Your son or daughter is considering joining Venturing, a program of the
Boy Scouts of America. He or she is joining more than 4 million members of the Boy Scouts of America. Please take the time to review this material and reflect upon its importance.

The BSA and the Chartered Organization
The Boy Scouts of America makes Venturing available to our nation's youth by chartering community organizations to operate Venturing crews. The chartered organization must provide an adequate and safe meeting place and capable adult leadership, and must adhere to the principles and policies of the BSA. The BSA local council provides unit leader training, program ideas, camping facilities, literature, professional guidance for volunteer leaders, and liability insurance protection.

Venturing's Volunteers and You
Venturing's adult volunteers provide leadership at the crew, district, council, and national levels. Many are parents of Venturers, or entered as youth members. Each chartered organization establishes a crew committee, which operates its Venturing crew, selects leadership, and provides support for a quality program. Some crew committees depend on parents for membership and assistance.
The crew committee selects the Venturing Advisor, subject to approval of the head of the chartered organization or chartered organization representative. The crew Advisor must be a good role model because Venturers' values and lives will be influenced by that leader. You should know your child's crew Advisor and you should be involved in the crew committee's activities so you can evaluate and help direct that influence.
You can help by encouraging perfect attendance, attending meetings for parents, and assisting when called upon by your Advisor.

Program Policies
The Venturing program is flexible, but major departures from BSA methods and policies are not permitted. You should be aware that:

• • Leadership is restricted to qualified adults who subscribe to the Declaration of Religious Principle, the Venturing Oath, and the BSA Standards of Leadership.
• • Citizenship activities are encouraged, but partisan political activities are prohibited.
• • The Boy Scouts of America recognizes the importance of religious faith and duty; it leaves sectarian religious instruction to the member's religious leaders and family. Members who do not belong to a crew's religious chartered organization shall not be required to participate in its religious activities.
• • Two registered adult leaders or one registered adult leader and a parent of a participant, who must be 21 years of age or older, are required on all trips and outings. If trips and outings are coeducational, leaders of both genders must be present.
• • Parents and crew leaders must work together to solve discipline problems.
• • One-on-one activities between Venturers and adults are not permitted. Personal conferences must be conducted in plain view of others.
• • If you suspect that anyone in the crew is a victim of child abuse, immediately contact your council Scout executive, who is responsible for reporting this to the appropriate authorities.
• • All Venturing activities are open to parental visitation.