CRESTVIEW — Area teens between 14 and 20 years old have another option for after-school, weekend and school break activities with Venture Crew 773’s revival.
An organizational meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 15 at First Presbyterian Church of Crestview’s Fellowship Hall, with regular monthly meetings beginning in January after the holidays. Teen and adult leaders will give an overview of Venturing during the hour-long meeting and pass out registration forms and T-shirts.
Venture Crew, a branch of the Boy Scouts, takes young adults beyond tying knots and building campfires.
“In Venturing, the crew officer youths are the leaders; the adults are advisers,” Boy Scouts of America Unit Commissioner Rae Schwartz said. “The crew determines activities, programs, awards and activities. The adults assist the crew in obtaining the skills and other assistance they need to fulfill the crew goals.”
The revived crew, attached to Troop 773 under Assistant Scout Master Kelly Carrico, is chartered to First Presbyterian Church of Crestview — and they’re recruiting now, Carrico said.
“In the next couple (of) months, we want to introduce (Venturers) to rock climbing. We have a wall. Not long after that, we want to do a trek ride. We’re going to introduce them to horses,” Carrico said.
“In the past, Crew 773 members learned to pistol shoot,” Schwartz said. “Even the Boy Scouts can't do that! They have also gone to Winterfest in Gatlinburg (Tenn.), the annual Jamboree for Venturers and Explorers, twice. The girls in the crew learned scout skills and competed in Boy Scout Camporees; they even ran one.”
Community service
In addition to outdoor and indoor adventure activities, Crestview’s Venture Crew in the past decided to do community service projects.
“Service was important to them, so they were active in Relay for Life, the Walk for Autism, and worked at Cub Scout Day Camp,” Schwartz said. “Crew members graduated with many more service hours than required for any scholarship.”
Though the teens decide the crew’s direction and activities, Schwartz assures parents that responsible adults are always present as advisers.
“As in all other BSA (Boy Scouts of America) programs, adults are background checked, and must complete youth protection training before working with a crew,” she said.
“In addition to the basic youth protection training, there is also specialized Venture Crew youth protection training, specifically directing the issues of teen development and coed crews.”
Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Boy Scouts revive Venture Crew, set Dec. 15 organizational meeting