Venturing gives young men and women ages 14 to 20 the opportunity to lead, plan events and explore based on their interests.
In addition to rank advancement, Venturers can earn leadership and specialty awards. The requirements for one of those specialty awards — the Ranger Award — has been updated and can be worked on now.
The Ranger Award encourages high-adventure activities, such as backpacking, spelunking and whitewater rafting. In Venturing, youth not only do these activities, but they also complete safety trainings, teach skills to others and organize all aspects of their outings.
The award came out soon after Venturing debuted in 1998 to recognize Venturers who have excelled in outdoor skills. By 2020, national Venturing leaders saw that the award needed to be revamped.
Why the changes?
Safety is paramount in Scouting America. Programming is adjusted to ensure both youth and leaders can grow in the Scout Oath and Law in a safe, supportive environment. In the past couple of years, the snowmobiling requirements for the Ranger Award were discontinued. Also, the physical act of hunting is no longer allowed, but Venturers will still be able to learn about hunting safety and its contribution to conservation and the culture.
Venturing leaders aimed to add to the award’s requirements rather than strip them down. The new requirements include an exploration element, like the Scout Association’s Explorer Belt program.
As the language within the requirements was updated, leaders saw a connection between what Venturers do for the award and potential careers. The new requirements call on Venturers to explore future opportunities within these exciting fields.
FAQs
National Venturing leadership has scheduled a webinar to review all the changes. The webinar is set for Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Central. You can register for this Zoom meeting here, or you can check the program’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Below are answers to some frequently asked questions, highlighted on the updates page on the Venturing website. There, you can read all the new requirements and find the certificate for the award.
How long do I have until I can no longer use the original Ranger Award requirements?
The 1998 Ranger requirements must be completed by March 31, 2026.
Can completed elective requirements be transferred over?
Yes, until March 31, 2026.
Can the original shooting sports requirements still be used if they were already completed?
No. The latest range and target activities requirements must be used regardless if a Venturer has completed the previous requirements. This has been effective since Sept. 1, 2024.
Can the original hunting requirements be used at all?
If original hunting requirements were completed before Sept. 1, 2024, they are permitted to be used.
Can the original snowmobiling requirements be used at all?
If original snowmobiling requirements were completed before Feb. 1, 2023, they are permitted to be used.
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