What is Venturing?
Venturing is a youth development program of the Boy Scouts of America for young men and women who are 13 and have completed the eighth grade, or age 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.
Venturing crews can specialize in a variety of avocation or hobby interests.
What is Sea Scouting?
For over 100 years Sea Scouting has promoted better citizenship and improved members’ boating skills through instruction and practice in water safety, boating skills, outdoor, social, service experiences, and knowledge of our maritime heritage.
Sea Scout units– called ships- are established all across the country on oceans, bays, rivers, and lakes. They provide limitless opportunities and exciting challenges that you won’t find anywhere else. Sea Scouts is a place to grow and learn, find adventure, and build long lasting friendships.
What is Exploring?
Exploring is Learning for Life’s career education program for young men and women who are 14 (and have completed the eighth grade) or 15 years of age but not yet 21 years old. Adults are selected by the participating organization for involvement in the program. Color, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic background, economic status, and citizenship are not criteria for participation.
Exploring’s purpose is to provide experiences to help young people mature and to prepare them to become responsible and caring adults. Explorers are ready to investigate the meaning of interdependence in their personal relationships and communities.
Exploring is based on a unique and dynamic relationship between youth and the organizations in their communities. Local community organizations initiate an Explorer post by matching their people and program resources to the interests of young people in the community. The result is a program of activities that helps youth pursue their special interests, grow, and develop.
Explorer posts can specialize in a variety of career skills. Exploring programs are based on five areas of emphasis: career opportunities, life skills, citizenship, character education, and leadership experience. For more information go to www.exploring.org or http://www.youtube.com/user/learningforlifeusa.
What is a VEOA?
It isn’t some new kind of Order of the Arrow for Venturing. It IS the Venturing Exploring Officers Association.
The Venturing Exploring Officers Association was created to support Venturing, Sea Scouting, and Exploring in the Abraham Lincoln Council. Presided over by the Venturing Exploring President, the members are youth that serve as Crew, Ship, and Post Presidents and other appointed positions. Such other appointed positions include but are not limited to: Vice Presidents for Administration, Program and Communication. The committee is composed of two advisors, one serving as the Venturing Exploring Advisor, and the other is the Venturing Exploring Staff Advisor.
Goals of the VEOA:
To organize, promote and give leadership to Council-sponsored activities for members of Crews, Ships, and Posts; and communications and to help the Crew, Ship, and Post Presidents and elected officers.
To encourage and aid in interaction between Crews, Ships, and Posts and to encourage council activities and communications and to provide leadership for such.
To organize and help in the development and implementation of training for VEOA officers and advisors.
To promote the use of the National High Adventure Bases and Venturing bases throughout the nation.
To provide Venturers, Sea Scouts, and Explorers with a representative voice in the program and policies of Venturing, Sea Scouting, and Exploring sharing leadership responsibilities with advisors.
To help maintain an up-to-date roster of all Crew, Ship, and Post presidents, volunteer chairpersons, including phone numbers and addresses, as well as e-mail addresses.
To help publish regular communications to inform Crews, Ships, and Posts about activities, meetings, and projects.