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What Is 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. Venturing programs are developed around six experience areas of
emphasis: arts & hobbies, outdoors, sea scouting, sports, and youth
ministries.
Goals of Venturing
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.
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| Become a skilled training and program resource for Cub Scouts, Boy
Scouts, and other groups. |
| Acquire skills in the areas outdoors, 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 of Venturing
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.
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| 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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