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About Venturing

Welcome to the Venturing Officers’ Association of the Northeastern Pennsylvania! This webpage will provide you with all of the information regarding the functions of the Venturing Officer’s Association, Venturing Event details, Contact Information, and much more. You can follow the respective links below to find what it is you are looking for.

In addition to the following information, the most fundamental question we often receive is “What is Venturing?” To answer that question in official terms, Venturing is a division of the Boy Scouts of America for young adults, both men and women, ages 14- 21. The purpose of the Venturing program is to provide positive experiences to help youth mature and to prepare them to become responsible adults. Beyond that, the possibilities are endless.

The real definition of Venturing, as the youth who are part of the program see it, is up to interpretation. Venturing Crews, which are the Venturing equivalent of Boy Scout Troops, may choose to specialize in any area they choose - whether it be a medical specialization, or an outdoor specialization, a climbing specialization, or even a medieval battle reenactment specialization. Those crews will then design a program that fits their specialization and is suitable for them. Many crews choose to not specialize at all, and do whatever new and exciting things they feel like doing.

Venturing, like Boy Scouting, also has a recognition/ advancement system and opportunities for leadership training – both of which are ultimately optional. A Venturer does whatever it is he or she wants to do; therefore, it is, in simplest terms, a youth- run program.

For more information about starting a Venturing Crew or joining an existing one, you can follow the “Venturing Units” link below, or get in touch with us by following the “Contact Us” link, also found below. Thanks, and we hope to hear from you soon!

Meet the VOA Advisers

VOA Adviser Position	Name	Email
President Adviser	John Seocoski	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Administration Adviser	Walt Godshall	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Program Adviser	Janice Sepcoski	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Communications Adviser	James Quick	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Membership Adviser	Rick Stritzinger	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

View the VOA Meeting Minutes

2010	2011	2012	2013
December	January	January	January
	February	February	February
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	December	December

2012_Winter_ Olympics

The 2013 Winter Olympics was held this year on Saturday, January 26 at Camp Acahela, and it went off with a bang!

In the morning, about 30 Venturers gathered for a day of fun out in the cold. The morning started off by gathering around a fire for the opening. After all the groups were all ready to go, they set off for the high energy relay race taking place all around the camp!

The groups were timed as they completed such events as a Calisthenics Kim’s Game, and First Aid Challenge, a sled race, a knife throwing competition, and more! After rushing their way through the race, they gathered back in for a delicious lunch!

The afternoon saw a round robin of shooting games, archery, and an A- frame building challenge. In the end, everyone gathered back for the naming of the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place teams. A fun time was had by all despite the 9 degree weather!

And if you thought that sounded awesome, just wait for next year! The 2014 Winter Olympics is sure to be even better than the last. Keep checking our website for the location and date to be announced. But with events like shooting sports, sports competitions, and an even HIGHER energy relay race, as well as opportunities to work on requirements to earn your sports bronze award, you won’t want to miss the 2014 “Venture to the Winter Olympics!”

Contact the VOA

The NEPA Venturing Officers Association is always looking for your questions, comments, suggestions, and feedback, both positive and constructive, to help us improve. Please share with us your questions/ comments and provide us with your contact information. We will get back to you as soon as possible. You can also get in touch with us by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by contacting the Scout Service and Training Center at (570) 207- 1227.

2012_Holiday_Lock-in

Sounds of laughter and the scent of freshly cooked pizza filled Queen of the Apostles Church Hall until the late hours of the morning. On December 14th- 15th the local ventureres of the NEPA council were holding one of their annual lock-ins at the church. This particular Lock in was created with the purpose of giving everyone who participated a weekend to remember. Competitions, games, Cake, Lego’s, pizza, Good Friends, and even a Woodbadge Bead Presentation Ceremony were all major players in the venturing lock in, which in the end proved to be a blast for everyone.

The first major event that was held was a massive Catapult competition. The participants were broken up into groups to collaborate a build a mini catapult. After construction, the participants launched their catapults, competing against one another to see which one shot the farthest. A winner was crowned, and soon after, dinner was served. During dinner, the VOA Program Adviser, Janice Sepcoski was presented with her Woodbadge Beads, an event marking the completion of the intense Woodbadge training experience. All in attendance were honored to observe such a momentous occasion- the bestowing of a recognition that was very well deserved.

After dinner, the ventures divided themselves into six teams and held what was perhaps the most competitive event of the night, the Jeopardy. The venturers gathered around the projector and screen playing a Jeopardy game and listened intensively as the host on the screen explained the rules. The teams then competed against each other in a shouting match for two rounds of yelling out answers to questions about candy, military history, pirates, movies, and many more. A winner was crowned after being the only team to correctly answer the final jeopardy question- name your NEPA VOA officers.

The first major event that was held was a LEGO competition. The venturers divided into four teams and they set to work on creating the most elaborate structure. Teams had just one hour to try and outdo each other with their Lego building skills. In the end, teams built four different structures of very different capabilities and strengths. The structures ranged from very large, to smaller more detailed structures. Then, totally unexpectedly, the teams switched structures with one another, and then were given candy, icing, graham crackers, and instructions to imitate the Lego structure in ginger bread house form. Everyone was totally surprised, but they got to work immediately! In the end, it was a tie between all four teams, simply because all of the creations were very elaborate and unique in their own ways.

By around four or five in the morning, venturers of all different shapes and sizes could be found stretched out or curled up in a ball in different places throughout the room at the church hall. Some brought out sleeping bags and found dark corners to fall asleep in, others just chose to throw on a jacket and fall asleep stretched out face down on the floor. Some fell asleep on a mattress of blankets, others on top of a mattress of backpacks and various objects. Some small faint murmurs of the few remaining awake venturers could still be heard, softly giggling and laughing about the fun night that had just started to come to a close.

At around ten the next morning, every venturer was awake, cleaned up and ready to go. Breakfast had been served, and all that was wished to be accomplished was complete. Rides started to come and venturers slowly said goodbye one by one, giving hugs and saying goodbye to old friends and new ones that they had just met. As everyone was leaving it was apparent that no one left without a smile on their face, and plans to make the next venturing lock in even bigger and better than the last.

If you thought this was a great time, just wait for next year! Come on out to Queen of the Apostles Church Hall on December 13- 14, 2013 for the 2013 Holiday Lock In to have another great night of fun and fellowship. See you there!