blog assignment #16

Venture Scouts, also called venturers, are a Boy Scouts of America group that focus on various things. Venturing Crews can be composed of both genders, although some will decide to to be just boys or just girls, that are between the ages of thirteen to twenty-one and have at least completed the eighth grade. Venturing is the next step from Boy Scouts that allows you to use the things that ordinary Boy Scouts taught you, and the crews are member run. The adult leader is called a 'Adviser' as opposed to the Boy Scout's 'Scout Master' because that is what he does, advises, not dictate.

     My crew, Kru 58, is a high adventure group although some do other things(I heard of one in Tennessee that was just a stamp collecting crew). My crew is composed of 10 active members, 2 of which are girls, and 3 adult leaders. I am the Secretary of my crew and we also have a president, who is now a freshman in college, two vice presidents and a treasurer, all of whom are seniors in high school. The other members of our crew are all sophomores. The crew has four active eagle scout members, including our adviser. Venturing has its own awards also, the Ranger Award is one of the highest and is the one I am working towards now. 

     This past Labor Day weekend, I went on a backpacking trip that lasted 3 days. I backpacked for 20 miles with a 30 pound pack and also in the middle of that hiked an additional 8 miles to make a grand total of 28 miles walked in 3 days. I did this with my crew and the older members of our partner Boy Scout troop, Troop 58 of which my little brothers are a part. We trekked through the wood of the Tuxachanie National Forest in Mississippi and had a lot of fun.

        Our Crew started 2 years ago to keep the older Boy Scouts involved long enough to get their Eagle but continued to live on with those boys and added more. This is an organization of duel enrollment, if you want to call it that. You can be a member of the Boy Scouts and the Venturers if you meet the qualifications. 

       I was a girl scout when I was young and sorta enjoyed it but no one there liked me because i was the youngest and didn't go to the same school has them. The troop disbanded when was about ten and I went camping with my brothers' Cub Scout dens because all of their activities were for the family and a lot of the moms went along too, but when my brothers out grew cubs scouts and went to boy scouts I couldn't follow and did have anything to do for a while but one day, my daddy came home and was telling me about this group of scouts that could have girls too. Another girl and I joined at the same time when the Crew another leader, a lady, who could go with us.

     Being a part of Venturing has helped me get in better physical shape and also given me something to do since Basketball has ended. Last month marked a whole year that I have been a part of venturing and never once have I regretted it, except once, around mile 22 (:

 This is, from the top, the ski trip in Tennessee, the Natchez trace hike camping area, the actual trail, the Bike trip on the St. Tammany Trace, and Roc Haus in Lafayette.