Venturing Crews

On August 1, 1998, the Boy Scouts of America launched a new program of the Boy Scouts of America called Venturing.  It is a youth development program for young men and women who are 14 (and have completed the eighth grade) through 20 years of age. All current outdoor, youth ministry and hobby Explorer posts, as of  that date, became Venturing crews or Sea Scout ships.  All Career Explorer post were moved to the Learning for Life program.

Venturing units are called crews and can specialize in a variety of avocation or hobby interests.  Their programs are developed around six experience areas of emphasis.

They have an awards program that includes Ranger, Bronze, Gold and Silver and the Sea Scouting Quartermaster Award.  There is also a Leadership Award that is presented to Venturers and adults who have made exceptional contributions to Venturing and who exemplify the Venturing Code.  At the end of 2000, Concho Valley Council had 66 youth in 12 Venturing crews.  Here is a list of the Crews in the old Comanche Trail Council:

Crew 1 -   First Christian Church, Brownwood
Crew 26 - Parent’s Club of Lometa
Crew 37 - First United Methodist Church, DeLeon
Crew 39 - Rotary Club, Stephenville
Crew 50 - John Tarleton Lodge 227, Stephenville
Crew 55 - First United Methodist Church, San Saba
Crew 87 - First United Methodist Church, Comanche
Crew 2000 - Lampasas

Silver Award

This is the highest award that a Venturer Crew member can earn in the Venturing program.  Four such awards were
presented for the first time in the Comanche Trail Council in 2002.  All are members of Venture Crew 2000 of Lampasas.

Karley Goen
Kirsten Henton
Andrew Rollins
Elizabeth Rollins

Two Silver Awards were presented in the Buffalo Trail Council in January 2009.  Both are members of Venture Crew 777 of Odessa.

Kimberly Ellsworth
Amber Horton

Venturing Leadership Skills Course

The Texas Trails Council conducted the first Venturing Leadership Skills Course at Camp Billy Gibbons during the weekend of March 21-23, 2003.  In spite of rain, some twenty-eight Ventureres and leaders came to the camp for the training.  The course was presented by Venturing Crew 2000 of Lampasas, under the leadership of Jeff Henton, Advisor, and included members of Crew 2000, Crew 16 from Brownwood and Crew 150 from Belton (Longhorn Council). The crew of 2000 had attended an adult led VLSC in 2001 at Camp Billy Gibbons and had agreed that they, the youth would lead this course.  Pam Barnes and Bob Rider served as cooks for the weekend.

This course was designed to teach leadership skills to older youth in hopes of providing them the tools for success when they are in a leadership position.  The course is divided into four modules, Vision, Communication, Organization and Synergism and is a requirement for youth to obtain the Venturing Silver Award Requirement.


Updated:  May 24, 2009
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