Scouts Australia

Venturer Scouts (14-17 years old)

As a Venturer Scout, you could find yourself camping above the snow line, exploring underwater reefs, riding the wind in a high-performance land yacht, earning your pilot's licence, investigating a career in astro-physics, editing your own film, making a sculpture or climbing a sheer rock face. Venturer Scouts have the courage and confidence to say, try and do. You are given opportunities to experience the excitement of living and the training to develop into a capable, self-reliant individual.

Venturing provides an attractive program of activities, self-government, leadership experience, companionship of their own age and helps to develop initiative and resourcefulness. By determining their own training needs it encourages young people to be self-motivating. Key elements of the program are selected from the following four development areas:

  • Community Involvement: Citizenship, Environment, First Aid, Service
  • Adventurous Activities: Expeditions, Outdoor , Initiative
  • Personal Growth: Expression, Lifestyle, Ideals, Pursuits
  • Leadership Development: Unit Management, Leadership Course, Vocations

Description of some Development Areas

CITIZENSHIP - As Venturer Scouts mature they should develop an understanding of how their community operates at a local, state and national level. In turn, they should investigate how they can equip themselves to be informed, useful citizens. This area is broad and involves studies of institutions important in the community, the place of Scouting and other youth organisations in the community, the operation of government at all levels, road and boating safety, employment opportunities, Trade Unions and other professional bodies.

ENVIRONMENT - A traditional area of Scouting is the appreciation of nature through outdoor activities such as astronomy, meteorology, geography, forestry, etc. In addition, concern for the quality of the environment and conservation for future generations has become prominent in citizenship. Thus a Venturer Scout's concern should extend to the prevention of human pollution of the air, water, beaches, roads and towns.

FIRST AID - First aid is an essential component of citizenship as it involves care for the human race. First aid is critical to serving the community, as it can often be the difference between life and death.

EXPEDITIONS - This is an important part of character building and can involve transport on foot, boat, four wheel drive provided that the expedition requires planning, an adventure into unfamiliar territory, some considerable physical effort and the absolute necessity for self-reliance, determination and co-operation among the party.

EXPRESSION - In an increasingly technological age there must be a corresponding emphasis on the development of artistic appreciation and performance in order to develop the whole person. This area would include visual arts (painting, sculpture, film etc.), performing arts (music and theatricals) and the literary arts (poetry, journalism etc.)

Venture into Self Reliance

The action and adventure a Venturer Scout experiences doesn't just develop your physical skills. It also prepares you to meet challenges, to deal with new situations, and to gain independence. You work alongside adults, rather than being told what to do by them, and you draw on their experiences and contacts to get the best out of your program that you design to suit your needs. You belong to a group of young people your own age, about 15 of you in a Unit. You run your own affairs through a Unit Council. You speak out for your own viewpoint and share the decisions, help make the plans and follow them through.

Venture in New Friendships

Meeting new people can make you wary, even a little intimidated at times, but at Venturer Scouts everyone is friendly and enthusiastic about welcoming a new Venturer. There are dances, hikes, barbecues, service projects and camps to give you a chance to get to know each other. You'll share the good times - and the tough times - and share the work, dedication and fun that it takes to be a Venturer Scout.

Venture into Careers

You may have already chosen a career path, but if not it can be very confusing deciding which path to follow. When you are a Venturer Scout you have the opportunity to complete nationally recognised qualifications that are recognised after you leave school at TAFE or other training institutions. At Venturer Scouts, we open your eyes to possibilities you may not have thought of by introducing you not only to new skills but to professionals and tradesmen who can show and tell you first-hand what their jobs are like. Your program may include visits to factories, laboratories and other places where you can see the workforce in action and make up your own mind.

Venture into Creativity

As well as the many outdoor activities offered to Venturer Scouts, there are many other ways of expressing yourself and developing your creativity. You can learn the guitar, put on stage plays, paint and write, go to the theatre, make films, take and develop your own photographs and express your thoughts and feelings on all kinds of issues.

Venture into your Community

A lot goes on in your community, a lot that many adults still have no awareness of. Venturer Scouts informs you and shows you what you can do to make a positive contribution to the community you live in. Your program may include learning politics so you can use your vote (when you turn 18) effectively, or environmental issues that concern your future, and you'll work on community projects that care for the elderly or handicapped. It's a satisfying feeling to know that you can be an intelligent and useful contributor and you can be proud of yourself for making the effort.

Venture in Awards

There are three awards to aim for:

The Venturing Skills Award

This can be gained during your first 12 months as a Venturer Scout. This is your first award. You then take on activity areas to work toward your Queen's Scout Award. There are four activity areas:

  • Community Involvement
  • Adventurous Activities
  • Personal Growth
  • Leadership Development

The Queen's Scout Award

This can be achieved before you turn 18 as a Venturer Scout and the special test is a weekend leadership course. Its the ultimate Scouting achievement for the Venturer Scout Section.

The Endeavour Award

This Award allows you to pursue an activity area of your choice from the Venturer and Queen's Scout Awards, and take your knowledge to a higher level of expertise. You need to undertake significant research, effort and application for a period of at least 50 hours beyond the level required for the Queen's Scout Award.

Dedicated ACT Venturers website

The Branch Venturer Council maintains a seperate website dedicated to ACT Venturers.