What is Venturing?

The world is a big place. Why not get out there and truly experience it?

Venturing aims to do just that. It's a Scouting America unit designed empower boys and girls age 14 through 20 to go on completely youth-led adventures.

Who is Venturing Crew 190?

We started Venturing Crew 190 in January 2025 to answer the question, "What now?". Troop 190 in Grantham PA has been developing youth leaders for more than 75 years. When our 150th scout earned his Eagle rank, he didn't want to stop there. With that, Venturing Crew 190 was born.

Most venturing crews develop a focus or specific types of adventures they do. Crew 190 decided to open the door to all types of adventure. We usually meet on the second Wednesday of the month to brainstorm ideas, plan our schedule of events, and then start planning those adventures. We are completely youth-led. So while there are a few adults in the room, it gives us the ability to make the fun we want while we use the experience of our advisors to successfully execute our plans.

But as Adam Savage of Mythbusters fame once said, "Failure is Always an Option". Venturing uses experiences to grow together as friends and develop leadership skills through this process. Our venturing team has a president, vice presidents, a treasurer and a secretary like many organizations. The difference is that ours are all youth participants who have taken training and earned ranks to lead our team.

So if you're ready to take the next step and break out of your box of boredom,
Join Venturing Crew 190.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old do I have to be to join?

You need to be 14 years old, or are 13 years old and completed the eighth grade.
You can be a youth participant until you turn 21 years old.

Can boys and girls join?
Yes! Our venturing crew is coed and is open to both boys and girls.

How do I join?
You can join online or by filling out a Scouting America application. If you are not yet 18 years old, you can complete the Youth Application. If you are an adult, you'll need to take Youth Protection Training and then fill out an Adult Application.being careful to sign the background check agreement as well.
Adult leaders will do the same, although they will also need to submit their clearances to the New Birth of Freedom council prior to applying.

How much does this cost?
Scouting America has a standard annual fee for youth and adults. For youth participants, it costs $85 a year and for adults, $65 per year. However, if you are already in a unit, you can apply as a "multiple". That means you can join Venturing Crew 190 for free. We are also working with local donors to lower the cost of adventures and to make joining Venturing Crew 190 free for 2025.

Who can I contact if I have questions?
Our advisor, Jason Kichline would be happy to answer any questions.
You can reach out to him at at advisor@crew190.org

Are there any other requirements you're not telling me?
You need to be open to adventure. Venturing is designed to offer both easy, one-day adventures like bowling, but can also include adventures that are more challenging like rock climbing, whitewater rafting, or even sky diving. If you get excited about new adventures, you'll fit right in.

Do I have to go to the meetings?
You don't have to, however part of venturing is being part of the team and working together. This isn't an organization where the adults do the work. So to make it successful, it does mean rolling up your sleeves and being part of the planning and execution of the adventure. That said, it's not required either.

Where are these meetings held?
Our meetings are held at a scouting troop lodge at 816 Division Street, Grantham, PA near Messiah University.

Who is the chartering organization?
Venturing Crew 190 is chartered by the Kiwanis Club of Upper Allen. They've successfully run other scouting programs in the Mechanicsburg area since 1954 like BSA Troop 190 and Cub Pack 190.

Is this completely youth-led? Where are the adults?
We have a number of adults who lend their experience and guidance to the crew. While we aim to have the adventures planned and executed by youth, our advisors work with the officers of the crew to ensure safety and to offer their wisdom in the process. Each adventure involves at least two adult leaders to make sure all participants have fun and are safe.

How does camping work with boys and girls, some who are adults?
Scouting America has very firm regulations when it comes to youth protection. Youth participants can be minors (age 13-17) or young adults (18-20). In addition, we can have youth and young adults that are different genders. Each of these groups (four total) have separate facilities and bunking arrangements. Likewise, adult leaders (age 21 or over) use separate facilities and bunking arrangements from youth participants. We also must abide by the "two-deep leadership" principle to ensure adult coverage. If girls are involved in an outing, adult female leadership is also present. Our young adults take Youth Protection Training, and our adult leaders must do the same as well as submit multiple clearances to the local council.

What is an adventure?

An adventure is an outing or event that is developed by the youth. Adventures can range in complexity and duration from a simple night out to a week long camping expedition. Why classify them as Tier I, Tier II or Tier II.

Tier I adventures are one-day or less in duration and are fairly easy to plan and to participate. For instance, this could be bowling, indoor rock climbing, or getting ice cream and playing kickball at a park.

Tier II adventures are typically weekend camping trips. They involve more planning like booking accommodations and equipment, planning meals, and arranging travel. We aim to have 3-4 of these adventures per year.

Tier III adventures are more complicate and can take place over a week, be located further away, or involve special training. For instance, this could be a road trip multiple national parks, a 50 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail, or spelunking (caving) requiring special equipment and training by an expert consultant. We aim to have at least one Tier III adventure per year.