BSA Crew/Ship #4385

About BSA Crew/Ship 4385

Crew/Ship 4385 is a VERY ACTIVE Venturing Crew and Sea Scout Ship that provides activity for a Scout to be as involved as he/she would like to be. This, of course, benefits Scouts (and families) that are often very busy supporting the typical “High School Life” (and/or College Life) these days. (Venturing and Sea Scouting are for female or male youth who are 14 years old (or 13 and out of eighth grade) through age 21.) Venturing Crew / Sea Scout Ship 4385 does not "LIMIT" itself to a specialty but rather specializes in ALL THINGS that are Adventure, Leadership, Personal Growth, and Service (ALPS) as well as the great opportunities that Sea Scouts has to offer. We may not be out Scouting every week but when we are out Scouting, we are having a BLAST! Also, we feel that it is very important that our Scouts continue to provide leadership to their “home units” in Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts (if they are already in a Scout Troop) and that they not “defect” to the Crew or Ship. We are a support structure for Youth as they get older and want to experience higher level opportunities that will allow for staying more involved in the Scout’s home unit. There will never be a time where the Crew is upset because a Scout misses a meeting due to having another Scouting obligation.

Crew/Ship 4385 also provides a GREAT "Scout-like" environment for those youth that are BRAND NEW to Scouting. Our Scouts (and parents) value the accomplishments of Eagle Scout and the Gold Award but understand that without further Leadership Experiences and/or higher adventure activities often youth will get bored with Scouting ENTIRELY in High School and this would be a big loss. This is where Crew/Ship 4385 steps in. This benefits both our “Veteran Scouts” as well as our Scouts that are new to any Scouting Program. We have several Scouts in the Crew/Ship that have never participated in Scouting before but have a great time with the other Scouts of Crew/Ship 4385. This is also why we have many Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts from several different Scouting Units all over Central New Jersey that are active in Crew/Ship 4385. We have OUTSTANDING, Trained Youth Leadership. Our Diversity is very healthy and is designed for a long-lasting future. After starting with 5 Scouts late in 2013, Crew/Ship 4385 currently has grown to almost 30 Scouts in 3 Councils (and growing continuously).

Not every Scout HAS TO follow the track below but the Crew/Ship facilitates a plan that has availability for the following:

  • Youth Protection Training (All Youth and Adults)
  • Personal Safety Awareness (All Youth)
  • CPR / AED / First Aid
  • Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews or Troops (ILSC/ILST)
  • Wilderness First Aid (16-hour Course)
  • National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT)
  • Kodiak Challenge (Outdoor and Team-Building Skills)
  • Being on Staff for NYLT for a local Council
  • National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience (NAYLE)
  • NYLT Leadership Academy in Washington D.C.
  • Being on Staff for NAYLE at one of the National High Adventure Bases
  • Council, Area, and Regional/National Venturing Leadership positions.

100% of our Youth-Contact, Adult Leadership are fully BSA Venturing/Sea Scouts trained so we can provide our Youth with the proper resources to Advise and help Operate a very successful Venturing Crew and Sea Scout Ship. (Scouts that have parents that like to be very active in Scouting will fit right into this group as well. Crew/Ship 4385 is very much a FAMILY-ORIENTED Scouting Group.)

Our Crew/Ship members have the opportunity to participate in extensive Service Opportunities throughout the year (both as a group and as individuals). Most of our Scouts provide dozens of hours of service to the community annually. Some of the Crew/Ship 4385 Service Opportunities include:

  • Special Olympics Service Camporee every May/June
  • United Way Stamp Out Hunger (June)
  • Small monthly opportunities at Soup Kitchens and/or Food Pantries
  • Veterans Day Meal Service at the Elks Lodges (our Crew Charters)
  • Trenton Area Soup Kitchen Thanksgiving Meal
  • Eagle Scout, Girl Scout Gold, Venturing Summit or Sea Scout Quartermaster projects
  • Additional Sea Scout related service opportunities with the Yacht Club
  • Additional Sea Scout related service opportunities with US Coast Guard Auxiliary

We look forward to any questions you may have. We would also look forward to having you visit so you can experience this great group doing what they do. In addition to outdoor and indoor activities, our Crew/Ship typically meets on the 2nd Thursday and on the Last Monday of each month. This helps to accommodate those Scouts with a weekly obligation on Monday OR Thursday to still be able to attend at least once per month. We meet in various locations and often have planned activities rather than “typical meetings” based upon what the Scouts plan.

We have Scouts that come from as far as 1 hour away to participate with the Crew/Ship. Come visit us and find out why!

The Crew’s/Ship's Facebook Page has many photos and much more information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BSACrew4385/

For information on visiting one of our events, please use the "Contact Us" link on the left of this page and we will reply promptly.