The Venturing rank is your official welcome to the crew. It's about getting involved, meeting your crew's leaders, and making a personal commitment to Venturing's values. It sets the foundation for everything that follows.
Why it's worth it
The Venturing rank is your way into a crew where the youth run things. Crews choose their own adventures, from backpacking and climbing to service trips or whatever the members are into, and elected officers do the planning. Joining is your chance to say what you want to try and to commit to people who'll help you get there. For a lot of Venturers, the crew becomes the group of friends they plan big things with.
Start this week
- Show up to the crew's next outing, service day, or social event, even if you don't know anyone yet.
- Write down three adventures you'd love to do this year and bring the list to your interview.
- Ask the crew president when you can sit down with them and the Advisor for your interview.
- Set a time with a parent or your Advisor to complete Personal Safety Awareness training.
- Read the Scout Oath, Scout Law, and Venturing motto, and mark the lines that mean the most to you.
Requirements · 4
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).
- Requirement 1
Join the crew for an activity held outside a regular crew meeting
Tip: Join an outing, service day, or social event with the crew. It's the fastest way to get to know people and see what the crew does.
For example: Any crew activity outside a regular meeting counts: a day hike, a climbing gym night, a service day at a food bank, or a game night. Watch who plans what, so you see how the crew actually runs.
- Requirement 2
Have an interview with your crew president and Advisor about the crew
Tip: Use the interview to share what you're hoping to get out of Venturing. Ask the crew president and Advisor about upcoming adventures.
For example: Come with ideas: "I've never been backpacking, but I want to try a weekend trip and learn how to plan one." Ask what the crew did last year, what's coming up, and how new members get involved in planning.
- Requirement 3
Complete Personal Safety Awareness training
Tip: Complete the Personal Safety Awareness training with your Advisor or a parent. Ask questions about anything that's unclear.
- Requirement 4
After finishing 1–3, take part in a crew induction ceremony where you repeat the Scout Oath, Scout Law, and Venturing motto (Lead the Adventure) and commit to living by them
Tip: Read through the Oath, Law, and motto beforehand and think about what they mean to you. The ceremony is your formal commitment to the crew.
For example: Before the induction ceremony, think about what one line of the Oath or Law means to you right now. If your crew invites new members to say a few words, keep it short and honest.
Ask yourself
- What made you want to join a crew, and what do you hope it adds to your life?
- What's an adventure you've always wanted to try but never had a group for?
- How do you want to contribute to the crew beyond showing up?
- Which part of the Oath, Law, or motto feels most like a promise you can keep?
Good questions to ask your crew president and Advisor at your interview
- How does the crew decide which adventures to do each year?
- What's the best trip the crew has done, and who planned it?
- How can a new member help plan something?
- What do Venturers usually work on next as they move toward Discovery?
Helpful reads
- Venturing: plan your own adventures, How a Venturing crew works, the four ranks from Venturing to Summit, what officers do, how to plan an adventure, and the national high-adventure bases., Youth · Leaders · 5 min read
- Finding service that matters, Service hours count toward your rank, but the best ones are the ones you'd want to do anyway. Here's how to find them, arrange them, and get the most out of them., Youth · Families · 5 min read
For leaders & parents
- Have the crew president lead new member interviews so youth leadership is front and center from day one.
- Make the induction ceremony meaningful and welcoming, with the whole crew present.
People & places that can help
- Crew Advisor and officers — Your guides for getting started in the crew.
- Scouting America (opens in a new tab) — Venturing program information and safety training.
- Venturing (opens in a new tab) — Scouting America's overview of crews, adventures, and how Venturing works.
- Scouting America Youth Protection (opens in a new tab) — Background on Personal Safety Awareness and how Scouting keeps youth safe.
Pairs well with
Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.