BOY SCOUT TROOPS
VENTURING CREWS
By the time a Scout is 14 years of age, more than two-thirds of his fellow first year Scouts have left Boy Scouting.
The statistics show a definite trend to break with a troop at about the time high school starts.
Many crews are extensions of Boy Scout troops. This should be very logical since senior scouting was invented by scoutmasters soon
after Boy Scouting started as a means of keeping older boys involved. This mean giving them a program designed for older teens-
more challenge, more difficult, more advancement opportunities, more and great leadership opportunities, and major trips.
Plus, throw in the doing with your friends and girls and you have a winner.
Many Scoutmasters today recognize that a Venturing crew as an extension of their troop can be complimentary not competitive.
Scoutmaster Challenges:
• Keeping 14 to 18 year old Boy Scouts “engaged” in the troop.
• Challenging older Boy Scouts, while at the same time, trying to attract and retain younger Boy Scouts.
• Competing with older Boy Scouts’ interests; cars, girls, high school.
• Providing leadership/role model opportunities to all older Boy Scouts.
• Giving younger Boy Scouts something to anticipate beyond the troop
• Consistently offering exciting program.
Suggestions on how a Venturing Crew partnered with the Troop can work together:
• The Venturing program complements the Boy Scout troop. It adds exciting new advancement and leadership opportunities for your older boys.
• It allows flexibility, so boys can participate in both programs.
• Venturing can help solve many of the Scoutmaster’s challenges. Keeps older boys in Scouting!
• It meets the wants and needs of 14 to 21 year old young men using age appropriate methods.
• It provides a scouting program for daughters of scouting families.
• New advancement opportunities for boys interested in progressing beyond Eagle.
• New, exciting awards and recognition for boys out of the advancement loop.
• Activities with boys and girls their own age.
• New leadership skills training for all members.
• Venturers give leadership to the troop through the Ranger program, etc.
• A place to be an Eagle
• Boy Scouts ages 14 to 18 and adult leaders can be members of both units; primary registration in the troop and multiple in the crew (or vice-versa) at NO EXTRA COST.
• The crew meets separately from the troop twice each month and has occasional activities with the troop and many on their own.
• Venturers in the troop, (especially troop leaders) are expected to participate in both units.
• Venturers can teach (It’s a Venturing Method and Advancement requirement) and provide program.
• Let the Venturers take over some activities previously done by troop adult leaders such as a leadership training weekend for the troop leaders.
• One committee
• One calendar
• Occasional joint activities like courts of honor.
• A crew should not appear to be competing with a troop!
• Recruit an Assistant Scoutmaster or committee member to serve as Crew Advisor.
• Utilize existing merit badge counselors as consultants for the Ranger award & vice versa.
• Utilize troop advancement chair to help conduct crew reviews for the Gold and Silver Awards.
• Venturers can wear distinctive uniforming and maintain the same unit #.
• Younger Boy Scouts think of the crew as extension of the troop. Something to aspire to!
• Place for daughters and sisters to be active in Scouting
• Co-education fosters mature, responsible and respectful relationships.
Frequently Asked Questions:
• Can a Venturer earn Eagle? YES-once a Boy Scout has earned First Class and is eligible to join a Crew, he can join a Crew, earn merit badges and ranks in the Crew. The Requirements stay the same.
• Does a Venturer who is working on Eagle have to be multiply registered? NO – he can earn it exclusively in the Crew.
• Why is silver higher than gold? BSA Tradition, Bronze, Gold and Silver (Same as Eagle Palms)
• Where do I find advancement requirements? The Venturing, Ranger, Trust and Quest Handbooks for Venturing awards, The Boy Scout Requirements Book for Boy Scout Ranks and Merit Badges.
• What is the difference between VENTURE and VENTURING? VENTURE is a patrol program within a Boy Scout Troop, with Boy Scout program advancement, methods, and guidelines. Venture Patrol members may not earn Venturing awards unless they are also registered in a Crew, and receive the awards through the Crew. VENTURING is a separate, distinct program with it’s own recognition, methods, and guidelines
• What is Venturing’s official uniform? There is no official uniform for Venturing. “The uniform, if any, is the choice of the Crew”. There is a Green Venturing shirt available from BSA supply that may be chosen.
• Can a Venturer get past credit and multiple credit? Venturers do not get any credit for activities done prior to joining a Crew, except for Certifications such as Lifeguard, First Aid, etc. Once they join a Crew, all activities may be counted towards both their Venturing and Boy Scout recognitions/awards/ advancement.
POINTS TO REMEMBER:
• Scoutmasters created senior scouting as a way to keep older boys in the program back in the 20s.
• That same need is still here and the answer is Venturing, a program that traces it’s roots back to the senior scouting program of the 20’s.
• How can Venturing steal your older boys if the crew and the troop are partners?
• Have one committee. One calendar.
• Do things together, but give the Older Boys a place they can go for greater, age appropriate challenges.
Character,
Citizenship, Fitness
The aims of the BSA’s 3 Programs
|
Boy Scout Methods Patrol Method Adult Association Leadership Scouting Ideals Outdoors Advancement Personal Growth Uniform
|
Venturing Methods Group Activities Adult Association Leadership Scouting Ideals High Adventure Recognition Teaching Others
|
For More information on how Venturing can help your troop:
- Use the Venturing Videos and Resources disk to watch the videos and get the details
- Contact your District Executive or a District Venturing volunteer
- Check out www.scouting.org/venturing