How are Varsity Scouts and Venturing similar?

1. Both are activity-based.  They use individual boy-planned activities as the basis for making the program attractive and for building boy stature and leadership skills.

2. Both strive for a "balanced program" by planning activities centered on several types of experience or program areas

3. Midweek activities follow a similar schedule

• Attend combined YM-YW once a month

• Conduct a business meeting monthly, particularly devoted to hearing reports on and approving plans for future activities

• The other 2-3 nights are devoted to the specific boy-led activities

4. The activity planning cycles are similar:

• Prepare a yearly calendar

• Conduct interest surveys of all young men

• Do a planning camp/retreat

• At the planning camp, prepare a yearly calendar based on young men preferences from the interest surveys and that balances the various types of activities in the overall program

5. Implement activities (may work best with mature group–see another option below)

• Presidency meets regularly with advisers to confirm the calendar items for the next 2-3 months and decide which young man is to lead specific coming activities

• Individual young man (or small committees) plan specific upcoming activities assisted by adult consultants (or program supervisors)

• At monthly business meeting of the entire crew/team, activity chairmen (program managers) present plans for upcoming activities for approval.

• On the scheduled dates, young men lead the approved activities they have planned

• At future business meeting of the entire crew/team, the activities are evaluated (should we do it again? how could we make it better?)

6. Each does a yearly high adventure or superactivity as a culmination of the year's program. The schedule might include specific young men leading particular activities which center around the several experience or program areas so that each has leadership practice and the overall program for the event achieves the same balance as the weekly activity program.

7. Regular scouting advancement (Eagle) is available but receives less emphasis than for 12-13 year olds Scouts, and is more individualized.  Additional awards exist.

Here's another way to do the implementation cycle (may be preferable with younger group):

• Make sure that each activity on the yearly calendar has a program area specified, and that each program area has a young man assigned as program manager (in a large group of young men, there could also be assistant managers or committee members).

• Presidency meets weekly, perhaps before team meeting, and periodically reviews future calendar activities to make sure they are still desired.  (For a program with small number of young men in which all are officers, this may be done as a part of regular weekly meeting, perhaps immediately after the opening ceremony.)

• There is a brief business time as a opening part of weekly team meeting. The agenda includes reminding the various program managers of the next activity they are managing and getting a report on how planning is coming. The group may also give input on the planned activities at that time.

• On the scheduled date, young men lead the approved activities they have planned

• At the following weekly team meeting, the completed activities are evaluated (what did we like? how could we make it better? should we do it again?)