VenturingFest Rocks the Summit– But Just Wait Until 2018!

This summer, more than 700 Venturers from across the country joined together for the first ever VenturingFest at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia. The event was a mighty success and the next VenturingFest has been officially announced for 2018—just in time for the High-Adventure program’s 20^th anniversary!

In a recent blog post, Bryan on Scouting relayed the details for this epic outdoor celebration. He shared that the Summit will once again host the dynamic youth of BSA’s Venturing program from July 1 to 6, 2018.

“VenturingFest 2016 was such a success because it brought together hundreds of youth from all around the country to have fun around something they have in common, Venturing.,” said Jessica Janscha, Venturing Staff Advisor at BSA’s National Service Center. “Their love for the program showed in the service projects, friendships made, and photos and videos on social media.”

One of the Venturers in attendance, Erik S., 18, of the Baltimore Area Council shared the details of the action-packed week with Scouting Wire.

“On Tuesday, members of the National Venturing Officers’ Association, as well as many Crews, spent the morning rafting down the New River Gorge tackling rapids all the way up to class 5. Then, that afternoon they headed to the Big Zip and went flying across the Summit at speeds of up to 60 Miles per hour. Tuesday evening the Regions went head to head playing nighttime capture the flag, with glow sticks.”

And this was only the beginning. “Wednesday at VenturingFest featured the Appalachian Celebration. A night of music, ice cream and Western Dancing,” said Erik. The Venturer went on to share the closing night festivities, which included karaoke and jamming out to a DJ.

Venturing invites young men and women from ages 14-20 (or 13 and have completed 8^th grade) to participate in exciting and meaningful activities that not only thrill and excite, but also help develop character and leadership skills.

Venturers can chose a specialty from a plethora of different activities, so naturally, the Summit was the perfect venue to host the summer celebration. And with the program’s 20^th anniversary in 2018, the next VenturingFest is sure to be an unforgettable Summit celebration you won’t want to miss. As Bryan on Scouting puts it, “Venturing turns 20 in 2018, and you and your crew are invited to the party.”

In fact, the Venturing staff is already hard at work, planning the anniversary festivities. “We’re working to make the 2018 event the most incredible Venturing experience yet by having more crews join us for an event that will celebrate 20 years of Venturing in the most epic way possible,” said Janscha.

Learn more about the Venturing program by heading to Venturing.org.

For more on Venturing’s 20^th birthday bash, make sure to check out the full story by Bryan on Scouting.

Special thanks to Erik S., of the Baltimore Area Council for his recount of the adventures at the 2016 VenturingFest.