Even though our summers are very full of activities, they are all growing experiences that hopefully build character, responsibility and leadership.  It also helps teach our children what is like to be away from home and hopefully, in a positive way, teach them to be more independent.  That way, our children will be ready to leave the nest when it is time to head off to college.

Next week will be the craziest.  I’m planning on traveling up to Scout Camp, Deanna will be helping at Girls Camp, we have a family reunion and we have a wedding reception.  After that week, we might be home for a little while just to vegetate and enjoy having our family all together again (if we can keep them from fighting).

Here are some of the highlight of this training.

Here are the Methods of Venturing
Al Right= A – L – R – I – G – H – T
Adult Association
Leadership
Recognition
Ideals
Group Activity
High Adventure
Teaching Others

Notice, there are no uniforms listed in these methods. Uniforms aren’t that important in the lives of these young men at this point. Recognition is somewhat important but not needed as much as in the younger years of the scouting programs.

Venturing should be a program that leaders can use to prepare Aaronic Priesthood youth, specifically Priests, to go on missions.

Use the PCI (Program Capability Inventory) and the AIS, (Activity Interest Survey) to create your program and fill in your Wednesday activities.

The VLSC (Venturing Leadership Skills Course) is a great way to train your Venture Scouts (Priests) how to be good leaders.

Venture Youth should learn as follows. Read, Listen, Recite, Teach others.

Brad Harris

Feb 1998 Venturing Started

He was offered a job to create the Venturing Program

Three Focuses of Scouting: Character, Citizenship and Fitness

Methods of Scouting

Boy Scouts                               Varsity                         Venturing

P- atrol                                     S – quad                       A – dult Association

A – dvancement                       A                                 L – Leadership

U – niform                                U                                 R – ecognition

L – eadership                           L                                  I – deals

S – couting Ideals                     S                                  G – roup Activities

O – utdoors                              O                                 H – igh Adventure

A – dult Association                 A                                 T – eaching others

Notice, “Uniforms” is not one of the methods used in Venturing.  Venture Scouts can decide to wear the scout uniform, the venture uniform, create their own uniform, or decide not to have a uniform at all.

Teaching Others

Many requirements in the Venturing Handbook help Priests learn to teach (preparing them for missions)

Give Ranger Book to opinion maker in the crew and asking for feedback or activities

PCI – Program Capability Inventory

Have the Young Men hand out PCI to all HP, Elders and Relief Society

Activity Interest Survey

Young Men fill out the survey to find out what interests they have.

Program

Venture Advisor facilitates activites, does not plan then and carry them out.

Venture Handbook

Awards

You can change requirements to fit your needs

Religious Life (LDS) Personalized

Annual Retreat – to help plan year of activities

Brainstorming session

Outings unite youth

Reflexion – Review

Each activity should be followed by a “reflection” to try and find the spiritual side of each activity or event.

Venturing Leadership Skills Guidebook

Many activities and teaching skills taught

Teach to delegate

Don’t do it alone

Division of Responsibility Chart

Same Person    Young Mens President – Venture Advisor -

Same Person    1st Counselor - Teachers Quorum Advisor - Varsity Coach -

Same Person 2nd Counselor -  Deacons Quorum Advisor - Scout Master

a Notebook is a physical symbol of a calling to the young men

After training the young men leaders, Adult leaders shouldn’t speak in meeting except for when they are called on.  Let the young men leaders lead.  He told his Priest Quorum that if he spoke without being called on, they could slug him in the arm.  It is hard to do, but he does it every Sunday.  He doesn’t speak.

Reflexion

Do immediately after an activity,

No put downs

Ask open ended questions

Steer group with spiritual questions

The key note speaker for the evening was Brad Harris. He was one of the main authors of the Venturing program so he really knows his stuff. He has also authored a book called, Trails to Testimony: Bringing Young Men to Christ Through Scouting .

He was an excellent speaker and really brought Venturing down to a level that everyone could understand. What is very interesting is that after he was released from the LDS Church’s Young Mens General Board last April, he was called to be the Young Mens President in his LDS home ward. Therefore, he was now tasked with the challenge of practicing what he has been preaching for so many years. It was very satisfying to hear that he was having the same issues and challenges at getting Venturing going in his Priest’s Quorum that I had when I was in that position. He has only had that calling for about 4 weeks now so I would be very interested to hear from him again in about a year so see how his little local program is doing.

I’ll be writing up my notes from this meeting this Sunday. I’ll take some of the highlights and share them with you on my blog. One of the best comments of the night was that Venturing was built and molded to help young men to prepare for LDS missions. If the program is run correctly, these young men will know how to plan, delegate and teach. All of which are key to a successful mission.