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Re: Varsity vs. Venture
Michael Brown-EMB021 (Michael_Brown-EMB021@EMAIL.MOT.COM)
Tue, 29 Sep 1998 17:25:31 -0400
Mike Walton once again sends out a great post with lots of good info.
However,
some of what I know doesnt' match up. My comments.
>Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1998 19:05:12 +0000
>From: "Settummanque, the blackeagle - Mike L. Walton"
><blkeagle@DYNASTY.NET>
>Subject: Re: Varsity vs Venture
>
>
>Les Chaffin <chaflesl@ISU.EDU> asked:
>
>
>- Is the Venture program replacing the Varsity program or will
>there be both Venturing and Varsity? Here in Idaho the Varsity
>program is very strong.
>
>Let's define things, first:
>
>VARSITY: A separate program of the Boy Scout Division, BSA. Varsity
>Scouts are organized into squads, lead by a squad leader. Two or
>more squads make up a Team, lead by a youth Captain (whom may have
>an Assistant Team Captain or a Co-Captain) and and adult Team Coach
>(whom must have at least two Assistant Team Coaches). Varsity,
>originally designed for youth as an optional part of a Troop
>operation, is now a separate program with separate charters for
>each Team. The "varsity group" within the Troop doesn't exist
>anymore. Girls may NOT become Varsity Scouts. Varsity Scouts and
>Scouters wear the same field uniform as Boy Scouts, except they
>wear Blaze orange shoulder loops instead of red shoulder loops of
>he Boy Scout/Boy Scouter.
Mike- as I recall, the Varsity Team separate program came BEFORE the
in-troop
Venture/Varsity program. I first started hearing about the Varsity Teams in
the
early/mid 80s, and then later they introduced the in-troop Venture/Varsity
stuff in the late 80s.
You are correct that the in-troop 'Varsity group' is no more. The in-troop
Venture stuff does what Venture and Varsity both did. Another note is the
in-troop venture/varsity groups were NOT to wear the orange/blaze loops,
only those in chartered Varsity Teams.
(personal note: Varsity is NOT just a program of the LDS Church,
but many Stakes do use the Varsity program as an adjunct to their
youth program)
True, however Varsity Teams ARE big in the LDS. This is because the LDS
using Scouting with they youth program. This causes some problems for them
because they divide their youth at different ages then does Scouting. With
Varsity Teams they could do this easier.
>VENTURE: A component of the Boy Scout program, Boy Scout Division,
>BSA. Venture Scouts are organized into a *Patrol* (not a Crew),
>with a Venture Patrol Leader (and he may appoint an Assistant
>Patrol Leader). The Venture Patrol is geared for the older boys in
>the Troop, and is advised by an Assistant Scoutmaster - Venture.
>Members of the Venture Patrol wear the special Venture strip
>immediately above the "Boy Scouts of America" strip on the right
>side of the field uniform. Venture patrol members may choose to
>work with the rest of the Troop or create special adventures for
>themselves outside of the Troop or both. Venture Scouts are BOY
>SCOUTS, just older. Girls may NOT become Venture Scouts. Venture
>Scouts wear the same field uniform as Boy Scouts, to include the
>same red shoulder loops as other Boy Scouts and Scouters wear.
While girls could not be 'Venture Scouts', they did allow them to attend
Venture/Varsity scout programs as guests at one time. This is now no longer
allowed.
>VENTURING: A SEPARATE PROGRAM DIVISION OF THE BSA. Venturers are
>male AND *female*, of high school and junior college age (the same
>age bracket as the older Exploring program). Venturers are
>organized into Crews with a Crew Leader (and he or she may appoint
>an Assistant Crew Leader) and other officers. Venturers work in
>outdoor and personal-growth areas: outdoor, general interest, sea,
>church/religious growth. Venturers work toward the Bronze, Gold,
>Silver (and those individuals whom wish to, the Ranger) Awards.
>Venturers may also work toward Eagle and the Quartermaster Awards,
>depending on what kind of unit they belong to (only members of Sea
>Scouting units can work on Quartermaster, for instance). Girls ARE
>members of Venturing Crews. Venturing members can wear the same
>field uniform with GREEN shoulder loops OR wear the kelly green
>"Exploring" shirts with grey shorts or slacks with green shoulder
>loops.
Actually the kelly green shirsts will now say 'Venturing' and separate
strips will be sold to cover up the older 'Exploring' strips. These are
out, but I don't know the order number.
>(Exploring, the program it "replaces", has been moved to the
>Learning for Life program and is now called Learning for
>Life/Exploring. They lost the uniform along with most of the
>connectivity to the Boy Scouts of America, although there is a
>carryover period in which Exploring will continue to have some
>connections, because of the desire for some youth to earn Eagle
>through their Exploring participation and because of some problems
>with how Exploring was funded within many local Councils).
The LFL/Explorers didn't lost the uniform per say, just the kelly green
uniform, which I doubt many of them used. Many (such as Fire and Law
Enforcement Explorers) wore uniforms of the groups they were affiliated
with, and will continue to do so.
>-Your Council has already geared up for the new Venturing program.
>They have made the conversions neccessary and this fall, Venturing
>and Venturers will replace your Council's "Exploring" and
>"Explorers" programs. The scope will also change, as your Council
>will no longer have "Law Enforcement" or "Medical" Exploring
>units...but rather "Outdoor Adventure" and "Religious Life"
>Venturing Crews.
No, the councils will STILL have Law Enforcement Exploring and Medical
Exploring.
They will just be part of LFL and not be part of much of the councils
scouting program. You make it sound as if Exploring will cease to be, and
thats not so.
>Yours in Scouting,
>
>Les Chaffin chaflesl@isu.edu
>Scoutmaster, Troop 104 - Beaver WV2-111-98
>Falls District, Roundtable Commissioner Staff
>Snake River Council, Twin Falls, Idaho
>(c) 1998 Mike Walton ("no such thing as strong coffee,...") (502)
827-9201
> (settummanque, the blackeagle) http://dynasty.net/users/blkeagle
> 241 Fairview Dr., Henderson, KY 42420-4339 blkeagle@dynasty.net
> (note that these addresses will expire on 1 October 1998)
> privately at kyblkeagle@aol.com or waltonm@hq.21taacom.army.mil
> ---- FORWARD in service to youth ----
Michael R. Brown
Venturing Crew 1838
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