Parents' Corner

OK parents, now that your kids aren't looking, we'll show you what they can learn and benefit from participating in the Venturing program through Dragon Breath Grotto Crew 9.

While caving is a fun activity, aside from a good workout, there are some benefits from participating in this program that your child will learn and use in their everyday life for a long time.

Venturing is a youth development program of the Boy Scouts of America for young men and women who are 14 (and have completed the eighth grade) through 20 years of age.

Venturing's purpose is to provide positive experiences to help young people mature and to prepare them to become responsible and caring adults.

Venturing is based on a unique and dynamic relationship between youth, adult leaders, and organizations in their communities.

Young adults involved in and participating in the Crew's program will:

Learn to make ethical choices over their lifetimes by instilling the values in the Venturing Oath and Code, Leave No Trace ethics, and ethical practices of the National Speleological Society.
Experience a program that is fun and full of challenge and adventure.
Become a skilled training and program resource for other groups.
Acquire skills in the areas of high adventure, sports, arts and hobbies.
Experience positive leadership from adult and youth leaders and be given opportunities to take on leadership roles. Have a chance to learn and grow in a supportive, caring, and fun environment.

An important goal of Venturing is to help young adults be responsible and caring persons, both now and in the future. Venturing uses "ethical controversies" to help young adults develop the ability to make responsible choices that reflect their concern for what is a risk and how it will affect others involved. Because an ethical controversy is a problem-solving situation, leaders expect young adults to employ empathy, invention, and selection when they think through their position and work toward a solution.

A variety of awards are available to Venturers who accomplish specific advancement achievements. These awards include:  Venturing Bronze Award  Venturing Gold Award  Venturing Silver Award  Venturing Ranger Award  Venturing Quest Award There is also the availability to earn the Congressional Award as well. These awards are recognized by college, corporate and military recruiters as marked achievements that make your child a potentially valuable recruit.

There will be opertunity to learn about and earn "real world" awards like "Wilderness First Aid" from the American Read Cross, "Close Quarter Rescue" from the National Cave Rescue Committee, "Vertical Climbing" from Boy Scouts of American and The Vertical Section of the NSS, as just a few examples.

The Boy Scouts of America has liability insurance that covers leaders and organizations to which Venturing crews are chartered. Accident and medical coverage are not included but are available through Chester County Council, BSA at a modest cost that is included in our Grotto dues.

Cave Softly, But Cave Often,

Allen Maddox, Advisor