Scout to Venturing Plan

[Cowboy]

I am very new to the Venturing program, and you could say that I am on the anti side, but trying to learn. I do want to make informed decisions and have "full" knowledge of everything. Maybe I am spoiled by "My" Pack, Troop, District and Council. In "our" organization we have a natural progression from Tiger Cub to Eagle Scout. Helps to be from a small, rural town. If our boys want to go hunting with friends they can. If those friends are all in the Troop, so be it, it is not a Troop activity, it is a bunch of guys getting together to go hunting. This has occured. Here is my take on the "benefits" that I hear about of the Venturing program:
1) Boy led: In our Troop the boys do truly set a schedule. They get together throughout the summer in PLC and set a schedule for the upcoming year. They then lead meetings and outings. Monthly outings include rock climbing, canoeing, camping and service projects. The boys use sports and school calendars to set this schedule. We (adults) simply advise based on safety and logistics.
2) High Adventure outings: We have several outings each year. Summer Camp (of course), Weekend camp outs, usually monthly during the school year. Low adventure: Open to everyone in the Troop including the recently crossed over. This is usually a hiking/camping 3 day weekend. Medium adventure: Open to anyone First class regardless of age. Usually a canoe trip of 3 -4 days on a "tame" river. High Adventure: Open only to those who are First class and age 13 or higher. This is Whitewater, "sea" kyak (SP?), all of the BSA approved High adventure stuff. This year it will be a week of "sea" Kyak on Lake Superior. Here is the big crux: I am nearly 42 years old and I can go on every one of these outings! I am an Adult leader and I can participate with the boys. I do not get to pick where we go, but I can go. I am too old to be a Venturer, but I can still do everything that the boys do. Well, not in reality, as a cripple I am limited, but you get the idea.
3) Girls can do it: BSA The two "definitions" of this acronym that I am aware of are: Boy Scouts of America and Babysitters of America. Sorry, but if we are going to stick to the rules that gays and athiest are not allowed in BSA, then we need to hold that it is BOY Scouts, not Boys and Girl Scouts of America. I know that some people are goign to really get twisted up about that, but that is how I feel. One of the most intelligent, giving and MORAL men that I have ever known was turned away from a local Troop because he was athiest. A different organization did welcome him as an advisor. When he died it was discovered that he was a multi millionaire and he left a substantial portion of his estate to the welcoming organization. It is not all about money, but........

Now here is my biggest beef with the Venturing program: Too many groups! As earlier stated, we are a small rural community. A little frame of reference: Our county is a "perfect square". 30 miles by 30 miles. We have a population of only 42,000. Our Village has a population of 2000, and the biggest City is only 5 miles away with a population of 9,500. Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturing, Brownies, Girl Scouts, 4-H. That is in our Village. In our County we have: 23 BSA Units, At least 12 Girl Scout/Brownie units, minimum of 36 4-H units, 3 Boys/Girls Clubs, 2 Royal Rangers units, over 50 Church Youth Groups, and let's not forget all of the sports and academic clubs through the schools. All of these organizations want time from the kids and money from the community. From the day that school starts in the fall we are deluged with kids asking us to buy stuff, fruit, pizza, POPCORN, cookies, blah, blah, blah, fundraising. Why add another thing to draw time and funds from an already great program?

Like I said, I may be spoiled by our Troop. We have boys from 11 - 18 active. We have Eagles (adult) who come back regularly to visit and go on High Adventure with our Troop, and our adult leaders age from 28 - 68. One is a mother, the other is father of an Eagle and Grandfather of a Bear, but he still "leads" High Adventure with the boys. I fail to see how a Venturing Crew can benefit our Troop. I see only a down side in finances. Girls: Get different leaders. Mrs. Cowboy was in GS and enjoyed camping and all of the other things that we are now doing with our Life Scout.

Just my biased 2 cents worth.

[wagionvigil]

Question If the Boys in the Troop fail to plan something What do the Leaders Do? In Venturing if the youth do not do it it does not happen. If you remove our co ed program you will not have the right or opportunity to attend a World Jamboree. Venturing Youth can advance thriough their 21st Birthday on Venturing Advancement Requirements. Take some time and read through the Ranger Award requirements and all the electives etc. They are anything but easy. Attend a Powder Horn Course in your Area. ATtend your AReas Venturing Summit and take part. Central Region Venturing is Very Strong and has a fantastic Web site with information about activities and places to do the activities. Come and Attend the 2010 National Jamboree and see Ventures at Work in all areas. They cannot attend as participants so are going as staff.

[koholintscout]

Not to dig up an old topic or anything...but what happened with this? Are the higher-ups going to force the Scout to Venturing Plan?

[kwildman]

I don't see them making it a mandatory move since Boy Scouts are the cornerstone of the BSA program.

Yes i think that National and Councils could do a better job promoting Venturing but I think that the local units and districts need to take some ownership of the program. Real growth in the program can be obtained externally by promoting it to youth not currently in scouts. We do a great job "selling" scouts to elementary schools but fail to market to older kids. I have talked to many middle school/junior high boys about boy scouts and most of them think that they cant join Boy Scouts if they were not cub scouts. Many people just are not aware of what Venturing is and what it can offer. As a membership chair I would like to see the same effort given to recruiting older youth into the BSA. If we did a recruitment blitz like we do each fall for Cub Scouts I think we would get alot of new Boy Scouts and Crew.

[ThunderingWind]

Shameless bump....

Has any Council NOT turned in their plan to the Region and actually have Region hand them one?

I would like to see what is being handed down if nothing is offered up.

Yeah.............What has become of this edict "From On High?"

[koholintscout]

I don't see them making it a mandatory move since Boy Scouts are the cornerstone of the BSA program.

Yes i think that National and Councils could do a better job promoting Venturing but I think that the local units and districts need to take some ownership of the program. Real growth in the program can be obtained externally by promoting it to youth not currently in scouts. We do a great job "selling" scouts to elementary schools but fail to market to older kids. I have talked to many middle school/junior high boys about boy scouts and most of them think that they cant join Boy Scouts if they were not cub scouts. Many people just are not aware of what Venturing is and what it can offer. As a membership chair I would like to see the same effort given to recruiting older youth into the BSA. If we did a recruitment blitz like we do each fall for Cub Scouts I think we would get alot of new Boy Scouts and Crew.

I completely agree. Like I said some months ago, Venturing might benefit from "benign neglect" from the National level. Boy Scouting did not become essential Americana because of a huge push organized from the national level. While times are sure different than they were a hundred years ago, I think BSA's experience could be valuable here. I do think on the local level there is not as good a push to get kids involved in Scouts. It seems like sons of former Boy Scouts are the one largest demographic (at least that's how it is back home). What people everywhere ought to do is talk Scouts up to parents who were never involved in Scouting. The same applies to Venturing-people who are really involved in Venturing should be educating those who don't "get it" (like me, for instance) and convince people that it is a good use of their time and energy. I think the hardest thing that Venturing has against it is that it is essentially competing for the same demographics, for generally the same activities, for questionable benefits and it has a much lower profile. In general, it also seems that its purpose is pretty muddled, especially if there are troops in the area that do high adventure activities as it is.