1. Venturing
Tailored resources for year old young men to strengthen Priest Quorum mutual activities

2. What’s New?
New General Young Men’s Presidency called at April Conference
Church announces $50 per active young man be added to unit budget allowance.
President Monson tells LDS Scouters at BSA annual meeting that our youth need more activities
All Area Authorities in the US and Canada released.

3. What is Venturing?
When leaders of year old young men think of “Venturing” some may mistakenly correlate it with “Scouts” (merit badges, knots, uniforms,etc). Then unfortunately, they dismiss this exciting program as not being in tune with their older boys needs and interests.
Many leaders try to implement the Scouting model on their Priests Quorum and then wonder why it is not working.
Venturing is a totally different activity program, tailored exactly to the needs and interests of your high school age young men. It is designed to meet the needs of Priest-age young men while achieving the purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood.
Venturing is not a box or package we present, it is focused resources that can be tailored to your individual Priests Quorum.

4. Defining Venturing
In the LDS Church it is for year old young men in the Priests Quorum
Venturing units are “Crews”
Venturing adults are “Advisors”
Youth leader is the “President”
Venturing Methods (see page 3)

5. Venturing Resources (pg. 4)
Venturing resources were created with the year old young man in mind.
When Venturing resources are utilized they can help strengthen Priest Quorum mutual night activities.
Venturing resources blended with Duty to God requirements can provide the structure and focus to help year-old young men prepare for missions.

6. Venturing Uniform
The recommended uniform is the spruce green Venturing shirt with green epaulette tabs and gray backpacking- style shorts or gray casual pants.
However, the uniform, if any, is the choice of the crew.

7. 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.

8. How does a ward utilize Venturing resources to meet the needs of Priest-age young men? See pgs. 5-7
Flexibility
Division of Responsibilities, pg. 13
Flexibility in award requirements, pgs (compare with generic requirements in Venturer Handbook).
“Activities or projects that are more available in your area may be substituted with the advisor’s approval for requirements listed in the books.” Venturer Handbook
Recognition
Don’t assume boys are interested
Dual credit
Past credit
Certificates
Program Planning Tools (pgs )

9. Priest Duty to God & Venturing
The Priest Duty to God requirements will satisfy many advancement requirements for the Venturing program
See pages 14-15

10. Venturing Advancement
Eagle Ranger Silver Quest Quartermaster
Gold
Outdoor Arts & Hobbies Religious Life Sports Sea Scout Bronze Awards
Life
Star
see page 22

11. How to Get Started – page 9
Experience tells us
Don’t announce… Do meet…
Don’t assume awards… Do assume fun…
Don’t say… Do ask…
Getting started
Obtain resources
Select leadership
Conduct surveys
Conduct brainstorming sessions
Hold retreat (page 18)
Create draft document (pages 19-20)

12. Program Planning Arrange for a retreat setting
Prep youth leadership in advance
Include Leadership Training in retreat
Do your homework - don’t start with a blank page when brainstorming
Consider needs and interests of all youth
Use all available resources
Produce a draft document
Meet with each boy and his parents in their home - give draft document and share expectations

13. Call the Right Leaders The call to serve should not be equated with the thought of limited service
Training
At the time of the call should be given:
- Venturing literature
- Fast Start available online
Within 90 days:
-Attend Leader Specific Training
Experience - (Ideal)
Returned Missionary
Parent of a Venturer
Outdoorsman
Attributes
Personal interest in boys
Enthusiastic
Positive Example

14. Venturer-age young men are on the threshold to adulthood
Venturer-age young men are on the threshold to adulthood. It is an exciting, but often confusing and sometimes frightening time. It is crucial that we help young men prepare to receive the Melchizedek priesthood and temple ordinances, and to serve honorable missions.
It is important to keep these young men close to parents, the Bishop, and other priesthood leaders, and to provide good, meaningful activities and role models during this important time.

15. 16 - 18 year old young men need:
Positive Melchizedek Priesthood Role Models
Consistent leaders that “walk their talk”
Tenured leaders- (average tenure is 7 months! Very bad)
Leadership opportunities and training
Well planned, but flexible activities with other young men and young women
Life skills training and spiritual experiences outside the classroom
Opportunities to become proficient at something, it builds self-esteem

16. 16 - 18 year old young men want:
Challenging physical activities with young men their own age
Recognition of their “older” status
Activities with young women
Independence
To explore and experience their world
A sense of belonging and acceptance from their peer group

17. Not only on the Sabbath
“Can Sunday meetings be enough? Do we dangerously assume that, having performed on Sunday with Sacrament Meeting, Sunday School and Priesthood Meeting, that we have fulfilled our callings and are through until next Sunday?” Thayne Packer
Sitting in Church for three hours each Sunday will not save our young men.They need to practice what they have learned in the laboratory of the outdoors.

18. “Boys Need Heroes Close By”
“Boys need heroes close by. They need to know some man of towering strength and basic integrity, personally. They need to meet them on the street, to hike and camp with them, to see them in close-to-home, everyday, down-to- earth situations; to feel close enough to them to ask questions and to talk things over man-to- man with them.”
Spencer W. Kimball

19. We can’t compete with the entertainment industry, here’s what we can do...
Provide opportunities to serve
Teach , teach, teach…we are teachers
Demonstrate that you love them
Praise them in front of their peers
Leader’s enthusiasm- it doesn’t matter what the program is… it’s enthusiasm

20. “Don’t let the technical outweigh the moral.”
“Field efficiency, backwoodsmanship, camping, hiking, good works, Jamboree comradeship are all means, not the end. The end is character – character with a purpose.” Baden-Powell
“I never take youth into the back country to go camping. I take them to be with their maker. Do we go to less active boys and say, “put on your tie and come to Church for three hours?” Say instead, come with us on this 50 miler.”
Bill Bouska, El Paso,

21. LET THE YOUTH LEAD ! Adult shadow leadership
Hold periodic planning sessions to fine tune the annual plan
Always have a three month calendar
Hold regular presidency meetings
Train the youth about leadership
Meet in advance with the Crew President
Ranger and Silver Awards require Venturer to share what he’s learned with others

22. Defining Success in a Priests Quorum/Venturing Crew – page 21
Young men have completed the activity interest survey.
Adults in ward have completed Program Capability Inventory.
Quorum/Crew has a “draft” annual calendar and a working three- month calendar which includes activities chosen by the young men and utilizes consultants from the ward.
Mutual night activities are lead by youth activity chairs.
Young men have opportunities to teach others.
The Venturing Leadership Skills Course has been conducted.
Quorum/Crew presidency has defined duties and meets as needed to plan and administer the group. Boys lead with adult shadow leaders.

23. As a result of implementing these processes we have noticed the following:
Mutual night attendance has increased since Venturing resources were introduced.
Attendance at Quorum meeting on Sunday has increased since Venturing resources were introduced..
Quorum unity has improved since Venturing resources were introduced.
Young men feel empowered and take more ownership in the quorum/crew.

24. Most Frequent Excuses “My boys aren’t interested in Scouting”
When they experience Venturing, they will quickly see that this is not “Scouting” as they view it..
“Not enough boys in the Priests Quorum”
Recruit non-members, if it is fun, they will come
Combine occasional activities with the Varsity Team and other Crews
“The budget guidelines prohibit us from doing all these fun things”
Plan ahead- get $$ budgeted for Venturing in advance
Use community resources for little or no cost activities
The Church has given us an additional $50 per boy for activities.

25. Can the wants and needs of the young men in your Priests Quorum be met with no planned mutual night activities?
Is the current program in your Priests Quorum, meeting the needs and wants of the young men better than Venturing resources can?
From what you have heard and seen tonight, do you believe that your Priest Quorum would be strengthened using Venturing resources?

26. “A child is a person who is going to carry on what you have started
“A child is a person who is going to carry on what you have started. He is going to sit where you are sitting, and, when you are gone, attend to those things which you think are most important. You can create all the policies you please, but how they are carried out depends on him.
He will assume control of your cities, states, and nations. He is going to move in and take over your churches, schools, universities and corporations... the fate of humanity is in his hands.”
Abraham Lincoln