Super Activities

Affordable, relevant, exciting Venturing super-activities are frequently desired but often difficult to find.  I was an Advisor for 18 years and facilitated a great many events (www.sageventure.com/crews/files/SuperAct.pdf).  I also wrote the Kodiak website for BSA which provided listings of week-long super activities associated with Kodiak leadership training.  With the changes BSA made to its Kodiak leadership program, joining in on others' Kodiak week-long super activities is no longer practical.  Therefore, the Kodiak-specific website has been discontinued and exists as only an archive (www.sageventure.com/kodiak-bsa/).

The purpose of this web page is to continue to share super-activities that are exciting, dynamic and are affordable.  My plan is to also open this site to activity suggestions as scouters and crews share information with me.  There will be no cost to post information about activities for our young adults.  The best way to reach me is from my contact page.

Opportunities

Youth Cave Exploring - Youth Opportunities Underground (YOUCave) is a nonprofit corporation.  We help youth groups and youth organizations develop, plan, and carry out a cave exploring related program.

Most youth groups don't think about cave exploration as an activity they can use in their programs.  Of those groups that do, most of them realize how difficult caving is going to be and abandon the idea.  The youth groups that do go caving either find someone that can take them or try to do it on their own.  The later has the potential for disaster as the leaders may not be properly trained or equipped to lead their youth members underground.

YOUCave has the resources youth groups and youth organizations need to have a safe and successful cave exploring adventure.  We have experienced leaders that go caving on a regular basis with an established caving organizations.  We have vital safety equipment needed for a safe and ethical caving trip.  And we know where all the good caves are.

Come visit us at www.youcave.org and see what we do and learn how we can plug our resources into youth group and youth organizations' programs.

Sailing Adventures in the Bahamas - Looking for something a bit different for a super activity?  How about island hopping through the exotic Abaco Islands of the Bahamas?  Dare to experience a week in the life of a real working crew member, learning the ropes and casting off for the adventure of a lifetime.

On board sailing ship Ciganka, youth groups are offered a positive platform to "stretch" themselves in new directions which will build self confidence, assertiveness, determination, an attitude of always doing your best, while enjoying a broader view of life.  On top of all you will have an absolute blast!  To learn more, visit www.sailingadventures.org.

Channel Islands National Park - Visitors to the park may enjoy a variety of recreational opportunities, such as SCUBA diving, snorkeling, swimming, bird watching, kayaking, whale watching, and sailing.  On the islands, one may camp, hike, picnic, and explore tide pools, isolated beaches, and rugged canyons.  Park naturalists conduct interpretive hikes on the islands throughout the year - www.nps.gov/chis/.

National Parks always provide an opportunity for some kind of adventure.  Sometimes, visiting several of them during a week can become a super activity.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy - The conservancy provides a great list of activities from biking to geocaching to horseback riding all over the US.  The advantage of the site is that it provides a great deal of information and only asks for support.  It is a great place to research for super-activities ideas - www.traillink.com.

Atchafalaya Swamp - A long time Advisor told me how great the Swamp Base experience was.  From its majestic cypress and tupelo covered swamps to the egrets and alligators that fill its skies and endless waterways, the Atchafalaya Swamp has come to symbolize life in Louisiana.  No mere description captures the experience of being in the Atchafalaya Swamp.  You have to paddle its waters, spot its wildlife, and sleep amongst its ancient trees in order to truly understand its opportunities for adventure - www.bsaswampbase.org.

Planning

Defining the goals, objectives and expectations of the trip is probably the most critical part of the preparation.  I put this planning page together (www.sageventure.com/venturing/planning.html) after taking my Crew to an International Scout Hiking Expedition in Austria.  During the trip we visited England, France, Monaco, Italy, Germany, and Austria (www.sageventure.com/crews/Austria/).