1 Venturing A new and improved approach for the 16- 18 year-old young men in the LDS Church.

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Venturing

A new and improved approach for the 16-18 year-old young men in the LDS Church

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You must think outside the box…

• Take off your Boy Scout hat

• Erase from your mind “tradition”

• Don’t be obsessed with advancement

• Be flexible

• Empower your youth

• Remove roadblocks, don’t create them

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We need to think anew...• Old Paradigm• 16-18 year olds are “Scouts”• Must wear uniform• Advancement IS the

measurement of success• Activities are planned to

promote advancement• What I bring to this calling will

determine success• Puppet Leadership• If young men not interested in

“Scouting” (earning Eagle), then Spaulding becomes our program

• New Paradigm• 16-18 year olds are Venturers• The uniform is optional• Strong testimonies, quorum

unity, mission calls are the measurement of success

• Activities are tailored around individual quorum needs

• Utilize ward and community resources

• Shadow Leadership• Young men plan and implement

their tailor-made program, and meet outside the Church often

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What is Venturing?

• “It’s not a box or a package we present.”

• “It is focused resources designed to help a community organization provide wholesome, flexible, well-rounded, challenging activities, tailor-made for teenage youth.”

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Here’s Venturing

• In the LDS Church it is for 16-18 year old young men in the Priests Quorum

• Venturing units are “Crews”• Venturing adults are “advisors”• Youth leader is the “president”• You can call yourselves whatever

you want to

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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.

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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.

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The following new literature is available at your Scout Shop or Service Center

• Venturing Leader Manual• Ranger Guidebook• Venturing Leadership Skills Course• Venturer Handbook• Venturing Advancement Chart• Roundtable Guide• Awards and Certificates

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Videos

•New Crew Fast Start •Youth Protection (Youth)•Youth Protection (Adult)

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Venturing Training• Venturing Leader Specific

Training (for adults)• Venturing Leadership Skills

Course (for youth)• Powder Horn -Venturing

Advisor Outdoor Skills Course (Ranger Training)

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Venturing AdvancementVenturing Advancement

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EagleEagle Scout Scout

Eligibility remains the sameEligibility remains the same First Class ScoutFirst Class Scout Earned as a Boy Scout or Varsity ScoutEarned as a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout

Requirements remain the sameRequirements remain the same Leadership position in the crewLeadership position in the crew Venturers can receive multiple credit Venturers can receive multiple credit

and past credit for many of the and past credit for many of the Venturing requirementsVenturing requirements

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Bronze, Gold, Silver,Ranger Requirement- Samplings

Bronze

Earn On MyHonor Award

Plan and leada serviceproject

Attend ayouthconference

Gold

Serve in aleadershipposition

Set and meetgoal forscripturereading

Plan andimplementCrew activities

Silver

CompleteLeadershipCourse

Serve in aleadershipposition

Help teach anethics forum

Ranger

ResearchChurch history

Present yourresearch to aCub or Scoutgroup

Complete acourse in Howtocommunicate

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Priest Duty to God & Venturing

The Priest Duty to God requirements will satisfy

many advancement requirements for the Venturing program

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Can Priests still earn the old Duty to God Award?

• If a priest continues to work on the previous program, he will receive the former award.

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Apply LDS terminology to Youth Ministries Bronze

Award• 1. Earn the Duty to God or the On My Honor Award• 2a. Invite a member from a foreign country or a returned missionary• 3. Plan and lead a service project• 4a. Serve as a volunteer in your ward for three months: sing in the choir,

splits with the missionaries, home teaching, or a community food bank, retirement home, etc.

• 4b. Keep a personal journal of your experiences as a volunteer• 5. Attend one of the following: youth conference, EFY, Education Week,

mini-mission, Church History pageant, or visit a historical site lasting at least two days

• 6. Produce or be a cast member in a road show, Christmas or Easter play, Priesthood Commemoration event. This could also be a puppet show put on by the Priest Quorum for the primary.

• 7. Serve as an Assistant or Secretary in the Priests Quorum, or an officer in the crew, Sunday School class, Seminary class, or other youth group in or out of the Church.

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Bronze Award LDS Terminology

(continued)• 8. Complete a Standard First Aid course or its equivalent• 9a. Participate in at least two Ethical Controversies as a

participant• 9b. Be a facilitator for a at least two Ethical Controversies• 9c. Lead or be a staff member in putting on an Ethics Forum• 10. Serve as an assistant Primary teacher for three months

during Sunday School time. This would not have to be a calling, but simply an assignment coordinated with the Primary President. This is great preparation for a full-time mission.

• 11. Meet with your Bishop to discuss: (a) the duties of the Aaronic Priesthood, (b) the ward organization- how it functions, how callings are made, how setting apart is done, and how people are provided training, materials, and help, © how the bishopric works, their duties and responsibilities.

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The Venturing Ranger Program

• Rangers are elite outdoorsmen• Ranger are required to teach what

they’ve learned to others• Rangers work with their advisor and

consultants• Ranger medal is a powder horn on a

compass dial

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Ranger Core Requirements

• Standard First Aid plus When Help is Delayed

• Communications• Cooking• Emergency Preparedness• Land Navigation• Leave No Trace• Wilderness Survival• Conservation

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Ranger Electives(Must earn 4 of 18)

• Backpacking• Cave Exploring• Project COPE• Mountain Biking• First Aid• Fishing• Ecology• Equestrian• Hunting

• Lifesaver• Mountaineering• Outdoor Living History • Physical Fitness• Plants & Wildlife• Scuba• Shooting Sports• Watercraft• Winter Sports

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Does the LDS Church support Venturing?

• Scouting officials met with President Thomas S. Monson in January of 1998. President Monson strongly endorsed the creation of Venturing and its implementation in the Church.

• Elder F. Melvin Hammond of the General Young Men’s Presidency has said:

• “The Church supports Venturing, it is a part of our program. If you’ve got something better for your young men of priest age, then go ahead and do it. But if you don’t, you better look very carefully at Venturing. As magnificent as this Church is, we’re not holding our boys. We’ve got to save these boys. 65% of the Aaronic Priesthood youth in the United States and Canada will never serve missions, and even a greater number than that will never enjoy the blessings of the temple and eternal marriage.”

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Elder Spencer J. Condie2nd Counselor in the General Young Men’s Presidency• October 25, 2001, Logan, Utah• We want every young man to earn his Aaronic Priesthood Duty to

God Award and we want every young man to earn his Eagle Scout Award.

• We want to re-enthrone Mutual in the Church

• Scouting is here to stay

• The youth program of the Church needs to have more sizzle in it

• Our youth are out running their spiritual supply lines

• All Priests should be registered in a Venturing Crew

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“If I were a Bishop, I would no more consider not having a (Venturing Crew) than I would think of not having a Priest’s Quorum. We must realize that Scouting is an activity arm of the Aaronic Priesthood, and that Priesthood leaders are also Scouting leaders…Our present policy is that Stake Presidencies may approve a program other than (Venturing) if it is a fully developed, better program, but we have yet to see anything better on a consistent basis. Each time I look into such “better” programs, I see a (Venturing) program with a different name attached to it, or even more often, I see unsupervised basketball.”

-Elder Robert L. Backman

Is Venturing Optional?

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Elder Robert K. Dellenbach First Quorum of Seventy

“There’s a new program in Scouting called Venturing. The scouting organization has taken the old Exploring program and completely renovated it, but held onto many of the fine and wonderful attributes that it contained.

“Venturing provides wonderful outdoor activities, high adventure, opportunities for learning about citizenship and sociability. It is a great program for Priest-age boys in the church.

1999 LDS Church Video on Scouting

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[Continued]

“While the Venturing program is an optional program in the church…as we look down the training path of a young man, we see in Venturing many attributes and skills that help prepare him for a mission and life. Therefore, we encourage our priesthood brethren to look very carefully at sponsoring a Venturing crew in their ward or branch.” [italics added]

Elder Robert K. Dellenbach

First Quorum of Seventy

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Is Scouting on trial in the Church?

“I do not believe that Varsity Scouting is on trial in the Church, nor is Boy Scouting, Cub Scouting, or Venturing. But rather it is my firm belief that Bishops, and the ward leaders, the advisors, Scoutmasters and coaches are on trial.”

“The program will work if they will work and become trained and put into effect the things they have been trained to do.”

Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone

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• Venturer-age young men are on the threshold to adulthood. It is an exciting, but often confusing, and sometimes frightening time. Getting the young men through this time prepared to receive the Melchizedek priesthood and to receive Temple ordinances is crucial.

• 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.

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16 to 18 year old young men need:

• Positive Melchizedek Priesthood Role Models• Consistent leaders that “walk their talk”• Tenured leaders- (average tenure is 7 months)• 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

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16 to 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

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BSA Mission Statement

• “The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

• Closely connected with its mission statement are the aims of the movement: character development, citizenship training, and mental and physical fitness.”

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Character, Citizenship, FitnessThese are the aims of the BSA

• Boy Scout Methods

Adult Association

Leadership

Scouting Ideals

Outdoors

Advancement

Patrol Method

Personal Growth Conference

Uniform

• Venturing Methods

Adult Association

Leadership

Ideals

High Adventure

Recognition

Group Activities

Teaching Others

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Why doesn’t Scouting work as well as it should in the LDS Church?

• We don’t read the BSA literature and use their resources

• We seldom think outside the box or look at the big picture (mission, aims, methods)

• We are obsessed with Advancement (1 of the methods)– We measure success by one standard– What is the first question you ask your son when he

returns from Scout camp?

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If we could read the thoughts of a 17 year old young man…

• Scouting is…merit badges• Scouting is…Dad & Mom bugging me about

getting Eagle… and I can’t drive• Scouting is…wearing the uniform in my closet• I have my Eagle…why is Brother Jones bugging

me about earning another award• No wonder most of our Priest-age young men

want little to do with “Scouting”

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Don’t introduce “Venturing” to the young men. Introduce resources to them, one boy at a time.Use the Venturer Handbook, Venturing Leader Manual, Ranger Guidebook and Priest Duty to God Book together.

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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?”

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.

Thayne Packer

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What motivates you in your Church calling?

• Fear

• Duty

• Love

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Call the Right LeadersThe call to serve should not be equated with the thought of

limited serviceTraining• At the time of the call

should be given:

-Crew Fast Start Video

-Fast Start packet• Within 90 days:

-Attend Basic Training

Experience - (Ideal)

• Returned Missionary

• Parent of a Venturer

• Outdoorsman

Attributes

• Personal interest in boys

• Enthusiastic

• Positive Example

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“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

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Getting Started: Conduct an Annual Planning Session

• 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 give expectations

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Plan a well-rounded, customized program that blends Duty to God, mission and career

preparation: Venturing has produced resources to help with the following:

• Expertise and program helps for 25 Outdoor disciplines

• Annual planning meeting agenda

• Youth officer job descriptions

• Ethical Controversies

• Safe Driving

• How to introduce a speaker

• How to make a speech

• How to use parliamentary procedure

• Leadership Skills Training

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Priest Quorum Division of Responsibilities One Possibility from The Colony 2nd Ward

Bishop

Brad Harris

Young Men President

Russ Hauth

Quorum Advisor Rich Bradford

Administrative Assistant David Colrgrove

Program Assistant Trevon Hauth

Secretary

George Boone

President

Responsible for all Aaronic Prthd

Responsible for Mutual

night

Schedules presidency

meetings

Maintain 3 month

calendar

Keep minutes at Pres. Meetings

Conducts BYC

Works closely with Admin. Assistant

Works closely with Program Assistant

Set up regular presidency mtg

Attends presidency

mtg

Attends presidency

mtg

Conducts APCM

Attends BYC, APCM, PEC &

Pres. Mtgs

Attends BYC, APCM, &

Pres. Mtgs

Activation coordinator

Report in opening

exercises

Take role in quorum

mtg

Attends Troop Committee Mtg

Attends Troop Committee Mtg

Attends Troop Committee Mtg

Attends APCM

(1st Sunday, 10am)

Correlate with YW on

Joint activities

Maintain active quorum roster

Surveys quorum for

needs

Surveys quorum for

interests

Keeps record of

needs and interests

Gives direction to

quorum instruction

Helps with quorum

instruction

Helps develop quorum curriculum based on

quorum needs

Helps develop

quorum curric. based on quorum needs

Rotates conducting

quorum mtgs

Rotates conduct’g Q.

mtgs

Rotates conduct’g Q

Mtgs

Coordinates missionary

splits

Correlates

shepherding visits to inactives

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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

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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

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What we’re hearing from the field...Centralia, Illinois - Crew 211

• Robert Williams of Centralia, Illinois is the Advisor of Crew 211 chartered to the Centralia Ward. He reports that the entire crew of 15 Venturers ( 2 non-members) chose to work on the Sports Bronze Award before attending a Church basketball tournament. The crew has a six month plan that includes working on the Youth Ministries Bronze Award, Leadership Skills Course, first aid training, and service projects. The boys are eager to earn the Gold and Silver Awards. Williams said that he and the young men like Venturing better than Exploring because it is focused and provides so many program ideas and outlines. Adopting Venturing has improved the activity level and enthusiasm of

the young men in his Priests Quorum.

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Phoenix, Arizona - Crew 9108

• Advisor Cleve Hill- Crew #9108- 8 boys-most are 17-18 years old

• Six are Eagle scouts

• Boys, advisors and Bishop excited about Venturing and implementing the Ranger program

• “The boys chose a spruce-green polo shirt and sewed a Venturing patch above the pocket.”

• “From a leaders standpoint Venturing is “A” program, I don’t have to keep making things up. Why recreate the wheel, the wheel has already been created.”

• “The boys are excited because they can do the real first aid that adults do. What they are doing counts in the adult world- credentials. Venturing is perceive by the boys as Adult Adventure.”

• “This has given are boys a reason to attend mutual on Wednesday night.”

• “My Bishop works real closely with us, this is the first time he has seen a program with focus for the Priests.”

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Las Vegas, Nevada - Crew 173• David Carleton - Advisor - Crew 173- Las Vegas, Nevada• 8 boys in the crew• The young men like Venturing’s awards, it separates them

from the younger boys. They can earn something that no one else has. The like the uniforms that distinguish them from other scouts. They feel special.

• In Boy Scouts they learned basic first aid - in Venturing they can get certified.

• Brother Carleton used the PCI and found many resources in his ward. One adult, an expert rock climber said, “ I’ve been wanting to help with Scouts in the ward for years, but no one asked.”

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Pitman, New JerseyBill James- Young Mens President

• “Since my call, our ward now has a complete Troop, Team, and Crew, complete with every boy at every age in appropriate uniforms. My boys have not only the green class “A” but a tee and golf shirt as well and they wear them.”

• “I can honestly say, they are very enthused about Venturing. When we convene in opening exercises the Crew does the flag ceremony- complete with Venturing Oath. It’s a site to behold. The program works when you work the program.”

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Eric Anderson- Crew AdvisorSpanish Fork, Utah- Crew #870

• Our crew is really moving. We have completed all of the core requirements for the Ranger Award except Wilderness Survival and the Conservation Project.

• All of our guys are Scuba certified, did Winter Sports, the First Aid elective and Shooting.

• At first we were intimidated by the costs of the First Aid certification. We looked at our resources and discovered that the person in charge of Safety for the city was in our neighborhood. We took an 8-week course and we are certified in the city to help in case of a disaster. Since the stake was looking for people to help with emergency disasters, they paid $20 of the fee. It cost us $10 per boy.

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Gilbert, Arizona - Crew #9189• Barry Hallsted- crew Advisor and Young Men’s President- when a “new program”

was first introduced to the boys they were not interested - he changed the approach• 23 Priests in the Quorum after recent ward split• Nine Outdoor Bronze Awards awarded to date• Crew uniform- maroon golf shirt with small Venturing logo- boys wear to school• In semi-annual interviews the Bishop helps set goals • Mutual night they put up basketball standards and lock with the club• 1st Tuesday of each month- 5:30a.m. -Power Breakfast at Brother Hallsteds home-

this is the only consistent 100% attended activity- Each month a recently returned missionary, mission president, stake president speaks.

• Crew gave leadership to father-son outing-Peter, James & John 30 feet up in a tree• They teach Ranger skills to Laurels- Bishop gave GPS- Liahona comparison

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Barry Hallsted (continued)• “The ethical controversies is a wonderful coaching tool to help them

decide now how they will respond when choices come up in their lives that might lead them to destructive choices. The reflection that we hold after each activity before the closing prayer is the highlight of each event. The Venturing Leadership Skills Course is also a great teaching highlight and a time for great spiritual growth.

• To date, 19 of the 23 have either left on a mission or are fully prepared to serve.

• I believe that the principles learned from our Venturing experience has made a positive impact in preparing them for their missions, and beyond. They have truly experienced and have a greater understanding of what it means to do their duty to God. This Sunday I look forward to participating in an Eagle court of honor for the last five of my Venturers.”

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Jeff CazierCouncil Venturing Chair - Ogden, Utah

• Venturing is a powerful vehicle for missionary preparation. You can see the lightbulb come on with our Venturing leaders when they catch the vision. When they get past their stereo-typed, pre-conceived mind set that Venturing is just advanced Boy Scouting (which their Priests won’t be interested in), then the grassfire really takes off.

• Leaders must catch the vision that Venturing is a whole new ballgame. Wipe the mental slate clean of old Boy Scouting methods. It’s fresh, mature and more sophisticated. Think outside the box.

• Priests don’t want “advanced” Boy Scouting or “Scouting warmed over”. Treat Venturing like it’s the program for young adults, rather than for boys. Reinforce to the Priests that you recognize their maturity and higher intellectual and skill levels.

• Anyone who tries to force-feed a “Boy Scouting-warmed over” curriculum to their Priest-age teenagers is doing a tremendous dis-service to their youth and is going to drive away the young men.

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Derek GronemanLayton, Utah – Crew #721

• Was awarded four bronze awards, Gold Award, Silver Award and the Ranger Award in April of 2001

• Began working on awards in 1999• “I gained advanced skills in leadership and practical skills

including CPR, lifeguard certification and firearms safety. I had many opportunities to offer meaningful service. Skills I learned in Venturing will be particularly useful in serving my mission in Korea. Already, I have been able to see the benefit in my school work at Weber State University.”

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The Story of Robert

• “Robert was starting to drift away. He was 18 and no longer active in mutual activities and only attended occasionally on Sunday. He told his leaders that he didn’t like Scouting, and had no plans of going on a mission and after graduating from High School would enlist in the military.

• Robert’s crew Advisor talked him in to attending a white water rafting trip with the other Priests. He loved the activity. His attendance on Sunday and mutual increased.

• His mother was astonished at the change that has come over her son. “What did you do on this campout, my son is a different kid?”

• Robert is now active in the Priest Quorum and recently turned in his mission papers.

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Most Frequent Excuses• “My boys aren’t interested in Scouting”

– When you describe 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

• “The budget guidelines prohibit us from doing all these fun things”– Plan ahead- get $$ budgeted for Venturing in advance– Use community resources for little or no cost activities– Raise $$ for the annual camp, just like the Deacons. The annual camp

can include scuba, mountain biking, COPE, horses, shooting sports, etc.

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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 can?

Can the Bishop afford to delegate the responsibility of meeting the needs and wants of his Priests Quorum to

any other program or plan?

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“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