Youth Leadership Opportunities
Every Green Crew Member Has the Opportunity to Be A Leader
All Green Crew Members have the opportunity to join Green Crew leadership.
The Green Crew is youth-inspired and youth-led. What does it mean that the Crew is youth lead? The Green Crew’s adventures are identified by, designed, organized, planned, and executed by youth. Adults provide an advisory role or serve as subject matter consultants. The adult’s role is not to direct or even ensure the success of adventures — only their safety. [Learn more about the adult role and volunteer opportunities here.]
An aspect of the Green Crew youth program is leadership development. Our goal is to ensure Green Crew members have the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge to be part of a great new generation of environmental and conservation leaders. For participants in Green Crew adventures, this leadership development is seeing and experiencing youth in the leadership roles during the adventure. For Green Crew members, this includes attending select training and being mentored by Leadership members in organizing and leading aspects of an adventure.
All Green Crew Members also have the opportunity to join Green Crew leadership. Green Crew leadership operates in association with the BSA Venture Program. Therefore, the leadership positions are modeled on the BSA Venture Crew model. Each leadership position has a specific role and function in the operation of the Green Crew. There is extensive in-person and online training available to Crew leadership members to ensure they have access to the resources they need to be successful in the fulfillment of their leadership responsibilities.
Mentoring is a fundamental component of the leadership development program. Experienced youth leaders are paired with new Crew leadership members. Supported by the Associate Advisor of Mentoring, each crew leadership position is paired with an adult Associate Advisor.
The executive leadership of the Crew — the President and Vice Presidents are elected annually. The Executive Leader appoints Director positions after the annual election. There is a two-month leadership translation where the President-elect and Vice-Presidents-elect shadow the outgoing leadership. Both executive leadership teams jointly facilitate the yearly planning. In addition, all incoming leaders receive in-depth training on their position.
Any youth 14-21 is eligible to be one of the Green Crew leaders. Green Crew leaders become members of the Green Venture Crew, which is operated in association with the BSA Venturing program.
Of course. They can lead a significant portion of the adventure. Under the mentorship of a co-leader who is a member of the Green Crew leadership team, they can take on the responsibility of organizing, planning, and implementing an adventure.
No. however, it is expected that all Crew members who seek a leadership position will join the Green Venture Crew as part of the Green Crew program. By our by-laws, to serve in one of the elected positions associated with the Crew’s executive leadership, the youth leader will need to be a member of the Green Venture Crew. In a rare situation, at the discretion of the youth and with approval of the Youth Program Committee, exceptions can be made for Director level positions.
The annual Green Crew Leadership elections are held in September. The new leaders take office in January. The overlapp of terms provides for smooth leadership transitions that maximize the opportunity for continuity and success.
