The Venturing Skills Award is intended to provide the basic skills which will enable you to be safe and comfortable outdoors. This also is to help you to get to know your Unit.

This will allow you to get started on many Unit activities and should normally be gained in the first two months.



The Venturer Award requires participation, either as an individual or with other Venturers in seven activity areas. There are five compulsory activities within this Award; one each from the areas of Leadership Development, Outdoors Activities and Personal Growth, two from Community Involvement. The two remaining activities are of your choice from these areas. This Award is designed to be achieved by an active member of a Venturer Unit within a 12 to 18 months period. The Unit Council approves the issuing of this Award.

Before completing this Award, you are required to have completed the Venturing Skills Award.

There are seven activity areas to be completed. The compulsory activities for the Venturer Award are:

  1. Initiative
  2. Environment
  3. Unit Management
  4. Ideals
  5. First Aid

You may wish to investigate some of the activities you explored for your Venturer Award level at a higher level for your Queen's Scout Award. You must complete Venturer Award level requirements before you commence Queen's Scout level for that particular activity.



The Endeavour Award provides the opportunity for you to pursue a major interest in depth in a particular activity you select. The Award requires significant research, effort and application and reflects your personal endeavour. You must pursue one specialised activity to a higher level of expertise for a period of at least 50 hours beyond the level required for the Queen's Scout Award. The achievement should be the equivalent to that nationally recognised by the community as being attained by a 17 year old working in that specialty area.

It can only be awarded after the Venturer Award has been earned. The Endeavour Award acknowledges that some young people may wish to specialise in a particular interest/vocation area rather than completing the Queen's Scout Award. Of course, you may complete both the Queen's Scout Award and the Endeavour Award.



The Queen's Scout Award has an outstanding status within Scouting and the Community. Consequently, the activities and the requirements are designed to be inspiring and challenging. It is designed to take you to a much higher and demanding level. Before completing this Award, you are required to reach Venturer Award standard in each of the Venturer Award activities (13 in total).

You must also complete:

  1. Leadership Development
  2. Outdoor Activities - either Expedition or Outdoor
  3. Personal Growth - either Ideals or Expression or Lifestyle or Pursuits
  4. Community Involvement - either Environment or Service

Character requirements

The Venturer Scout must be recognised as being of good character and a worthy member of the Scout Movement. The first stage of the approval process for a potential Queen's Scout is by the Unit Councils. This is a two-fold decision. Has the Venturer Scout met the requirements of the Award Scheme, and has the Venturer Scout demonstrated that they are practising the Scout Promise and Law in everyday life?

All Units should be fully aware of this important step in the Queen's Scout Award and should consider their responsibilities in the matter by monitoring the progress of all potential Queen's Scout and evaluate their character requirements at least 12 months before the completion of the Award. The final component of the Award is made on the recommendation of the District Commissioner for approval by the Branch Chief Commissioner.



Other Badges

These can be found in the back of the Record Book. The challenge is there for you - will you take it?

FINDING AN EXAMINER

The greater part of your achievements under the Award Scheme will probably come from participation in your Unit's program. If you have special interests you may be able to persuade the Unit Council to include them in the program at some stage during the year.

If you decide to try something different, some items which are not on the program, you must begin by finding Examiners. Consult your Venturer Scout Leader or District/Region Leader-Venturer Scouts first, and then try the list which is kept by the District/Region. If this does not bring results you will have to find your own Examiners. After all, if you are interested in a particular subject, you will probably have better contacts than anybody else.

These is obviously a need to be sure that the Examiner is competent in the field, has the necessary skills and understanding of the activity areas and how the chosen activity forms part of the overall Award Scheme. Specialist organisations/clubs or parents may also provide training and information. Only in exceptional circumstances may you own parents or Leader be your Examiner because part of the challenge of the Award is finding Examiners. If the activity proposed at the Venturer Award level is of a very specialised type, a resource person or Examiner may assist the Unit Council. This resource person may be endorsed/approved by your Venturer Scout Leader. For all other levels endorsement/approval must be by the District Leader - Venturer Scouts or equivalent. Examiners in the adventurous activity areas must have appropriate qualifications as required by Branch.

When you have found the right person, the two of you should discuss the Award requirements and then agree upon a task which fits into the guidelines of the particular activity area. Finally, obtain approval to start from your Unit Council and you are ready to go. Your Venturer Scout Leader should help set your goals and make sure that a realistic target is set.

Where do they come from?

  • Your Venturer Scout Leader may know someone.
  • Your District and other Units often have lists of Examiners.
  • Specialist organisations which can also provide provide training and information.
  • Group/District database of parent's occupations and hobbies.
  • Permanent Examiners exist in some Districts for specialised fields, e.g. expeditions, first aid, abseiling.
  • Branch Course Leaders.
  • Clubs, service organisations and Rover Crews.

Venturer Scouts and Vocational Training

The Scouts Australia Institute of Training (SAIT) is a registered training provider and as such some of the work you achieve for your Award levels could be used to gain vocational education qualifications which will be recognised by the Australian community. Further, in some states and territories, your achieving your Queen Scout Award could be registered on your School Exit Certificate.

Full details of qualifications and statements available through SAIT are listed on the website. These include areas of business, leadership and sport and recreation in areas of bushwalking, abseiling, canoeing, kayaking and sea kayaking. Given all your hard work, it is important you get full community recognition for all you have accomplished.

By completing your Venturer Award you are eligible to apply for two Certificate 11 qualifications - Certificate 11 in Leadership Support and a Certificate 11 in Business. Complete all the necessary forms which can be downloaded from the web and submit these through your Unit Council to the Training Department in your Branch. It is important if you are intending to seek funding for a traineeship that you discuss this prior to submitting the application as in some instances your gaining these qualifications may prevent future funding for a traineeship.