What is Venturing?

Venturing is a division of the Boy Scouts of America for young men and women ages 13–21. Its purpose is to provide positive experiences to help youth mature and to prepare them to become responsible adults. It is based on a unique and dynamic relationship between youth, adult leaders, and organizations in their communities. Sea Scouts are the nautical oriented part of this division. As of the end of 2004, the Venturing program was serving 280,584 Venturers with 65,504 crew level leaders in 21,135 crews.

Methods and Ideals

The Methods of Venturing are:

• 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 them in an active way to lead effectively.
• 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, help others, and seek truth and fairness.
• High Adventure Venturing's emphasis on high adventure helps provide team-building opportunities, new meaningful experiences, practical leadership application, and lifelong 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 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.

The Ideals of Venturing are expressed in the Venturing Oath and Code:

The 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.

The Venturing Code

As a Venturer, I believe that America's strength lies in our trust in God and in the courage, strength, and traditions of our people. I will, therefore, be faithful in my religious duties and will maintain a personal sense of honor in my own life. I will treasure my American heritage and will do all I can to preserve and enrich it. I will recognize the dignity and worth of all humanity and will use fair play and goodwill in my daily life. I will acquire the Venturing attitude that seeks truth in all things and adventure on the frontiers of our changing world

The Venturing Sign

A raised right hand with the palm open, upper arm held horizontally and the forearm vertically. The right thumb is held slightly open, creating a "V."

The Venturing Hand Salute

A full-hand salute, with the pointer touching the forehead or hat brim.

Organization

The Venturing crew is sponsored by a community organization such as a business, service organization, school, labor group or religious institution. The chartering organization is responsible for selecting leadership, providing a meeting place and promoting a good program. The chartered organization representative is the liaison between the crew, the chartered organization, and the BSA. The crew may elect to be all-male, all-female or co-ed.

The crew committee is a group of adults, led by the crew committee chair, who guide the crew program and activities and manage record keeping, finance, leadership recruitment and registration. The crew is led by youths who are elected to the positions of president, one or more vice-presidents, secretary, and treasurer. Other positions in the crew may exist, such as activity chair. The adult advisor and associate advisors provide guidance while allowing the youth to lead the crew.

Uniform

Currently, there is no official uniform for Venturing crews. Crews decide for themselves whether to have a uniform, and if so, what uniform elements are to be worn for dress and activity situations. This has resulted in a variety of uniforms for both formal and activity situations.

Formerly, Venturers were allowed to develop their own Distinctive Dress Identity (DDI), thus designing their own uniforms. The term is no longer used in the Venturing program. The official Venturing field uniform consisted of a spruce green short-sleeve button-up shirt or blouse with a pointed collar, two front button-flap pockets, shoulder epaulets with shoulder loops, charcoal gray trousers or shorts, gray socks and a gray web belt with brass buckle. The gray cap and the gray brimmed hat with Venturing logo are also available for use by Venturing crews. The shirt comes with a US flag attached to the right shoulder and a Venturing – BSA strip above the right pocket.

The BSA Supply Division offers the spruce green shirt and charcoal grey pants and shorts that crews can use as part of their uniform. In some crews, the Boy Scout field uniform is modified to become a Venturing field uniform, though this practice is officially discouraged. According to the Insignia Guide, Venturing insignia, such as the green shoulder loops, Venturing emblem and badges of office should not be worn on the khaki Boy Scout uniform shirt. At the same time, the Venturing Division's official policy is that the choice of uniform, if any, is strictly up to the crew members, creating somewhat of a uniform policy paradox. Crews deciding to wear the official spruce green shirt as part of their uniform are expected to wear the correct insignia, as outlined in the Insignia Guide publication.