VENTURING!! VENTURING!! In Religious Organizations

Venturing Resources Available to an organization serving teenage youth  Access to local and national BSA camping facilities  Local events/activities tailored for teenagers  Expertise and program helps for: - 25 outdoor disciplines - 25 outdoor disciplines meeting plans meeting plans - 15 super activity suggestions - 15 super activity suggestions  Twelve nationally recognized awards for young people  -Five Bronze awards-Silver Award -Quartermaster -Quartermaster -Gold award -Ranger Award -Gold award -Ranger Award -Quest Award -Quest Award

 Four nationally recognized awards for tenured adult leaders 1. Advisor Award of Merit 2. Venturing Training Award 3. Venturing Leadership Award 4.Venturing Advisors’ Key  Five-hour training for all adult leaders, which includes Youth Protection Training  8 –session Youth Leadership Skills Training Course -Vision-Delegation -Communication-Teamwork -Listening -Problem Solving -Planning -Styles of Leadership

 Video: Youth officer training and job descriptions  27 Ethical Controversies modules  Module on how to use the parliamentary procedure  Module on how to introduce a speaker  Module on how to make a speech  Advanced leadership training course-Kodiak  Instruction on how to conduct an annual planning session  Instruction on how to conduct a reflection  Survey for adults to determine expertise  Survey for youth to determine interest areas  Guide to Safe Scouting- which includes section on “Unauthorized Activities”  Low cost liability and accident insurance

Venturing Provides Structure and Substance To a Church Youth Group  Venturing is flexible and can work with any existing youth program structure.  Venturing can help keep youth closer to the religious organization’s beliefs.  Venturing provides a package that can retain existing youth and recruit new ones.  The religious awards will help create an arena in which young adults can work closely with religious leaders.

What We Offer Continued..  We can help them be truly youth led.  We can help them develop youth.  We can help them travel.  We can help them serve.  We can help them belong.  We can help the adults advise.  We can train their youth and adults.  And so much more!!!

Melissa Alexander, Associate Pastor United Methodist Church McMinnville, Tennessee  “Already had a Scouting ministry in place. When Venturing came along we embraced it.  Two circles of youth, UMYF and our Venturing Crew. These circles overlap depending on the teenagers’ interests. Many youth who came in the church through Venturing have joined UMYF. Before Venturing we were serving 50 teenagers now we are serving 85.  Five years ago we began our Scouting partnership with five Cub Scouts, now we are serving 150 young people ages 6-21 with the whole family of Scouting.”

Venturing in Bible-based Churches = Great Potential  In a recent survey, 81% of Bible-based ministers said they have never seen a presentation on how Scouting can be used as a part of their youth ministry.  Less than four percent of Bible-based community churches currently have Scouting units.

Frequently Asked Questions ???  How much ownership will my religious organization have if we start a Venturing crew with my high school age youth group?  What are the advantages of combining my religious organization’s youth group with Venturing?  How much does it cost to create a Venturing crew with my religious youth group?  Is a uniform required?  Where will we find leadership?  Will Venturing compete with my youth group?  How do we get started?

TRUST Award

Requirement Subjects 1.Tending Your Beliefs 2.Respecting the Beliefs of Others 3.Understanding Other Cultures 4.Serving Your Community 5.Transforming Our Society

Sample Core Requirement 1.Earn the Religious and Community Life Bronze Award. 2.Receive the religious award for your appropriate age and religious affiliation. 3.Do a personal beliefs investigation, an essay, and a short presentation on your beliefs. 4.Explain how the Venturing oath and code affects you, your life, and your community. (This is requirement number 1 and must be done before others.)

Core and Elective Summary 14 core requirements Plus 4 electives Plus 4 electives

TRUST Handbook