Do Venturers really care about Venturing's History

[dana_renner 11]

I agree that some Venturers probably do not really care about the History of Venturing and the History of Explorers, or Exploring or even the history of the BSA for that matter. Well that is a matter of choice. Some people would do what other people tell them to do and not know the reason why. Now I know that youth live in the here and now, always have and always will. But to understand the history of an organization gets to why it is and where it is going and where do I fit into that process. Do I agree with what they did then, and are they doing it now and do I agree, and where they are going , do I really want to go there. But again I know that most people don't ask themselves those questions in the here and now. such a pity.We are part of a fun and educational program, and its a shame no one cares where we came from and where we are going. The Venturing literature provides much information, maybe program guides are not needed, but it would make leaders lives a lot easier.

[Eamonn 61]

A little fellow joins a Cub Scout Pack. Why?

Maybe he thinks it will be fun. Maybe some of his pals are in the pack or are joining the pack. Could be that he has no say in it and his parents just think it is a good idea.

Does the little fellow or his parents really care about the history of Cub Scouting?

I think that the parents are happy knowing that Scouting has been around for a while and in most peoples eyes has a good reputation. They don't care about the stuff that went on in past years.

Little fellow is old enough to move from the Pack to the Troop. He visits the local Troops. He isn't looking for a history lesson he is looking at which troop seems to have the best program. His parents may want to know the details about what the troop does.

Why do you think Venturing ought to be different?

Sure the Crew needs to look ahead and plan where it is going. However most youth members don't care how the program came into being. When I go out to start new units or new crews and talk to organizations that might want to become Chartering Organizations, I sell the program that we have and use today. There is no reason for me to try and sell them something that was and isn't there anymore.

Eamonn

[Yak_Herder 10]

I don't think the Venturers care about the history nor do they necessarily need to.

 

The Adult Leaders, however, would benefit from knowing the background. There are a number of lessons to be learned from Senior Scouting's various iterations. Without an awareness of what has gone before, the mistakes of the past reappear. As Leaders, we should be smarter than that.

[Eamonn 61]

Could be that I'm not that smart?

I am perfectly happy using the programs that we have in place today and putting my energy into making them work.

Eamonn

[Bob White 20]

I gotta tell you Eamonn, I'm really looking forward to meeting you. I only wish that Jambo wasn't so far away.

[dana_renner 11]

Even people who are interested in the history of Venturing care about making the present day program work. But a really prudent leader would want to learn from past mistakes and not do them again. It is not all about intelligence, it's just about leading smart.

[Bob White 20]

You can't drive very far if all you do is look in the rearview mirror.Look where you are going not where you have been.

 

Knowing scoutings past isn't going to do you a lick a good if you can't deliver the program today.

[Yak_Herder 10]

Are understanding the mistakes of the past and delivering the program today mutually exclusive propositions?

[Bob White 20]

A man giving a boat tour on a lake says " I have been living on this lake for thirty-years, I know every rock in it". Suddenly the boat crashes bow first into a huge submerged boulder and begins to sink. "Ahh" says the guide, "there's one now".

 

Knowing the mistakes of the past will just help you recognize them when you make them today.

 

Knowing today's scouting program will keep you from making the mistake to begin with.

 

 

[Yak_Herder 10]

So, what are you saying, a study of history has no value? That's a tough position to defend.

 

Or do you mean that today's Scouting program is full and complete, that it is the be-all-end-all, the very paragon of Scouting perfection? That would be a tough one, was well.

 

Some of the better aspects of today's Venturing program were gleaned from its predecessors. It's a good thing someone was aware of them.

 

Part of knowing today's program is understanding it's roots. Being stuck in the past is no virtue, but neither is being ignorant of it.

[Bob White 20]

How many Ford owners today have thoroughly studied the operation and problems of the Model T to help them better understand how to drive a Ford today?

 

Not every situation requires a you to know the past. Some things, like scouting, (and driving)simply require you to know what you are doing now.

[VentureScoutNY 10]

 

All of Scouting's History from Cubs to Explorers from Sea Scouts to Venturers is all good and great. I enjoy Scouting's great history, and I enjoy to share what I know of it with others, but never at the expence of the Future.

 

 

 

[dana_renner 11]

I sincerly believe the more you know about an organization is good, Venturing has a brilliant and proud history and has a lot to be proud of. I am very proud to be a part this part of scouting. And if all these so called critics would look into Today's Venturing program they will find many things that were in the past Venturing's

recognition system was from the Bronze, Gold and Silver of the Explorer Program in the 1950's in fact it is mentioned in the Air Exploring Manual of 1953 published by the BSA the Silver medal that is today's venturing program looks very much like the Silver Medal of the 1950's. Now I will say the requirements for these are different as noted in the Venturing Handbook published in 1999 and Revised in 2003.But even Venturing returning to the Bronze, Gold and

Silver is somewhat of a step back. The Ranger award goes back to a previous Ranger award from a passt Explorer program, and all this is in the present day Venturing Program. Where a Boy Scout from a troop and go from First Class-Eagle is a carryover from pre-98 Exploring.

Sea Scouting is still very traditional and did not change that much in rank and uniforming, nautical program still pretty much the same.

Again this is present day Sea Scouting,and they still do regattas, sail, earn the Quartermaster et. There is still High Adventure a whole chapter devoted to it in the Venturing Leader Manual, Whole lot of tradition, and we are supposed to forget the history and traditional side of Ventuing and the Exploring program prior to 1998 that gave it to us. I do not think so. Maybe we can't live on history and need to concentrate on the here and now, Well the here and now in Venturing is what came from before. Youth may not care too much about what was, but a lot of what we do is what we have been doing in Venturing and previous Exploring as far as the outdoor, sea scouting, arts and hobbies, sports, and religious life

parts are concerned. It is now Venturing.

[Bob White 20]

Dana,

 

"if all these so called critics would look into Today's Venturing program they will find many things that were in the past Venturing's"

 

Then why the need to study the past if it is already present in the current program? If you learn todays probram don't you already know the Past?

 

Today's Ranger award has already lasted longer than the first one did.

 

The Explorer and the Venturing Bronze, Gold, and Silver Awards come from the Eagle Palms.

 

As you said the Sea Scouts haven't changed much.

 

So why do you seem unsatisfied with just offering todays program?

 

"if all these so called critics would look into Today's Venturing program they will find many things that were in the past Venturing's"

 

Good advice Dana, but aren't you one of those critics?

 

Early in your postings you push the need to bring back things from the past to make today's Venturing better, and now you say that the current program ALREADY HAS much of the old in it.

 

I'm confused about what you really want or believe, and I doubt that I am alone.

[Eamonn 61]

Going back to the title of this thread

"Do Venturers really care about Venturing's History."

No they don't.

To my of thinking looking back over old books and old programs can be a lot of fun. If you are interested in that sort of thing.

I was a Venture Scout for seven years back in England. I had a great time, we hiked, camped, did a tremendous amount of community service. It was in the Venture Unit that I earned my Queen Scout Award and my Duke Of Edinburgh's Award.

Sure a lot of the activities are very similar to what a High Adventure Crew might do today and a lot of the skills and leadership techniques are the same on both sides of the pond.

OK, maybe when the campfire is dying down and I am asked I do look back and retell some of the high points and the low points of my Venturing career, I think mainly because I like retelling them. Still it is much the same as looking at the old program books; An interesting look back. But come the light of the new day we are dealing with the new day and the program is what it is today. The youth are the youth that we have in the program today.

Venturing is what it is today.

Exploring is what it is.

The expectations of the youth in these programs are in the program that they are in.

Eamonn