SM and Venturing

[scubascout]

some of my friends and i thought it would be cool to try to start a venturing crew. our sm says its a bad idea because it will take kids from the troop.

Has anybody had experience with this or comments?

Thanks
Scubascout

[wagionvigil]

SS This is the norm. Scoutmasters fear Ventruring. They feel it will strip their troop leadership. Well if the Troop is not giving the Older Boys a program they can relate to then it is time to leave the troop and join a crew. This is the reason I am for mandatory movement to Venturing.
Find a sponsor, at least six youth and some leaders and get going. Any one that has completed 1st class before joining a crew can continue to advance within the crew up until 18th BD. The Crew ADv. signs everything that says SM. Remember the youth run the crew not the adults. you can also be in a troop and a crew.
Youth MUST meet two joing requirements Age 14 and Finished with Grade 8 in School. If you get girls you MUST have some female associate advisers.

[FrankJ]

Our SM stepped down as SM & became the Venturing crew adviser. He is still an ASM with the troop.

[wagionvigil]

Give that Guy a Medal!

[ThunderingWind]

Give that Guy a Medal!

Sorry but the rules for recogniton of adult service clearly state.........[/end sarcasm]

There ought to be a knot that Packs/Troops/Crews can award an outstanding adult for service, dedication and self sacrifice. Call it the Scouter Service award.

Make it three colored like the Eagle badge using CS Blue, BS Red and Crew Green (or add Varsity orange) with a gold, silver and bronze knot. The three different knot colors could indicate years of self sacrifice to the Pack/Troop/Crew or unit deignated lelvel of service. Or just keep it gold for a all-for-one one-for-all adult award.

Use the standard pins to indicate which program was used for awarding the knot just like the Leader's Training award for Troop and Crew.

[Chief J]

some of my friends and i thought it would be cool to try to start a venturing crew. our sm says its a bad idea because it will take kids from the troop.

Has anybody had experience with this or comments?

Thanks
Scubascout

Been there - Heard that. And true this is the norm, but it is also a lot of horse ---. If the SM and the Troop are providing a quality program for the Venture age scouts, they will stay with the Troop, and at best also join the crew.

I am an SM and fully support Venturing, have told my older scouts about the program. As a matter of fact, the closest crew to our troop is coming to the Troop meeting in February to conduct the required safety courses so the Scouts can attend one of their crew nights and shoot at the local indoor gun range. (This crew focuses on shooting sports).

Any SM who is afraid of a Crew "stealing" Scouts needs to take a long hard look at his program. The 2 can and should coexist together.

Just my 2 cents,

Chief J

[wagionvigil]

Chief J you are in the miniority with this. I did a Venturing Session for our council Commissioners training in August and there were at least 4 commissioners that said Venturing was worthless and all it does is take the older boys from the troop. They also said they would do nothing to support Venturing. My comment was it is time for you all to go. You have no business being a commissioner. These guys are or were SM.Again I am for Mandatory movement at 14 if Eagle and 15 if not.

[RWSmith]

....I did a Venturing Session for our council Commissioners training in August and there were at least 4 commissioners that said Venturing was worthless and all it does is take the older boys from the troop. They also said they would do nothing to support Venturing. My comment was it is time for you all to go. You have no business being a commissioner....

That's just downright SAD. ... that a Commissioner would display such a narrow-minded attitude.

[Nuts4Scouts]

Venturing Crews each have a specific focus. That focus is usually something beyond what a regular Boy Scout Troop does. There should be no need for competition between the tow if each is running a good program.

While high adventure is most definitely one of the more popular focuses for a Crew, if that is the only reason you want to form a Crew, consider a Venture Patrol within your Troop instead.

[wagionvigil]

Remember A Venture Patrol member is still calleda Scout NOT A VENTURE.
ALso there are activities that are strictly for Crews! and Venture Patrols cannot do these. Don't ask. Look them up. ALso A member of a Crew is still a Youth until age 21 and can work on the Ranger Award.

[scoutaholic]

Give that Guy a Medal!

Sorry but the rules for recogniton of adult service clearly state.........[/end sarcasm]
There ought to be a knot that Packs/Troops/Crews can award an outstanding adult for service, dedication and self sacrifice. ...

There is an award that Troops/Teams/Crews/Ships can award to their SM/Coach/Advisor/Skipper. It is called the Scoutmasters/Coaches/Advisors/Skippers Award of Merit. Maybe that award should be expanded to allow for other adults besides the one in charge, and for cub leaders.

[WeeWillie]

Troop programs should stand on their own merits. It is the responsibility of the adult troop leadership to foster a program that attracts and retains Scouts without having to denigrate other troops, or other programs such as Ventures. Ditto for OA

Crew programs should stand on their own merits. It is the responsibility of the adult troop leadership to foster a program that attracts and retains Ventures without forcing Scouts to join at 14 or any other age.

21 of 25 Crews in Catalina Council (Southern AZ) are LDS Crews where participation is considered part of Church membership. Only 4 Crews are voluntary. The voluntary programs just don't appear to attract members. That is not to say that there are not good crews or that the program isn't worthwhile. Sea Scouts, Police Crews, and Fire Crews seem to do a good job. Other programs do not appear to be as successful. I have never heard any SM or Commissioner downgrade Ventures.

GSUSA recently combined Cadets & Seniors. I suspect retaining Seniors (10-12 grade) was an issue.

[Nuts4Scouts]

GSUSA recently combined Cadets & Seniors. I suspect retaining Seniors (10-12 grade) was an issue.

Combining 2 levels into 1 has no effect on the numbers or retention.

While GSUSA might have "officially" combined the Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts into Girl Scouts ages 11-17 during their infamous studio 2B phase, the girls never stopped calling themselves Cadettes or Seniors.

As a matter of fact, as of October 2008, not only are the names and levels for Girl Scout Cadettes and Seniors back, but girls in grades 11-12 will be called Girl Scout Ambassadors.

Retaining older youth will always be a challenge in ANY program. There is simply too much going on in a high school or college students life.