New to Venturing and have a few questions, please help.

[ScoutMomAng]

Hi! I have been with the BSA for the past 7 years. This is my 8th year. I have been Wolf leader, Bear leader, WeBeLoS leader, committee chair, fundraising chair, committee member for the troop and I even hold a district position! However, I know virtually NOTHING about venturing! My 16 yr old daughter was in Girl Scouts until she started the 8th grade. By then she had enough of scouting and didn't want any part of it. I told her she could join a venture crew when she was 14 but she kept saying, NO! I don't want to do scouts anymore. Then recently, we went to our council camp grounds (her first time going with us) and she enjoyed herself so much that she wants a job there and wants to be a venture scout in the process! I am thrilled to death that she finally wants to do this! The problem is, we only have one venture crew in our district with approximately 40 registered members. The crew only meets once a month on a Monday before the weekend of an outing. Is this normal? Where can I find information on Venture Crews? Do Venture scouts have badges, like boy scouts, to earn? Do they have ranks to earn? I want her to be in a crew and I'm willing to get her started in one, even in another neighboring district, until I learn more and can maybe start one closer to home and be an advisor or get somebody else to be a venture.

 

Where can I find more information on venture crews, how they are run, what their mission is? I know I can go to my council to find out this information, however, I'm not sure I totally trust the answers I would get from there. Does anybody have any links they can refer me too?

 

Thanks.

 

YIS

ScoutMomAng

[Bob White]

You will find the same jind of resources are available to you for Venturing as there is for Cub Scouting and Boy Scouting. You will find Venturing FaSt Start at the BSA's on-line learning center. You can download a Venturing Fact Sheet from the BSA national website at www.scouting.org. Your local scout office has a Venturing Handbook you can purchase as well as a Venturing Leaders manual, just as with all other BSA programs.

 

There is also Venturing leader specific training available through your council.

 

Also check with your council to see if they have a gathering of local Crew Advisors that you could attend.

 

To answer your specific questions. Yes there are Venturing badges and a Venturing uniform, however crews are allowed to develop their own uniform or use none at all.

 

No, Venturing does not have ranks except in Sea Scouting. Venturing does have recognitions that can be earned in a number of different program categories but they are not considered ranks.

 

Their mission is the same as Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts but they use different methods that the other two programs.

 

 

I hope your daughter has a great time in Venturing.

 

 

 

 

 

[ScoutNut]

The BSA National Web site has an entire section devoted to Venturing.

 

http://www.scouting.org/Venturing.aspx

 

Your council should also have a DE for Venturing.

 

Hope your daughter has a great experience as a Venturer (not a Venture Scout).

 

[Chief Decorah]

Congratulations to your daughter on being excited about Venturing. I have a couple girls in my Crew who are sisters of Boy Scouts (and former Girl Scouts) who are excited about what Venturing and our Crew has to offer.

 

Others have given good advice. Contact your local council office to find an active Crew nearest you. You can also go directly to the BSA website for Venturing: http://www.scouting.org/Venturing.aspx

 

Another thing to remember - the term "Venture Crew" is incorrect. It's "Venturing Crew". And as ScoutNut said, it's not "Venture Scout", it's "Venturer". Not trying to nitpick, but the more everyone uses the proper terminology, the stronger the program will be.

 

Good luck! It's going to be a fun ride for both of you!

[Beavah]

Yah, ScoutMomAng, good questions, eh?

 

Some of the others have directed you to good resources. Let me therefore try to answer some of your more specific questions.

 

The crew only meets once a month on a Monday before the weekend of an outing. Is this normal?

 

It's not abnormal. Packs and dens have a schedule that works for the little guys, eh? Troops tend to have a regular weekly schedule that seems to work OK for middle schoolers (where a lot of activities are on a weekly schedule). High schoolers have different schedules, eh? Often stretches where they're very involved in something or dealing with final exams or whatnot, and other periods where they can focus on crew activities. Da crew schedule fits their needs. On average, I'd say most crews move away from a Boy-Scout-like "one meeting a week" thing.

 

Do Venture scouts have badges, like boy scouts, to earn? Do they have ranks to earn?

 

Yah, first thing to understand is that Advancement is not a method of Venturing, the way it is for Boy Scouting, eh? Lots of times adults who come up through the younger programs can't wrap their brain around that, and are poor Venturing Advisors as a result. There are some recognitions in Venturing which some kids choose to earn, or just earn as a natural part of the program. They sorta come in two tracks. Da general track of Bronze-Gold-Silver (Silver is the "capstone" Venturing award), and the crew-type-specific awards (Quartermaster for Sea Scouts, Ranger for adventure crews, Trust for religious life crews, etc.)

 

If I were to guess, I'd say the majority of crews do not use the Venturing recognition system very much, if at all. The kids at high school level in Venturing are mature enough not to need or respond well to external motivation, eh? They're great young people and are internally motivated, and want to leave that "kid stuff" behind.

 

I want her to be in a crew and I'm willing to get her started in one.

 

Yah, good for you, and your daughter! One of the little-known secrets is that we have a LOT of young women in Venturing who are like your daughter - adventurous and bright girls whom GSUSA has just decided not to serve. As a start, I'd have her check out the 40-strong crew in your district. That's big for a crew, so I expect they're doin' something right.

 

As far as starting a crew goes, I reckon a lot of crews get started by parents of Boy Scouts to do somethin' for their daughters, eh? That can be OK, but I'll be honest with you. Those crews tend not to be very long-lived nor as strong as others. Look for a crew that has some non-Boy Scouting adults and youth in it who understand and like to work with high schoolers. Also look for a crew where the adults personal hobbies match da crew's theme. For an adventure crew, look for young adults who are themselves outdoor adventure enthusiasts; for a Sea Scout Ship, look for adults who are themselves sailors in their free time, for re-enactors, look for advisors who would be doing re-enactments on their own if it wasn't for the crew, etc. Those tend to be the best experiences.

 

Beavah

 

[troop2dad]

In response to several young ladies requests we have started our own crew. It is a combination of boys from our troop and their friends who are girls. We have had 4 meetings, every other week, gone to a Venture meeting sponsored by our Council, and the youth have decided to provide a leaf raking service project for our COR during the day and a bowling social that night. The best part is if your daughter has a few friend who want to start a crew get in touch with your council and start one. We found a number of families where the kids wanted the challenges and the opportunity to lead their own group. The parents have joined along and we are anticipating great times ahead.

 

 

[SctDad]

ScoutMomAng

 

I can see where you are coming from. I was at a welcome back gathering with my daughters GS troop a few weeks ago. They were talking with one of the BS fathers that had recently returned from Philmont. Some of the girls had said that they wanted to do that. Well the discussion led to the differences about the cost due to Girl Scout no being BSA chartered. Then the topic of Venture Crews came up. And they looked my way. (They know I am a CS leader)

 

So I guess that is the next 3 years (that is when my daughter turns 14) there will be a new Venture Crew in our district.

 

I ws talking with some of the others and they said that one of the types of crews was a High Adventure crew. I think that would be good. Do things like locally hike the AT, canoe the local rivers, maybe some white water rafting.

 

Here's looking to the future.

[scudder]

I also am new to Venturing and have an important question. We have a co-ed Venturing Crew and a Boy Scout Troop that is associated with our crew. Both groups have high adventure programs in the summer. What are the rules about having our co-ed Venturing Crew do a "mixed" high adventure camping trip with younger members of our Boy Scout Troop. I am concerned about having 12 and 13-year-old boys on the same multi-day, tenting high adventure trip as 14, 15, 16-year-old girls. Is it according to scout regs? Does it make sense? I've been to Philmont and can't remember a co-ed Venturing crew taking a hike with members of a Boy Scout patrol.

[ScoutMomAng]

Hi all

 

Thanks for your responses! They have been a big help. My daughter and I did check out the crew with 40 plus kids but it is not what she is looking for. She wants to wear the uniform. They do not. They actually do not encourage it. They also only meet the Monday before they have an activity and that meeting is basically the Crew Leader telling them what they need to pack, what time they need to be there, how much money they need to bring, what time they will return and a gentle reminder that monthly payments are due for the big summer trip.

 

SHE was not impressed. She said it was more like a club of kids from that school. She also did not like that the Crew leader kept interrupting her when she had a question to ask. She did not like that the kids from that school HAD to earn their varsity letter by signing up for the school sport program and earned it by participating in the hikes/trips that the crew goes on. She said it singled out those kids and made it seem like they were the "elite". My daughter is VERY opinionated and has a strong will. She dresses how she wants to dress, even if everybody else is laughing at her clothing and hair style.

 

That is the ONLY crew in our district that is up and running. There are several other crews in the next district over and we will try one of those out this weekend. There is also another crew that is a few cities over and probably a district or two over but still within the same council. I recently stumbled across a friend I grew up with and her children are in that crew. I had no idea. It would be a long drive for that crew but it would be someplace to put her until we get the one in our city up and running. (I am the District Membership chair so starting a crew is part of my "job"! )

 

Saying that, How does one do a recruitment for a crew? I called one of the local high schools and quite frankly talking to the assistant principal was not the best experience I have had in my life time!

[John-in-KC]

Congratulations on wanting to charter a Crew.

 

To me, the most important element of finding a Crew is finding an interest set that HS age kids are commonly interested in. The best Crews I've seen, co-ed or otherwise, have some form of focus. I've seen successful Crews formed around HS bands, church youth groups, and camp staffs (who want to do things together in the off-season).

 

Ask your DE and Commissioner Service: Are there older Boy Scouts who are finding the Boy Scout program no longer serving them? If so, what are their interests. Ditto Girl Scout troops. Ditto any hobby or interest your own daughter has.

 

If you've not looked at it, here's the Venturing top page at the National website: http://www.scouting.org/Venturing.aspx

[SctDad]

Like I said in my above post, my daughters GSUSA Troop is wanting more adventure so they are looking into Venture.

 

Does your daughter have a specific hobby. Or is she looking for high adventure bases, and activities.

 

Good luck with starting one. Get your leaders first and all should be good from there.

[ScoutMomAng]

My daughter is interested in a lot of things. She LOVES horses and wants a job at the council campground as a ranch hand. She can be nervous about a lot of high adventure activities but once she learns about them and the safe way to do them she'll know which ones interest her most and the ones she would be more likely to do. She is very interested in the arts, animals and travel. She was born in England and has a great desire to go back.

 

Getting adult leaders is the hardest part. I keep talking to people, they seem interested but not real super enthusiastic in helping me get to that starting point. I don't know that I would like to be an advisor but the committee chair seems to be up my alley.

 

I have already taken the fast start training, and I am working on the Youth Protection for Venturing now.

 

[ElyriaLeader]

First you need to gather as many of your Daughters friends into the fold, then determine what the crew is going to primarily focus on, arts, stamp collecting, shooting sports, high adventure, whatever you want, it's their choice, they write the by-laws. If this will be a co-ed crew then you need to recruit a male associate advisor (assuming you are the advisor of course) and then a couple more male and female associate advisors (that way if one or the other can't make it you can still meet) Then....let the kids roll!