Venture Patrol Activity Pins

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Revision as of 21:18, December 12, 2008

This article is about the Activity Pins for Venturers. For the Varsity Scout ultimate adventure pins see Varsity Scout Activity Pins.

The following twenty-six Venture Patrol Activity Pins and requirements correspond to the Venture Patrol high-adventure and sports program features.

Award requirements

Youth Venture patrol troop members who participate in a "ultimate activity" may earn a Venture Patrol Letter. When the patrol participates in a Venture program feature ultimate activity (preceded with a series of training sessions), then an activity pin may be awarded at a court of honor. The Assistant Scoutmaster - Venture administers this program, reports to the Scoutmaster, and assists the Venture patrol leader. The Venture patrol leader (youth leader) is assisted by the determines resources needed and recruits outside consultants.

Venture patrol activity pins correspond to Venture program pamphlets and Varsity Scout Features pamphlets for sports. Ultimate Adventures may be derived from the 36 monthly activities contained in Woods Wisdom, from the Seven Outdoor Skills Instruction manual, or Passport to High Adventure.

Activities where pins are earned are demanding and many safety requirements and the need for outside experts or qualified instructors. Boy Scouts completing ultimate activities may earn related merit badges and BSA awards.

High-adventure program features

• Backpacking
• Canoe camping
• Caving
• Cycling
• Discovering Adventure
• Fishing
• Freestyle biking
• Frontiersman
• Mechanics
• Orienteering
• Rock climbing and rappelling
• Snow camping
• Survival
• Whitewater canoeing

The Venture program pamphlets cover all 14 high-adventures. Other resources are available: Woods Wisdom contains 36 monthly activities; Seven Outdoor Skills provides information on backpacking, camping, cooking, survival, team-building and rappelling/rock climbing; Passport to High Adventure is an excellent resource for planning.

Sports program features

• Basketball
• Bowling
• Cross-country skiing
• Roller hockey
• Shooting sports
• Soccer
• Softball
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Triathlon
• Volleyball
• Waterskiing

Varsity Scout Features pamphlets cover all 12 sports. The Seven Outdoor Skills also provides information on aquatics that can be used as a resource for planning.

Source: The Boy Scout Handbook (33105)

Award images

High-adventure program pins:

Backpacking Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.	Canoe camping Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.	Caving Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.
Cycling Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.	Discovering Adventure Venture patrol activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.	Fishing Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.
Freestyle biking Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.	Frontiersman Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.	Mechanics Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.
Orienteering Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.	Rock climbing and rappelling Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.	Snow camping sports Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.
Survival Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.	Whitewater canoeing Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.

Sports program pins:

Basketball Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.	Bowling Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.	Cross-country skiing Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.
Roller hockey Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.	Shooting sports Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.	Soccer Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.
Softball Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.	Swimming Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.	Tennis Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.
Triathlon Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.	Volleyball Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.	Waterskiing Varsity Scout activity pin. This pins to the V emblem.

Notes

Confusion over whether the BSA quietly stopped allowing Venture patrols to earn Venture letters and activity pins persists due to a response to a letter in a 2005 Scouting magazine where the question is asked: "...can boys in a Venture patrol earn the letter available to boys who are members of a Varsity Scout team?". The editor's reply was:

Only Varsity Scouts can earn the program's Varsity letter and Denali Award, although Varsity Scouts also can work toward the Eagle Scout rank and achieve other Scout awards and recognitions.

The response, although technically accurate that Venture patrol members cannot earn a Varsity letter, is misleading in that it omits the fact that Venture patrol members can earn a Venture letter. This is confirmed by the April 17, 2007 Official Boy Scout/Varsity Scout Uniform Inspection Sheet which specifies the official placement of the Venture letter on the merit badge sash.

Sources: "Confused About Venture Patrols" Letters to Scouting Magazine, May 2005
Official Boy Scout/Varsity Scout Uniform Inspection Sheet, Official Placement of Insignia

Help with these requirements

• Venture Program pamphlets
• Varsity Team Program Features Pamphlets No. 1, 2, 3 (34837, 34838, 34839)
• Woods Wisdom (7262)
• Passport to High Adventure

External links