Venturing Advancement
[include:advtrainingmenupage]
The Venturing advancement program is an essential method of a Venturer’s Scouting experience. Unlike the Cub Scout and Boy Scout advancement trails, there are a variety of paths a Venturer can take depending on their interests and skills. The Quest Award recognizes fitness and athletisism. The Turst Award promotes reverence and an obligation to God, faith, and chuch. The Ranger Award inspires a passion for the outdoors and high adventure. And the Silver Award is the highest level of achievement for Venturing.
While a Venturer can take the path towards the award that interests them, there is a linear trail of awards he or she must earn. First is the Bronze award, followed by the Gold Award. Both of these require showing proficiency in a variety of skill areas.
Check out the articles on this page to learn more about the Venturing awards and review the Venturing Handbook for exact requirements and more information.
Boy Scouts and Venturing
Any male Venturer who has achieved the First Class rank as a Boy Scout in a troop or Varsity Scout in a team may continue working toward the Star, Life and Eagle ranks up to his 18th birthday. He must meet the requirements as prescribed in theBoy Scout Handbook and the current Boy Scout Requirements book.
Position of responsibility requirements may be met by the Venturer serving as president, vice-president, secretary or treasurer of his Crew, or as boatswain, boatswain’s mate, yeoman, purser or storekeeper in his ship.
The Scoutmaster conference will be conducted by the Crew Chief of Skipper.
As the Venturer meets the requirements for the Star and Life ranks, a board of review is conducted by the crew of ship committee. The Eagle board of review follows the procedure established by the local council.
Bronze Award
The five different Venturing Bronze Awards are Arts and Hobbies, Outdoor, Sea Scouting (Ordinary Award), Sports, and Religious Life. All five Bronze Awards contain the common elements of experience, learning a skill, and sharing your experiences and skills with others. Earning at least one Bronze Award is required for the Venturing Gold Award. The Bronze Award is designed as the entry-level award for a Venturer so that they can acquire usable skills that will carry them along the trail to the Venturing Silver Award.
Gold Award
The Venturing Gold Award replaces the Exploring Gold. Award that was introduced in 1996. It was extremely well received and valued by those who earned it. One new requirement has been added to create the new Venturing Gold Award. That requirement is to earn the Venturing Bronze Award.
The Venturing Gold Award program was developed to recognize the significant accomplishment in a Venturer’s life as he or she has proven outstanding performance in a broad spectrum of activities. These activities relate to Venturing’s six experience areas of leadership, citizenship, social, outdoor, service, and fitness. It will challenge and motivate Venturers over an extended period.
It will provide a favorable image of the Venturing program among youth, parents, schools, and our communities. It will offer challenging and stimulating opportunities for Venturers to develop and achieve personal goals in the areas of leadership, character development and personal fitness.
Ranger Award
Outdoor/high adventure is the largest and fastest growing interest in the Boy Scouts of America. High adventure and the outdoors have always been of interest to young Americans as well as an important part of the BSA program. Because of the attraction of high adventure, the Ranger Award is available to Venturing youth members of the Boy Scouts of America.
The purpose of the award is to: encourage Venturers to achieve a high level of outdoor skills proficiency; recognize achievement of this high level of outdoor skills proficiency; provide a path for outdoor/high adventure skills training; establish Rangers as a highly trained leadership resource for Crews, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and the community.
The Ranger Award exemplifies a challenging high-level outdoor/high adventure skills advancement program. Once earned, it will identify a Ranger as an elite outdoorsman who is skilled at a variety of outdoor sports and interest, trained in outdoor safety, and ready to lead or assist others in activities. Rangers can be great program asset to Cub Scout packs and Boy Scout troops.
Silver Award
Advancement has been an important part of the Boy Scouts of America since the issuance of the first twelve merit badges in 1911. When the Boy Scouts of America introduced the Exploring program (predecessor to Venturing) in 1950, the Silver Award program was also released as the advancement program for older Boy Scouts. From 1950 through 1966, with 18,256 Silver Medals in general, i.e., Wolf, Antelope, Beaver, etc., were earned.
The new Venturing Silver Award is available to all Venturing youth members of the Boy Scouts of America. Its purpose is to provide a pathway for personal development; encourage Venturers to learn, grow, and serve; and recognize the high level of achievement of Venturers who acquire Venturing skills.
Sea Scouting
Sea Scouting is the only Venturing specialty that has its own advancement program. This program is outlined in the Sea Scouting Manual.
Sea Scouting advancements are approved by the ship’s quarterdeck. In the case of the Quartermaster Award, the application is reviewed by the Ship’s committee with a member of the district advancement committee as chairman. Since the Quartermaster Award is a Venturing recognition, it may be earned by any young man or young woman registered as a Venture up to his or her 21st birthday.
