Note that Venturer crews and Sea Scout ships are separate units.
Venturing and Sea Scouting youth are coed.
Venturing adults are coed, and must be age 21 or older.
Age Range / Highest Award
Program
Minimum Age
Maximum Age
Highest Award
Venturers
age 14 OR
age 13 + finished grade 8
until age 21
Silver Award
Eagle Scout (male only)
Sea Scouts
age 14 OR
age 13 + finished grade 8
until age 21
Silver Award
Quartermaster Award
Eagle Scout (male only)
Advancement for Venturers & Sea Scouts
Male Venturers and Sea Scouts can also earn the Eagle Scout rank (BSA requires earning Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class in a Scout troop to prevent females from being able to earn the Eagle Award).
Other Venturer awards are open to all Venturers and Sea Scouts, and are considered awards, not ranks. Note that Silver is higher than Gold!
There are 5 different Bronze Awards.
The Silver Award is Venturing's highest award, but it doesn't have the public recognition or prestige of Eagle Scout or the Sea Scout Quartermaster Award.
Venturing Bronze Awards (5) (medal/left; campaign-style ribbons/right: Arts and Hobbies, Outdoor, Sea Scout [Ordinary Award], Sports, Youth Ministries)
Venturing Gold Award (requires earning at least 1 Bronze Award)
Venturing Silver Award (requires earning the Gold Award)
Other Awards for All Venturers & Sea Scouts
Venturing Ranger Award (outdoor skills award)
Trust Award (religious award)
Quest Award (sports-related award)
National Youth Leadership Award
Venturing Shooting Sports Outstanding Achievement Award
Advancement for Sea Scouts only
In addition to (or instead of) standard Venturer advancement, Sea Scouts have their own rank advancement system.
Sea Scouts wear only the highest rank earned (but can also wear the Eagle Scout medal or knot, as well as other Venturing awards).
All ranks must be earned in order.
The Quartermaster Award is often considered to be equivalent to Eagle Scout (which male Sea Scouts can also earn), but it doesn't have the public recognition or prestige of Eagle Scout.
A male Sea Scout can potentially earn 3 different 'top' awards (Venturing Silver, Quartermaster, and Eagle Scout).
Apprentice
Ordinary
Able
Quartermaster Award (blue uniform/left; white uniform/middle; medal/right)
Venturing Division (BSA)
