Changes coming To Venturing Age--------About Time

[wagionvigil]

Subject: Age change for Sea Scouts
> BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
> RESOLUTION
>
> WHEREAS, the current age and grade eligibility requirements for participation in the Venturing program is 14 years of age and completion of the eighth grade, and
>
> WHEREAS, the Program Content Committee has recommended that, effective May 1, 2010, the age requirement be changed to 13 years of age and completion of the eighth grade;
>
> NOW THEREFORE, BE IT
> RESOLVED, that Article VII, Section 2, Clause 2 (a) of the BSA Rules and Regulations be, and hereby is, amended to read as follows:
> Venturer-Be 13 years of age and have completed the eighth grade, or be 14 years of age or older, and not yet 21 years of age.

[ThunderingWind]

I concur. My son was in the birthday cut off area when he started school. So he was nearly 15 when he finished 8th grade.

This is a good change for Venturing.

[Mrw]

I was one of those late birthday kids who was 6 weeks into 9th grade before turning 14. So it is good for those ones too.

[FrankJ]

Is this official?

[wagionvigil]

It will be Voted on in the near future. But it is coming

[VenturingL]

Is there a person or department we can contact to express our support?

[smtroop168]

It will be Voted on in the near future. But it is coming

It's on the agenda right after the 2010 Centennial MB rollout vote.

[wagionvigil]

Just about correct.

[AquilaNegra2]

I think it's too big an age difference. For most kids, there is a HUGE difference between 13 and 14. What's the rationale behind the drop in the age?

Do you think this will strengthen BSA or will there be a greater feeling of Crews pinching Scouts?

btw, my "baby girl" just joined a Crew -- we found one that is girls-only.

[ThunderingWind]

This age dropping is only for a very narrow groups of youth. It is NOT an overall, blanket policy of age.

13 AND have completed 8th grade or be 14 in 8th grade or higher.

This change is only going to open the opportunity join a Crew to a select few kids who have odd birthdays with relationship
to the rules regarding starting school - thus the Age/Grade is skewed.

This is not as big of a deal as several people are making it out to be.

While I understand there are big diffeences between a 13 year old Freshman and the 19 year old Freshaman, an Advisor is not doing a very good job to teaching the older youth if the older youth do not take the time to teach the younger youth what their
particular Crew, Venturing and general life skills are all about.

[wagionvigil]

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Venturing/EligibilityChange.aspx

Here is the BSA Announcement on the age change

[smtroop168]

I guess this was in the queue before the 2010 MBs. Since the effective date for this one is 1 May, look for the MBs in the summer.

[SMTroop240]

My 13 year old daughter is thrilled with this change, she finishes 8th grade in June, but doesn't turn 14 till August, this way she can join a crew for this years summer trips.

[japhmi]

So, if we have a kid who skipped a grade, and turns 13 during a summer, they can join as soon as they have their birthday? Or should we wait until they would 'ordinarily' have completed 8th grade (the following summer).

[PaulSWolf]

So, if we have a kid who skipped a grade, and turns 13 during a summer, they can join as soon as they have their birthday? Or should we wait until they would 'ordinarily' have completed 8th grade (the following summer).

If the child is now 13, skipped 7th grade (or an earlier grade), and has just completed 8th grade, they can join now. There's no question that the rule so states.

If the child is now 13 and just finished the 7th grade, is scheduled to now skip 8th grade, and will start 9th grade in the fall, I would say the child can join as soon as school starts in the fall, as at that point it is obvious that the child has, for the intent of the rule, "finished" 8th grade.

[japhmi]

So, if we have a kid who skipped a grade, and turns 13 during a summer, they can join as soon as they have their birthday? Or should we wait until they would 'ordinarily' have completed 8th grade (the following summer).

If the child is now 13, skipped 7th grade (or an earlier grade), and has just completed 8th grade, they can join now. There's no question that the rule so states.

This is going to be fun, because our units are almost 100% homeschooled kids, so they've finished 8th grade whenever the parent says they have.

[smtroop168]

Call your council and speak to the registrar

[fritz1255]

Uh Boy. One of my colleagues at work asked me to distribute some Venturing flyers to my Boy Scout troop. Unfortunately, he was of the opinion (and I did not know any better) that the maximum age was 18, just like Boy Scouts. No real interest from the boys in the troop as a result - their focus at ages 16 and 17 is usually completing the requirements for Eagle. I was going to ask on this forum if there were any plans to expand the age to say, 21. This makes WAY more sense now!

[FrankJ]

Venturing is & always has been to 20 (you can finish the charter year as a youth when you turn 21). You can work on star- eagle as a Venturing scout until 18 same as boy scout. You can work on Venturing award while a Venturing scout. I have heard no rumors about changing the age of Boy Scouts.

The big advantage of Venturing is the scouts have slightly more mature judgement & more uniform physical development which allows higher adventure activities. You can also include young women in your activities.