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Background and Purpose

Leadership and service to others are two key tenets of Venturing, the Boy Scouts of America's fast growing teenage program. Combine these two elements and you get the concept of "the servant leader." Servant leadership as a philosophy that teaches how the leader works with, and through, a team to accomplish the mission.

Rather than just talking about leadership, Venturing, through the Nature of Leadership Treks, teaches useable, relevant leadership skills that every teen can use.

Trek Safely

Trek Safety training is for adult Scouters, Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, and Venturing leaders. It applies to all types of outdoor treks that involve at least one overnight. Trek Safely is designed to help youth and adult leaders plan and carry out safe trekking experiences and is similar to Safe Swim Defense, Safety Afloat, and Climb on Safely. The training can be done in about 40 minutes. Literature available include a Trek Safety flier, No. 20-125 and a Trek Safely Training Outline, No. 20-129 which uses the following points:

Methods

Requirements

1. Be a registered Venturer (youth only)
2. Be at least 16 years old
3. Have physical capability for specific trek
4. Have outdoor skills for specific trek

What A Council Does

1. Set the itinerary and fee
2. Manage the budget
3. Order course support materials
4. Recruit adult leadership/instructors
5. Communicate with participants
6. Promote locally
7. Send an After-action report to the national Venturing division

How a Council Hosts A Course

1. Council leadership commits to hosting a course in writing to the national Venturing division (download the application to host a Venturing nature of leadership trek
2. Include description of the trek for promotional purposes (pictures too)
3. Set fee, arrival and departure dates, and arrival/departure city
4. Assign a staff advisor
5. Best to set dates at least a year out, two even better

What The National Venturing Division Does

1. Supply the Nature Of Leadership syllabus to the host council
2. Approve courses
3. Annually print a flier promoting all courses
4. Promote courses nationally
5. Train and support instructors
6. Maintain course recognition items (Supply Division)

If you have questions, please contact Bill Evans, Associate Director, Venturing Division at 972-580-2427 or email: bevans@netbsa.org