Posts Tagged ‘venturing’
Venture Training
I have been asked to do a scout training on Saturday. The training is the Venture Leader Specific Training. Last time I did this training I had 3 leaders show up. Previously, I taught this class at a local community College and only one leader showed up out of the Whole Council. This time, I had 5 leaders come to the class so I was pleased. However, we should have had many many more attend.
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.
Notes from Venture Meeting
Here are my notes from our Venturing Training.
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
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.
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
Venture Training
Last night our Council, the Snake River Council, had a Venturing Training meeting. All of the Venturing leaders and those associated with Venturing were invited to attend. We had people travel from all over the valley for this event. From Burley/Rupert area and from the Woodriver valley.
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.
