Our next award is for growth in Venturing, recognizing a crew member who has most demonstrated improvement in the past year. Please join me in welcoming this year’s winner, Michael Day.
Michael has been with us about two years and has come on like gangbusters this year.
He’s been elected treasurer twice. As I’ve said before, that’s not an easy job and it’s one that if done incorrectly can cause havoc. And in the crew’s history, we’ve had some who have caused havoc. So it’s always pleasant for adults when someone serves in that role who is smart, responsible and detail-oriented.
But this award is not for the best treasurer. It’s meant to highlight someone in the crew who has improved a great deal. Many crew members spend their first year trying to figure things out and connect with others in the crew.
Michael came to us interested in backpacking. He also had a lot on his plate, including the golf team and working part-time.
This year he stepped up to the plate in a major way. There are few moments as treasurer when you can relax. There are always dues or trip fees to collect, or fundraisers to help manage or account for.
But one of the stories I wanted to tell about Michael highlights just how much effort and responsibility he has shown this year.
The occasion was the Haunted Forest Weekend. He came to help out but had to leave Saturday night because he had to open up at work Sunday morning. Most crew members would have left and that would be that. In fact we’ve had issues in the past about some crew members leaving Sunday morning before the cleanup work was finished. But Michael drove all the way back out to Camp Barstow to help clean up the camp with us.
That’s remarkable but very much in keeping with his character.
Michael is super nice, responsible and a model of behavior.
One adult said “his personality seems to have a calming influence on those around him, giving others a feeling that we will get this done.”
One of my greatest pleasures as an Advisor has been watching youth grow. Not physically but emotionally and intellectually, into the fine young men and women they are destined to become. Michael’s growth in the past year has been just such a treat.
For all of those reasons, I am proud to declare Michael as our 2013 recipient of the Growth in Venturing Award.
Congratulations!