Young adults find adventure with Venture Crew 2010
Chandler Gory had never been camping before she spent eight days canoeing through the isolated, pristine wilderness of the boundary waters between Minnesota and Canada.
“I didn’t even know how to set up a tent,” she said.
At Northern Tier, one of the four Boy Scouts of America (BSA) high adventure bases, a group from Venture Crew 2010 paddled through the boundary waters from Ely to Atikokan, a distance of about 75 miles.
“There were six days where we didn’t see anybody,” said Kelly Byrne, the crew’s adult advisor.
When they weren’t paddling across crystal clear lakes or hauling their gear over land on portages, the crew feasted on freshly caught fish, swam through waterfalls and watched loons flying low over the water.
“It’s a really fun atmosphere,” Gory said of spending time with the crew.
Each summer since its founding, Mountain Brook-based Venture Crew 2010 has sent a group of crew members to one of the BSA high adventure bases. Last summer, six crew members and two adult advisors earned the Triple Crown Award for completing trips to Northern Tier, Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico and Seabase in the Florida Keys.
However, Venture Crew activities are not limited to the summer months. If you were to ask one of the members of the Venture Crew what he or she did last weekend, you might be impressed by the response.
About once a month, members go rafting, backpacking, biking, canoeing, rock climbing or caving. Trips and activities are limited only by safety, funding and the crew members’ imaginations.
David Dowd started the crew in the fall of 2010. It rapidly gained membership as young men and women around the community learned about the new opportunity for outdoor adventure.
“It’s a great way for young people to build confidence and learn skills that last for a long time,” said Dowd, who was involved in Boy Scouts as a youth and has been involved in Scouting as an adult since 1996.
Venturing, a branch of Boy Scouts of America (BSA), is geared towards both young men and women who are 14 years old or have completed eighth grade up to age 21. The program focuses on developing values and leadership in challenging and exciting outdoor settings.
“You put people in situations they’re not used to and they grow,” Dowd said.
Venture Crew 2010’s current president, Will Byrne, was involved in Boy Scouts before he joined Venture Crew. Byrne sees Venturing as an opportunity for older teens to get involved in outdoor activities at a time when many tend to stop participating in Boy Scouts.
Crew members, not the adults, run meetings and plan activities.
Venture Crew 2010 usually meets on the first and third Thursdays of each month at the Canterbury United Methodist Church (CUMC) Scout Building.
Venture Crew 2010 has already begun planning the calendar for the upcoming school year with rafting, backpacking, biking, caving and canoeing trips.
Annual dues for Venture Crew 2010 are $50 and most gear and equipment can be borrowed from the CUMC Scout Building or from other crew members. No prior outdoors experience is required for membership, and membership is not limited to Mountain Brook residents.
Young adults ninth grade and up, as well as their parents, are invited to attend Venture Crew 2010’s open house on Thursday, Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the CUMC Scout Building.
For more information about Venture Crew 2010, contact Will Byrne at willbyrne@charter.net or 907-2315 or Kelly Byrne at kellyjbyrne@charter.net or 870-7411.
Venture Crew 2010 Upcoming Events
-Rafting trip, Sept. 20-21
-Backpacking, Oct. 11-12
-Biking trip, Nov. 22-23
-Caving, Jan. 17-18
-Backpacking, Feb. 13-16
-Canoeing, May 4-5
-Dates subject to change.