Venture Patrol in the Troop.

[Eamonn 61]

I have read most of what has been said,and have a few observations.

First we have to get the powers that be to do something about this name thing, - It drives me nuts.

I love what Bob White has to say about the patrol method. Been there, done that, - It Works!

However, keeping the interest of the older Scouts, is an age old problem, or maybe it is an old age problem?

Being as a Scout can also be a member of the Crew as well as a member of the Troop, why do we need to have a Venture Patrol, within the Troop?

I'm not sold on the Gas,Gals and stinky stuff hypothesis.

I do firmly believe that if we allow the Scouts to follow a challenging program, with them at the wheel and us old folks in the back seat. They will stay in the program.

Be this a crew or Venture Patrol

In order to make this work, they must learn the skills that they need when they start out.

While I would never do anything to hold a Scout back. I do get a little upset when I have to teach an Eagle Scout how to tie a square knot.

How can these Scouts move onto, the bigger, better and more challenging activities, when they have not grasped the basics.

While I'm on my high horse. We have one Troop in my District, that has an Eagle Patrol - Yes all the members are Eagle Scouts. I have visited the Troop meeting, and there they are. Not doing anything just standing around talking to each other.

I am aware that a Crew can opt to follow their own area of interest. I would think that most crews that "Come Out" of a troop would follow the High Adventure area.

Then there is the Leadership.

While there are a few leaders out there that have the skills to provide the necessary leadership for a high adventure program, there are a lot of leaders who don't have these skills.

Their skill level is taking the troop to summer camp.They couldn't cross the lake at camp in a canoe,I sure as heck don't want them taking my son down the Orinoco with a long pole!!

Many are great leaders, who the boys admire and turn to.- This just isn't their thing.

[NWScouter 9]

The older boy problem has been around since the BSA started. The solution has had many names, Sea Scouts, Air Scouts, Explorers, Leadership Corps, Varsity Patrols, Venture Patrols, Senior Patrol and Rovers. Some in the Scout Troop, some as stand alone. My brothers were fifteen years older than me and in the early fifties they were moved into the Exploring automatically, By the mid sixties, we just stayed in the troop.

My troop solved the older problem just as we did in the troop I was scoutmaster of in the nineties, provided a program that a scout could grow up in. The crowning experience of the scout year for the older scouts was the week long trek. We did the High Divide in the Olympics, Yosemite, Bob Marshall in Montana, Pacific Crest Trail, Roosevelt Lake, Ross Lake, Bowren Lakes, and climbed Mt. St. Helens, Any scout would by his participation in our monthly outings that could convince the trek leader that he could make it went.

For those too young they looked forward to going along. So they worked hard on learning those back country skills and building their strength through our monthly outings. These were of varying difficulty. We also just dont go to any old summer camp, so that not did only the younger scouts went, but older ones too. We alternated going to our best council camp with the best ones in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

How your scouts organize their program or called their groupings is not important. What is important the it is exiting and varied to draw everyone from the ten and half year old New Scouts to the seventeen year old Eagle.

 

Just an aside, I had a DE 10 15 years ago tell of a phone call he got from Exploring Magazine asking if he knew of any High Adventure activities a Post was going to do. He asked what they were looking for and the editor said Oh you know, like a week along the Pacific Crest Trail. The DE replied, Out here thats what scout troops do.

 

[Mike F 10]

Yes! Outstanding!!!!

[bt01 10]

I am doing this just to keep the "older" boys in Scouting.

 

 

BT

 

[yarrow 10]

My son is almost old enough for the Venture Crew. I expect he will join. While our troop boasts lots of older boys the venture patrol never did anything. The are doing a little more in the crew and our old SM is now heading it up. That fact has made the crew more attractive and desimated the troop. Only the boys 8th and below are coming to the meetings and campouts and the crew has sucked out the rest. I am a little frustrated. If you want to do the older youth activities, you need to join the crew now, at least in our area.

[hops_scout 9]

I too have become old enough to join a Venture Crew and plan to do so in the soon coming weeks.

 

 

About 12 year olds in a Venture Patrol, I think the leadership ( PLC) should make a few requirements such as:

-- Star rank or above

-- two years in troop

-- certain number of nights camping

-- hold at least one troop office

[jerryz 10]

This is what our troop is doing for older scouts. We realized two years ago that we needed to do something to hold the attraction of the older scouts. I've pasted below a copy of a writeup that describes what our committee approved and is now working. In reality, this has evolved into an annual high adventure trip. Last year we went to Sea Base, this year Philmont, next year Northern Tier, then to National Jamboree. It gives the scouts something to look forward to, to plan and prepare for, to give direction to. It has really re-kindled the interests of our older scouts.

 

Purpose

 

The purpose of the Troop 243 High Adventure Patrol is to enhance troop membership retention by providing exciting activities for older scouts and adult members of Troop 243.

Organization / Structure

 

A leadership team of 2 adults and 2 youth members would be the group directing and planning all High Adventure Patrol activities. The youth members can select their representatives, from those planning to attend the next major activity. The youth members could use this as a Troop Leadership position (High Adventure Patrol Chief). The Troop Committee will appoint the adult leaders. At least one of the two adults must be over 21 years old. The adults will carry the title of High Adventure Advisor. The terms of the planning team would extend to one month after the major activity, when the next group would take over.

 

The troop committee must approve all activities and plans. The High Adventure Patrol will report directly to the troop committee, but must coordinate their activities with the Scoutmaster, the Senior Patrol Leader and the Patrol Leaders Council, so there are no conflicts. Since the purpose of the High Adventure Patrol is to enhance the troop, the High Adventure Patrol will not be registered as a separate Venture unit.

Membership Requirements:

 

Only registered members of Boy Scout Troop 243 (youth or adult), can become members of the Troop 243 High Adventure Patrol. Scouts remain members of a regular troop patrol and continue to hold troop leadership positions.

 

Scouts must be at least 14 years of age, to participate in one of the High Adventure Patrol outings (note: Sometimes the activity itself may establish an even higher age limit). Scouts could actually join the crew, to participate in preparations, at age 14, as long as they meet the age requirement at the time of the targeted activity.

 

Scouts must be at least Life rank. Scouts who are 15 years of age and are at least Star rank, and are active in the troop may also participate in the High Adventure Patrol.

 

Scouts must be active members of troop 243, where active is defined as:

a. Attending at least half of troop meetings and troop campouts (Membership in the High Adventure Patrol is terminated after enough unexcused absences, that the Scoutmaster, and High Adventure Patrol Leadership team agree that the scout is no longer active).

b. Wearing the appropriate Scout Uniform correctly to the troop meetings and activities

c. Having a positive attitude towards the troop and the troop leadership.

d. Actively participating in troop fundraising.

e. Actively participate in troop service projects

f. Hold a troop leadership position (an elected position or one appointed by either the SPL or the Scoutmaster) at least 6 months out of every 12 month period of time

 

No rank minimum for adults (using the adult definition of age 18 and over). Adults must be registered adult leaders of troop 243.

 

Adults must be active members of troop 243, where active is defined as:

a. Having a leadership position within the troop and fulfilling all of the responsibility of that position (examples: Troop treasurer, Bus Chairman, Tree Sale Electrician, Wreath Sale Chairman, Flower Sale Chairman, Assistant Scoutmaster).

b. Having a positive attitude

c. Set the example by living the Scout Oath and Law.

d. Attend Basic Scout Leader Training.

e. If leadership position is Assistant Scoutmaster, Assist the Scoutmaster by fulfilling a position of responsibility that contributes to the overall troop program. Examples: Patrol advisor, attending nearly every troop meeting. Troop Merit Badge Counselor, teaching 1 to 3 merit badges per year, as part of the troop program. Advisor to new scout patrol, attending nearly every troop meeting.

f. Wearing the Scout Uniform correctly to the meetings and activities.

g. If an adult member is attending an out of town college, some level of troop participation should occur in order to participate in the High Adventure Patrol, but the troop committee should not expect them to be as active as someone living in Louisville.

 

For youth members, the Scoutmaster and the High Adventure Patrol Leadership team make the final decision on who can participate in the High Adventure Patrol.

 

For adults, the Troop Committee makes the final decision on who can participate in the High Adventure Patrol.

 

Guiding Principles:

 

The High Adventure Patrol is an extension of the scout troop, and as such would adhere to the aims and ideals of scouting.

 

Every member is expected to behave as a scout, following the scout oath and law in all their participation in both High Adventure Patrol and troop activities.

The adult leaders should be knowledgeable and qualified adult leaders. They must attend scout leader basic training and preferably even Woodbadge.

All rules specified in the Guide To Safe Scouting will be followed. This ensures the safety of the participants and helps protect the adult leaders and the sponsoring organization from any liability issues.

 

Program Planning (Conflict Avoidance)

 

The Troop's resources are to be shared between the High Adventure Patrol and the Troop.

 

The Scoutmaster, Senior Patrol Leader and PLC should meet annually, usually in August after the Council's annual program preview meeting, to plan the troop's annual calendar. If the dates of future High Adventure outings are already established (Philmont, Sea Base, Northern Tier, etc.), troop activities should be scheduled to avoid conflicts. The troop's annual calendar should include dates for monthly campouts, weekly troop meetings and any known fund raising activities or service projects.

 

Once the Troop's annual calendar is established, the High Adventure Patrol should meet to plan its annual calendar, which would establish dates for it's meetings and outings. The High Adventure Patrol should not establish a schedule which conflicts with the troop's schedule.

 

The Troop Committee must approve both the troop and High Adventure Patrol calendar.

 

The annual calendars established by both groups receive priority for troop equipment (Bus, Tents, Patrol Gear). If a conflict arises (due to something being rescheduled) which cannot be resolved, the original annual calendars should be used to establish priority.

 

Money Matters

 

There will only be one set of bank accounts (one for troop funds and one for the "Scout Accounts").

 

There will not be a High Adventure Patrol bank account.

 

Troop and High Adventure Patrol outings should be planned as zero cost to the troop. Participants should be charged sufficient fees so that the troop does not have to pay for anything other than the adult expenses explained below.

 

Adults can have accounts in the troop's "Scout Account" system, with funds they earn by working at troop fundraising, deposited in their name. Note: Adults can also choose to have their share deposited in their son's scout account.

 

For high adventure activities, the adult should pay the actual costs of whatever fees they incur. Example. Philmont Fees, Plane Fares.

 

For weekend activities (troop or High Adventure Patrol), the full time adult leaders (Scoutmaster, High Adventure Advisors, full time Assistant Scoutmasters, full time committee members), the troop will pay for troop bus transportation and food. The adult must pay extra fees like canoe rental, extra patches, attraction admission, t-shirts.

 

The remainder of the Troop 243 Financial Policy will apply to High Adventure Patrol Scouts as well as other scouts registered in the troop.