Older Scout Program

[clueless431]

Hi!

My troop is in the process of creating a program for older scouts. Each meeting we currently run 3 stations and have our patrols rotate through. Recently it seems that our older scouts are getting a little restless ( we cover the same topics every year), so we would like to make a 4th station just for older scouts (first class and above). Does anyone have any ideas about what we could teach (more advanced topics) ? Any comment would be helpful!

Thanks,
The Clueless Scout

[divermann]

Welcome to the network! A couple of suggestions: Can your troop form a Venture Patrol for boys 13 and older? A brief discription can be found here under types of Patrols: http://www.scouting.org/BoyScouts/PatrolLeader.aspx . Here is another page that focuses on older (13+) Scouts: http://www.scouting.org/BoyScouts/Resou ... nture.aspx . Check out the 600+ page "Fieldbook" or pick up a copy of the Venturing Leader Manual (34655) where there are 130+ pages of program ideas (be very carefull here though, as some of these ideas are for for Venturers (14+) only). I think the best suggestion might be to see if your Charter Organization might consider a Venture Crew where your boys 14+ could be a member of both and still work towards their Eagle as long as they are First Class. Maybe WagionVigil can give some additional thoughts.....

[wagionvigil]

Thoughts DO not form a Venture Patrol start a Venturing Crew Separate from the Troop. The name Venture patrol is probably the Poorest choice of a Name BSA has ever made as too many leaders think Venture Patrol And Venture are the Same thing and can do the same things. It is Not and They cannot. I prefer a homegrown name Like older Scout patrol patol or "Adventure" Patrol. Let the Youth plan what They want to do. Maybe Wilderness First Aid if they age 16 or older or Geocaching. I know several troops that have had success with doing things that Only the Boys in high school can do no younger scouts allowed. The right to do these things must be earned. Caving, Rafting,Backbacking,Climbing and Rappelling save these things for the older boys. When the parents complain you just say if your boy stays in the scouts and has earned the right to go they will get to go then. Look at the resourses Divermann listed, they will help.

[Mrw]

Our troop has a group of older boys (14 and up) who were interested in more higher adventure stuff. They have formed into an extra group for these types of activities and call themselves the Extra Mile Crew. This is outside the regular patrol structure as not all the older guys are interested in participating in this.

[Mrw]

As a continuation of my last post (there is no edit button for some reason....) we do have a Venture Crew in town. I think only one or two of our boys have joined it and at least the one who is very active in the Venture Crew is also active in the troop and the Extra Mile Crew.

[clueless431]

Thanks for the help. I will show this to my troop and see what they think.

Clueless Scout