The Troop's High Adventure (HA) program was started in Jan 1999, as a means to providing older Scouts a vehicle for more challenging activities and leadership opportunities outside those normally offered by the Troop, since Troop activities are often limited due to inclusion of younger and less experienced Scouts.  It was also hoped that a HA program would result in greater retention of senior Scouts in Scouting since it provided them with challenging activities they chose to do, to plan, to execute, and to lead in keeping with the BSA concept of "Boy Run, Boy Lead."   Based on that concept, each HA trek is led by a volunteer or elected Scout who serves as the Trek Crew Chief.  He is guided and trained where necessary by a Senior Life Rank Scout who serves as the Troop's HA Youth Coordinator.  The Crew Chief and the HA Youth Coordinator are primarily responsible for building a Crew and preparing it for each Trek.  HA adult Advisors are with Crews to ensure BSA's "health and safety" concerns are being met, provide advise as requested, and ensure the Scout leadership/Crew has done it's job to "Be Prepared" for the trek.

          

       To be a HA Scout Crew member, the Scout must be at least 13 years old, First Class rank, and be cleared for HA treks by a BSA Class III Physical.   Additionally, the Scout leadership must have a reasonable expectation that a potential Crew member can handle the trek's demands.  We have found that not all Scouts can handle the requirements of every HA Trek which often are in remote and distant areas with little opportunity to get a Scout home before the end of a trek.  This judgmental requirement is just as necessary to the Crew's health and safety, and their HA experience as all other Crew preparations. 

 

    During our HA program tenure, many treks have been very successfully completed.  These include two fifty mile backpacking treks (earning the first ever 50 Miler Afoot Awards in the Troop's 50 year history), several canoe treks to include one 50 miler, numerous backpacking treks, several day hikes, training with US Army Green Berets in land navigation techniques, indoor wall climbing and repelling, white water rafting, two treks to Philmont Scout Ranch, and most recently a three day Winter trek to Cold Mountain, NC where the Crew experienced single digit temperatures and practiced cold weather skills in real world conditions.

 

    I fully believe our HA Program goals stated above are continually being met.  HA participation is high, older/senior rank Scouts are staying in the program (in 2003, 5 Scouts turning 18 years old that year where still active in the Troop and HA), and they are learning and having fun while doing it.  Participating successfully in HA, earning a Trail Name, and the right to wear a HA T-shirt (designed by the first HA Crews) is like a rite of passage for each Scout, and surely adds to his skills, to his self-esteem, and to Scouting. 

 

                                                       High Adventure Challenges and Rewards Scouts,

  

                                                       DAVID E. COLVIN

                                                       ASM, Senior Advisor, High Adventure Program