What I Did Last Summer

As adults its been a number of years since you had to write that perennial September tome of visits to Grandma, play-off baseball games (lost by one point), summer camp, or maybe just video games at home. But sure as rain, the summer heat, and text messaging sometime in the first few days of school every year our children are still asked this question by teachers all over the country. Maybe its time that we, as parents step up to the task of giving our children an opportunity to write the story every teacher has been waiting for, a story of high adventure, of learning opportunity, of fun ...

When I was a kid I wanted to climb mountains, dive coral reefs, send rocket ships to space and to win the baseball play-offs by one point. What I didn't know then that I do know now is that I could have. I had the time for all this and more, oh sometimes my dad couldn't be there, or mom was out of town on business but I had the time, if I only knew how to do those things.

Today one answer is Venturing BSA a youth development program for young men and women who are 14 (and have completed the eighth grade) through 20 years of age. Venturing is organized into Crews, run by the youth themselves, guided by trained, motivated adults. Venturing's purpose is to provide positive experiences to help young people mature and to prepare them to become responsible and caring adults.

Venturing is based on a unique and dynamic relationship between youth, adult leaders, and organizations in their communities. Local community organizations establish a Venturing crew by matching their people and program resources to the interests of young people in the community. The result is a program of exciting and meaningful activities that helps youth pursue their special interests, grow, develop leadership skills, and become good citizens.

In other words your son, my daughter get to climb that mountain, they get to go deep sea fishing, scuba diving off the coast of Florida, or learn to fly with the CAP. Or if they want they can design, build, launch, track and recover near space satellites that travel to the edge of space. Virtually riding 20 miles up with a high altitude balloon carrying cameras, GPS receivers, radios, and experiments they built.. Where the pictures returned show the curvature of the earth, whole states at one time, and the blackness of space all in the same photo, and where they can say "I did this" just image the stories they could tell. They can travel to and camp in wilderness ares in New Mexico, Northern Minnesota, Colorado, or their own back yard, wherever they have the ambition to go. Exploring the deepest caves, learning to ride horseback, and sharing in experiences with other youth their age are now all possible.

Venturers learn to make ethical choices over their lifetimes, experience a program that is fun and full of challenge and adventure. They acquire skills in the areas of high adventure, sports, science, arts and hobbies, religious life. They experience positive leadership from adult and youth leaders and are given opportunities to take on leadership roles and have a chance to learn and grow in a supportive, caring, and fun environment.

Cost? $10 a year. Who runs this program? The Boy Scouts of America. Surprised? I hope so. If you are interested in helping your son or daughter to write the next best seller about what they did last summer, then first give them the opportunity to live it by contacting me for more information.