starting a crew

[asm206]

We are a boy scout that is considering dual regristring the older boys as a venuting crew.

 

What are the advantages of filling out all the paper work to make an offical crew over simply having two or three special trips for older boys.

 

Venture leaders often say venture scouts can do stuff boy scouts can't. They always use firing handguns as the example are they any others?

[John-in-KC]

Let's start with some activity inventories:

 

1) What do the young men like and want to do? Venturing supports more than just hiking and camping.

http://www.scouting.org/venturing/about/venturing.html

Specifically, note the Outdoors method is missing, but there is a "High Adventure" method. I know of a HS band based crew where a trip to a competition 1000 miles away was the HA!

Additionally, look at the awards system of Venturing. While you don't have to use it, Recognition is a Method! The 5 Bronze awards show the major areas of Venturing:

Sports

Religious Life

Arts and Hobbies

Outdoor

Sea Scout ... remember that Sea Scouting has unique elements from the rest of Venturing. Eamonn in particular here can give you great detail.

 

Venturing can provide excellent program support for HS youth who have become interested in varsity athletics, the band, and the drama programs in their schools.

 

2) Are the young men contemplating a co-ed environment? Venturing permits that! Again, an inventory of what directions the young men want to take applies. Going co-ed includes the MANDATE to recruit sufficient women to be leaders as well. Overnight activities require 4 specific bed-down spaces: Youth/adult men, youth/adult women.

 

3) Are you expecting the young men to wear uniforms? Take a step back. Uniforming is NOT a method of Venturing. There is a Class A uniform developed by Supply Corporation, but it may not support what your Crew will need. Commonly agreed to dress clothes and uniform activity gear may work far better than a "de la Renta" cut shirt.

 

4) Young adults age 18-20 years 364 days can still be youth program members!

 

So again I ask: Have you done an activity inventory of the older youth in your Troop, as well as HS youth in your area?

[JimSobr]

Some reasons our troop decided to form a Venture Crew:

 

1. Some of our older scouts were starting to lose interest. They've been to Philmont and Northern Tier, they needed something extra to keep them in the program. If they join at first class, they can continue to work on eagle requirements as a crew member.

 

2. The Co-ed aspect brings an added dimension to the unit. Having girls along on an outing or a high adventure trip can make it a better experience.

 

3. Friends(14+) from outside scouting can join the crew.

 

For years my daughter, an ex-girl scout would complain about not being able to do the fun things that the boy scouts did. She can do them as a crew member. It's a great program!

[emb021]

John-in-KC gave some great info. Let me comment first about this remark:

 

"Venture leaders often say venture scouts can do stuff boy scouts can't. They always use firing handguns as the example are they any others?"

 

Venture and Venturing are NOT interchangeable terms. Venture and Venturing are two separate BSA programs. Venture is an optional program for older Boy Scouts, Venturing is the BSA's co-ed program for older (14-21) youth.

 

There are no such thing as "venture scouts". Boys involved in Venture are Boys Scouts. Youth involved in Venturing are Venturers.

 

The unit in Venturing is called a "Venturing Crew", not a 'venture crew'. The 'unit' in Venture is the Venture Patrol of a Boy Scout Troop. A Venture Patrol is NOT 'Venturing in a troop'.

 

While there are several activities that Venturers can do that Boy Scouts can't, the reasons for establishing a Venturing Crew should go beyond that.

 

In Venturing, units can be co-ed. We get a lot of girls who want to do 'the boy scout thing' and are frustrated by the lack of this in girl scouts.

 

In Venturing, more so then in Boy Scouts, the youth run the program. They run the crew, they make the decisions. There is a reason the adults are called 'Advisors'.

 

In Venturing, crews can be setup with a specific focus. Yes, outdoor/high adventure crews are the biggest number, but I know of model railroad, ham radio, youth ministries, indian lore, historical re-enactment, role playing games, scouting memoriabilia collecting, band, drama, scuba, aquatics and a wide range of other types of crews. Plus there are the Sea Scouts.

 

Also, the Boy Scout program was designed for the 11-13 year old. The Venturing program was designed for the high school/college age youth. This is yet another big attraction. Its an age-appropriate program.

 

I would also cautious about trying to tie the Crew too closely with the Troop. The Crew should have a separate existance. Don't do nonsense like require all the crew members to remain active in the troop, or the force the crew program to be subservient to the troops. Don't set high joining requirements for the boys from the troop who want to join the crew (whether its first class or Eagle). Some boys may want to remain in the troop. Some boys may want to be in both. Some boys may want to be only in the Crew. You may attract new youth (both boys and girls) who want to join the crew. Let them.

 

 

 

[Stosh]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think one can start a crew with only dual-registered members.

 

Secondly, if anyone tries this, I'd be pleasantly surprised if it worked. If one cannot keep older Boy Scouts interested, what makes one think it will work if all you do is change the name of the organization from Boy Scouts to Venturing?

 

Unless you are doing High Adventure, there is nothing that couldn't be done in Boy Scouts that is being done in Venturing. And if the only thing you want to be able to do is fire handguns, then there is something seriously wrong with the reasons for wanting to start a crew in the first place.

[John-in-KC]

Not true. Our Crew started 100% co-chartered; at next re-charter, the young people re-oriented primary registration to Venturing.

 

At least... not true as my DE set up OUR crew. Whether technically correct to the hidden policy manuals in Irving, I neither know nor care.(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

[emb021]

"Unless you are doing High Adventure, there is nothing that couldn't be done in Boy Scouts that is being done in Venturing."

 

Last time I checked, Boy Scouts were not co-ed.

 

Also, Venturing is more then just doing High Adventure. The range of activities that crews do is many times wider then for troops. And I think many troops would balk at some of the things that many crews routinely do, because they would view it as 'not Boy Scouting' or built around getting boy scout advancement.

 

Crews specialize. Troops do not. This is an attraction for some youth to be involved in a group that is focused on what they want to do. Also, advancement is NOT a big thing in Venturing. So there's no one on your *ss about getting 'First Class in a year' or getting your Eagle or the like (or there shouldn't be).