By: Casey Hutchins, Venturing Crew 2052
It’s been all about the girls for Venturing Crew 2052 since the beginning. The all-female crew chartered out of Lawrence, KS has been active since October 2002, giving its members opportunities to develop skills and knowledge in the areas of high adventure and leadership.
The crew has filtered through its fair share of girls, and there are currently 20 registered Venturers ranging in age from 14 to 20. Dani M., active in the crew for about a year and a half, says she joined because she craved high adventure. "I wanted to get to do things that your everyday, average person doesn't get to do," she said.
Although relatively new to the crew, Dani was quickly able to work her way up to leadership positions. She currently serves as the crew's quartermaster, meaning she is responsible for the crew's equipment on trips. "It's taught me what it really means to be in a girl-led crew," she said. "And that if you want something to be done or changed, then you can do it."
Dani is right. It's the girls themselves who decide what they want to do and where they want to go. From participating in activities across the country and around the world, the crew has no physical boundaries when it comes to staying active. The crew has participated in several Scouting camps in the Kansas City area; has been to Philmont, a high-adventure Scout ranch in New Mexico four times; Philmont’s winter program, Kanik, twice; OKPIK, a high-adventure program in Minnesota, twice; The Summit, a high-adventure base in Virginia; the Irish International Jamboree near Dublin in 2008; Kandersteg, an international Scout center in Switzerland; and much more.
Ryan H., a crew member since 2010, has been to Philmont twice and said those were some of her best experiences with the crew. “It was a way to get to know other Scouts while having this amazing experience at the same time,” she said. The second time around, Ryan served as the crew's leader, a position that gave her valuable leadership experience. “It allowed me to learn how to make an executive decision for a large group of people. It also helped me to listen to others’ input in order to make a decision.”
The girls often seek adventures on an individual level as well. Carrie D. served on staff at Gilwell, an international Scout base in England, and Joanna M. served on staff at Kandersteg. Several former Scouts have also served as staff at Philmont. Phoebe C. enjoyed her Philmont experience so much she decided to return to do the ROCS trek. The Roving Outdoor Conservation School trek is a 21-day adventure committed to environmental service. “I decided to go back because I loved it so much the first time around,” Phoebe said. “I'm really looking forward to meeting new people, seeing more of the property and learning more about conservation.”
The experiences the members of Crew 2052 have had as a part of Venturing extend far beyond the crew itself. "It’s taught me that every day should be embraced and that I need to apply what I’ve learned in Venturing to make every day count," Dani said.
For more information on the crew, visit www.venturecrew2052.org or “like” them on Facebook.