The youth leader of the Crew.
Serves as the primary youth leader of the Crew and leads the other officers.
Leads meetings and activities and conducts officers’ meetings.
Assigns appointed positions with approval from the Advisor.
Responsible for passing down the Crew Car.
Eligibility: at least 6 months of Venturing experience. If no Venturer meets that requirement, or nobody volunteers, the Crew Advisor appoints the President.
Vice President
Second to the President.
Assumes responsibilities of the Crew President in their absence.
Acts as both youth Administrator and Program Chair.
Keeps up with event planning teams to ensure program continues.
Works with the Crew Guide to ensure advancement progress is made regularly.
Carries out other duties as assigned by the Crew President.
Eligibility: no Venturing experience required.
Secretary
The Crew’s record-keeper.
Keeps attendance records, meeting minutes, and contact sheets, and posts them to the Band app.
Makes revisions to the Crew By-Laws as requested.
Carries out other duties as assigned by the Crew President.
Eligibility: no Venturing experience required.
Appointed positions
Appointed by the President as needed, on a case-by-case basis, with the approval of the
Advisor.
Treasurer
The Crew’s youth financial tracker.
Keeps accurate records of the Crew’s funds.
Tracks expenditures and revenue of Crew funds.
Tracks outstanding payments from Crew members.
Collects money for Crew Dues.
Encourages fundraising opportunities.
Quartermaster
The Crew’s youth gear tracker.
Keeps track of the Crew’s equipment.
Ensures all equipment is in working condition.
Requests equipment replacements for gear that is no longer serviceable.
Keeps stock of disposable equipment.
Guide
The Crew’s friendly mentor.
Serves as a mentor for new Venturers.
Assists new members with registration.
Collects new member contact information.
Leads recruiting events.
Informs new members about the Venturing program.
Historian
The Crew’s historical collector.
Collects and preserves memorabilia, press releases, photos, and other data of historical significance to the Crew.
Manages the albums and file storage in the Crew’s Band app.
Maintains the Crew’s Instagram account (@venturecrew167).
Chaplain's Aide
The Crew’s religious representative.
Promotes a greater understanding of and appreciation for all religions.
Offers meaningful non-denominational prayers and grace.
Order of the Arrow (OA) Representative
The Crew’s Order of the Arrow liaison.
Reports the standing of Crew 167 to the Apache Chapter.
Brings OA, Lodge, and Chapter updates back to the Crew.