I would like to address an issue that most Venturing Leaders are familiar with, A Venturing Honor Society, similar to the OA but where Female Venturers and Male Venturers that have not been in scouting before and probably not members of the OA, I think because of a sense of fairness that BSA should let a Venturing Honor Society be started, it could be set up similar to the OA, and be youth led and the youth could be nominated by the members of their crews and ships,I am wondering if any one else feels this way too and what their response would be to this, maybe some people up in the Venturing Division and or National Headquarters BSA this may help to retain youth in Venturing as well as a great crew program .

http://members.aol.com/venturecod/index.html

 

This is an honor society for Venturers

We have designed our own Honor Camper Society for Venturing in our District.

 

If your looking for National to do something, It maybe awhile.

I would suggest coming up with your own unique society for your district or council. You and your peers best understand what kind of elements of an honor society can best motivate youth to join and continue in Venturing. Good Luck!!

Anyone looking for a top down approach to this issue is asking for trouble. The only way this will ever work well is buttom up. That is how OA got started. It was created at one camp by two men. It took decades for it to become a fully integrated part of the national program. That was after it had already been adopted by a couple hundred camps on one of the co-founders and become national director of program.

 

Follow the example of Dr. Goodman. Do your homework and try something locally. The level of youth leadership in Venturing indicates higher levels of youth involvement may be needed for successful creation of a Venturing honor society. Look for it be a couple of decades after a successful program is started before BSA nationally recognizes it.

If Craig Murray is reading, I will commit to purchasing 20 Corps of Discovery pocket flaps if he designs a Lewis and Clark Themed flap and puts it on his web sight.

 

 

After having read the COD info I wonder about how well a few of the elements would work. It seem to be mostly a unit based program. While that makes starting it eaiser, it makes me wonder if it really qualifies as a true honor society. It seems more like an honorary award rather than membership in an organized society. I could be wrong, and it may even be that such a loosely organized unit based program would work best for Venturing. OA did after all start as a summer camp based program, and Venturing doesn't really have such a close connection with summer camp. There also doesn't seem to be any other single unifying thing with wich most Venturing crews are associated, due to the variety of program focuses.

 

In conclusion, I certainly can't say what will work or what will do the most good for Venturing. Only time will tell.

The girls in my Crew were going to try to petition in to the OA. We didnt. We learned about the Corps of Discovery, but we really dont know too much about it nor is a lot publicized about it.

OT,

 

All great movements have to start somewhere. They just need the right Venturer to be in the right place at the right time. I think the Corps of Discovery idea was started up in the North West Suburban Council (Chicago).

 

Let me see if I can find a starting place.

 

I thought we were going to have a Winter Storm yesterday, making it impossible for me to come to work. Well it didn't happen, but I finished everything on my To Do list yesterday, so...let me find some places to start.

 

 

http://sageventure.com/venturing/index.htm

 

The above gentleman once spoke about designing a Corps of Discovery pocket flap. He needed a commitment for 200 of them to be purchased from his web site before he would go forward.

 

http://www.nwsc.org/venturing/ would be where I would start regarding the program.

 

For example: A Lewis & Clark Pilgrimage every year for Corps of Discovery members. Gotta start somewhere.

 

I nominate Outdoor Thinker for National Corps of Discovery President. Seconds?