Venturing has no “official” uniform that all members must wear; in keeping with the flexibility of the Venturing program, uniforms are approved by each individual crew. A crew may choose to design or purchase a Venturing t-shirt, polo, or any number of options. However, the recommended uniform for Venturers and adult advisors is the BSA-supplied green Venturing shirt and gray backpacking-style shorts or gray casual pants. If the crew chooses to wear the green Venturing shirts, the official Guide to Awards and Insignia must be followed.
Venturing’s recommended uniform includes two distinct styles: the “field uniform” and the “activity uniform”. The field uniform consists of the green Venturing shirt, a Scouting belt, gray Venturing pants or shorts, and gray Venturing socks. The activity uniform includes a Scouting belt, gray Venturing pants or shorts, gray Venturing socks, and a Scouting t-shirt or polo. It is up to the crew to decide when each version of the uniform is worn, and may be decided based on the activity or setting of the event.
To see more about the Venturing shirts visit ScoutShop.org.
Refer to the images for specific locations of items.
The green Venturing shirt includes the following:
- Right sleeve: Official U.S. flag emblem, Venturing emblem (or the appropriate patch to show your membership in a council, area, regional, or national VOA)
- Optional: “Journey to Excellence” patch
- Left sleeve: Council shoulder emblem, unit number
- Optional: Leadership position patch (example: president, treasurer, associate advisor), “Trained” patch
- Pockets and neck: World crest emblem
- Optional: Knots, bars, Venturing Rank patches*, neckerchief, nameplate
- For formal occasions: Venturing rank/award medals, Venturing Leadership Award medal (with the colored side of the ribbon on the outside)
You MUST conform to the following when wearing the green Venturing uniform:
- Existing insignia placement policies related to BSA uniforms shall apply.
- The uniform should be neat in appearance, and shirts should be worn tucked in.
- Charcoal gray backpacking-shorts or long pants should be worn. These do not necessarily need to be Venturing-branded.
- Green shoulder loops should be worn with the green Venturing shirt.
- District, division, council, and national Venturers and adult advisors may wear the corresponding shoulder loops with the green Venturing shirt.
- Crews should not create their own unique shoulder loops.
- Youth Venturers and adults can wear knots, but still must follow the official BSA policies on knots.
- The Ranger Award bar may be worn on an adult advisor uniform if earned as a youth.
- Only one Venturing Leadership Award medal is to be worn at a time.
- Up to five pocket-medals may be worn at a time.
Venturing uniform in relation to other programs:
- Venturers should not wear the tan Scouts BSA shirt in place of the green Venturing shirt.
- The tan Scouts BSA shirt should never be worn with green Venturing shoulder loops.
- Venturers who qualify to earn Scouts BSA advancement** may wear the merit badge sash with the green Venturing uniform.
- Scouts BSA youth advancement patches may be worn on the Venturing uniform, but they cannot wear both the Scouts BSA rank patch and a Venturing Rank patch at the same time.
- Venturers may also wear the Arrow of Light and Eagle knots if earned.
- A female Venturer or adult advisor may wear the Girl Scout Gold Award if earned in Girl Scouting.
- Religious awards may be worn, whether earned in Boy Scouting or Girl Scouting.
- The OA flap may be worn on the green Venturing shirt by inducted youth members or adult advisors.
*Wearing the Venturing Rank patches:
The Venturing Rank patches are to be worn on the left pocket in the same fashion that Scouts BSA wears their rank patches. Only one Venturing rank patch is to be worn at a time. Venturers can still wear previous Venturing award recognition devices if they have earned them. When a Venturer earns the Summit Rank, they should wear the Summit Rank pocket patch, not the square knot. The square knot is to be worn instead of the patch when the Venturer reaches the age of 21. However, a Venturer can wear the square knot as a youth if it represents the Venturing Silver Award (the square knot for the Summit Rank is the same as the Venturing Silver Award).
**Scouts BSA Ranks and Venturing:
Venturers who earned First Class rank as registered Scouts are qualified until their 18th birthday to continue with Scouts BSA advancement through Venturing.
If you have any specific uniform questions, contact venturing@scouting.org.
