Venturing Advancement

[Herms]

Ok, I've read everything there is on the web and put out by BSA and still a little confused. We started a crew in March with 6 boys and a girl (my daughter who couldn't wait to start!!). Now we have 19 with more showing up every week.

 

Who does it mean when it references "Crew Advisor" when it comes to advancement? Do the kids have obtain and advisor or does our primary Crew Advisor do all the kids? The rest of us adults are "Committee" or "Associates". Are we considered advisors??

 

Next I see a "crew review committee" for the Silver Award. Is there also suppose to be one for Bronze and Gold awards?

 

It seems like it is quite different from the way we run it in the troop so we want to get it right from the start.

 

Please advise the Advisors!

 

Thanks.

 

Phil

[Backpacker]

The crew advisor is the same as a scoutmaster in a troop and serves many of the same functions. The associate advisors are like assistant scoutmasters in the troop.Page 250& 260 of the Venturing Leaders guide states that the review committee for silver, gold awards cosist of Venturing youth and adults. The advisor is to have a conference prior to make sure the youth has developed a plan to meet the goals, much like a scoutmaster conference with a little different focus.

 

I suggest that you and all your adult leaders take Venturng Leader Specific Training ASAP and get a Leaders Manual, these resources will make you and the rest of your adult leaders successful. Then provide a good solid program and watch your crew grow.

[Greying Beaver]

Let me expand on what Packpacker has said. I took Venture advisor Training at Philmont a couple of years ago, and the nuts and bolts of the program has not changed that much.

 

Venturing has a different mind-set than boy scouts. The Bronze, Gold, and Silver are not ranks or advancements in the boy-scout sense. They are recognitions. The great thing about the Bronze Awards is that for the Arts and Hobbies bronze award, the membewrs of the crew can make up the requirements for their own award. Generally speaking, 12- 13 requirements emphasising "Teach . . . ", "Visit . . .", " Over a period of time, (do something related to the art or hobby)", "Learn . . .", etc. are necessary for the award. The members of the crew make up the requirements and give them to the Crew Advisor for approval. The Crew President, VP, and other officers sign off on the requirements. The Gold and Silver awards have the Crew Advisor as the approving party.

 

Although BSA has an official Venturing uniform, crews are free to design their own crew uniform. It can be anything, anything. Because the crew is free ti design it's own uniform, all of the recognitions can be worn on the crew uniform shirt or blouse.

 

If you have your beads, there are two schools of thought on whether or not you can wear them on your crew uniform: you can and you cannot. I have seen Crew Advisors doing both. If you don't have your beads, go get them and then worry about it.

 

The crew funcions at a level between PLC and TC. If they want to do something requiring fund raising, they do their own fundraising for inception to completion of the fundraising project. The only limit as to where they can go for a Superactivity is that they must stay on the planet.

 

Want to go camping? If one of the young ladies in the crew goes, an adult trained female assistant advisor or advisor must go on the campout. And sleeping arrangements are stictly non-coed. Boyfrien-girlfrind relationships get left at the door and do not exist at crew activities.

 

If the crew wants to learn how to repair coo-coo clocks, they can go for it. It is their program. Your job is to make sure that things don't get out of hand. At Philmont, I asked the instructors what is the real purpose of adults going on a crew outing, the crew mwmbers being 14 - 20 years old. He gave a great answer: Two-deep leadership (read: BSA insurance), gender segregation, and have enough money on hand to bail'em out of jail, just in case (Be Prepared!) ;-)))). The story that went along with that, . . . well, it's funny now and the misunderstanding was straightened out.

 

Have fun and hang on!

[emb021]

As others have pointed out: GET TRAINING. The Adult Venturing training has a whole section on advancement.

 

Get a copy of the Venturing Leader Manual (this book is for the youth officers, too!), Venturer Handbook/Ranger Guidebook, Quest Handbook and TRUST Handbook. Also get the Advancement Guidelines booklet.

 

Unlike in Cub Scouts & Boy Scouts, "Advancement" is NOT a method of Venturing. This means that if your youth are not getting the Venturing Awards, it's NO BIG DEAL. You can get the Quality Unit for your Crew without having the kids 'advancing'. And your crew does NOT need to build its program around advancement. If they want to, that's THEIR (nor YOUR) choice.

 

Venturing advancement falls into 2 groups: the "basic advancement awards" of Bronze (5 different ones), Gold, and Silver (Silver is considered the highest Venturing Award); and the "expert awards" of Ranger, Quest, and TRUST (which all build on specific Bronze Awards).

 

You can only modify some of the Bronze Awards (yes for Arts & Hobbies, and I believe also Religious Life and Sports, but NO for Outdoor and Sea Scout). As the other poster noted, you still have to be sure the changed requirements are in the 'spirit' of the original.

 

Its best to be sure your Venturers are aware of the awards and what need to do to earn them, just don't pressure them about it. Some leaders find that doing 'stealth advancement' works really good. After a few months of activity, point out to the Venturers all the things they have done, and what they need to do to complete the awards.