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End of Varsity Scouts


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I don't understand the nature of this post ... are you pointing out the decision of the LDS Church to pull out of the Varsity and Venturing programs? Because that happened all the way back in May, effective January 1st of next year, but still old news at this point (which has been discussed almost to wit's end).

 

Or, is this news about the Varsity program itself coming to an end? If that is the case, can you please give us a source for this information? I have checked every official site I can find and there is no mention of this from what I can tell. Would you please share where you got this news?

Edited by The Latin Scot
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The FB speculation came from

     1. unlike previous years, there is no Team card listed for 2018 JTE scorecards.

     2. Without LDS (who started/pushed  the Varsity team program), there are few Varsity teams left.

 

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards/JourneyToExcellence/scorecards/2018.aspx

Edited by RememberSchiff
grammar
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Does anyone know how many Varsity Scouting teams exist other than those chartered to the LDS church?  I have never seen a Varsity Scout nor have I ever heard of any existing in my council.  (Well, actually there are approximately two LDS troops in my council so it may well be that they have teams associated with them, since that's the LDS program - until the end of this year.) Occasionally I have seen a Scout wearing the "blaze" shoulder loops and upon inquiring I have learned that some Scoutmasters have "repurposed" those loops to signify members of a Venture Patrol within a troop - which is not what they are meant for.

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A few years ago, this topic was brought up at Philmont Training Center. The brunt of it was:

  • The BSA recognizes the limited nature of Varsity Scouting in its current state.
  • The advancement structure was limited: "Boy Scouting plus a few badges".
  • The BSA was working with major sports leagues to develop a concept older-Scouting program that replaces the outdoor component with athletics.

That being said, this move wouldn't be unexpected. I'm not aware of any major National Scouting Organization with an entire age-division program dedicated to sporting, and the Varsity Scouting program has always been an LDS-driven item.

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I was indeed referring to the end of the Varsity program, not the LDS Church's withdrawal.

 

That said, the only Varsity units I have ever seen are LDS, but I am sure non LDS Varisity Team exist. But there are so few Teams as opposed to other unit types, any large scales losses were bound to have an impact on the program continuing.

 

I received the info via email and dont have a link. I assumed the info was more widespread or I would have expounded more.

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I asked Mr Anthony Escobar, the SE of the Caddo Area Council, TX-AR.

 

Varsity will terminate as a BSA program on 31 December 2017.

 

He has email from the National Office stating this.

 

It makes sense in light of the LDS decision. I would still like to know how many non-LDS Varsity Teams there are, but the impression I get is that the number is so low, the termination of the program after LDS stops using it is really just recognizing what has already happened.

Edited by NJCubScouter
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A few years ago, this topic was brought up at Philmont Training Center. The brunt of it was:

  • The BSA recognizes the limited nature of Varsity Scouting in its current state.
  • The advancement structure was limited: "Boy Scouting plus a few badges".
  • The BSA was working with major sports leagues to develop a concept older-Scouting program that replaces the outdoor component with athletics.

That being said, this move wouldn't be unexpected. I'm not aware of any major National Scouting Organization with an entire age-division program dedicated to sporting, and the Varsity Scouting program has always been an LDS-driven item.

 

In point of fact, Varsity Scouting isn't "dedicated to sporting." It's a team-based approach to planning and executing scouting activities where the responsibilities are more spread out than in an Troop. Some of the activities could be sporting-related, but must probably wouldn't be. Unfortunately, it was also the red-headed stepchild of BSA, and hadn't had updated Varsity-specific materials in years. 

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In point of fact, Varsity Scouting isn't "dedicated to sporting." It's a team-based approach to planning and executing scouting activities where the responsibilities are more spread out than in an Troop. Some of the activities could be sporting-related, but must probably wouldn't be. Unfortunately, it was also the red-headed stepchild of BSA, and hadn't had updated Varsity-specific materials in years. 

 

With all due respect, up until circa 1995 or 96, Varsity was in fact sports oriented. From 1982 or 83 until  1989, the only way for a Varsity Scout to earn the "Varsity Letter" needed for the Denali Award was to earn one of the Varsity Pins, which were all sports oriented;baseball, basketball, etc.

 

In 1989, Venture crews replaced the Leadership Corps for older Boy Scouts.  The Varsity letter became the "Varsity/Venture Letter," or "Venture/Varsity Letter" depending upon which book you read (I've seen it as both in BSA literature), and new high adventure oriented pins were created for Venture crews only. Varsity Scouts could only earn the Varsity Pins (sports oriented), and Boy Scouts in Venture crews could only earn the Venture Pins (traditional Scouting).

 

Sometime around 1995 or 1996, Varsity Scouts and Boy Scouts in Venture crews could earn any of the pins: Varsity or Venture.  That policy lasted after Venture crews became Venture patrols in 1998 with the introduction of Venturing, until 2016 The Boy Scout/Varsity Scout Uniform Inspection Sheet 2016 Printing Still had it listed as "Venture/Varsity Letter" http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34283.pdf.  Now Venture patrols are called "Older Scout Patrols."

 

Having worked in a National Scout shop part time for 1 year, and FT  for 2 years, the only time we ever sold any of the pins, and the manager said it was the only time the pins were sold, was to a summer camp staff trying to promote a HA program at the camp. He was using the letter and pins as part of his display.

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