Venturing Crew vs. Explorer Post

[CNYScouter]

I ran into a friend of mine who is in an Antique/Classic car club. This club has its own shop to do auto repairs; the shop has everything from tools to a lift to a paint booth. Knowing I am involved with Scouting, they wondered about starting a Scout Unit with an Automobile focus. They even have a classic car that someone is willing to donate to restore if they start a youth program.

 

In talking with them, it sounded like the wanted this more as a hobby than career and I suggested perhaps a Venturing Crew was what they were looking for.

 

I do not know much about the Exploring program.

 

What are the main differences between a Venturing Crew and an Explorer Post?

 

Any advantage of one over the other?

 

[Eagle1973]

Not the answer you are looking for and not to steal a new crew/post from the BSA, but look into 4-H too.

 

On the surface, I'd say this would fit into the realm of Explorers. Crews usually do high adventure stuff, Explorers to occupational stuff (Police, Fire/Rescue, etc...)

[Kahuna]

CNY: There are no more Explorers. BSA separated that program into two groups: Ventures and Learning for Life. As Eagle mentioned, Ventures tend to do high adventure and outdoor stuff. Learning for Life is often based in schools and it may be that there is an LFL unit doing vocational auto repair in a school. Check with your council.

[CNYScouter]

Explorer Post still do exist they are under Learning for Life.

see: http://www.learning-for-life.org/exploring/index.html

 

Most of the Explorer Posts in our council are sponsered by a business.

 

I was really trying to find where to steer this group into as they do not fit into either of these as the club is not career oriented like an Explorer Post nor are they outdoor oriented like most Crews but the club would really like to have a Scouting program associated with it.

 

However, I have taken Venturing Leader Basic Training and I was told that a Venturing Crew does not have to be Outdoor/High Adventure oriented.

[Backpacker]

Kahuna and Eagle, Venturing is not all about high adventure there are a variety of options, look at the Venturing Handbook, there are sports options, arts and hobbies, conservation/outdoors,religious life, and sea scouting or a combination of these. A venturing crew is not the same thing as a Venture patrol. The crew decides whether to be a specialized crew or a general interest crew combining several aspects like my crew does. An antique car club would be a good fit for a specialized crew. CNY is also correct that Explorer posts do still exsist and are career interest posts, such as fire, police, sports medicine, search and rescue to name just a few.

 

This is why I never understand why SM's say that Venturing steals their boys. Posts and Crews are usually always coed and tend to focused on one or a few specialized interests, they are not or ever were intended to be a group of older boy scouts, rather they were for teenagers who were former scouts or those who were not interested or eligible(girls)in being boy scouts.

 

 

[emb021]

As others have pointed out, Exploring still exists under Learning for Life. As such, Exploring is not part of the BSA. The BSA 'owns' Learning for Life, but keeps the 2 programs separate.

 

The only real similiarity between Venturing and Exploring is they focus on the same age group: 14-21 youth (boys and girls).

 

The differences is that Exploring is a career orientation program (examples are Law Enforcement, Law, Fire, Engineering, Aviation, Health, etc), while Venturing is avocation based (Outdoor, religious Life, Sports, Arts & Hobbies, Sea Scouting). As noted, Venturing is NOT JUST Outdoors. While very popular, there are many other kinds of crews.

 

Whether a group forms a Venturing Crew or Exploring Post can SOMETIME be dependent on the group and what THEY want. For instance, I have heard of Computer 'hobby' Venturing Crews. You might think 'hey, computers is a career', but these crews did NOT want to be moved out of the BSA, and so choice to be a Computer Hobby Venturing Crew and NOT an Computer Career Exploring Post. I have heard of Search & Rescue Venturing Crews chartered to volunteer groups, rather then Seach & Rescue Exploring Posts chartered to government bodies. (due to certain issues, government bodies are ONLY going to have Explorer Posts...).

 

Now, is your group forming a 'classic car hobby' group, or a 'auto mechanice career' group? That will determine whether you should be thinking about a Venturing Crew or an Exploring Post.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

[CNYScouter]

I was wondering more on how does the organization and the way an Explorer Post is run differ from the way a Venturing Crew is run and is organized?

 

I know how a Venturing Crew works but have no idea on the structure and the way an Explorer Post is run.

 

emb021 yes this is the question that needs to be answered. This type of youth group could go into either a Post or a Crew.

 

We are meeting with the DE tonight to see which is a good fit for the club and where to proceed next.

 

[John-in-KC]

I just talked with my Council Professional who is the specialist for Ventruing in the Field Service department:

 

- A member of a Venturing Crew (or a Scouter on a Crew charter) is a member of BSA. He or she has access to the full range of BSA programs as appropriate to age and gender.

 

- A member of an Exploring Post, or an adult on the post charter, IS NOT a member of BSA. They are members of Learning for Life. Unless the youth is also a member of a BSA unit, he or she does not have access to BSA programs.

 

Frankly, I'd encourage choosing a Venturing Crew over LFL and a Post.

[emb021]

"I was wondering more on how does the organization and the way an Explorer Post is run differ from the way a Venturing Crew is run and is organized?

 

I know how a Venturing Crew works but have no idea on the structure and the way an Explorer Post is run. "

 

In terms of organization, there is NO difference between the two. Venturing really copied the then existing Exploring material in this regards. Literally. Keep in mind that the Venturing program was taken from the non-vocational units of the pre-1998 Exploring program.

 

The difference between the two programs is NOT in how the units are run, but in the focus of the purpose for the program AND who is the chartering org.

 

If the chartering org is a government body (and I include public schools in this), then they pretty much have to be an Explorer Post.

 

If the purpose is vocational, then they really should be an Explorer Post.

 

if the purpose is avocational, then they can be a Venturing Crew.

 

 

 

[Cubmaster Randy]

Here is the Website for comparing the Learning for life and Exploring programs

 

 

http://www.learning-for-life.org/

[CNYScouter]

Thanks for all the responses.

 

After meeting with the DE last night is looks like a Venturing Crew is the way to go.

 

I talked with the President of the Club on Saturday morning, he talked with club members over the weekend and it looks like they have enough adults in the club interested in becoming leaders (even a female Associate Advisor) and enough clubs members with Venturing age kids to get this started.

 

This was something they had talked about doing for sometime but never knew where to begin.

They have asked me, since I am the experienced Scouter, to set up the necessary training (NLE and Youth Protection) and they are going to get as many club members as possible to take these.

 

Ill keep the forum updated on the Crews progress.

 

 

[emb021]

"They have asked me, since I am the experienced Scouter, to set up the necessary training (NLE and Youth Protection) and they are going to get as many club members as possible to take these."

 

There is more to the 'necessary training' for Venturing then just NLE & YPT. They need to go thru Venturing Leader Specific Training AND there is a Venturing-specific YPT.

 

Once they have done Venturing Fast Start, NLE, and Venturing Specific, they have complete Basic Training for Venturing Leaders.

 

 

[CNYScouter]

emb021-

 

I am aware that the necessary training does include all the things you mentioned.

 

The club has copies of the Venturing Fast Start (along with where to get it on-line) and will be distributing it to the members.

 

As NLE and YPT are the first courses a new leader needs to take this is where we will be starting.

The club feels that they should get as many members as possible to take these and I know the people to contact to set these up.

 

The shop will be open for club members to use, along with any members of the crew to use, most nights and weekends.

The club feels that NLE and YPT are important and wants its to know what Scouting is about and the YPT rules that go along with the responsibility of being a CO.

 

The Venturing Leaders Specific Training will be taken by the club members and other adults that will be working closely with the youth, but I dont think that every member of the club needs to take the Leader Specific Training as there are over 60 people in the club.

 

[emb021]

"As NLE and YPT are the first courses a new leader needs to take this is where we will be starting.

The club feels that they should get as many members as possible to take these and I know the people to contact to set these up.

 

The shop will be open for club members to use, along with any members of the crew to use, most nights and weekends.

The club feels that NLE and YPT are important and wants its to know what Scouting is about and the YPT rules that go along with the responsibility of being a CO."

 

Ok. I didn't get your intended audience.

 

I would actually disagree with the selected courses for that group.

 

Its more important that your club members go thru Venturing YPT, rather then the generic one.

 

Am not familiar enought with NLE to say whether or not that is as appropriate as it should be.

 

I also think the club members should view the New Crew Fast Start Video (AV-03V013) as well as the video (am not sure the name), in which the crew is about to go one a bike trip and the Advisor explains what is going on. These two videos I think are vital for such an audience (club members) to understand what Venturing is and how it operates, especially in getting across the message that the YOUTH run the program, not the adults.

 

This is another video (Selling Venturing to the Head of an Organization (AV-03V011)), but am not sure of its content.

 

[CNYScouter]

I didn't know there was a Venturing YPT.

There was no mention of a different YPT for Venturing Leaders during the Leader Specific Training.

I was told there was a specific YPT for the youth in a Crew but not a separate YPT for adults.

Is this available on-line? Does anyone have a link for Venturing YPT?

 

The DE that we met with suggested that the club members be directed to the on-line version from our councils Web site. That training is the same for Cubs, Scouts and Venturing.

 

Ill see about getting the Fast Start Video to show during training when I talk with the Training Coordinator.