Re: Venture Crew (eye of newt); Exploring response
Amick Robert (amick@SPOT.COLORADO.EDU)
Tue, 14 May 1996 12:41:31 -0600
Charlie Thorpe wrote:
>I don't believe that other programs can be substituted for Boy Scouting in
>the Troop environment and still expect to achieve the "Aims of Boy
>Scouting" for all our Scouts. Non-Scouting programs (church, 4H, etc.) or
>other BSA programs (Exploring, Sea Exploring, etc.) can be great programs,
>but they are designed to use different growth environments to accomplish
>different aims. *** Bob Amick, I hope I can someday find a good excuse to
>come out your way and look at your exciting Explorer program...but, I do
>feel that your program should pick up where youth Boy Scouting leaves
>off...NOT compete with the Troop program for the older Scout's attention
>and heartstrings! ***
Au Contrere, Charlie!
I respectfully disagree with this position. The Aims of Exploring,
Varsity, Venture, are all still the same as those of the traditional Boy
Scout Program. The building of Character, Citizenship, Leadership and
all the desirable attributes are very much intrinsic to these programs.
What Scouting has done in the Older Scout/Exploring Programs is to shape
them to a venue and format which are exciting, dynamic, and appealing to
teenagers in order to keep them involved.
Exploring is probably the
most flexible program of any in the BSA. It is deliberately structured to
allow the youth to design, develop and carry out their program. In our
situation, and in all those that I know of, Exploring most certainly does
NOT compete with the Troop! Once again, Exploring provides a venue for the
older Scouts that the Troop simply cannot. It is not a matter of
"fixing" the Troop to meet older Scout needs..The older Scouts need
something "different" that they can belong to and associate with. We
do not "make them" belong, they choose to do so. Anyone working with
teenagers is aware of their need to associate with young men (and young
women) in their approximate age group. If Scouting cannot offer them a
venue to do this, they will and often do find one outside of Scouting, so
Scouting fails teenagers when it need not!
As I have said before, the concept that the Explorer Post (or
Venture/Varsity unit) "competes" with the Troop is probably one of the most
egregious misconceptions about an
Exploring program operated in conjunction with a troop. It is extremely
unfortunate that such adult "viewpoints" often interfere with the
formation of Explorer/Varsity/Venture units for teenagers. When such
prejudices preclude the formation of Posts, Varsity/Venture units,
the teenagers miss the many opportunities offered by these programs, and
the same adults then have the audacity to ask "gee, I wonder why the older
kids don't stay with the troop?" Believe me, I have seen this happen far
more than I would like over many years in Scouting.
The only limitations on an effective Exploring Program operated in
conjunction with the Troop are those of the adults who may attempt to
"constrain" the program. Anyone who is really knowledgeable about
Exploring will instantly share this viewpoint.
.
>I don't feel that Varsity Scouting or Exploring should offer the Eagle
>Award. Each program should develop its own advancement program with its
>own high-end award that reflects/supports the strengths and challenges of
>each program (like the truly outstanding Quartermaster award does in Sea
>Exploring.
Again, I disagree. Limiting the Eagle Award to traditional Boy Scout
Troop programs is at best exclusionary. Scouting is thankfully not a
"club." Is it not in the best interests of the youth to offer
teens the same advancement and leadership development opportunities in
any venue they choose to belong? If the Eagle Scout award is limited
only to traditional Boy Scout programs, are we not
"forcing" teens to belong to an organization which they choose not
to in order to obtain the award? More than likely, they will simply find
other opportunities outside of Scouting. What a waste!
Incidentally, the Explorer "Gold Award" has been returned to traditional
Exploring as a "high end" award. As some "old-timers" may know, the
Exploring Silver Award was discontinued in about 1960 when the "new"
Exploring Program was introduced. In our Post, most of our Explorers
have achieved the Eagle Award or are working on it, and are now going for
the "Gold" Award. This is especially a good opportunity for those who have
joined too late to achieve Eagle or are otherwise ineligible for the
Eagle Award (such as our young women members.)
If there is a venue for a Senior Scout, a
Varsity or Venture Scout, or an Explorer to get his Eagle Scout Award,
how can anyone possibly suggest that "it should only be earned as a member
of a Scout Troop?!" I have known a number of Scouts who
chose not to remain as members of a Troop for a variety of reasons, but have
joined Explorer Posts and obtained their Eagle Scout Award. Incidentally,
I fall into that category, having been a member of a poorly operated
troop, I left and joined a high adventure Explorer Post; Thanks to a
great Explorer Advisor who encouraged me, otherwise I probably would never
have remained in Scouting, much less attained Eagle!
What is pivotal in this discussion is the best interests of teenagers.
Whether it's Varsity, Venture, Seniors, or Exploring, it is essential
that long-overdue attention be given to teens. These are the folks
we are least able to provide the benefits of Scouting for; and teens who
are Scouts but are losing interest in traditional Scout Troops.
Teens are under a lot of peer pressure, and among other factors,
"belonging to Boy Scout Troops" becomes less and less appealing at that
age. Consequently and as is well known by most of us, they are most likely
to drop out at the most critical time of their lives. Let's be honest;
most traditional Scout Troop programs do not offer older Scouts what they
need and are interested in. Their time and interests are being competed
for by many things. Certainly if an older Scout chooses to remain active
in a Troop, and hopefully, if the troop can offer him exciting and
challenging programs, so be it, but if this is not the case, and
frequently it is not, then other options must be available.
If we cannot compete favorably with exciting and
dynamic programs for teens which are developed and operated by them, then
Scouting and consequently the teenagers, will miss untold opportunities
as both regrettably and all too often, do.
Bob Amick, Explorer Advisor, High Adventure Explorer Post 72, Boulder, CO
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |
