Venture Scout
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Venture Scouting is a section of the Scout Movement, mostly in countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, for young people roughly in the 14 - 18 age range.
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[edit] Australia
The Venture Scout Section, often just known as Venturers, is for young people in the 14.5 - 17.5 age range. It is part of Scouts Australia. The program is flexible, but usually with a strong outdoor flavour. The highest award that can be earned by a Venture Scout is the Queen's Scout award. Venture Scout belong to a Venture Scout Unit which can be part of a Scout Group or affiliated to a Scout District. The Venture Scout section holds a Venture every 3 years. During this week and a half long camp the Venturers will participate in activities such as Mountain Biking, Sailing, Wind Surfing, Caving, etc. The next Venture will be held early 2009 and situated in Western Australia.
[edit] Canada
Venturers (Scouts Canada) are young men and women ages 14-17. The Venturer program, unlike the Scout program, is predominantly run as a company (which, incidentally, is what a venturer group is referred to as). This means that everything done is done with the say of all members of the group. The Venturer motto is "Challenge" and this is applied to the activities of a Venturer company on a regular basis, exploring new and interesting things.
Venturers may meet at frequent or infrequent times to discuss the goings on of the group, to schedule camps, or to set up fund-raisers. While not limited to these, these are some common actions that a venturer group may choose or choose not to do. Meeting places are not limited to a centralized location; each venturer may host the rest of the group for a meeting at their place of residence.
Venturer companies are usually structured with an Executive, composed of President, Secretary, and Treasurer, and may also include a Quartermaster depending on the group's size and equipment needs.
Outdoor activities may be, but are not limited to: rafting, canoing, and kayaking in white water, mountain climbing, laser tag, and camping in the rough (forest area, or otherwise).
A new program called MedVents has been created. In MedVents the youth learn and provide first-aid for camps and public events.
[edit] Ireland
Scouting Ireland Venture Scouts are aged between 15 and a half to 21 years of age. The awards scheme is called Rogha [1] an Irish word meaning Choice. Although many groups use Gaisce, The President's Award as part of their programme also. Each group has a Venture Scout Executive which under the guidance of an adult designs and implements activities. A National Venture Forum Committee [2] represents Venture Scouts on all national administrative bodies. The association however is undergoing a complete review of programme and section age ranges (to be completed in 2007) so much of the current system may change.
[edit] Malta
A Venture Scout in Malta is between 15 and 19 years of age. Their programme consists of the Discovery Award, Venture Award, Dolphin Award and President's Award (the Duke of Edinburgh Award).
[edit] Singapore
A Venture Scout in Singapore is a Scout between the age of 15 and 18.
From 2000, the two progress badges are the Venture Scout Standard and the Venture Cord, which have 8 sections each for completion. The highest award that a Venture Scout can achieve is the prestigious President's Scout Award, which is presented to the recipient by the current President of the Republic of Singapore in the Istana.
In 1969, the Senior Scout section and the Rover Scout section in Singapore were merged to form the Venture Scout section after the Singapore Scout Associaion followed the recommendations of the 1966 "Chief Scout's Advance Party Report" of UK. Singapore adopted the UK training scheme and the progress badge of Venture Award (renamed the Venture Standard) but replaced the Queen's Scout Award with the President's Scout Award as the highest award attainable for a Venture Scout. The training scheme underwent further fine-tuning in the 1970s and 1980s that stipulated four key training areas in responsibility, pursuit, skills and self-reliance before giving way to a revised programme in 2000.
From 1969 to 1975, a Venture Scout only had his Venture Sout Standard or President's Scout Award to show for his progress on his left sleeve of the uniform. Feedback showed that the youths wanted a breakdown of their progress that could be displayed on the uniform. In 1975, Singapore adopted the four Venture "proficiency" badges from Hong Kong that showed the four areas that led to the completion of the Venture Standard. The four "proficiency" badges were worn on the right arm sleeve. A President's Scout would wear an additional gold flash under each "proficiency" badge when the requriements were completed. These were replaced by the eight sectional "proficiencies" in 2000.
[edit] United Kingdom
In 1967 Venture Scouts had replaced the Rover Scouts section, and was open to young men and women , aged 15.5 to 20. The Venture Scout section was replaced by the Explorer Scout section and the Scout Network following a review in 2003.
Venture Scouts had an active programme, which promoted outdoor activities and community service. There were two awards available to members of the section - the Venture Scout Award, and the Queen's Scout Award. The latter award has been the highest award available to the youth sections of Scouting, and continues to be available to the two sections which replaced the Venture Scouts.
[edit] United States
Venturing is a program for 14-21 year-old Scouts in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). This, along with Exploring and Learning For Life, is one of the BSA's three co-ed programs.
