trailfinder52@yahoo.com

Venturing is high adventure true, it can be a canoe on a lake, a whitewater rafting trip on a rowdy river, it can also be ham radio, cheerleading, painting a picture, photographing a mountain lake, or drawing a sketch of a city park. This is Venturing and these are only samples of high adventure, some need a backpack, and some need a bicycle, some a camera and some an easel and paints and brushes and an open imagination. Some is also service in your community and some is also service to a BSA camp or being with special needs youth and helping them. See High Adventure can be anywhere.

Venturing is a varied program,but most traditional scouts and scouters feel that it is only a high adventure program and that is wrong the whole program has 5 clusters with many specialties in those 5 clusters. Venturers can climb mountains true, but they can play jazz, paint pictures, sail boats, canoe lakes, have a bike hike in the country or in a city, have a crew in a high school marching band, cheerleaders, and even the neighborhood high school sports team can be a Venture crew. Venturing at best in diversity, and on the move.

Corps of Discovery is needed, adults need to introduce it to youth and then let youth run it. Councils need to promote it to Venturing adults and youth. OA Lodges need to look at this as a cooperative opportunity. Let's get rid of this competition between Venturers and Boy Scouts and the nit picking. So what if COD would be co-ed, this just might take some of the pressure off of OA to accept female Venturers. And forge a lasting friendship, imagine that unity in scouting.

Is all Venturing just the outdoor and high adventure program? And how can a specialty interest crew get started? I feel that the specialty interest Venturing crew idea could be a balance to councils where there are many outdoor and high adventure crews and not many of the other specialties. Balance the program, instead of putting our emphasis on just too much of the same thing.

Since for youth or adults to be in the OA they have to be registered in a BSA program, why can't Venturers who are in the OA still wear the OA patch on the spruce green shirt. The reason why a group of female Venturers do not want the male Venturers who are in OA not to wear the patch is because of jealousy, not inequality, Now we have all heard of the COD (Corps of Discovery) Now if the crew was really interested in democracy and diplomacy they would get involved in the COD either on the crew or council level, and if a Venturing committee in the council, wanted to even all the ends and make it equal they would promote and encourage the crews to involve themselves in COD and let the male Venturers continue to wear OA flaps on the spruce, since most crews choose their own uniforms, why should that matter anyway. But if a crew chooses to wear spruce, then the COD Venturers (male and female) wear the COD flap, and the male OA Venturers wear the OA flap. But what happens if a male scout-like Venturer is also in the COD then can he wear both COD and OA flap? If youth in crews vote to do the COD then do it. But let the other male youth that are OA continue to wear it. Lets move on. COD has a flap patch available from sageventure. Quit cursing the dark and light a candle, build the program and use the resources that are available.

Venturing in other parts of the country are looking into a program that was proposed in 1999 called the Corps of Discovery this program was proposed by Venturers for Venturers. Now I just became an OA member and I know of a few Venturers who are in the OA but it was because they were elected into the Order when they were Boy Scouts, and the Venturers that are in the OA also hold Eagle which was earned in the troop. But what I understand that if a male Venturer was nominated to the OA while in a troop or team, and even if they leave the troop or team can continue their OA membership as long as they are registered in the BSA. Venturing Females presently are not eligible for OA while Venturers. But when they celebrate their 21st birthday and would become female Scoutmasters or Varsity Team Coaches then they are eligible for adult nomination to the OA either through their team or troop, or if they are on the troop or team committee, as well as council or district scouters. I am a Venturing Crew Associate Advisor, and a member of district committee and I just completed my OA Ordeal this past weekend. But I was nominated through district committee, not my crew. I personally hope for the day that female youth Venturers and all Venturers could do crew elections and be nominated to OA as male Explorers were before 1991.

But until this happens, If Venturers are interested in a honor or service society, maybe then they can work with the COD and make it a program to stand next to OA.

To all who are interested The Northeast Region, Area 4 Venturing Officers Association are presenting Quest 2007 and all Venturers, Sea Scouts and their guests are invited. This is the 2nd Annual Quest the first one was at Camp Tuckahoe in York-Adams Council BSA in York County Pa. Quest 2007 will be at Camp Bashore one of the council camps for the Pennsylvania Dutch Council BSA and it is on the weekend of April 13-15, 2007 the theme for the Quest this time is Fiesta Questa and there is a plethora of activities for youth to get involved in, adults can do training sessions, siesta, discussion forums and an advisors coffee lounge. The fee is $45.00 this includes all food, program (except as noted) a patch and a t-shirt, facilities and parogram mateirals. On time registration most be postmarked by Friday March 23, 2007. For further information you can e-mail quest@ne4avoa.org or Pa Dutch Council at http://www.padutchbsa.org information on Camp Bashore can be found at http://www.campbashore.org.

Does anyone have a copy of the Venturing Specialty Codes this can be obtained from usscouts.org/venturing/specialcode.html this has the specialty codes that the Venturing program uses and which was separated out of the total pre-98 Exploring program. Now ask any DE that has knowledge of the program Venture crews are as diversified as what the pre-98 Exploring program was. Please also note that these specialties are mostly, hobbies, avocational interests,religion or sports and outdoors specialties. Then at a crew meeting pass out a Venturing Interest Survey and have the youth fill it out and use these things in planning your crew program. Venturing is stand alone and although a crew may start with young men that are scouts that may want to do high adventure, there are many other things that both young men and women want to do in Venturing and if the program is done right, you know with the youth leading the program and the adults doing the shadow leadership thing and a crew utilizing the G2SS. If a crew specializes in say 0159 Indian Culture this may be a way to get many Boy Scouts in the crew because of their affiliation with the OA and also many girls because of past membership in a YMCA Indian Guide program and because it is Arts and Hobbies it can be quite theatrical and both the boys and girls can do Native American dances and presentations, but still the crew can do high adventure activities if the youth so desire. Just because a crew is specialized in something other than Outdoor or High Adventure does not mean that it doesn't have a worth while program and can hold youth's attention. Youth can be very interested in things other than hiking and camping and backpacking, now these are not wrong, and they can still be incorporated in the crew program, Venturing advancement can be incorporated as well. But some crews do not do advancement as a unit because of time considerations and the youth are busy with school, troop or other hobby interests and jobs. If the program is done how the manual says to do it we can still have a program. Venturing needs to be promoted more on the district and council levels. Venturing activities need to be planned and done at the council camps or other facilties. I would like to see a National Venturing Rendezvous similar to the NELC that was done in 1998. One thing we need to do is quit crying and start partnering with youth and coming up with some ideas and then carry them out.

Why not use a european approach after Boy Scouts wedge Varsity between the Troop and Crew Programs up Venturing's age to 17 or 18 and continue to age 21 and use the young adults in leadership or like a Rover Program. In Venturing continue the specialty interest idea but make it more like Scouting instead of Scouting Lite. Where this would be a continual line of scouting, but also young men and women could still join the Venturing program, and encourage Varsity to continue in making events open to young women, but not team membership. Or Option 2 a pre-Venturing Program that introduces youth to a club like organization. Continue in maintaining the scouting values and traditions.

Why is BSA Traditional Programs in decline?It is all over the program and not just in Venturing. What can be done to remedy this problem. Our audience today youth from 6-20 years old is over taxed. Between school activities, other youth activities, teams, school band, jobs,cheerleading, Religious youth programs, and on top of all this, most of the youth that are interested in scouting are the over achievers. We have good programs in BSA generally and in Venturing specifically but are we relevant today? There is a stereotypical viewpoint that all Venturing crews are all Outdoor oriented and that is it. Venture Crews can do many things, there are specialty lists that list all the Venturing specialties.Now Before I am burned at the stake for what I say take this into account. The things that BSA stand for although very good and I believe in them. But they are not all that important as they once were. Many training programs in scouting for adults seem to be geared for the successful professional (nothing against professionals) but a person from a service job or even blue collar job does not understand much of it. So how can a 14 year old Patrol Leader understand it. We also live in an era full of electronic gadgets like video games, computer games, cell phones, blackberries, so tent camping in Grand Tetons just does not seem very much like fun, Many youth that we get are basically good kids and are somewhat like we are. But there are many more who are not really interested in scouting. As far as older youth programs like Venturing, Varsity, and Sea Scouting young adults (teenagers) seem to bore easy and if it is not full of action packed events all the time, they will leave, the business meeting is not going to keep them. Maybe we need to re-evaluate our programs, I have no answer. But what I suggest is to try to understand youth and then maybe we can reach them with our programs. Every kid is up for grabs it just depends who grabs them. Maybe mix tradition with today.

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.

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.

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.

I am presently an associate advisor in a new crew and at the last crew meeting this past Monday evening I proposed that the crew do model rockets for an activity and they agreed and seemed excited about this. Are there any crews out there that have done this and can they give us any advice?

I recently became a chairman and the only member of a District Venturing Committee and I am a District Committee Member with a strong advocacy for Venturing and Sea Scouts and I also work with our council VOA on occasion. We need to get some new ideas for activities for a District Venturing Activity I contacted a deep sea fishing outfit in New Jersey and we have a Rock Climbing Gym in our area which seems to be popular with the youth in both Boy Scouts and Venturing here. But I would like to come up with a Mountain Man Rendezvous and I do not think Council or District are much interested, they say it would be too involved too much preparation. What would be a good activity to do that would be easy to set up, but also something that would draw a lot of youth plus some new recruits for the crews in our District?

Purcelce

Thank you for your post. I like what you said there, That seems to be to the point and is geared to what teens like. Thanks again

In the crew I have been helping since I have been in scouting there has been a great loss of interest and we are trying to keep a bare bones crew. A new crew has formed close by and a few of the guys are thinking about going to the new crew. At a recent crew meeting. The young man that is taking over for the president is one of youth about to head for the new crew. But in trying to keep the old crew going as much as we can we talked him into organizing a trip to Harpers Ferry and that was very difficult but he said he would do it one more time. How do we get more youth, and then how do we keep them? I talked to one advisor about program, but he said without youth no program, He is very set on youth leadership, I agree but I think that we need to have something to get the youth's attention. Dull crew business meetings just do not work. But no one has an idea. It seems like they want us to just feed them what to do. Help

Polo shirts with od green scout trousers for scouts and the Venturing polo shirt with charcoal gray trousers . Or Venturers wearing the spruce green uniform shirt with charcoal gray trousers with a gray campaign hat.

Thank you Gentlemen

In areas of doubt a scoutmaster, cubmaster, commissioners need to keep the uniform rules for their particular program. A scoutmaster needs to counsel the members of his or her troop in a quiet but stearn way about missing patches, wrong patches etc. Den leaders in Cub Packs need to teach correct uniforming to their Cub Scouts and a Cubmaster needs to teach correct uniforming to the new leaders in the pack this all should be part of any training of new leaders and this should be taught to new scouts as well. In Venturing DDI is the rule although Venturing has a recommended uniform, crews can select their own uniform. Sea Scouts have a selection of uniforms shown in the Sea Scout Manual, . If anyone has questions they can purchase an Insignia Guide from BSA and sold at their council Trading Post or contact the Scout Executive of their council.

In our council one troop has a flap patch which is their tradition and they use the left flap and place the OA patch on the right flap as per BSA rules. In Venturing we were discussing the Corps of Discovery a Proposed Venturing Honor Society which also has designed a flap patch, it is proposed for the left flap on the spruce green Venturing shirt and this is both for young men and women. Hope this helps.

Again in my ramblings on the net I found an old idea that make a good new idea, please let me know what you think and if it is worth the time and trouble. As of 1998 we had the last of the National Exploring Leadership Conferences and I believe it was in the Washington DC area. I am wondering if it would be a good idea to restart these conferences in the Venturing and Sea Scout areas and these conferences would just be for Venturers and Sea Scouts. Now I know that Sea Scouts have many activities in different areas through the year. But Venturers need a National event and I believe it can be done again on a national level maybe it can be done every 4 years so there will be time for planning and logisitics etc. Just an idea, let me know your imput on this. Thanks trailfinder52

In my cruisings on the net today I ran into an interesting but unusual organization a Law Enforcement Interest Venturing Crew and in looking more closely at their site they had a similar program to a Post doing the same thing. Is this legal or not? Not to blow the whistle on anything or anyone I was just asking.

On the issue of these 2 young ladies joining this crew after being asked to leave the other crew, this would send up red flags, but does this crew have a set of bylaws and is this kind of problem addressed in the crew bylaws? We are here to serve youth, but the chartering organization does charter the crew, and the Committee Chair does run the committee and can voice their opinion as of these young ladies joining this new crew. But since the crew is democratically run by the youth themselves let them appoint a membership committee and have the president and the advisor interview the girls and explain what the crew is all about, and what will and will not be tolerated.

Our Council asks Venturers to help with the council camporee. A Venturer designed an activity for Cub Scouts, and it was successful, and she earned many kudos for that. Council was pleased. One crew helped out with this year's Klondike Derby and few years ago another crew set up a game at a Klondike and both were successful and the District people were pleased. But I see what Eamonn is talking about because so many of the male Venturers are also in a troop there is a conflict between the crews and troops. But even with the success rate for the Venturing crews that participate in District or Council Camporees or other activities, Venturing does need to do something of their own. Our Council VOA is supposed to be like a forum but not all the crews in our council even know that VOA Exists and some crews have an anti-council attitude and so even if they did know that VOA existed they probably do not attend.