Overview
In 1989, National created a new optional program for Boy Scout
Troops.
Boys 13 and older could be organized into Varsity Teams if they
wanted to participate in sports or Venture Crews if they wanted
to participate in a high adventure activity. At first, girls could
participate
with Venture/Varsity groups as guests, but this was also soon
dropped.
Finally, in 1995 due to the confusion with Varsity
Scout Teams, the term 'Varsity' for this in-troop program would be
dropped. At that point, Venture Crews could participate in either
sports or high adventure activities. In 1998, with the creation
of
the new Venturing program, to avoid
confusion
with Venturing Crews, the Venture Crew would be renamed the Venture
Patrol. Despite the similarity of names, members of Venture Patrols
can NOT earn Venturing advancement, nor can they use the green
Venturing
uniform shirt or insignia. It should be noted that there is no
correct
term for those participating in Venture Patrols other then 'Venture
Patrol
member'. The use of the term 'Venture Scout', while it might seem
logical, is not official, and use of it can be confusing.
In short, these are the terms to use:
The Program is called Venture.
Venture groups are called Venture Patrols.
Members of Venture Patrols are called Boy Scouts.
The only information on the Venture Patrol at the BSA's web site had disappeared.
Venture/Varsity Program
The Venture/Varsity program created in 1989 is in many ways a throwback
to the use of Senior Scouting and Exploring in troops back in the 30s,
40s, and 50s. With this program, older boys could be kept in a
troop
by providing them with a more advanced program aimed at various sports
or high adventure activities.
The usual use of the program in most troops would be to organize a group of older boys, at least 4, into a temporary group to plan out and execute an ultimate adventure. This could be a cross country cycle trip or backpacking trip or participating in a soccer league or the like. At the end of that program, the group would be broken up. For the next activity, it would then be reformed, with a new leader and perhaps different members. Most have found that trying to create a permanent Venture patrol is difficult, but for some it works. In many ways this is a throwback to the method of using the Explorer Crew in the Troop back in the 1950s. In other words, the members of the Venture Patrol should remain in their regular patrols, only breaking out for the Venture Patrol to plan and carry out their ultimate adventure work. See that page for a chart showing how this works.
If there was a problem with the program, it would be in the lack of good overall program literature. What little is contained in the Boy Scout Handbook, Scoutmaster Handbook, and Junior Leader Handbook is not enough. Many have found that the program is best used in a style similar to the use of Explorer Crews within troops of the 1950s.
Venture/Varsity Uniform
As members of Boy Scout Troops, those who participate in the
Venture/Varsity
program wear the same uniform. However, for a time there were
office
patches for the program. There are also shirt strips to be worn
above
the "Boy Scouts of America" strip. "Venture" for those in a
Venture
Patrol (formerly Venture Crew) and "Varsity" for when there was a
Varsity
Team within a troop. Now that "Varsity" strip is only for the use
of the Varsity Scout Team. Only the Varsity Scout Team can use
the
orange shoulder loops. Those in the Venture/Varsity program, as
members
of Boy Scout Troops are supposed to only wear the red shoulder loops.
Also, the green BSA shirt is NOT to be worn by Venture Patrol
members. That shirt is only for those in the Venturing program.
Please note that the "Venture" strip is meant as an identification
strip
for those in a Venture Patrol, not as an award for past
involvement.
The Letter is the award for participation.
In 1989, an activity uniform consisting of a polo shirt and athletic
shorts were introduced. From 1989 through 1998, there was a
maroon
polo shirt with an embroidered fleur-de-lis and "venture" for the
Venture
Crew, but it appears to have been recently dropped, as it is no longer
listed in the BSA Supply Catalog.
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Venture/Varsity Advancement
Program
As members of Boy Scout Troops, those participating in the
Venture/Varsity
programs work toward the same advancement as any other Boy Scout.
However, those in the Venture/Varsity program can earn the
Venture/Varsity
Letter, and a variety of activity pins. These pins were for
various
sports and high adventure activities. The letter/pin would be
earned
over a three month period that would end in an ultimate activity. The
letter
could be worn on the bottom of the merit badge sash or on the right
breast
of a jacket. The pins would be added to the letter for each
particular
activity.
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| Backpacking | Basketball | Bowling | Canoe Camping |
| Caving | Cross-Country Skiing | Cycling | Discovering Adventure |
| Fishing | Freestyle Biking | Frontiersman | Mechanics |
| Orienteering | Rock Climbing & Rappelling | Roller Hockey | Shooting Sports |
| Snow Camping | Soccer | Softball | Survival |
| Swimming | Tennis | Triathlon | Volleyball |
| Waterskiing | Whitewater Canoeing |
Venture/Varsity Organization
Members of the in-troop Varsity program were organized into a Varsity
Team. The leader was the Varsity Team Captain and
used
the same office patch as the Varsity Scout Team Captain. There
was
an assistant scoutmaster assigned to the group, who had a special patch
as well. When the in-troop Varsity program was dropped in 1995,
so
did the patches.
Members of the in-troop Venture program were first organized into a
Venture
Crew under the leadership of a Venture Crew Chief. A
special
office patch existed for the Crew Chief and the assistant scoutmaster
in
charge of the group. In 1998, to avoid confusion with the new
Venturing
program and its unit the Venturing Crew, members of the Venture program
would be organized into a Venture patrol under the leadership
of
a Venture patrol leader. Special office patches have been
dropped for this group. The Venture patrol leader would now wear
the regular patrol leader patch, as no special patch has been made for
this position. Despite the fact that the position of Venture Crew
Chief has been dropped, the patch is still listed in the BSA Supply
Catalog.
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Literature
Apart from the 26 activity pamphlets created for the activity pins,
no literature specifically for the Venture/Varsity program has been
produced.
What little explanation for the program exists is in the Boy Scout
Handbook,
Scoutmaster Handbook, and Junior Leader Handbook editions
from
this period. And that has been a problem for the program from the
start. Many have had problems with implementing the program that
a good booklet on the overall program would have helped avoid.
Much
of the advice from the 40s and 50s to Scoutmasters trying to make use
of
the Senior Scout/Explorer programs of that time within the troop could
just as easily be used for those trying to use the Venture program
today.
The 26 activity pamphlets have been allowed to fall out of
print.
They have been replaced by the new Varsity Team Program Features
booklets.
| 26 activity pamphlets
Basketball, #3450; Bowling, #3467; Cross-Country Skiing, #33463; Roller Hockey, #33462; Shooting Sports; Soccer, #3453; Softball, #3452; Swimming, #3473; Tennis, #3455; Triathlon, #3456; Volleyball, #3451; Water skiing, #3478; Backpacking; Canoe-Camping, #33468; Caving, #33446; Cycling, #3437; Discovering Adventure, #33472; Fishing, #3438; Freestyle Biking, #3447; Frontiersman, #33448; Mechanics, #3449; Orienteering; Rock Climbing, #33469; Snow Camping, #3440; Survival, #3441/#33483; Whitewater, #3465 |
NO PICTURES |
| Varsity Scout Program Features
V1 #34837 2001, 177pg V2 #34838 2001, 214pg V3 #34839 2001, 167pg loose-leaf |
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Updated: 03/01/2004mrb