When they make a virtual reality app for camping, cooking and having fun in –15º C weather, or spending a weekend outdoors in the worst rain our Novembers can throw at us, the Hope Venturers may have to go on a recruitment drive.
Until then, real-life adventures are doing just fine at attracting local teens to the scouting movement.
On the Victoria Day weekend, 17 local teens traveled to the annual Skeeters camp, at Camp Caillet near Nanaimo.
Group Commissioner of 1st Hope Scouting, Crystal Medlock, her husband Scott and longtime scouting mom, Shanon Fischer went along as chaperones.
With a stroke of luck, some 400 campers had mostly fine weather and few “skeeters” — and there was plenty of fun, including sleeping in hammocks.
Organized events included a talent show and scavenger hunt — which Hope kids placed second in — Jell-O wrestling and a slip-and-slide. There was also a casino night, two dances and the inappropriately named “food-eating contest.”
“It included a lot of spicy foods and weird, soupy concoctions,” said Crystal. “Sequel Adamson and Jenna Barnes made it a few rounds but not into the final round. Jenna made it to the second to last round.
Meanwhile, if you had to wait a little longer for your meal or coffee at McDonald’s that weekend, it could be that the Hope Venturers had a hand in it.
“A lot of our kids are friends and work at the same place,” said Crystal. “One of the kids couldn’t make it because he had to work and he couldn’t get the entire weekend off. Five others from McDonald’s did attend, though. It was a very busy weekend for them to have off, so they were very grateful.”
Adamson and Micah Bedford graduate from high school this year, and will now age out of the Venturer program. They are able to continue as Rover Scouts until age 26, if they wish, attending the social camps and acting as leaders for the events and challenges.
“As they start to graduate, it’s really bittersweet for me,” said Crystal. “I feel like I’ve watched many of them grow from being these little kids that look up to you and run circles around you, to these amazing young adults that now tower over me.
“I have loved having a small piece of their lives and I feel like it has been such a gift, being able to watch them grow into the amazing young adults they now are.”
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