Venturer Profile: Nicolette – Crew 3695
Nicolette joined Venturing the day she turned 14, following her two older sisters into Crew 3695 in Eden Prairie. What attracted Nicolette to Venturing was the opportunity to grow in leadership and participate in high adventures.
Some of Nicolette’s favorite events include hiking the Superior Hiking Trail, kayaking in the Apostle Islands, and canoeing in the BWCA. Some lower impact fun has included ziplining, stargazing, and board games while cabin camping.
When Nicolette joined, leadership was not her first priority. It grew over time. She started as VP Finance, then Crew President, and expanded onto Northern Star Council Venturing Officers Association (VOA) VP of Administration. Nicolette has enjoyed mentoring younger crew members to plan and lead events and promote BSA Venturing to youth ages 14 to 20.
Nicolette also rose up through the ranks of Venturing, earning her Summit, the highest honor in Venturing. For her Summit project, Nicolette led 50 volunteers to create a nature trail on the Izaak Walton League property in Bloomington.
According to Nicolette, “The project planning was more involved than originally thought. How hard can it be to build a trail? I needed to take into account the Leave No Trace principles, drainage, and sustainability.” Tim Vossberg, an experienced mountain bike trail developer, was instrumental in advising on the trail construction.
Another aspect of Scouting Nicolette has enjoyed is being on Tomahawk camp staff. Nicolette was a CIT in White Pine assisting in Ecology merit badges. She returned the following summer as a Lifeguard and Beach Counselor leading youth in Life Savings, Canoeing, and the random Bird Study merit badges. According to Nicolette, “These experiences really helped grown my leadership skills which I brought back to the Crew.”
Nicolette encourages youth to consider BSA Venturing, adding “It’s a great way to plan and participate in adventures geared toward older youth.” Members of the Crew have come from a variety of backgrounds, including Eagle Scouts on down to those with no prior Scouting experience.
Anyone interested to learn more about Venturing and Crew 3695 can contact
[email protected] or 952-913-7861.
Crew 3695 welcomes youth and adults from across the Twin Cities, meeting the first Tuesday of the month to plan their adventures.