On Saturday, September 18, 2021, a group of 18 scouts and parents met at the Reef Point parking lot at Crystal Cove State Park to participate in the annual California Coastal Cleanup Day. Scouts equipped themselves with protective gloves and trash bags or buckets. Many of the items found were tiny bits of plastic, broken down from food wrappers or other packaging. Even though they were small, it was still important to keep as much as possible out of the ocean. The scouts and parents hiked back up the steep walkway to the meeting point where the park ranger weighed each trash bag and added it to the tally. It was a beautiful sunny day doing good conservation work to keep our beaches pristine. A big thank you to all the parents who helped the day of the event and to Jenny Graham for planning it.   

On August 26, 2021, Eli W. became Venture Crew 695’s newest Eagle Scout! Although he recently graduated from high school (University High with academic honors) this spring, he worked hard to complete his service project prior to his eighteenth birthday deadline.  He did not want to look back in the future and regret not accomplishing one of his life goals. His advice to younger scouts would be to not cut it so close to the deadline – start your Eagle project before you get too busy with high school activities and academics.

For his Eagle project, Eli worked with the Irvine 2/11 Marine Adoption Committee to deliver “Welcome Home Bags” to Marines returning to Camp Pendleton from overseas deployment. This project had special meaning for Eli since he has a cousin who was also returning from a tour of duty. The bags consisted of basic items we take for granted but are much appreciated by soldiers returning from foreign deployment: toiletry kits, snacks, hand & bath towels, pillow & pillowcase, and handwritten “welcome back” notes. At the beneficiary’s request, Eli led his team of volunteers to assemble 120 kits (from the originally planned 50 bags), which involved a substantial increase in fundraising, purchasing, assembly and delivery efforts. COVID safety precautions also added to the project’s complexity, but in the end the beneficiary was very happy with Eli’s team’s effort and, most importantly, the returning Marines’ homecoming was made a little more special.

Looking back, Eli remembers fondly his time as a cub scout in Pack 675 and his career with Troop & Crew 695. Making lifelong friends and learning outdoor skills are two things he will most cherish. His favorite merit badge was cooking and the most challenging one was wilderness survival. Eli will also remember his high-adventure trek at Philmont Scout Ranch. He was apprehensive from the beginning, but embraced the challenges during the two-week hike, conquering the highs (summiting Mt. Baldy) and savoring the joys (sipping cold root beer at one of the camps). It was a great way to cap off his scouting career!

Eagle board of review participants Mr. Frank Do and Mrs. Marianne Perkins were impressed with Eli’s poise, maturity and commitment to scouting’s principles.  Eli has followed in his brother’s footsteps and has become the second 695 Eagle in his family, and thanks his mother in particular for her active support as a scouting volunteer.  He has an exciting future ahead of him, most immediately as a student athlete playing water polo for UCLA and while majoring in business and finance. Congratulations Eli on earning scouting’s highest honor!  We are proud to call you a 695 Eagle Scout!

In early August, Philmont crew scouts Nathan C., Anderson C., Sean E., Chase G., Gunnar H., and Jett L, and adults Joe Gozdieski and Sorrel Hanson completed their long-planned trek in the southern portion of the Rocky Mountains in northern New Mexico. They were well-prepared and easily completed the most strenuous 7-day itinerary available which included 52 miles of hiking, over 10,000 ft. elevation gain, numerous peaks, and in one day 55 stream crossings in 7.5 miles!

Each day they carried all of their gear (tent, sleeping bag, clothes, food, water and other supplies) in their packs, weighing 40+ pounds each, and hiked to a new area on the ranch where they set up camp and challenged themselves with various activities including a COPE course, spar-pole climbing, railroad tie making, cross-cut sawing, blacksmithing, panning for gold, and rock climbing and rappelling. They assisted the Philmont Conservation Department with a trail construction project, met other crews from across the country, and enjoyed several group campfires, a chuck wagon dinner, and staff skits. 

While every day was filled with amazing sites and experiences, the last day was especially memorable as the crew traversed 13.15 miles along Tooth Ridge - summiting Schaefer’s Peak (el. 9,414 ft.) and the Tooth of Time (el. 9,003 ft. - the iconic symbol of Philmont Scout Ranch) before hiking down to base camp. This final challenge netted over 2,100 ft. of elevation gain and 3,500 ft. of elevation loss and took this fast-moving crew over 8 hours to complete.

Not only was this trek an adventure, but the travel to and from also included a stop at the Petrified Forest National Park with a hike among petrified logs from over 200 million years ago, views of the Painted Desert (buttes and mesas of colorful rock layers), and camping in teepees.

On the weekend of July 9-11, the Philmont crew backpacked at Palomar Mountain State Park in north county San Diego. They camped at several sites in Doane Valley Campground and backpacked through pine and oak forests, across mountain streams, and through grassy valleys. Despite heat and bugs, the crew had a great time taking in new sites and bonding. This was their last training event before heading to Philmont in August. 

Crew and supporting family included Anderson C., Sean E., Colin L., Jett L., Nathan C., Chase G., Gunnar H., Joe Gozdieski, Sorrel Hanson, Lisa Crane, and Chris Clark.

On Saturday 5/22 Laura, the head naturalist at Nix Nature Center in Laguna Beach, led our scouts in gardening tasks. We met at the nature center at 8AM and Laura walked us through the conservation area introducing us to the native vegetation such as California Sagebrush (Cowboy Cologne) and Sycamore as well as invasive species such as Wild Tarragon and Mustard.