Venture Crews-Exploring In The Great Outdoors (And Sometimes The Indoors)
Venture Crewsâ
Exploring In The Great Outdoors (And Sometimes The Indoors)
By Andy Hutchison
Whether they are pitching tents and camping in the woods, hiking on trails, white water rafting down a river â or even traversing through the trees, high off the ground on a zip-line â members of Venture Crew 100 of Newtown find something exciting and often unique to do in the great outdoors.
Formed in 2003, the crew is a branch of the Boy Scouts of America and is sponsored by the Newtown Rotary Club. It offers older scouts, and nonscouts alike, the opportunity to participate in outdoor adventures, as well as some indoor activities such as martial arts. It is open to young men and women ages 14â21. The crew recently participated in a zip-lining trip in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and returned for a judo class, just two examples of the many activities Venture Crew members do as groups.
Crew 100 is not the only Venture Crew based in Newtown. Crew 70, from Cullens Memorial, recently returned from a backpacking/canoeing trip down the Penobscot River in Maine in which the members climbed Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park.
Members of Venture Crew 270, the other town-based crew, which was established only this past year, is sponsored by the Dodgingtown Volunteer Fire Department. This summer, Crew 270 members went on a High Adventure trip that included kayaking on the Farmington River, a hike on the Appalachian trail, and bicycling at Mohawk Mountain.
All of the crews have their own sponsors, provide different opportunities for their members, and are actively seeking new members. One thing all of the crews have in common: They provide a fun and educational experience for their participants.
Venture Crew 100
Venture Crew 100 advisor Ed Wolf, Sr, and other parents oversee the activities, which have included hiking, camping, rafting on the Farmington River and, recently, participating in the White Mountain Exploration at Tenney Mountain in Plymouth, N.H.
âIt gives you the opportunity to do things you probably normally wouldnât,â Wolf said. âIt gives you a reason to go somewhere you normally wouldnât go with the kids.â
Wolf has two children who are among eight local outdoors enthusiasts who comprise the crew. They gather for regular meetings and discuss possible adventures to explore.
âTheyâre going somewhere where they want to be,â Wolf said.
The crewâs adventures create a nice way for participants to socialize and become comfortable with each other in a dual-gender setting.
âBeing that itâs co-ed, I think it helps both sexes become a little bit more comfortable with the opposite sex,â Wolf said. âI think it breaks down the shyness of some people.â
During the White Mountain Exploration, crew members started with a 3,200-foot chairlift ride up Tenney Mountain after which the young explorers descended via a series of zip-lines, burma bridges, rappels, cables, and treetop walkways to the bottom of the mountain. Burma bridge traversing involves balancing oneself on a tight-rope walkway. Zip-lining is a means of transportation unlike most others in that a pulley suspended on a cable brings people from tree to tree.
âIt was a little scary, but it was a lot of fun,â said Christina Wolf, Ed Wolfâs daughter, who along with her brother, Nick, is among the crew members.
Upon returning from the trip to New Hampshire, the crew attended a judo class at the Southern Connecticut Judo Club in Bridgeport.
Christina, who will be a senior in college this year, has been a part of Venture Crew 100 for four years, since her high school days. She is anxiously awaiting the next adventure, white water rafting, which the crew will do for the second year in a row.
âI love it,â she said. âItâs a lot of fun because we all share common interests â going out and exploring new things.â
Those interested in joining Crew 100 may contact advisor Ed Wolf at 426-4696.
Venture Crew 70
Crew 70âs backpacking/ canoeing trip down the Penobscot River in Maine gave its members a different perspective after their climb up Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park.
âI thought it was really incredible,â said Jacque Rosa, 16, who has been a member of the crew for about a year and a half. âThe views from the top were incredible.â
The group has also gone backpacking, tubing on the Housatonic River and caving, experienced indoor rock climbing, and taken a bicycling trip in Vermont. The crew goes on a camping trip virtually every month and goes on one big summer trip each year.
Having the chance to do so many vastly different physical activities is something these young adults need, according to Peter Van Buskirk, who along with his wife Tracy, leads the crew on these adventures.
âThis is a unique experience. The kids in todayâs world get hardly any opportunities to push themselves in this way â except maybe in sports, but even thatâs different,â Van Buskirk said. âAt the end of a trip like this theyâve really achieved something.â
He added that these activities promote interpersonal skills, team bonding, and confidence among the participants.
âItâs a lot of fun doing activities with the group. Everyone is outgoing,â Rosa said.
âItâs really fun,â two-year crew member Nate Crevier said. âI like going on the summer trips the best.â
For more information about Crew 70, contact Peter Van Buskirk at 426-3014.
Venture Crew 270
Venture Crew 270 formed earlier this year and will hold an annual planning conference at the firehouse on September 3, from 6 to 9 pm, to plan activities.
Peter Lubinsky, the crewâs chairman, said because the boys and girls select which activities they will pursue and plan the trips, they gain valuable experience even before the events happen.
âIt teaches great independence and gives them a sense of accomplishment when theyâre in charge of a task,â Lubinsky said.
Although the crew is newly established, many of the members have been exposed to High Adventure trips though scouts. Previous adventure trips in recent years included a hike in the White Mountains, a 50-Mile canoe trip in Saranack Lake, N.Y., and a 150-mile bike trip on Cape Cod, Mass.
For information on Troop 270, contact advisor Vincent DiLuoffo at 270-7788.