7^TH CHELTENHAM

SCOUT GROUP

VENTURERS

AWARD SYSTEM.

There are two parts to the Award Scheme. The main part is the general activity that leads from Venturing Skills Award to the Queens Scout Award.The other part is the Major Interest Award that is intended for the Venturer Scout who is heavily involved in a particular sport or activity.

First up the Venturer Scout will need to gain the Venturing Skills Certificate and badge. A sponsor will be appointed (either a Unit Council member or an experienced Venturer Scout) who will help the Venturer Scout acquire the basic skills which will allow him/her to enjoy and participate in the outdoor activities that form part of the Venturer Scout program and also explain the award scheme. Previous experience in Scouting can be used to obtain credits for the individual components of Venturing Skills, subject to Unit Council approval.

VENTURING SKILLS AWARD

• Bushwalking
• First Aid (to be completed before the bushwalking expedition)
• Award Scheme
• Approval of Unit Council

QUEEN'S SCOUT AWARD

• Set a goal.
• Plan your progress to that goal.
• Organise yourself and others.
• Maintain the determination to complete the task while overcoming setbacks and difficulties.

Requirements

• 1. Be a Venturer Scout.
• 2. Earn the Venturing Skills Award.
• 3. Complete the requirements in the four Award areas (these may be worked on simultaneously):

(a). Adventurous Activities. Where the Venturer Scout is challenged in initiative, expeditions and outdoor adventures.

(b). Community Involvement. This involves activities centred on citizenship, service and the environment. First aid is a necessary achievement for health and safety in adventurous activities which the Venturer Scouts may find themselves involved.

(c). Leadership Development. Preparing for adult responsibilities in a democratic society will come from being involved in Unit Management and Leadership courses. A look at vocations gives an opportunity to study employment prospects for the future.

(d). Personal Growth. An opportunity for the Venturer Scouts to find out about themselves through expressions, ideals, mental pursuits and their own lifestyle.

Aside from being a Venturer Scout, gaining the Venturer Skills Award and completing the requirements of the award areas above, there is much more than just tests. The Queen's Scout Award is recognised by the community at large as a worthwhile achievement and a certificate is presented by a representative of the Queen. The main point is that the Venturer Scout is recognised as being of good character and a worthy member of the Scout Movement. Therefore, the additional requirements are:

• 4. Be recommended by the Unit Council and the Venturer Scout Leader..
• 5. Be recommended by the Group Leader on behalf of the Group Council.
• 6. Have a personal interview with the District Commissioner or equivalent..
• 7. After all these are completed, the District Commissioner (or delegate) will recommend to the Branch Chief Commissioner that the Queen’s Scout Award be presented.

MAJOR INTEREST AWARD

This recognises a special interest that may have developed or been established under the guidance of an outside organisation. The speciality should be a subject that would come within the range of activities covered by the four Queen’s Scout Award Areas.

Areas in which a Venturer could achieve the major interest award include:

• Citizenship
• Environment
• Expeditions
• Expression
• Lifestyle
• Ideals
• Pursuits
• Service

Requirements

• 1. With the supporting organisation, set a challenging goal and have it approved in advance by the Unit Council..
• 2. Qualify in the supporting organisation’s speciality, devoting at least 50 hours to the task. It is expected that the supporting organisation will be responsible for the assessment.
• 3. Approval of the Unit Council..
• 4. Approval of the District Venturer Scout Leader or equivalent.

It is expected that the Venturer Scout will have gained the Queen’s Scout Award or be very close to completion before the Major Interest Award is attempted. However, it is not intended that Venturer Scouts should be prevented from attempting the Major Interest Award simply because they have shown no progress in other aspects of the overall award scheme.

OTHER BADGES

Other badges for Venturer Scouts to achieve include:

L to R: Amateur Radio Operator Badge; Anchor Badge; Deaf Sign Language Emblem

L to R: First Aid Badge; Landcare Badge; Language Emblem

L to R: Surf Life Saving Badge (to appear soon); Their Service Our Heritage Badge; World Conservation Badge.

L to R: Youth Helper Badge; Rover Link Badge

 

The Rover Link Badge links Venturer Scouts to the Rover Section and is the next step towards the summit of the Scouting journey. Completion of this badge prepares the Venturer Scout for advancement to a Rover Crew. To earn this badge, formal contact must be made with a Rover Crew prior to joining one and Rover activities must be participated in with at least one being an overnight activity.

This information is taken from the Scouts Australia website.

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