Post-trek Reflection

The following reflection is in Wood Badge terms, Start, Stop, and Continue.

Start:

• Clearly define and discuss ground rules. For example, in the "Getting To Know You", check for sensitivities. One of the mothers in our Crew, on the trek, yelled out a stream of profanity which greatly disturbed the youth who never use profanity. We should have discussed "What would you do if..." prior to the trek, but the situation was never considered.
• Submit the order for awards and materials that must be ordered through Council at least two months prior to expected need. The order form for crew 1501 was submitted in August. As of 2010-09-26, the order has not arrived. There is not proof the awards have been order. This is not a accusation but an example of where the level of competence required is above the level available. Discussions with other leaders (in LDS units) confirmed they had the materials when needed because Council members had intervened, and did not use the official process.
• Before signing up for a trek, require all members attend a team-building session, for example, C.O.P.E., and ensure the entire team discovers their individual breaking points.
• If the team includes parents and children, be sure to clarify that the parent/child relationships should be the exception, not the norm. For example, during our trek, Crew members loudly chastised a member for not following directions and endangering herself. Her mother chastised them for yelling. A few minutes later, the mother was yelling at her daughter for a similar situation.
• Host a Kodiak X. Regardless of the direction or decision by National, a Kodiak X (a review of lessons learned during Kodiak) would be valued by those who attended a Kodiak. It would be an opportunity for Venture leaders to emphasize a difference between Scouting and Venturing; individual leadership.

Stop:

• Don't do Kodiak at Sea Base. The staff were supportive, but the use of a home base and daily departure from that base overly complicated the logistics for training materials. The material is better suited to a backpacking or canoeing outing.
• Do not use anyone's reported experiences and training as proof how how they will react under stress. We discovered that a highly trained, highly experienced adult, under unexpected circumstances may act entirely contrary to the ethics they profess to have.

Continue:

• Waterproof notebooks; a very good idea. A bit pricey at almost $4 each, but worked in all weather, even in the water. Plus, these allowed the members to have a permanent record, if they chose.
• When planning a trek, communicate broadly. The Crew used the Venture Roundtable to announce their plans and discovered other crews in Old Dominion who had been to the same Sea Base program. They received good suggestions about what to expect.
• Research widely. A Maryland Troop published a report that had useful information. We were able to use the description to lay out the schedule for Kodiak.
• All Kodiak materials were stored in a single bag. This made it possible to consolidate all materials and share responsibility. This reinforced the servant-leadership philosophy at the root of Kodiak; taking responsibility on behalf of the group.