While most of the country was recovering from the Christmas holiday and New York City was buried under two feet of snow, the boys of the BCS were busy  pioneering a brand new Camp Dudley trip.  The BCS (Boys Camping Society) is a branch of  the Leadership Development Program that focuses on building leadership skills through experiential education. On December 26^th, a group of six ALs and JLs from last summer gathered together to take part in the 2010 BCS Winter Leadership Adventure. Outdoor Program Director Scott Steen and Director of Development Ryan Joyce led the 6-day trip.

The Winter Leadership Adventure included Peter Rogers, Ryan Mcsherry, CJ Badenhausen, Matt Wojciechowicz, Connor Joyce and Peter O’Rourke. Each of these boys signed up for the trip not knowing exactly what to expect of this new Dudley excursion. But by the end of the six days, they all agreed it was a valuable experience. The goals of the trip were to provide a meaningful off-season experience for our strong young leaders, to explore the idea of leadership in a general sense, to hone each boys’ personal leadership skills through group work and wilderness adventure, to give back to the local community, and to have a great time.

“Throughout the trip we bonded as a group and all helped in leading the unit. Our vespers turned into long deep conversations and there was a feeling of openness amongst the group…I thought the trip was positive and fun and I would love to see it continued for years to come.” CJ Badenhausen

The trip itinerary included two days of camping at remote Yurt and snow shoeing in the Green Mountains of Vermont, a service project with Dudley Alumni Schell McKinley, working on a Habitat For Humanity house in Westport, NY, and a day of guided ice climbing.

This full roster of activates was interspersed with Dudley traditions such as vespers, preparing and eating meals together, cleaning and organization, and leadership-based discussions with our Dudley Motto in the forefront of our minds during our day-to-day routine.  Along the way, we were treated to winter storms, fresh snow, north country sunshine and beautiful sunsets.

“Everybody on the trip got the chance to go knee deep in snow to make it easier for those behind. We all worked together knowing we were all going through the same hardships. The day came to an end with a beautiful sunset, a great dinner, and a moving vesper in front of the fire in our yurt. We all slept well that night.” Peter Rogers

Camp Dudley plans on making this trip the first annual Winter Leadership Adventure, continuing the new tradition next winter and beyond. Thank you very much to the participants. Thanks for taking a chance on a new idea; we know that you benefited from our time together and that you will remember the trip with fondness. Please email scott@campdudley.org for more information on the Winter Leadership Adventure or other Boys Camping Society leadership trips.