Local Scouts go high adventure in outdoor excursion
Scouters of Holmes County organized a five-day ATV experience at Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia that saw a number of area youth participate.
Part of the joy of being a member of the Boy Scouts of America is the thrill of tackling plenty of outdoor adventures that challenge and elate those who participate.
Recently, a group of youth and their adult leaders tackled one of the most exhilarating challenges available for Scouts.
The thrill of High Adventure Bases runs far and wide across America, and nobody in the world is better at sharing those experiences than the Scouts. Nobody.
Few if any organizations offer more variety of high adventure for young people than the Boy Scouts of America. Through high adventure experiences, The BSA leaves lasting memories with youth and fosters development in character and leadership.
Recently, Scouters of Holmes County organized a five-day ATV experience at Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia. Young men and women Venture Scouts from Holmes and Wayne counties, along with their co-ed adult leaders, explored more than 60 miles of rugged trails on ATVs as they rose to every challenge.
Dusty Vehrs, one of the BSA leaders, was up for the excursion.
“The training was great, and our guides were amazing,” Vehrs said. “It was awesome to see the crew improve each and every time we set out on a new trail.”
Cheyenne Strait, a member of Troop 338 and Venture Crew 38, said of the nonstop activities, “We had a blast. We rode together as a team all four days. We got covered head to toe in mud, but it was fun. I feel like the instructors let us do more than most because we are country kids and our skills showed it.”
Jake Mullet, one of the male leaders and a board member of Scouters of Holmes County, organized the trip. He said a trip that would challenge the youth and provide ample enjoyment was at the heart of designing the trip.
“There are four fantastic national Scout bases,” Mullet said. “The challenge is organizing a trip. We decided that organizing a team to go to these locations is something Scouters of Holmes County could do. Our contingent consisted of 10 Scouts between the ages of 14-21 years old.”
The BSA has four national High Adventure Bases. From the aquatic adventures of Florida Sea Base to the canoeing challenge of Northern Tier, from the backpacking expeditions at Philmont Scout Ranch to the adventure sports programs at The Summit Bechtel Reserve, these experiences shape and teach youth about leadership, themselves and others.
While the Summit trek provided plenty of thrills for the Scouts, SoHC won’t let that be the only trip available.
Scouters of Holmes County is already creating plans to travel to each of these four bases on a four-year rotational schedule. The next event is Philmont in New Mexico in 2023, followed by Sea Base in 2024, an adventure to Northern Tier in 2025 and then back to the Summit in 2026.
By visiting all four of the venues, SoHC makes sure each Scout member who chooses to tackle the challenges will experience a balanced, well-rounded series of camps.
Scouters of Holmes County is a certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The vision of the group is to serve the youth of Holmes County by promoting values and citizenship, providing facilities to grow responsible citizens and opportunities to thrive in the outdoors, and making a positive impact on every youth who attends or participates.
Their mission is to train tomorrow’s leaders by promoting youth activities, in particular the Boy Scouts of America in Holmes County. Their motto is “Investing in Tomorrow’s Leaders.”
To learn more, sponsor a youth in high adventure or make a charitable contribution, call Scott Biltz at 330-231-5254 or go to their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Scoutersofhc.