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Boy Scouts ::
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Welcome
Venture Crew 344
Mullica Hill, N.J.
08062
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GENERAL INFORMATION ::
ABOUT VENTURING ::
HISTORY
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PHOTOS 1 ::
PHOTOS
2 ::
GENERAL
INFORMATION ABOUT VENTURING
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Welcome to a very exciting youth-planned, youth-run
program. In Venturing you will develop new interests, learn new skills, go to
interesting places, conquer many challenges, make new friends, learn and
practice leadership, and most of all Have Fun!
Venturing is a youth development program of the
Boy Scouts of America for young men and women who are 14 through 20 years of
age.
Venturing's purpose is to provide positive
experiences to help young people mature and to prepare them to become
responsible and caring adults.
Venturing is based on a unique and dynamic
relationship between youth, adult leaders, and organizations in their
communities. Local community organizations establish a Venturing crew by
matching their people and program resources to the interests of young people
in the community. The result is a program of exciting and meaningful
activities that helps youth pursue their special interests, grow, develop
leadership skills, and become good citizens.
Venture Crew
344
Crew 344 is based in Mullica Hill, NJ and is chartered by
Trinity United Methodist church. We are a brand new crew that is just
beginning our Charter April of 2005. This crew will be a high adventure
outdoor activity crew.
Crew Meetings
Crew meetings our regularly held the 1st and 3rd
Wednesday of the month at Trinity United Methodist on Cedar Road in Mullica
Hill from 7PM to 8:30PM. Double check before coming, we may be away that
evening for an outing.
Upcoming
Activities
The crew will be planning several events throughout the
spring and summer.
Currently scheduled activities are listed below:
| |
Learn to Ski Day |
February 18th 6:30AM
(Leaving from McDonalds Parking lot area.) |
| |
Crew Comm Meeting (Trinity) |
February 22nd 7-8:30 |
| |
Crew Meeting (Trinity) |
March 1st 7-8:30 |
| |
Cross Country Skiing (High Point, NJ) |
March 5th |
| |
Crew Meeting (Trinity) |
March 15th 7-8:30 |
| |
Crew Comm Meeting (Trinity) |
March 22nd 7-8:30 |
| |
Training Retreat |
April 1st and 2nd |
| |
Shenandoah Summer Trip |
August, 2006 |
Southern New
Jersey Council
Venture Crew 344 falls under the Old Colony District of
the Southern New Jersey Council. For more information visit the council
website at
http://www.snjscouting.org or visit the scout store and council at:
4468 S. Main Rd.
Millville, NJ 08332-1464
Phone: 856-327-1700
LINK to BSA Troop 44
For More
Information:
If you would like to speak directly to one of our adult
leaders, please do not hesitate to contact any one of the following Crew 344
leaders.
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The 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.
The Venturing
Code
-
As a Venturer, I believe that
America's strength lies in our trust in God and in the courage, strength, and
traditions of our people.
Crew
Member Positions
A Venturing crew
has a least five youth positions:
Serves as the youth leader for the crew and implements the
crew program with the other officers and members. Works closely with the adult
advisors. Appoints activity chairs. Presents the annual report to
the chartered organization.
Serves as the administrative officer of the crew. Assumes
the responsibilities of the president in their absence. Leads recruiting
activities, conducts opening and closing ceremonies, organizes and recognizes
the achievement of crew members, and attends crew activities.
Serves as the program officer of the crew and arranges the
program planning process for the crew. Maintains the crew activity
planning records and schedule. Determines the interests of crew members.
Provides support to the chair for each activity. Maintains an up-to-date
calendar of crew meetings and activities.
Serves as the communication officer by managing all
publicity for the crew. Maintains crew membership and attendance records.
Handles crew correspondence and minutes.
Serves as the crew financial officer by maintaining all
financial records and monitoring the budget. Collects and disburses funds.
Reports to the crew on the financial status.
In addition an Activity Chair is appointed to lead
the planning of each Venture crew activity. The chair may work alone
or with a committee depending on the level of effort for the activity. The
Chair is responsible for the planning, promotion, and staging of the activity.
Crew Members
Responsibilities
Each member of the
Venture crew will have the following responsibilities:
- Communicate their interests
throughout the year.
- Suggest ideas for activities
- Participate in meetings and
activities
- Vote responsibly for the best
interest of the crew
- Work with the crew officers to
achieve the goals of the crew
- Serve on activity committees
- Share the expenses
- Seek the help of advisors or other
adult leaders
- Recruit new members
Advancement Awards
Advancement has been an important part of the Boy Scouts of
America since the issuance of the first 12 merit badges in 1911.
In that same tradition, a variety of awards are available
to Venturers who accomplish specific advancement achievements. These awards
include:
Recognition Awards
Other awards designed to provide recognition for youth and
adults include:
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When Did Venturing Begin?
Venturing was officially created by
the Boy Scouts of America's executive board on February 9, 1998. However, if
you ask Venturing Associate Director Bill Evans, who was there that day and
helped create Venturing, he would expand a little.
In 1995, the Outdoor Exploring
Committee chaired by Dr. Dick Miller of Waynesboro, Virginia, met in Long Key,
Florida. The primary purpose of the meeting was to address the issue of how to
support and sustain the amazing growth that outdoor Exploring was enjoying.
During a five-year period in the early 1990s, outdoor Exploring had grown 94
percent to almost 100,000 members. When the committee would come up with an
idea, it would sound familiar. Then they would refer to a 1950 edition of the
Explorer Leader Handbook and find their idea had already been applied years
ago. So, if you are a history buff and have an early edition of the Explorer
Leader Handbook, you can see the many similarities between the early days of
Exploring and today's Venturing.
If you really want to trace the roots
of Venturing, you have to go way back. The need for a senior Boy Scout program
probably surfaced the second day after Scouting started in the United States
in 1910. Actually, in the very first National Executive Board meeting report,
there is a discussion about losing older boys. It was no surprise to our
founders that older boys needed an age-specific program with challenges
appropriate for them. Older boy programs cropped up across the country during
those early years, causing the need for national action. In 1935, the BSA
created Senior Scouting, publishing the Guide to Senior Scouting. There were
several options, including Explorers, Sea Scouts, and Air Scouts. In 1949, the
BSA consolidated the senior programs, with the exception of Sea Scouts, into
Exploring. At that time, a boy could be an Explorer in the troop or in a
stand-alone unit called the Explorer post. The Explorer advancement program
included the Bronze Award, the Gold Award, and the Silver Award. Sound
familiar? The last Silver Awards were earned in 1966 as Exploring began to
turn more toward career emphasis. That is until the new Venturing Silver Award
was reintroduced in August 1998. The new Venturing advancement award medals
are very similar in design to their predecessors of the 1940s and 1950s.
What was true in 1920 is true today:
Older teens need a program specific to their needs and abilities. How old are
our Venturers, anyway? Our age chart is almost a perfect bell curve with 17
being the highest point. Eighteen is next, followed by 16. There are actually
more 19-year-olds than 14-year-olds. Because Venturing is very challenging and
usually involves ambitious travel, it lends itself more to older teens.
When Associate Director Evans looks
back over Venturing's first five years, he points out that the most enjoyable
moments of the development are not related to the phenomenal growth. They are
moments when he heard Eagle Scouts stand before a group and talk about how
Venturing has allowed them a place to be an Eagle Scout and to continue to
learn and grow. Moments when a young lady stands before a group to tell how
she finally had a place to be a Scout along with her mom, dad, and brothers.
Venturing does change lives!
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