Scout to Venturing Plan

[wagionvigil]

DO NOT SHOOT THE MESSENGER!!!!

During the Next Year All councils Must develop a Scout To Venturing Transition Plan and Submit it to their Regional Office. Councils that fail to do this will have one presented to them.
We are missing a very large part of our youth age 15-21 and councils MUST do something to 1. Keep These Boys in the Program and 2. Bring more Youth both male and female into the program.

[riverwalk]

Sounds interesting. My idea for a Crew theme hasn't taken hold locally, yet. But I approached MADD's National office about it could be supported by every MADD chapter in the land, and potentially add that many new Crews as well.

My District is discussing ways to expand Venturing, but we're also busy recruiting for our District split. Lots to think about. Thanks for the heads up.

[jr56]

Sounds interesting, of course you're not going to get many girls transferring from scouting to venturing.

[wagionvigil]

No you are not going to girls transfering And Everyone know that.

[LSR]

No shooting from my perch! I think it's a great idea! We just started a crew (Our church has a 75+ year old troop, a pack and now a crew.) The idea got started when I got a call from a young lady who was a Silver Award Venturer from Longhorn and was going to college at out local state U. She wanted to know if there was a crew. While discussing this with our Cubmaster & his ASM wife, she mentioned their two daughters- a light bulb went off over all of our heads and we had a crew. At first it was all female, sisters in Scouting families. Now some of the older boys in the Troop have joined as well, keeping their membership & advancement in the Troop. I'd venture to say (man, that's a bad pun) that there is a HUGE number of young ladies in Scouting families who'll jump at this. They are frustrated with the Girl Scouts (in my experience, either non-existant in the older ages and/or not as outdoors orientated as they'd like.)

[jr56]

I had a similar situation when I started a crew a few years back. Several boys in the troop had sisters, but very few took advantage of the crew.

[ThunderingWind]

Any word on the National Plan should the Council's not get it done.

Meaning, do some age thing like the LDS church does?

I think we ought to buy the older girls section of the GSUSA. (just kidding!!!)

[wagionvigil]

We do not have to buy it The Girls are moving to Venturing on their own They are asking for the fun stuff so we will offer it to them.

[AquilaNegra]

I doubt that Venturing will ever take off as well as National wants it to. Part of the allure of Scouts is that it's a boys' club. Neither my sons nor my daughters are interested in a co-ed Crew. Now, if they would split them into VenturingX and VenturingY, that might be worth joining!

[wagionvigil]

OK A couple What If QUestions Just for Giggles

1. WHat If Venturing was a Mandatory Move at a certain age or grade? Would we loose Boys? And would These loses be removed by an influx of Girls?
2. What If all the Senior GSUSA Troops Converted to Venturing as their High Adventure Program?

Venturing is a High School College Program and Gives the Youth the Opportunity to truly be leaders.

[Chief J]

Not sure if the mandatory thing would work, my own little rebellious state of mind says go ahead, as soon as you make it mandatory I'm outta here.

Also I don't think the GSUSA would have any desire (or motivation) to sell, donate, or otherwise, dispose of their senior girls division.

My personal observations and thoughts are: National, Council, District, and Unit operations need to come to an understanding about what the Scout program is and what the Venturing program is. the program needs to be promoted to the eligible youth and the adults so they can make informed decisions.


I see way too many Troop leaders and Boy Scout types at the District, and Unit level who "hate" Venturing. Why do they hate it and not support it do you ask? Because they do not understand it, or what little experience they have with it has been negative.

A typical negative experience for the leadership of the Troop is the approach of a district person that they may or may not know very well, who tells them: "You have to start a Venturing Crew" If you stop and think, these BSA leaders are usually the SM or ASM of their troops, and already have a full plate in managing the Troop program, now to be voluntold to become a Venture leader just upsets them.

If we could roundup/find/recruit leadership for a crew, and establish a worthy mission for the crew, and this leadership can promote and recruit Venture age youth without stripping the Troops of its older scouts, then I believe Venturing could be successful. "It's coed" isn't going to keep a 14-21 year old intersted for long, nor will Venturing be able to successfully recruit if the Troop leadership believes that the older youth will be stripped away.

I support Venturing, (As I did Explorers in my day). In February, the Venturing leadership is coming into our Troop meeting to conduct firearm safety classes (The instructors coming from the Crew are certified to teach). Then after the Scouts complete the safety course, we will attend the Crew meetings and shoot with them. If this entices any Scouts to join this Crew, great. If it does not, at least the Scouts learned about firearm safety, and had the opportunity to practice their marksmanship.

Best of Luck in this area,

Chief J

[wagionvigil]

Chief J you correct on so many points
Troop leadership Are afraid of Venturing.
Why Because they say it takes their Older Boys. How many trioops actually kepp their older boys active? How many troops offer activities geared for tjhose older Boys? Very few. Troops never exclude the younger kids. Which they should at times. If you have done something at 11 why stay around. Dangle the carrot Make them wait until they are 15 or 16 for certain troop activities.
ie: the High school age boys are going caving and CLimbing the Younger scouts are Taking Geology and Forestry.
ie: The High School Age Boys are doing the Lower Yough
The Youngher Boys are doing a Peddle and Paddle on the Middle Yough.


Councils do not understand Venturing is a fact. The Council Execs realy have no idea what it is all about. They see it as just an older Boy SCout Unit and it is not. It is not near a Boy Scout Unit. It is totally youth lead and Adult Supervised. The Youth make all the decisioons and nake all the plans. If it is not done this way it is wrong.

[jr56]

I have also seen many Venture aged youth who have been so spoon fed by athletic programs and the like, that they have no interest in running the program. They just want to show up and have it fed to them. Once they realize that they are going to have to put forth some effort to make the program go, they are gone.

[ThunderingWind]

I have also seen many Venture aged youth who have been so spoon fed by athletic programs and the like, that they have no interest in running the program. They just want to show up and have it fed to them. Once they realize that they are going to have to put forth some effort to make the program go, they are gone.

This seems to be similar to my crew. It is not that they have been spoon fed, but that they are tired of leading (whatever they have been in) and thought this would be fun activities and want the adults to do the work.

At least that is how I see it.

[wagionvigil]

But that is not the program. You may have to do some Gentle Guidance

[VenturingL]

Many valid points - some of which we've seen in our crew. Will girls transfer to Venturing? YES - those who want more rugid activities and adventures, and are disheartened by the "Susie homemaker, dirt is dirty" GSUSA leaders they have had in the past. Please note: I know not all GSUSA leaders fit that, but my daughter's did & that's why she jumped at Venturing.
Why do Boy Scouts hate us? They do not understand program, feel threatened by it (boys will choose it over troop activities), think girls don't belong; it's fairly new & that means change - a thing greatly resisted by some.
BSA is celebrating its 100th aniverary, Cubbies had their 75th, Venturing is celebrating its 10th - a much lower number. Patience...
Councils need to put effort in recruiting for Venturing - our best success within our crew has been recruiting kids that AREN'T in a scout unit. Go for the special interest/adventure. Keep them busy & be flexible with schedules - these are high school & college kids.

[AquilaNegra]

OK A couple What If QUestions Just for Giggles

1. WHat If Venturing was a Mandatory Move at a certain age or grade? Would we loose Boys? And would These loses be removed by an influx of Girls?
2. What If all the Senior GSUSA Troops Converted to Venturing as their High Adventure Program?

1. If it becomes a mandatory co-ed program, you lose a SIGNIFICANT portion of the boys. And, no, not nearly enough girls to offset the loss.
2. Would these then be girls-only programs? And whose policies do they adhere to? GSUSA is *NOT* simply a Boy Scout-type program for girls. Many Scouts and their families would never want to be associated in any way whatsoever with GSUSA.

Bad idea all around.

[ThunderingWind]

But that is not the program. You may have to do some Gentle Guidance

I know this. And the recent influx of girls (and girls that want to "do things and earn stuff" to boot) is changing this.

The boys just need to step back, look at their schedules and decide what is import to them. Several of my boys are four-sports, Life working on Eagle, ultra high academics, plus band and speech team and then the private lessons for karate and ski club (yes at least two boys fit every thing here, many are almost there).

[wagionvigil]

Our new Crew the Girls are runnning the show and doing a pretty good job at it.

[scouter01]

isn't one of the main reasons older boys drop out cause of girls?

so........ wouldn't this increase the numbers?