Our next award is for the Crew member who has most demonstrated the spirit of Venturing, an enthusiasm for all activities, a mindset for adventure,a willingness to go on any outing and even when circumstances aren’t sunny and warm. Please help me welcome this year’s recipient, Savannah Faust.
Savannah joined us last year with her mother and soon became our treasurer. She is well respected by the youth and the adults for her intelligence and devotion to detail. But the reason she is up here is because of her spirit.
If you ever searched for the dictionary definition of energy, you would see her face. She doesn’t walk. Anywhere. She runs. Telling her not to is like talking to the wind.
We had just finished our backpacking hike earlier this year and driven back to our campsite when Savannah bounded from the car, ran across the campsite and leapt over a picnic table. Because she could.
She made an immediate impression soon after she joined when we went on our waterfall trip last year.
When it comes to cooking or cleaning, not every youth is enthusiastic about being assigned to such chores. Savannah volunteered and impressed the adults with her enthusiasm for cooking and directing others in the kitchen.
She was no less enthusiastic about the waterfalls. Her favorite falls was a stop that has become a crew tradition, outside Highlands, NC. The youth like it because they can climb to a ledge overlooking a deep swimming hole and jump.
It is about 30-35 feet and she jumped multiple times. I also have a photo of her just sitting on the ledge. I asked her about that and she said she enjoyed the warmth of the sun and the peace up there.
That trip was followed by our journey to North Carolina for the annual athering of Venturers in this part of the nation called Legacy. Last year it advertised 101 activities and Savannah was bound and determined to try most of them.
WhatI will remember most, however, was that she decided she would join witha group of older youth in the crew who were going to run the 5K race before breakfast. 1 asked Peter to go watch over them and he said the race organizers failed to mark the course well and some of our youth ended up runninga longer route, including Savannah. When she finally crossed the finish line, she lay down on the ground exhausted. Peter told her it was time to go to breakfast and she asked if she could rest first.
But it didn’t take her long to rebound. It never does.
She has recently taken up ice skating lessons and one day I asked her how that was going. She said she loved the skating but didn’t yet know how to stop. That’s very true of Savannah and life. She is as hard charging as they come. She does not like sitting still and would far prefer zooming than traveling slow.
I sometimes refer to Savannah as Sandy’s 40-year-old daughter because of her advanced intelligence and maturity, as well as the fact that she gets up early at home to drink coffee and read.
Here is what she had to say about Venturing in her Venture Award note:
“My favorite thing about Venturing is that crew members get to lead, rather than the adults. We cook, we clean, we plan, we lead.”
For her boundless energy, willingness to tackle any adventure, friendly nature and fearless enthusiasm, I am proud to declare Savannah our 2017 Spirit of Venturing Award recipient.
Congratulations!