Can Venturers earn the Totin Chip and other awards?

[OscarTango]

Can Venturers in Venturing Crews earn:

 

-Totin' Chip

-Paul Bunyan

-Fireman Chit

 

 

Thank you very much

[rdclements]

This has never come up with my crew. The venturers who are/were also boy scouts did the chits at tenderfoot or second class. The ones who came in later learned the same safety practices but we didn't bother with presenting cards.

 

The PB emblem is earned by doing the exact type of leadership and instruction that make for good venturers, so if they earn it they get it.

[John-in-KC]

The only thing Venturers cannot earn in Crews are:

 

If MALE, T-2-1. The Venturer must be co-chartered in and earn the rank from a Troop.

 

If FEMALE, any participation in Boy Scout Rank Advancement (meaning T-2-1-S-L-E and merit badges).

[Crew21_Adv]

OT,

 

Greetings!

 

 

Good question!

 

There are a few Venturing vague areas, that you really have to read only found on one line, in small typeprint font hidden in the literature. Sometimes, it may not be readily found in the Venturing Handbook, but the word "Venturer" is on BSA forms; such as the 50 Miler Award or Historic Trails Award forms.

 

Or sometimes an Advisor may assume that Venturers can do, can participate or can earn; until an Advisor learns that earning the recognition is unsafe or not eligible for Venturers.

 

To answer your question. A few years ago, the past National Venturing Cabinet consolidated and typed an additional guidance on recognitions that Venturers can earn.

 

http://www.nationalventuringyouthcabinet.org/files/Recognitions.pdf

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

 

[OscarTango]

Thank you very much guys! Seems like you all answered my question. Venturing gets a bit confusing to the newbie, so thanks! By the way,John-In-KC females CAN earn merit badges.

I'll try to find the link, but my Internet's been quite un-reliable.

[CNYScouter]

I've never heard that female Venturers can earn Merit Badges.

 

The closest statement that I've about Venturing and merit badges is:

 

Qualified male Venturers who have achieved First Class as a Boy Scout or a Varsity Scout may earn all Boy Scout awards and Merit Badges until their 18th birthday.

 

As Merit Badges are not a program element of Venturing, young ladies and young men who did not earn 1st class in the Boy Scouts can not earn merit badges.

 

I agree that with awards such as totin' chip, Paul Bunyan and Firman chit that Venturers can earn these.

[nolesrule]

Venturers must complete requirements for merit badges for certain recognitions, but that doesn't mean they earn the merit badge. Merit badges are part of Boy Scout advancement, not Venturing.

 

The only Venturers who can earn any Boy Scout advancements under the auspices of the Venturing Crew are those who are already First Class. Anyone not at that advancement milestone can only earn advancements (ranks and merit badges) through a Boy Scout troop.

 

As far as I know, females still cannot register as a youth in a Boy Scout troop.

[John-in-KC]

Source:

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/eligibility.aspx#ven

 

Age Requirement Eligibility

 

Merit badges, badges of rank, and Eagle Palms are for boys (emphasis added Jkc) who are registered Boy Scouts or Varsity Scouts. Any registered Boy Scout or Varsity Scout may earn these awards until his 18th birthday. Any Venturer who achieved the First Class rank as a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout in a troop may continue working for the Star, Life, and Eagle ranks and Eagle Palms while registered as a Venturer up to his 18th birthday.

 

Oscar Tango, I've now cited my source. Please cite yours.

[OscarTango]

This is taken from Mike Walton's site. Here's the link:

http://www.mninter.net/~blkeagle/sash.htm

 

"And now...a Word About the Gals and Merit Badges

 

The merit badge program is primarily a Boy Scout program feature. Boy and Varsity Scouts as well as male Venturers and Sea Scouts use the merit badge program in order to advance using the standard Boy Scout advancement program. Additionally, special awards such as the William T. Hornaday and Scout Lifeguard require some merit badge work if not complete merit badges to be earned.

 

The BSA allow female members of Venturing and Sea Scouting units to complete requirements toward merit badges and to certify their completion as part of their completion or earning of the Hornaday, Lifeguard BSA or other special awards. However, female youth members of Venturing or Sea Scouting units may NOT wear merit badge sashes nor wear merit badges on the official uniforms.

 

Several former Exploring Advisors/Skippers like myself have awarded merit badges to female members of their units. We documented the merit badge completion and instead of turning the (blue) merit badge application card into the local Council office for recordposting as we would do for male youth, we retained the cards and photocopied them as attachments to Exploring Achievement Award and other award applications.

 

Now that Venturing has taken the place of Exploring, many Skippers and Advisors of Venturing units with female members willing to earn the merit badges needed to earn the Bronze or Silver Hornaday Medal or other awards are doing the same things that myself and other Advisors and Skippers have done before. This IS NOT RECOMMENDED BY THE BSA; the BSA's stance is still that female youth members CAN NOT EARN BOY SCOUT ADVANCEMENT (to include merit badges).

 

For this reason, females may not wear merit badge sashes of any kind with the official BSA uniforms (including the kelly green Venturing uniform nor the white or blue Sea Scout uniforms.)"

[John-in-KC]

Sounds like the folks in Sea Scouting need to have long heart to heart talks with the Council Relations Group.

 

BTW, why are you turning in blue cards to Council instead of an Advancement Report?

[OscarTango]

Good question, John. Not sure, though. you might wanna ask Mike Walton aka "settummanque, the blackeagle" Maybe he can clarify what was on his site??

[Eagle92]

Now please don't take this as me insulting "Black Eagle" b/c the guy is EXTREMELY, and again I am stressing EXTREMELY knowledgeable. BUT #1 he is not an official source of information,i.e. a national BSA publication or website, ( although he does use them a lot as citations) and #2 he does sometimes have incorrect information posted, i.e the World Crest had the requirements removed from it in 1989, not 1991 as he posts on his site ( know this this well b/c I was about to earn a WC when we were told on the trip that national had just lifted the requirements and now anyone can wear it).

 

Again the guy is a good source to get info, and in fact can give you the BSA pub with the info, but sometimes he is incorrect.

[John-in-KC]

Mr Walton's link is DEAD.

[OscarTango]

I understand Eagle92, he is a GREAT source of information, but I usually verify it with some official sources as well, just to be sure. And John, I tried out the link and it worked fine? Anyway, i copied all the info anyway, sooo yeah.

[John-in-KC]

OT,

 

It worked at home. I've sent Mr Minter an email about his page, since his comment about MBs and BSA Lifeguard is also wrong. You do not need LS MB to earn BSA LG.