3 Manassas-area scouts earn rare Silver Award

When you say “Boy Scout” the iconic image of scarf-clad young men helping the elderly across a busy intersection comes to mind for many. But few know that one program in the Boy Scouts of America is actually open to teenage young men and women. This lesser known program is called “Venturing,” and the Scouts who participate in Venturing work with fellow members in Crews to set and achieve lofty goals and learn ideals which will last them for a lifetime.

Like other Scouting programs, Venturing has a system of awards that the Scout can work to earn, the highest level of which is known as the “Silver Award.” (The Boy Scouts of America recently announced that the Silver Award will be renamed to be known as the “Summit Award.”) Among other requirements, the Silver Award requires a teenager to set personal growth goals, learn First Aid and CPR, participate in a leadership skills course, learn and lead a forum on ethics, and serve as a leader in their home Crew. Additionally the Scout must receive three letters of recommendation from community leaders, educators, or members of the clergy.

The most recent BSA statistics show that only about 0.34% of all Venturing Scouts earn the Silver Award. Which makes the achievement of three local Scouts that much more significant. Royce Picot, Mary Kate Thornburg and Dacotah McGaffic, all of whom are members of Venturing Crew 617 in Manassas, each earned the Silver Award. Despite all being from the same Crew, each Scout worked on their award program independently. Each Scout coordinated with an adult advisor to help them devise attainable goals and how to follow through and achieve those goals.

Venturing Crew 617 was started in Manassas in 2010 as a partnership between the National Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and the Park West Lions Club of Manassas. Since that time four Venturing Scouts in the Crew have earned the Eagle Scout award, and with these three awards being earned, the number of Venturing Scouts in the Crew who have earned the Silver Award also equals four. Each of these Scouts will be hosting a special Court of Honor to commemorate the achievement in the next few weeks.

About Venturing Crew 617

Venturing is the “new” older 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. Spun off from the Exploring program in 1998, Venturing’s purpose is to provide positive experiences to help young people mature and to prepare them to become responsible and caring adults. Young people in Venturing learn leadership skills and participate in challenging outdoor activities that help develop self-confidence. Nationwide, there are approximately 200,000 Venturing youth, and in the National Capital Area Council, there are approximately 1,150.

Venturing Crew 617 was formed in 2010 to create a unique and dynamic relationship between the youth of Prince William County, adult leaders, and the Park-West Lions Club. The result has become a program of exciting and meaningful activities that helps our youth members pursue their special interests, grow, develop leadership skills, and become good citizens.