Venturing

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What is Venturing?

Program

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, to grow, to develop leadership skills, and to become good citizens.

Venturing crews can specialize in a variety of avocation or hobby interests. Venturing programs are developed around six experience areas of emphasis.

Citizenship

Develop a better understanding of America's social, economic, and governmental systems.
Encourage a pride in our American heritage.

Leadership

Develop leadership skills.
Prepare for giving leadership and to fulfill responsibilities to American society and to the peoples of the world.

Fitness

Improve mental, emotional, and physical fitness and an appreciation for sports.
Develop ethical decision-making skills.

Social

Instill stable personal values firmly based on religious concepts.
Develop skill in dealing with all people and encourage a sense of family and community responsibility.

Outdoor

Develop a degree of self-reliance based on courage, initiative, and resourcefulness.
Understand and appreciate the wise use of resources and the protection of our environment.

Service

Encourage the skill and desire to help others.
Gain a keen respect for the basic rights of others.

Goals

Young 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.

Voluntary association between youth and adults. Because Venturing is voluntary, youth are receptive to new ideas, experiences, and relationships. For the youth members, these relationships provide a connection to new ways of thinking and acting, and a new identity as a responsible young adult.
Ethical decision-making. By asking young people to be responsible for themselves, for a program of positive activities and experiences, and for other people, Venturing provides numerous opportunities for making decisions and ethical choices. With the influence of positive adult role models and structured activities, youth learn to make effective and ethical decisions.
Group activities. Venturing activities are interdependent group experiences in which success is dependent on the cooperation of all youth and adults.
Recognition of achievement. Recognition might come through the achievement of one of the many awards available to youth members, but peers and adults also achieve it through the acknowledgement of a young person's competence and abilities.
Democratic process. Venturing crews provide exposure to democratic ideas and skills that are needed throughout life.
Curiosity, exploration, and adventure. New experiences and Venturing activities provide an excellent opportunity for acquiring new skills and participating in action-oriented activities.

Venturing Crew Specialties

The program of every Venturing crew evolves around a special avocation or hobby interest of the youth members and adult leaders. Youth members have the interest and the adult leaders provide the resources and expertise. Venturing crew may pursue hundreds of different interests.

Ethics in Action

An important goal of Venturing is to help young adults be responsible and caring persons, 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 a risk is and how it will affect 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.

Crew Activities

What 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 many 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 Crew

Organizing a Venturing crew is easy to do. Just follow these steps:

1. A survey is conducted annually in community high schools to determine students' recreational, hobby, and avocation interests.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Once the crew is established and youth officers elected, the adults work with the members and officers to develop the first year's program.

What Youth Want

Research 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 secure place 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 Support

The Venturing Division is designing literature, audiovisuals, training, activities, and awards to support Venturing crews and ships.

Literature and audiovisuals. A variety of books, pamphlets, and videos are being 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 is available.

Activities. Programs that enhance youth participation, such as the National Venturing Trek, will be available to all Venturing crews and youth and adult members.

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 will offer 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 that 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 ships 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, National Council, Boy Scouts of America.