VENTURING!!
A Resource to Religious
Organizations serving High
School age Youth
BSA has steadily expanded the reach of its
value-based programs
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1910 Boy Scouting for boys 12 to 17
1912 Sea Scouting for boys over 14
1930 Cub Scouting for boys 8-11
1946 Exploring for young men 14-20 who wanted
advanced Scouting
1959 Yankelovich Study of high-school age boys
1969 Coed Exploring- Young women ages 14-20 joined
Posts
1991 Learning For Life - BSA Subsidiary
1998 Venturing - Coed ages 14-20 - Outdoor, Religious
and Hobby related
Boy Scouts of America
Age-appropriate programs
 Cub
Scouting
Boys
Grades 1-5
 Boy
Scouting
Boys
Ages 11-18
Coed
Ages 14-20
 Venturing
Here’s Venturing
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Coed, ages 14-20 - some chartered partners choose all- male or allfemale
The methods of Venturing have been carefully chosen to meet the
needs of Young Adults
 Leadership
 Group Activities
 Adult Association
 Recognition
 Ideals
 High Adventure
 Teaching Others
Venturing Crew Growth in
Religious Organizations
1998
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Community Churches
18
Methodist Episcopal
8
Evangelical Churches
7
Church of Christ
29
Nazarene Churches
11
Disciples of Christ
54
Lutheran Churches
181
Jewish Synagogues
10
Presbyterian Churches
213
Catholic Churches
420
Baptist Churches
232
Methodist Churches
614
United Church of Christ 63
1999
2000
43
13
6
49
10
80
267
14
293
550
301
810
71
94
17
14
67
14
103
342
18
363
675
360
959
98
2001
124
26
20
70
25
118
393
21
396
781
416
1089
111
% growth since ’98
589%
225%
186%
141%
127%
118%
117%
110%
86%
86%
79%
77%
76%
Why is Venturing Growing?
Aggressive promotion Nation-wide
Tailor-made for teenagers
 Coed
program
 No required uniform
 Extreme sports and outdoor activities
Targeted resources for new unit growth
Venturing Oath
As a Venturer; I promise to do my
duty to God, and help strengthen
America, to help others, and to seek
truth, fairness, and adventure in our
world.
What is Venturing?
 “It’s
not a box or a package we present.”
 “It is focused resources designed to help a
community organization provide wholesome,
flexible, well-rounded, challenging activities,
tailor-made for teenage youth.”
Does your high school age youth group have access to the
following resources:
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Use of developed retreat facilities at little or no cost for team building
and program
Expertise and program helps for 25 Outdoor disciplines with 124
suggested activities
Awards and recognitions for youth and adults recognized nationally
Professional assistance with program planning, volunteer recruitment
and finding resources
Five-hour extensive training for all adult leaders
Two-day Leadership Skills Course for all youth
Award-winning Youth Protection Video for youth
Youth Protection training for adults
Low-cost liability and accident insurance
Resources continued….
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How to assemble an annual
plan (step by step)
Annual planning meeting
agenda
How to elect youth officers
Video: Youth officer training
and job descriptions
Ethical Controversies modules
Safe Driving CD
 How to introduce a
speaker
 How to make a speech
 How to use parliamentary
procedure
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Venturing provides structure and
substance to a Church Youth Group
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Venturing is flexible and can work with any existing youth program
structure
Venturing can help keep youth closer to your organization’s beliefs
Venturing provides a package that can retain existing youth and
recruit new ones
The religious awards will help create an arena in which young
adults can work closely with religious leaders
70% of all Venturing Crews nationwide are chartered to religious
organizations
Silver
Award
Eagle
Quartermaster
Life
Ranger
Award
Star
Outdoor
Bronze
lst
Class
Gold
Award
Youth
Ministries
Bronze
Previous
Boy Scout or
Varsity Scout
Sports
Bronze
JOIN
Venturing
Arts and
Hobbies
Bronze
Sea
Scout
Bronze
Award Samplings
Bronze
Gold
Silver
Five Bronze Awards
-Arts and Hobbies
-Outdoor
-Sea Scouting
-Sports
-Youth Ministry
Outdoor Bronze is
½ of the Ranger
award
Requires earning
at least one
Bronze award
Must complete
Venturing
Leadership Skills
Course
Requires
leadership role
6 months
leadership
Requires Crew
Review
Requires Crew
Review
The New and Exciting
Venturing Ranger Program
 Rangers
are elite outdoorsmen
 Ranger are required to teach what
they’ve learned to others
 Rangers work with their advisor and
consultants
Ranger Core Requirements
1. Standard First Aid plus When Help is
Delayed
2. Communications
3. Cooking
4. Emergency Preparedness
5. Land Navigation
6. Leave No Trace
7. Wilderness Survival
8. Conservation
Ranger Electives
(Must earn 4 of 18)
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Backpacking
Cave Exploring
Project COPE
Mountain Biking
First Aid
Fishing
Ecology
Equestrian
Hunting
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Lifesaver
Mountaineering
Outdoor Living History
Physical Fitness
Plants & Wildlife
Scuba
Shooting Sports
Watercraft
Winter Sports
Youth Ministries Bronze Award
Earn your denominations Venturing-age
religious award
 Learn about cultural diversity and make a
presentation or tabletop display using the
information you learned
 Plan and lead a service project
 Serve as a volunteer in your church for at least
3 months
 Keep a personal journal of your experiences
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Youth Ministries Bronze
Award
After volunteering for at least three months,
share your experiences with others
 Go on a religious retreat or trek for at least two
days
 Produce or be a cast member in a play with a
religious theme
 Serve as President or officer in your youth group
 Complete a Standard First Aid course
 Meet with your Religious leader
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Ages of Venturers
Year 2001
50000
45000
40000
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
14 yr. 15 yr. 16 yr. 17 yr. 18 yr. 19 yr. 20 yr. other
Olds Olds Olds Olds Olds Olds Olds
Greensboro, North Carolina
Wes Reid- Assistant Scoutmaster-Troop 214
Member of Church that charters Crew
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We noticed that older boys were losing interest
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Most our campouts catered to the new scouts, ages 11-12
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Older Scouts were looking for more exciting adventure
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In our Church chartered units, boys that are 1st class scouts are eligible to
join the crew
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They continue to work toward Eagle and pursue high adventure
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We look at Scouting as part of our Church ministry. Having girls in our
crew allows us to provide a total ministry
Collinsville, Illinois
Tim Stark- Associate Pastor
Sunlight Church
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Non-Denominational Church
Organized Venturing crew with Master’s Commission Program made up of 18-25
year olds
These are college kids that participate in a one year program that teaches
character, integrity and service
At the end of the program they spend six weeks on the road visiting other
Churches. They make a visible impact of service.
2000 annual plan includes a retreat at the local Scout facility for the COPE course
and next summer to the Northern Tier High Adventure Base
Their goal is to organize a crew with the high school youth group in the church
Des Arc, Arkansas
Melvin York- Pastor
First Baptist Church
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The High School youth group was organized in 1998 as a Venturing crew
The group has 15 boys and 15 girls
The youth have adopted a golf green shirt as a unform
They meet every Sunday night
Most of the youth have earned the Youth Ministries Bronze Award and the God
and Life Award
Two recent Silver Award recipients
The Pastor conducted the Venturing Leadership Skills Course with the youth
The crew focuses on serving the community. Recently they helped organize a
Tiger Cub Group
They have recently gone canoeing and horseback riding
Fullerton, California
Amanda Delaney and Christina Canino, Crew 214
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Crew 214 was organized in June of 1998, it has 15 boys and 15 girls,
chartered to a Presbyterian Church in Fullerton, California
Activities include backpacking, rock climbing, snowboarding, skiing and
COPE
The youth adopted the spruce green shirt as their formal uniform. They
designated a navy blue t-shirt with their own logo as the activity uniform.
“We’re all like brothers and sisters, we trust each other.”
“We set our own rules; no boy/girl buddy system, go in threes in mixed
company.”
“Venturing is more than we expected.”
“The guys have seen me on campouts without my makeup on and they
still like me.”
Louisville, Kentucky - Lincoln Heritage Council
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Organized 24 Venturing crews with religious youth groups
Pastors were surveyed about why they included Venturing
with their high school age youth group
 Access to camp property - COPE course- religious retreats
 Structure and enhancements that Venturing offered- youth
and adult training- advancement- programming, youth
protection, etc.
 Council has organized quarterly events for all youth groups
to attend.
Cascade Pacific Council
Portland, Oregon
December 31 - 40% growth in youth(6661),
19.5% growth in units(312)
 Invited Pastors from inner-city community
Churches to Scout Camp for Impact Event
 30 units have been organized from this event
 Council created field trips and quarterly events at
council camps, they use COPE course
 Pastors organized “Venturing for Faith”
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Rick Newton – Crew Advisor
Tidewater, Florida
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Crew 520 was started in May 1999 when St. Simon’s on the Sound Episcopal
Church was looking for something to help them sustain a youth group.
We began with five youth. Last Tuesday we sent our recharter package in with 30
kids names on it, all with paid up dues and excited about Venturing. Two more
kids showed up at our last meeting with friends, liked what they saw, and took
joining paperwork home to their parents. I have youth from 5 different High
Schools. We are busting at the seams.
Seven of our kids just started their high school-age Pope Pius XII Religious
Award.
These kids like showing up in “safe” places in their green polo shirts, sitting as a
crowd, and getting recognized.
Our youth group has gone windsurfing, scuba diving, mountain biking and
horseback riding
Erik Moeller – St. Vincent de Paul Parish
Arlington, Texas
May of 2000 created a Venturing crew at the Parish
 It works as a subset of the existing high school-age youth
group
 We asked all the youth interested in outdoor activities if
they wanted to be a part of an outdoor club
 Our group is 50% male/female
 Their favorite activity is the high and low ropes challenge
courses
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Frequently Asked Questions ???
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How much ownership will my religious organization have if we
start a Venturing crew with my High School age youth group?
What are the advantages of combining my religious organization’s
youth group with Venturing?
How much does it cost to create a Venturing crew with my religious
youth group?
Is a uniform required?
Where will we find leadership?
Will Venturing compete with my youth group?
How do we get started?