Venturing
Venturing is a youth development program of the Boy Scouts of America
for young men and women who are 14 (and have completed the eighth grade)
through 20 years of age.
Venturing's purpose is to provide positive experiences to help young
people mature and to prepare them to become responsible and caring
adults.
Venturing is based on a unique and dynamic relationship between
youth, adult leaders, and organizations in their communities. Local
community organizations establish a Venturing crew by matching their
people and program resources to the interests of young people in the
community. The result is a program of exciting and meaningful activities
that helps youth pursue their special interests, to grow, to develop
leadership skills, and to become good citizens.
Venturing crews can specialize in a variety of avocation or hobby
interests.
Goals
Young adults involved in Venturing will:
- Learn to make ethical choices over their lifetimes by instilling
the values in the Venturing Oath and Code.
- Experience a program that is fun and full of challenge and
adventure.
- Become a skilled training and program resource for Cub Scouts,
Boy Scouts, and other groups.
- Acquire skills in the areas of high adventure, sports, arts and
hobbies, youth ministries, or Sea Scouting.
- Experience positive leadership from adult and youth leaders and
be given opportunities to take on leadership roles.
- Have a chance to learn and grow in a supportive, caring, and fun
environment.
Methods
The aims of the Boy Scouts of America are to build character, develop
citizenship and foster personal fitness. The Venturing methods listed
below have been carefully designed to achieve the aims of the Boy Scouts
of America and meet the needs of young adults.
Leadership. All Venturers are given opportunities to
learn and apply proven leadership skills. A Venturing crew is led by
elected crew officers. The Venturing Leadership Skills Course is
designed for all Venturers and helps teach in an active way to
effectively lead.
Group Activities. Venturing activities are
interdependent group experiences in which success is dependent on the
cooperation of all. Learning by "doing" in a group setting provides
opportunities for developing new skills.
Adult Association. The youth officers lead the crew.
The officers and activity chairs work closely with adult Advisors and
other adult leaders in a spirit of partnership. The adults serve in a
"shadow" leader capacity.
Recognition. Recognition comes through the Venturing
advancement program and through the acknowledgement of a youth's
competence and ability by peers and adults.
The Ideals. Venturers are expected to know and live
by the Venturing Oath and Code. They promise to be faithful in religious
duties, treasure their American heritage, to help others and to seek
truth and fairness.
High Adventure. Venturing's emphasis on high
adventure helps provide; team-building opportunities, new meaningful
experiences, practical leadership application, and life-long memories to
young adults.
Teaching Others. All of the Venturing Awards require
Venturers to teach what they have learned to others. When they teach
others often, Venturers are better able to retain the skill or knowledge
they taught, they gain confidence in their ability to speak and relate
to others and they acquire skills that can benefit them for the rest of
their lives as a hobby or occupation.
Ethics in Action
An important goal of Venturing is to help young adults be responsible
and caring persons, both now and in the future. Venturing uses "ethical
controversies" to help young adults develop the ability to make
responsible choices that reflect their concern for what is a risk and
how it will affect others involved. Because an ethical controversy is a
problem-solving situation, leaders expect young adults to employ
empathy, invention, and selection when they think through their position
and work toward a solution of an ethical controversy.
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