Venturing Honor Society

[trailfinder52@yahoo.com]

I am very interested in what opinions are held by my brother and sister Venturers about Venturing Honor Societies similar to the Corps of Discovery a society that was proposed in 1999 and what some Sea Scouts (Sea Explorers) proposed in 1995 known as the Order of the Trident. I for one am tired of Venturers getting the rotten end of the stick. Venturing young men and women should have equal if not seperate opportunities as the young men in troops and teams. Venturing is making some headway on creation of National Quartermaster Association for Sea Scouts and a 2005 proposal of a National Silver Awards Association. I believe that Venturing can do an Honor Society similar to the OA, not based on rank and camping experience but on tenure, leadership and experience and participation in the crew program. It is time to strike out. COD is mostly on the Crew or Ship level and does not threaten the OA or any other BSA Honor Society. It is designed for both young men and women and does not depend on whether someone has earned Outdoor Bronze or any other award. After elected into the COD there is a permanent party for COD Venturers who have done a service project in the community. This honor society is then open to all Venturers while they are still in the BSA. COD can be used by any crew irregardless of specialty. The crew would design the ceremony and tailor it to its own likes.

[Eamonn]

My opinion?

I think there is a National Quartermaster Association for Sea Scouts who have earned Quartermaster.(Last time I looked their web site was under construction) From what I have seen and heard it is not unlike The National Eagle Scout Association. Of course it's a lot smaller.Both Associations serve as a fellowship and communications board for Scouts who have earned the respective rank.

To be very honest I don't think hear the youth members calling out for a Honor Society.

Sure some of the female Sea Scouts seem a little unhappy that some of the males make a big deal about the OA and the Lodge.

I think part of this is due to the fact we have had the past 3 Lodge Chiefs in the Ship!

Life is hard enough for a newbie Skipper (ME!!) trying to plan a program around all the things that the Scouts have in place already, without adding more.

We just don't have room for more stuff!!

Ea.

 

[KC9DDI]

While the creation of a separate Venturing Honor Society is an excellent, at this point, I would think, Venturing still doesn't have the numbers that would make such as organization feasible.

 

However, I think that the OA could open up a little and let female Venturers become members. I don't really see the problem - female Venturers are full, dues-paying members of the Boy Scouts of America, and there is nothing preventing them from making the commitment to cheerful service and superior camping and outdoor skills. Female adult leaders can become OA members, and male Venturers may wear their OA Lodge flap on the green Venturing shirt - it only seems fair to make the option available to female Venturers as well.

[OldGreyEagle]

I used to be a big proponent of having the AO allow Venturers in, both male or female, even going so far as to accusing the OA to be a bunch of knuckle dragging misogynists but I have changed my tune.

 

The OA is the National Camping Honor Society for Boy Scouts. Not all Ventureres are "Campers", Crews who do Sports, Arts and Crafts, Religious Life or even a Sea Scout Ship may have a hard time meeting the Camping requirements of the OA, and by no means do I think anyone wants to see a relaxation of the joining requirements ot the OA.

 

A male can join the boy scouts at ages 10 -11, Venturers join at 14. If you look at the Camping requirements, it takes what, 24-36 months to get the necessary Camping expereince in then what? You have 12-13 boys doing the ordeal with 16-17 year old girls. I am sure this is just what both age groups want to do. If I am wrong on the age estimates, there still will be an age gap in males/females with the girls being older by 4 years.

 

To me, its bad enough that a male youth can join Venturing as a first class scout, drop registration with a Troop and become an Eagle through the Crew while a young lady does not have that option. Why not leave Eagle and all things connected with Boy Scouts to Boy Scouts and if necessary have Venturing come up with its own Honor Society, something that would appeal to all 5 branches of Venturing, not just campers.

 

There are so many misconceptions on the differences between a Venture Patrol and Venturing. Obviously the similarity in the names dont help, having male Venturers run around with boy scout ranks in their green shirts doesnt help, and if the OA becomes the Venturers Honor Society, why even pretend we are a separate program when there is so much cross over?

 

Maybe the four regional presidents and National president of Venturing should be given a charge to develop a national Venturing Honor Society that appeal to all branches

[SR540Beaver]

I agree with OGE. While I appreciate that the BSA developed a co-ed program, I would like to see the programs remain exclusive in their nature. Scouting is scouting and venturing is venturing. If a boy wants to be double registered in scouts and venturing, fine....but what he does in one should have no bearing in the other. Kind of like playing baseball in the spring and football in the fall. They are both sports, but different teams with different coaches and rules.

 

I think the concept behind Venturing is sound, but the execution is poor. We had our annual Wood Badge reunion banquet this past weekend and the SE spoke about the future plans of the council. He discussed the efforts being put in on behalf of all the program elements. But even with all that has been done to date, Venturing showe up on the charts as negligible. It just does not have critical mass. I think part of that is due to trying to reinvent the wheel and having to much involvement with scouting. Doing even further involvement with things such as OA is a step in the wrong direction. I'm fine if they develop their own honor society, just don't open up OA.

[nldscout]

KC9DDI

Female adault leaders that are only venturing advisors cannot become members of the OA. You must be affiliated with a troop who nominates you or be a district member. Thats the only way an adult can become a member.

 

I don't see what is so hard for people to understand. OA is a Boy Scout program area honor society. They don't allow cub leaders to be members either.

 

If venturing wants an honor society, then let them start one, no one is stopping them. The COD withered on the vine be because there was little or no intrest in it. None of the crews in my district even wanted to loook at it, to quote them "We don't need another group to belong to".

[emb021]

A few comments:

 

OA & Venturing. The problem is that the OA is part of the BSA's "Boy Scout Program Division". Because this division is not a co-ed youth division, they can't allow female youth to join the OA. Get all p*ssy about this won't change a thing. I know of many within the OA (youth and adults) who would love to open it up to female Venturers. Any such attempt is always over ruled by the Nat Boy Scout Committee.

 

"why even pretend we are a separate program when there is so much cross over?" Just because there is cross over does not mean we are not separate. The original Senior programs, while always separate from the Boy Scout program, have LONG had connections/cross over with the Boy Scout Program. Troops were allowed to use the various Senior programs within their unit, boys could earn any award from any of the programs, etc. Why erect walls when their need not be.

 

"The COD withered on the vine". The COD may have died down/off in your area, but other areas still use it to an excent. Part of the problem is there is no effort at any kind of national coordination of the 'program', so that others aren't even aware of how its being used. For myself, my main issue with the COD is that is seems to have little purpose beyond 'honoring' someone by making them a member. There is no organization or program or purpose, beyond that, due in no small part of the originators to have the COD 'not be the OA'. They seemed to not have looked at he many other scouting honor societies that have exist (and in some cases still exist), who have always had a real purpose and program.

 

While some seem to want to 'wait around' for the youth to create a 'venturing honor society', I would remined people that most (if not all) of the scouting honor societies were almost all established and organized by adults.

 

 

 

[trailfinder52@yahoo.com]

Concerning a Venturing Honor Society, I do not mean continuing to hope that the OA will eventually open up to female Venturers, I sincerely do not think that will happen. But what I do think could happen is that there could be a Venturing Honor Society that serves all of Venturing. All crews of all specialties and clusters could have a VHS election. 2 goals of this organization would be 1. Equal membership for Male and Female Venturers, showing that Venturing is open to both and can work in an equal manner. 2. Service to community, crew, Venturing and BSA in that order. Venturing Honor Society would be very active in the local community. Also could partner with OA in some camp service projects. The Venturing Division will probably not start these honor societies, It will be up to the youth and the adults that are in the Venturing Program so it will be on the local crew levels, more progressive councils will probably open up to the idea quicker than the most conservative councils. But it will certainly have to be the Venturers and Sea Scouts and the adult leaders associated that will have the lay the ground work.

[emb021]

Again, take a look at the many scout honor societies which have existed (http://usscouts.org/usscouts/honorsociety/honorscout.html has info on many of these).

 

I am not aware of any SHS that started off as unit-based. ALL SHS have been either council-based or camp-based (that is, they existed within a council, and spread to others, or existed at a particilar camp for its summer camp program, and spread to others).

 

SHS have taken their cue from masonic/fraternal groups (including college fraternities), american indian culture (OA, and similiar groups), american frontierman, knights of old, etc.

 

ALL SHS had a purpose beyond just 'honoring scouts with membership'. All had a purpose, usually of service to their camp/council, community and units (all units, not just a particular one). To achieve this purpose, SHS had to have some kind of organization (bylaws, officers, etc).

 

There must be SOME requirement to join. A VHS must, of course, be open to both male & female Venturers (that's a given); and be accessible to members of any kind of crew. But their must be some eligibility requirements. Most are aware of the OA's requirements (First Class, 20 days/nights camping, SM approval). You many not be aware that in the days of Explorer Scouts/Explorers, Explorers just had to achieve the first Explorer rank. So prehaps a VHS could have the requirement of earning ANY Bronze (doable for any Venturer), completing a minimum number of community service hours, maybe hold an office in their crew and attending a district, council, area, regional, or national Venturing event (or an innner-crew event).

 

Another thing is that any VHS should not be a duplication or competition to other Venturing structures. For me, I believe that there should be VOAs (or Teen Leader Councils or Youth Cabinets or whatever you want to call them) in councils (and ideally also in district). These VOAs should be helping Venturing grow, plan and organize Venturing events, promote Venturing, help provide training, etc. Any VHS needs to complement this, not compete with this.

 

For me, while the CoD is an interesting attempt, it does not met some of the criteria I think is important.

 

Any VHS should have:

 

* Be open to all Venturers regardless of gender or crew program.

* A theme or character to the organization (knighthood, frontiersman, indian lore, etc.).

* A purpose beyond just honoring Venturers (service, leadership, etc)

* A structure (bylaws, officers, etc.), and like crews, be youth led/run with adult advisement.

* Be inner-crew (be organized at the district/council level(s), NOT exist solely within a crew).

* Work with existing (or should exist) Venturing structures, such as district/council VOA/TLC/Youth Cabinet (whatever you call them), and not be a competition/distraction/duplication.

* Have a reasonable joining requirement (something the Venturer must work toward to be eligible, but which is doable to most Venturers)

 

[purcelce]

emb has my vote for grand poobah!

 

Good assestment of the situation.

 

Cary P

[SR540Beaver]

I was going to nominate him for top muckity muck.

[emb021]

Do I get a special hat to wear?

[trailfinder52@yahoo.com]

In consideration of previous posts. VHS should have a vision and mission statement and core requirements or considerations for nomination and election. First of all I do not think that copying the OA would be a good idea. Secondly Venturing is a seperate part of BSA and should reflect that even in an honor society. Venturing although a part of the traditional BSA is about the future. It has specialties and clusters and they should be reflected in the VHS, it should not just be about one area of Venturing but about all areas. It should also reflect the Venturing Oath and Code, In all honesty it should be about service to the community, then to Venturing and then to the BSA. For Example the VHS could do service projects to the community in many ways. Venturers could visit people in retirement communities. Visit Veterans in VA hospitals.Adopt a highway, trail or stream and help do cleanups. along with many other things. VHS could re-enforce Venturing in helping new crews get started. I do not believe that VHS has to engaqe in Native American rituals. Now there is nothing wrong with this, for those

who feel that is a good part of their program, it is for them and these are basically younger scouts. In Venturing our youth are older and are treated mainly like equals to adults. VHS could maybe use a an APO format. (Alpha Phi Omega) please note that this is only a brief idea of what I am currently considering and putting on paper.

I appreciate the ideas and thoughts of the people who cared enough to answer this and address it. I know it has been bounced around many times, maybe it will become a future reality. Thanks YIV trailfinder52.

[SR540Beaver]

emb021,

 

Well of course! A pointed hat.

[emb021]

Oh. You mean like a dunce cap?