Crew 151: Empowering Young Leaders

Our Community feature by Holly Stupak

Photos courtesy of Bretany Pilko

Leadership, event-planning, organization, communication and responsibility: These are just some of the skills to gain by joining a Venturing Crew, an inclusive program for young adults through the Boy Scouts of America.

Crew 151 is a local crew founded in 2017 by 17-year-old Marple Newtown High School student Peter Pilko. A Boy Scout since he was in kindergarten, by 8th grade, he was the oldest in his troop and was looking to interact with more kids his own age.

I enjoyed being part of the Boy Scouts and participating in all of their activities,” said Peter, “but what is great about a Venturing Crew is it’s geared toward 14–20-year-olds and it’s co-ed. It’s also a great way to give back to the community.”

Venturing Crews use the same aspects of the Boy Scouts, with the goal to build character, develop citizenship and foster personal fitness. Run by both youth and venturing advisors who meet on set schedules and plan events, they emphasize leadership, adventure, personal growth and service. Their motto: Lead the Adventure.

Crew 151 at one of their annual Fort Mifflin cleanups

Through word of mouth, Peter was able to start up Crew 151, which meets at Marple Presbyterian Church. By recruiting friends and spreading the word through social media, the group has grown to 20 young men and women.

Currently instead of having one president, Venturers Anna Schiller, Jason Ehrlich and Asenka Christokumar were all elected President in March 2021, and all three serve in a leadership role. Peter described Anna as a member of the crew who embodies the ideals of the group. She joined the group back when she was an 8th-grader at Paxon Hollow Middle School. Having friends who were in the Boy Scouts, Anna said she wondered if there was an equivalent program that she could join.

My favorite part of being in the Venturing Crew is seeing the impact we can make in the community,” said Anna, now a junior at Delaware County Christian School. “When I see how thankful people are for what we’re doing, it’s really heartwarming.

After Asenka and Jason joined the Crew, they were both excited to take on leadership roles. “After seeing some of the activities my friends in the group were doing to serve the community, I became really interested,” said Jason.

What I enjoy the most is organizing events and finding opportunities to give back," said Jason. “When you’re just one person, it’s hard to take initiative to do service projects,” added Asenka. “But when you have an entire group, you can do big things.

Members of Crew 151 packing meals at Kids Against Hunger in Broomall

And for Crew 151, big things meant organizing an extensive book drive this spring. All books collected will be donated to the Broomall Rotary Club, Cradles to Crayons and Books through Bars. In April, they joined Boy Scout Troop 151 for a spring cleanup event at Darby Creek in Broomall, and for Earth Day, they spent a day at the Fort Mifflin historic landmark, where they did trail maintenance and tidal area clean up. The group is also always willing to pitch in at Kids Against Hunger in Broomall, where they’ve had several meal-packing events.

Although they have been focusing on community service projects, Crew 151 is also looking forward to outdoor activities like paddleboarding at Marsh Creek and camping. And Crew 151 member Katie Petersen is planning an archery event. “The outdoor activities were my favorite part of Boy Scouts,” said Peter. “We look forward to these types of things with the crew, to have new adventures that challenge people.”

For young adults, a Venturing Crew is a chance to learn and grow in a supportive and caring environment. If you like making new friends, discovering more about yourself and the world while learning valuable life skills, visit the Crew 151 Facebook page to find out more.