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What Is Venturing?
Venturing is a youth development program of the Boy Scouts of America for young
men and women who are 14 (and have completed the eighth grade) through 20 years
of age. Venturing's purpose is to provide positive experiences to help
young people mature and to prepare them to become responsible and caring adults.
Venturing is based on a unique and dynamic relationship between youth, adult
leaders, and organizations in their communities. Local community organizations
establish a Venturing crew by matching their people and program resources to the
interests of young people in the community. The result is a program of exciting
and meaningful activities that helps youth pursue their special interests, grow,
develop leadership skills, and become good citizens. GoalsYoung
adults involved in Venturing will - Learn to make ethical choices over
their lifetimes by instilling the values in the Venturing Oath and Code
-
Experience a program that is fun and full of challenge and adventure
-
Become a skilled, training and program resource for Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts
and other groups
- Acquire skills in the areas of high adventure,
sports, arts and hobbies, youth ministries, or Sea Scouting
-
Experience positive leadership from adult and youth leaders and be given
opportunities to take on leadership roles
- Have a chance to learn and
grow in a supportive, caring, and fun environment
Methods
The methods of Venturing have been carefully chosen to meet the needs of young
adults. - Leadership
- All Venturers are given opportunities
to learn and apply proven leadership skills. A Venturing crew is led by
elected crew officers. The Venturing Leadership Skills Course is designed for
all Venturers and helps teach in an active way to effectively lead.
-
Group Activities
- Venturing activities are interdependent group
experiences in which success is dependent on the cooperation of all. Learning
by "doing" in a group setting provides opportunities for developing new
skills.
- Adult Association
- The youth officers lead
the crew. The officers and activity chairs work closely with adult Advisors
and other adult leaders in a spirit of partnership. The adults serve in a
"shadow" leader capacity.
- Recognition
- Recognition
comes through the Venturing advancement program and through the
acknowledgement of a youth's competence and ability by peers and adults.
-
The Ideals
- Venturers are expected to know and live by the Venturing
Oath and Code. They promise to be faithful in religious duties, treasure their
American heritage, to help others and to seek truth and fairness.
-
High Adventure
- Venturing's emphasis on high adventure helps provide
team-building opportunities, new meaningful experiences, practical leadership
application, and life-long memories to young adults.
-
Teaching Others
- All of the Venturing Awards require Venturers to teach
what they have learned to others. When they teach others often, Venturers are
better able to retain the skill or knowledge they taught, they gain confidence
in their ability to speak and relate to others and they acquire skills that
can benefit them for the rest of their lives as a hobby or occupation.
Ethics in ActionAn important goal of Venturing is to help young adults
be responsible and caring people, both now and in the future. Venturing uses
"ethical controversies" to help young adults develop the ability to make
responsible choices that reflect their concern for what is a risk and how it
will effect others involved. Because an ethical controversy is a problem-solving
situation, leaders expect young adults to employ empathy, invention, and
selection when they think through their position and work toward a solution of
an ethical controversy. Crew ActivitiesWhat a Venturing crew does
is limited only by the imagination and involvement of the adult and youth
leaders and members of the crew-sail the Caribbean, produce a play, climb a
mountain, teach disabled people to swim, or attend the Olympics. All these
adventures and more are being done today by Venturing crews and ships across the
country. All that is needed are concerned adults who are willing to share a
little bit of themselves with today's youth-tomorrow's leaders. Starting
a New Venturing CrewOrganizing a Venturing crew is easy to do. Just
follow these steps: - A survey is conducted annually in
community high schools to determine students' recreational, hobby, and
avocation interests.
- A meeting is called of key people within an
organization, with a Scouting representative in attendance. The representative
explains the Venturing program, describes the key volunteer leader positions,
and plans the recruiting of adult leaders.
- The crew committee and
Advisors are recruited and meet with the Scouting representative.
Responsibilities of adult leaders are explained. The Scouting representative
also discusses program ideas and helps develop a one-year program. The crew's
one-year program is reviewed and adopted.
- The organization's top
executive writes a personal letter to each young adult selected from the
survey, or identified through other recruitment efforts, and invites the youth
and their parents to attend an organizational meeting. This letter is followed
by a personal phone invitation from a member of the organization to each
prospective youth.
- The first meeting is held, involving young adults,
the adult committee, and selected consultants. Adult Advisors share the
program plans with the new Venturers (youth) and discuss member involvement
and leadership roles through the election of youth officers.
What
Youth WantResearch has revealed these major points: - High
school students have many vocational and avocational interests.
-
Teenagers want a broader experience that provides practical "hands-on"
experience and is tailored to their cultural backgrounds.
- Teenagers
want to belong to a group that provides a "safe haven" from which to address
the youth development issues that affect them. These issues include
experimentation; moving from dependence to interdependence, social
relationships, psychological changes and sexual maturity, and a re-evaluation
of values.
Program SupportThe Venturing Division has
designed literature, audiovisuals, training, activities, and awards to support
Venturing crews and ships. - Literature and audiovisuals
- A
variety of books, pamphlets, and videos have been developed to assist with
organization, program, leadership, and activities. In particular, the
Venturing Leader Manual will support leadership and planning.
-
Training
- Basic and advanced leader training sessions along with crew
leader workshops, quarterly Advisor meetings, and program conferences will be
available to improve and enrich Venturing crew programs. A weeklong
high-adventure skills course for Venturing Advisors called Powder Horn is
available annually.
- Advancement Awards
- A variety
of awards are available to Venturers who accomplish specific advancement
achievements. These awards include:
- Venturing Bronze Awards
-
Venturing Gold Award
- Venturing Silver Award
- Venturing
Ranger Award
- Sea Scouting Quartermaster Award
-
Recognition Awards
- Those awards that are designed to provide
recognition for youth and adults include:
- Venturing Leadership Award
-
Venturing Advisor Award of Merit
- Uniforms
-
The BSA Supply Division offers the traditional spruce-green uniform shirt for
Venturers. It is recommended that crews adopt a charcoal gray casual pant
and/or backpacking-style short for their uniform. However, each crew may
determine what, if any, specific uniform pants or shorts they will wear based
on crew activities.
- BSA Councils
- Venturing crews
and ships are supported by local BSA councils, which provide staff and
volunteer support, operate service centers and camps, and conduct training and
activities.
- Liability Insurance
- The Boy Scouts of
America has liability insurance that covers leaders and organizations to which
Venturing crews and shops are chartered. Accident and medical coverage are not
included but are available through local BSA councils at a modest cost.
For additional information and support on organizing a new Venturing Crew or Sea
Scout Ship, contact your
local Boy Scouts of America Service Center or the Venturing Division, at the
national office, Boy Scouts of America.
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