Venturing vision

I taught Venturing Leader Specific Training last night in the Spanish Fork East Stake Little Philmont program to 12 men who have callings with Priests quorums (Advisers, Bishops). This is our old stake and Emilie's and Scott’s current stake. I had a special incentive to do this well, having five grandsons growing up in this stake who deserve the very best in Young Mens programs and training.

I presented some things differently from the first time I presented this course. I spent a part of the time early in the presentation on trying to help these men deepen their “Vision” of why we use the Venturing program with our Priests Quorums. I gave examples of organizations who have well-crafted mission statements that drive, energize, and focus the efforts of persons in the organization, that state in simple and powerful terms the difference the organization is trying to make in the world:
--To give people the freedom to fly (Southwest Airlines)
--A relentless ally for the individual investor (Charles Schwab)
--To defend America by dominating air, space, and cyberspace (U S Air Force)
--To save people money so they can live better (Wal-Mart)
--To be the flag bearer of Brigham Young University through football excellence, and to embrace truth, virtue, and honor as a beacon to the world. (BYU football team)

I then divided the participants into three groups and had them take a stab at writing a mission statement for the Venturing/Priests Quorum program. The resulting statements were a little wordy but all seemed to emphasize the preparation of leaders. While the groups were working on this project, this is a statement I composed, which I rather like:
–To prepare the next generation of incredible leaders in the Church
(Thanks to Greg for sharing some of the ideas above and also a book by Roy Spence, Jr., IT’S NOT WHAT YOU SELL, IT’S WHAT YOU STAND FOR)