Scouts displayed their conservation projects as part of the Sustainable Garden Tour hosted the weekend of June 9 by the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District. The annual garden tour features homes, churches, schools, and libraries with native plant landscaping, rain barrels, wildlife habitat, composting, rain gardens, and grass-free front yards.
One Eagle Scout presented his Hornaday Badge project and Eagle project to remove invasive plants at South Run Rec Center in Springfield, Virginia. He led an effort to mobilize volunteers to remove invasive vines and plants. Invasive plants are plants that are non-native and spread so quickly and aggressively that they prevent native plants from growing. The Fairfax County Park Authority’s Invasive Management Area (IMA) program coordinates site leaders at over 60 sites throughout Fairfax County.
Another other Eagle Scout discussed his project to remove highly-invasive Japanese stiltgrass at Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon, Virginia. He orchestrated several work days for Scouts and the public. During the second phase of his project, he led volunteers to plant common milkweed and other native plants in the area where the stiltgrass had been removed. This project also collaborated with the IMA program and helped the Scout earn the a Hornaday Award in addition to his Eagle Scout Award.
This garden tour provided an excellent opportunity for Scouts to educate the public, advocate for environmental action, and showcase some of the amazing conservation service projects led by Scouts.
Last month twenty-six scouts from Troop 58 in Ashburn, VA, went on an outdoor adventure – a canoeing campout! The troop went camping at the Low-Water Bridge Campground in Front Royal for two nights. On Saturday, the troop departed on a 12-mile canoe trip on the Shenandoah River outfitted by the Front Royal Canoe Company.
The canoeing campout also helped Scouts meet requirements for the 
Troop 996 from Aldersgate United Methodist Church took an educational, exciting and fun-filled trip to New York City over Memorial Day Weekend. This trip was planned by Life Scout Chris G. and adult mentor Mr. Gayton. The educational aspect of this trip involved each Scout giving a short overview of each of the planned historical or iconic stops that they were assigned, this enabled each scout to improve their writing and public speaking skills.
The next morning, the troop had a wonderful breakfast provided by First Class Scout Thomas M. which included bagels, meat, cheese, apples, and homemade muffins provided by Mrs. Mulhern. The troop boarded the 8:00am Staten Island ferry and were fortunate to receive an impromptu magic show by an amazing magician, “Brucelee”, who baffled us with his sleight of hand for the 20-minute ferry ride. In Downtown Manhattan, the troop’s stops included the bull on Wall Street, the 9/11 World Trade Center Memorial, the Federal Reserve, and ended with a photo overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge. Lunch was at the Little Italy pizza joint on the outskirts of Chinatown.
After lunch, the troop visited the Titanic Memorial, walked through Chinatown, and took the subway (we talked our way on for free) to the Empire State building. The Scouts loved the view from 1,250 feet up. After returning to ground level, the troop walked up 5th Avenue and got to visit the New York Public Library, the main hall of Grand Central Station, Trump Tower, and Central Park. On the way down 6th Avenue the troop saw Radio City music hall and cut over to the iconic Times Square as the rain started coming down on us in buckets. The boys enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the heart of Times Square at Bubba Gump’s. After dinner, the Scouts took the subway back to Battery Park and boarded the 8:30 ferry headed for Staten Island. The troop slept at the same fitness center Sunday night and then departed by 0700 the next morning for home with breakfast en route.
Overall this trip was educational and had a lasting effect on the Scouts because it showed them that any trip is possible if a Scout puts in the work and time to plan and execute it. For many of the Scouts, this weekend trip to New York city was a once-in-a-lifetime event that Troop 996 was able to provide. Additionally, with some detailed planning and good negotiating skills, the cost per attendee for transportation, entrance tickets, entertainment, lodging, and food was an extraordinarily low $145. This trip is a testament to the success a Scout-led troop can have when youth are willing to put in the work and time to prepare with quality adult mentorship.
National Capital Area Council, BSA’s 39th Annual Boy Scout Golf Classic was held on June 10, 2019 at the Manor Country Club in Rockville MD. 250 golfers teed off for a great day of golfing. Rain for the morning did not dampen the great golfing that took place for the day. Thankfully the skies cleared, and the afternoon proved to be much better weather wise. 
