Venturing Question-VERY IMPORTANT-PLEASE HELP

[lee1989_2007 10]

hi,

i have been on here a few times asking questions about Boy Scout positions for people 18-20 years of age and about District committees. and i want to thank everyone who has helped me with me problem. it was all exceltent advise and really opened my eyes to some things. buy now i have a diffrent question. a few months ago i was talking with my district trainer about setting a venture crew up in a town very close to where i live. its an excelt location for one because its turning into a college town because of university there. well i hgavent been in much contact with the trainer latly and i was wondering about the venture crew idea we had back in march. well i started looking and it looks like he got it all set up and i will be joining the crew while staying assistant scoutmast at my troop. and i was wondering if it would be better to work on my siliver award or work on my ranger award. like i said in the past im 18 years old and i think in would be to difficult to earn both awards before i turned 21 and i know they say that venturing siliver award is the highest in venturing but the ranger award is highest in outdoor venturing from the way it looks and i was wondering would i be more of an asset to everyone as a silver awarder or a ranger? thank you for your time and i ask anyone to please respond to thing message.

 

i have found that everyones experienced advise on here is very helpful. and once again i thank everyone who has responded to my messages. thank you

 

Lee

[OldGreyEagle 5]

I wouldnt short circuit yourself, to earn Venturing Silver, you will have to earn a Bronze and the Outdoor Bronze is half way to Ranger so go for them both, it's doable

 

BTW, is your favorite poet ee cummings?

[RangerT 10]

lee

Old Grey speaks words of wisdom, you can earn both awards. Ranger is considered an expert award as is the Quest, Trust, and Quartermaster. As an advisor for over 5 years now I can tell you that both awards gives you special gifts that would be useful to any troop or crew. Organizational and leadership skills that you will learn with the silver will be invaluable to you for your entire life, and the outdoor skills you learn with the Ranger will be a great asset to any scouting program as well as for certain career fields you might be interested in. I have had ten teens 5 boys and 5 girls earn both of these awards, they worked their butts off but they told me after the fact that it was really worth it. Two of them went to college majored in conservation/ recreation and started their own wilderness rafting business. They are my right hand associate advisors and have shown an interest in becoming the crew advisor and then my old bones can rest as the COR and Committee Chair. Its a great feeling when the students grow up and surpass the master, lol. SO GO FOR IT LEE!

[ScoutNut 147]

"i was wondering would i be more of an asset to everyone as a silver awarder or a ranger?"

 

Wrong question Lee.

 

You are who you are, the cumulation of everything you have done and experienced for the last 18 years. YOU would be an asset to ANY group, without earning either award.

 

Both awards take a LOT of work and commitment. Do not go into this based on what will work for OTHER people. Look at what is entailed in the awards and decide what looks INTERESTING to YOU. Then go for it!

 

Keep in mind to start a bit slower. If you thought high school was hectic, college is lots more so! You might even find some interests at college that really strike a chord with you. Get your feet wet first, with both the Crew & College, then see where your time, & interests take you!

 

Good Luck!

[Beavah 205]

Yah, what ScoutNut said, eh?

 

In term of developing skills and talents that will be of use to others in da future, college life, college academic clubs and extracurriculars and such are going to be as important or more important than working with a Venturing Crew. In all likelihood, if your school has an outdoor club or program, it may well be more skilled and more active than the newly formed crew.

 

Spend your time bein' a college student first. That will give you all kinds of new insight and perspective on things, as well as some "outside gifts and life experience" to bring back to Scouting.

 

With the time you have left over, choose the one area of Scoutin' that seems the most interesting or fun to you. If you join the Crew, remember that Advancement is not a method of Venturing. There is no focus on awards in this program, and many crews don't actively pursue any badges or baubles. Ranger and/or Silver may still be worthy challenges to undertake, but don't make 'em first in your mind. Be a crew member and active contributor first, and then be thoughtful about the awards stuff as you go.

 

Scout salute to your enthusiasm, Lee!

 

Beavah