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Varsity and Venturing
Boy Scout Page Index
Boy Scouts
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Merit Badges A-B
Merit Badges C-E
Merit Badges F-G
Merit Badges H-O
Merit Badges P-R
Merit Badges S-W
Boy Scouts
Special Awards
Merit Badges A-B
Merit Badges C-E
Merit Badges F-G
Merit Badges H-O
Merit Badges P-R
Merit Badges S-W
"A Scout is Reverent"
by Norman Rockwell
Kudos!
To Chad Fisher of Varsity Team Venue and Tory Mathis of Adventures and Accidents (very comforting title for us mothers, yes?) for their expertise, time, and assistance in creating this page. Please check out their wonderful Varsity and Venturing blogs.
You guys rock!
Confused by Varsity and Venturing??
Don't feel badly. You're not alone.
The following is my explanation of how Varsity and Venturing are implemented within the LDS Church. (These programs sometimes work a little differently for non-LDS units.)
The main thing to remember is that the LDS charters separate scouting programs to correlate with Aaronic priesthood quorums.
11 year olds and Deacons (12-13) are registered as Boy Scouts and work on their Boy Scout rank advancements (Scout and Tenderfoot through Eagle) along with the Boy Scout merit badges, Boy Scout special awards, etc.
Teachers (young men ages 14-15) are registered as part of the VARSITY program (more details below). The Varsity program is nationally available to young men ages 14-17, although the LDS Church only charters teams associated with the Teachers quorum, ages 14-15. Individual Varsity scouts should continue to work on Boy Scout rank advancements and merit badges on their own, but the primary focus of the program is on High Adventure and Varsity pins. It's an amazing program if you have the right leader.
Priests (young men ages 16-18) are registered as part of the VENTURING program (more details below). Although this program is available nationally to young men AND young women ages 14-20, the LDS Church only charters crews associated with the Priests quorum (young men ages 16-18, though some wards allow young men up to age 20 to continue with the Venturing program). While the Venturing program doesn't use Boy Scout rank advancement, Venturers are allowed to continue work on the Boy Scout ranks if they have already achieved the rank of First Class before joining Venturing. The Venturing program offers its own unique awards and recognitions. Due to the nature of the Venturing program and awards, it is highly adaptable to individual and crew interests.
Please note, since Venturing is for youth up to age 20, young men can still participate in Venturing and earn Venturing awards beyond their 18th birthday, however age 18 is the cut-off for Boy Scout ranks/awards, including Eagle.
For more information about how these programs compare, including things like uniform requirements, check out this Scout Program Comparison Chart.
The Jargon:
Boy Scouts are part of Troops. The adult leader is called the Scoutmaster.
Varsity Scouts are part of Teams. The adult leader is called the Team Coach.
Venturers are part of Crews. The adult leader is called the Advisor.
Clear as mud? Good. The rest of the details are below.
Don't feel badly. You're not alone.
The following is my explanation of how Varsity and Venturing are implemented within the LDS Church. (These programs sometimes work a little differently for non-LDS units.)
The main thing to remember is that the LDS charters separate scouting programs to correlate with Aaronic priesthood quorums.
11 year olds and Deacons (12-13) are registered as Boy Scouts and work on their Boy Scout rank advancements (Scout and Tenderfoot through Eagle) along with the Boy Scout merit badges, Boy Scout special awards, etc.
Teachers (young men ages 14-15) are registered as part of the VARSITY program (more details below). The Varsity program is nationally available to young men ages 14-17, although the LDS Church only charters teams associated with the Teachers quorum, ages 14-15. Individual Varsity scouts should continue to work on Boy Scout rank advancements and merit badges on their own, but the primary focus of the program is on High Adventure and Varsity pins. It's an amazing program if you have the right leader.
Priests (young men ages 16-18) are registered as part of the VENTURING program (more details below). Although this program is available nationally to young men AND young women ages 14-20, the LDS Church only charters crews associated with the Priests quorum (young men ages 16-18, though some wards allow young men up to age 20 to continue with the Venturing program). While the Venturing program doesn't use Boy Scout rank advancement, Venturers are allowed to continue work on the Boy Scout ranks if they have already achieved the rank of First Class before joining Venturing. The Venturing program offers its own unique awards and recognitions. Due to the nature of the Venturing program and awards, it is highly adaptable to individual and crew interests.
Please note, since Venturing is for youth up to age 20, young men can still participate in Venturing and earn Venturing awards beyond their 18th birthday, however age 18 is the cut-off for Boy Scout ranks/awards, including Eagle.
For more information about how these programs compare, including things like uniform requirements, check out this Scout Program Comparison Chart.
The Jargon:
Boy Scouts are part of Troops. The adult leader is called the Scoutmaster.
Varsity Scouts are part of Teams. The adult leader is called the Team Coach.
Venturers are part of Crews. The adult leader is called the Advisor.
Clear as mud? Good. The rest of the details are below.
Varsity
The main awards unique to the Varsity program are the Varsity Letter and Activity Pins. There is also the leadership award called the Denali Award. In all cases, the Letter (similar to a letterman "letter" worn on a letterman jacket) must be earned first. It is worn on the bottom (front) of the merit badge sash.
Varsity Letter Requirements:
Varsity Pins:
There are no specific, set requirements for the Varsity Activity Pins as the boy leaders in the Team (Captain, co-Captain, and Program Manager) set these requirements each time they plan an activity. High adventure activities are planned by the Team in advance with the focus on earning Activity Pins. Earning the pin should take effort and include training. One game of basketball does not earn a pin. Three months as part of a team might depending on the pre-established requirements made by the Team youth leader. Pins are worn on the letter.
In addition to the 27 pin categories created by the BSA (see below), the Varsity program is flexible enough for boys to create their own program. An example of this would be a Team who wants to focus on cinematography. There is no cinematography pin but they can write their own 1-3 month program with a version of a "High Adventure" and then shop around for a pin they could use to represent the cinematography program they planned and enacted to be worn on the Varsity Letter. This is the genius behind the Varsity Scout program.
Pin categories are:
Backpacking
Basketball
Bowling
Canoe Camping
Caving
Cross-Country Skiing
Cycling
Discovering Adventure
Fishing
Freestyle Biking
Frontiersman
Mechanics
Operation On-target
Orienteering
Rock Climbing and Rappelling
Roller Hockey
Shooting Sports
Snow Camping
Soccer
Softball
Survival
Swimming
Tennis
Triathalon
Volleyball
Waterskiing
Whitewater Canoeing
Denali Award Requirements:
(Earning the Varsity Letter is a prerequisite to this award.)
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Varsity Oath
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The main awards unique to the Varsity program are the Varsity Letter and Activity Pins. There is also the leadership award called the Denali Award. In all cases, the Letter (similar to a letterman "letter" worn on a letterman jacket) must be earned first. It is worn on the bottom (front) of the merit badge sash.
Varsity Letter Requirements:
- Be a registered Varsity Scout team member.
- While a team member, actively participate in or accomplish at least one high-adventure/sports pin to the satisfaction of the Varsity Scout Coach.
- Have an attendance record at team meetings and activities of at least 75 percent for three consecutive months.
- Satisfy the Varsity Scout Coach that you know and live by the Scout Oath and Law.
Varsity Letter Bars are earned if the Varsity Scout completes the requirements of earning the Varsity Letter again.
Varsity Pins:
There are no specific, set requirements for the Varsity Activity Pins as the boy leaders in the Team (Captain, co-Captain, and Program Manager) set these requirements each time they plan an activity. High adventure activities are planned by the Team in advance with the focus on earning Activity Pins. Earning the pin should take effort and include training. One game of basketball does not earn a pin. Three months as part of a team might depending on the pre-established requirements made by the Team youth leader. Pins are worn on the letter.
In addition to the 27 pin categories created by the BSA (see below), the Varsity program is flexible enough for boys to create their own program. An example of this would be a Team who wants to focus on cinematography. There is no cinematography pin but they can write their own 1-3 month program with a version of a "High Adventure" and then shop around for a pin they could use to represent the cinematography program they planned and enacted to be worn on the Varsity Letter. This is the genius behind the Varsity Scout program.
Pin categories are:
Backpacking
Basketball
Bowling
Canoe Camping
Caving
Cross-Country Skiing
Cycling
Discovering Adventure
Fishing
Freestyle Biking
Frontiersman
Mechanics
Operation On-target
Orienteering
Rock Climbing and Rappelling
Roller Hockey
Shooting Sports
Snow Camping
Soccer
Softball
Survival
Swimming
Tennis
Triathalon
Volleyball
Waterskiing
Whitewater Canoeing
Denali Award Requirements:
(Earning the Varsity Letter is a prerequisite to this award.)
- Be registered as a Varsity Scout Team member.
- Advance one rank toward Eagle. If you are already an Eagle Scout, earn a Palm.
- Hold leadership positions in a Varsity Scout Team for at least six months.
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- While serving as Team Captain or a Program Manager, act as primary leader on at least two activities. Program Managers should choose activities in their field of emphasis. Team Captains may be primary leaders of activities in any of the five fields of emphasis.
- While serving as a Program Manager or Team Captain, demonstrate shared leadership skills by participating in supportive roles in each of the three remaining three fields of emphasis.
- Satisfy the Team Captain that you know and live by the Varsity Scout Pledge.
- Complete a progress review.
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Varsity Oath
As a Varsity Scout I will:
Live by the Scout Oath,
Law, motto, and slogan;
Honor the dignity and worth of all persons;
Promote the cause of freedom; and
Do my best to be a good team member.
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Venturing
Venturing Awards:
The awards unique to the Venturing program are pretty heavy duty. Very appropriate for the age of the young men working on these awards, and a worthy follow-up for a scout who may have earned his Eagle at a young age. Remember, the Venturing program is for young men and young women up to age 20, so it may be difficult for an LDS young man to earn more than a few of these awards in the two years he is a Priest. However, some LDS Venturers have been known to earn Silver (see below) within 18 months and then work on additional bronze awards or expert level awards.
As a stand-alone program, Venturing has its own set of awards unrelated to the familiar Boy Scout ranks. The award structure of Venturing allows individuals and crews a great deal of flexibility in personalizing their program and path to advancement. Venturers are allowed to continue to work toward Eagle if they have already earned the rank of First Class by the time they join Venturing, but Boy Scout ranks and merit badges are not actually a part of Venturing.
Included as a branch of Venturing is the Sea Scouts, which has their own system of organization and rank advancement. Since LDS wards do not sponsor Sea Scout ships, I'm not detailing the program here. For more information, see the official Sea Scout website.
Click on the links below to see the full description of requirements for each award:
Bronze Awards (one for each of five categories)
Gold Award (requires earning at least one Bronze award, among other things)
Silver Award (in Scouting, Silver is always higher than Gold)
Ranger Award
TRUST Award
Quest Award
Venturing Oath:
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. I will, therefore, be faithful in my religious duties and will maintain a personal sense of honor in my own life. I will treasure my American heritage and will do all I can to preserve and enrich it. I will recognize the dignity and worth of all humanity and will use fair play and goodwill in my daily life.; I will acquire the Venturing attitude that seeks truth in all things and adventure on the frontiers of our changing world.
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Venturing Awards:
The awards unique to the Venturing program are pretty heavy duty. Very appropriate for the age of the young men working on these awards, and a worthy follow-up for a scout who may have earned his Eagle at a young age. Remember, the Venturing program is for young men and young women up to age 20, so it may be difficult for an LDS young man to earn more than a few of these awards in the two years he is a Priest. However, some LDS Venturers have been known to earn Silver (see below) within 18 months and then work on additional bronze awards or expert level awards.
As a stand-alone program, Venturing has its own set of awards unrelated to the familiar Boy Scout ranks. The award structure of Venturing allows individuals and crews a great deal of flexibility in personalizing their program and path to advancement. Venturers are allowed to continue to work toward Eagle if they have already earned the rank of First Class by the time they join Venturing, but Boy Scout ranks and merit badges are not actually a part of Venturing.
Included as a branch of Venturing is the Sea Scouts, which has their own system of organization and rank advancement. Since LDS wards do not sponsor Sea Scout ships, I'm not detailing the program here. For more information, see the official Sea Scout website.
The basic award for Venturing is the Bronze Award. The bronze award can be earned in one of five areas: Outdoor, Sports, Religious Life, Arts and Hobbies, or Sea Scouts. A Venturer may earn one or all five—it’s his choice—but at least one is required for Gold. The religious life bronze award is especially appropriate for LDS crews. A Venturer may come back to work on additional bronze awards at any time, even after earning Gold, Silver or any other award. This variety and flexibility allows Venturers and crews to personalize their experience and choose how they want to advance.
The Gold Award is the next step in Venturing. It requires earning at least one Bronze award, setting and accomplishing personal goals, leading crew activities, and one year tenure as a registered Venturer, among other things.
The highest award in Venturing is the Silver Award. It requires earning the Gold award as well as completing requirements in three areas: Emergency preparedness, Leadership, and Ethics in Action.
In addition to the basic Bronze, Gold, Silver award structure, Venturers can pursue “expert level” awards in several of the bronze award categories. These awards may be worked on and earned before, after, or at the same time as the Gold and Silver awards. This flexibility allows young men to further pursue their own interests and determine their own path of advancement.
Venturers earning the Outdoor bronze award can go further to earn the Ranger Award.
Venturers earning the Religious Life bronze award can work on the TRUST Award.
Venturers earning the Sports bronze award are eligible to pursue the Quest Award.
There is no expert level award for the Arts and Hobbies area.
Click on the links below to see the full description of requirements for each award:
Bronze Awards (one for each of five categories)
Gold Award (requires earning at least one Bronze award, among other things)
Silver Award (in Scouting, Silver is always higher than Gold)
Ranger Award
TRUST Award
Quest Award
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.
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. I will, therefore, be faithful in my religious duties and will maintain a personal sense of honor in my own life. I will treasure my American heritage and will do all I can to preserve and enrich it. I will recognize the dignity and worth of all humanity and will use fair play and goodwill in my daily life.; I will acquire the Venturing attitude that seeks truth in all things and adventure on the frontiers of our changing world.
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