We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Archives for October 2019

Celebrate 100 Years of Camping at Goshen!

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National Capital Area Council is celebrating 100 years of camping that began in 1919 with Camp Roosevelt. To this day, you can still see signs made by Camp Roosevelt campers on display at the Camp Olmsted Handicraft pavilion.

Registration for Summer 2020 at Goshen Scout Reservation is now open. Join us to celebrate these 100 years of camping!

Camp Olmsted Week 1 has already filled up. Register soon to save your spot for your week! Stay up to date on week availability, get all the latest information, and reserve your spot at www.gotogoshen.org/registration.

Learn more about our two Webelos Camps, three Scouts BSA & Venturing Camps, and Lenhok’sin High Adventure and all the adventures they have to offer on our website at www.gotogoshen.org.

Outdoor Ethics Awareness

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The Outdoor Ethics Awareness course is an action & information-packed introductory course that teaches attendees the BSA version of outdoor ethics:which includes Leave No Trace, Tread Lightly, and the Land Ethic. The course is suitable for scouters and mature scouts. We hope as many units as possible are able to send at least 2 scouts and 1 scouter; this will allow your unit to have youth & adult members qualified to lead Outdoor Ethics at all outdoor events and help your scouts & scouters complete some of the requirements to earn the Outdoor Ethics Awareness award for Scouts https://www.scouting.org/outdoor-programs/outdoor-ethics/awards/scouts-bsa/ or NCAC award for Cub Scouts http://www.ncacbsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/New-NCAC-Outdoor-Ethics-Awareness-award.pdf

Oct 23 at 7-9pm
Providence Community Center (not RECenter)
3001 Vaden Dr, Fairfax
https://scoutingevent.com/082-OEO19

Nov 6 at 7-9 pm
Westminster Presbyterian
2701 Cameron Mills Rd, Alexandria, Virginia 22302
https://scoutingevent.com/082-31700

By the end of the class, the participants should have:

-Knowledge of Outdoor Ethics
-Knowledge of the Outdoor Code
-Knowledge of how Leave No Trace, Tread Lightly! and The Land Ethic / -Stewardship support the Outdoor Code
-Knowledge of Outdoor Ethics Awareness and Action Awards Program
-Knowledge to locate additional Leave No Trace, Tread Lightly! and BSA Outdoor Ethics resources and opportunities for further training

After this course and completion of the on-line Leave No Trace On-Line Awareness course and Tread Lightly! on-line Awareness course, participants should have enough knowledge to

– earn the Outdoor Ethics Awareness Award
– conduct Outdoor Ethics workshops & activities within their respective units
– lead Cubs & Scouters to earn the NCAC Outdoor Ethics Awareness Award http://www.ncacbsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/New-NCAC-Outdoor-Ethics-Awareness-award.pdf
– help Scouts & Scouters earn the Outdoor Ethics Awareness award https://www.scouting.org/outdoor-programs/outdoor-ethics/awards/scouts-bsa/

Invite your Scout & Scouter friends!

2019 Nuclear Science Merit Badge Program at University of Maryland

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On Saturday, October 12, 2019 the Baltimore-Washington Chapter of the Health Physics Society, a professional society of radiation protection professionals, hosted a nuclear science merit badge program at the University of Maryland Radiation Facilities. Approximately 60 Scouts, 15 parents, and 30 technical volunteers attended this unique event.

Activities included, tours of a nuclear reactor and a cyclotron, building of cloud chambers to see radiation tracks, detecting radiation sources with survey meters. Also a virtual reality tour of the Chernobyl exclusion zone using Oculus Go glasses, radiation fundamentals lecture, M&M candy half-life and mouse trap reactor labs, donut breakfast, pizza lunch and more.

At the end of the day Scouts received a variety of giveaways donated by several federal agencies and non-profit groups including periodic tables, SI unit charts, rulers, NS Savannah DVDs, radiological emergency preparedness fact sheets, health physics career brochures, atomic fireball and nuclear fusion candy, and science themed pencils.

Please enjoy this video slideshow of photos from the day: https://youtu.be/ztdcLDLzDpY .

Sea Scouts Take on “Safety at Sea” Adventure

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Over 200 members of Sea Scouts BSA, the U.S. Coast Guard and other BSA units gathered on September 7 at the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay for the 2019 “Safety at Sea” Adventure. Despite the threats posed by Hurricane Dorian all week, the weather was perfect and the scouts jumped in (literally) to a day of safety, career and environmental STEM training with volunteers from the Active Duty and Auxiliary Coast Guard.

The morning opened with a Search & Rescue demonstration from a helicopter deployed from Stations Atlantic City. The ultra-awesome blaze-orange helicopter hovered over Curtis Bay while the Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer (the Coast Guard’s version of Top Gun) dangled from a harness a hundred meters below. Once that demonstration was complete, the pilot swung over to the nearby ball field and in a huge cloud of dust, landed the craft to open for tours and questions.

From there, Scouts began rotations around the base. At one station, flare training involving live flares was a huge hit. Alternating between traditional hand-held flares, or the pistol-type, scouts under the careful watch of range safety officers and trained Coast Guard professionals got to learn first-hand how to light magnesium flares in case they ever have an emergency.

Just up the dock, other Scouts put on the orange Mustang Suits – full body life jackets designed to keep them afloat and warm should they ever have to abandon their craft in ice-cold arctic waters. Across the harbor, a Damage Controlman Petty Officer 3rd Class fired up a P6 pump to teach Scouts how to either fight fires or flooding, depending on what emergency they faced. Others worked with Firemen on mastering a fire hose with target practice exercises where objects 25 meters away had to be moved with a careful stream of the powerful water jets.

Scouts also toured the Coast Guard’s famous 29 feet rigid hull inflatable Response Boat – designed for rapid deployment to emergencies, drug interdiction or other missions. Up the hill, oil was poured into a laboratory tank to demonstrate how dangerous oil spills can be, and how the Coast Guard managed both the spread and fire risk of this dangerous contaminant.

For Scouts who watched the Rescue Swimmer and asked to ride in the harness – they were introduced to the kind Coast Guard recruiting team who discussed job opportunities available. For those with grander aspirations – representatives from the prestigious Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT were available to discuss America’s only “merit only” service academy, where no congressional appointment is required. Cadets enter by their merit alone for the tuition free, paid college education.

Fred Schaufeld Named 2019 Loudoun Good Scout Award Honoree

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Fred Schaufeld, Managing Director of SWaN & Legend Venture Partners, and a dedicated community volunteer, has been named the 2019 Loudon County Good Scout Award Honoree by National Capital Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. The award was presented at a community event on Wednesday, October 16, 2019, at The Stone Tower Winery. 

The Good Scout Award, presented each year in Loudoun County since 1998, recognizes individuals who have rendered outstanding service to the community. Former honorees include Sharon Virts, Michael Huber, The Honorable J. Randall Minchew, Dr. Edgar Hatrick, III, Jeff Browning, Scott Hamberger, Kristina Bouweiri, John B. Wood, Mark Stavish, Ed.D., Bill Dean, The Honorable William C. Mims, J. Hamilton Lambert, Rodney N. Huebbers, Leonard S. “Hobie” Mitchel, The Honorable Bob Sevila, Aryln Black, Jock Phumphrey, The Honorable Joe May, Joe Bolling and The Honorable George Atwell. 

“Fred Schaufeld demonstrates extraordinary integrity, character and civic mindedness,” said William Langhorne, event chair for the 2019 Loudoun County Good Scout Evening. “He is an exceptional role model for today’s Scouts and outstanding example of the good works, values and service that the Award is designed to honor.”

Fred Schaufeld grew up in Westbury, New York. He attended Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He started his first company, NEW Asurion, while in law school; it has since grown to employ over 16,000 people and is the largest consumer product protection company in the world.

Today, Mr. Schaufeld is co-founder and managing director of SWaN& Legend Venture Partners, a private equity firm. He is also a partner in Monumental Sports and Entertainment. Mr. Schaufeld sits on the boards of The Noodle Companies, CustomInk, Framebridge, KIND Healthy Snacks, Quad Learning and José Andrés’ ThinkFood Group. Mr. Schaufeld is also an advisor to the boards of Cava Group, UrbanStems and DuraTap.

He is a recipient of Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” award and is a member of the Economic Club of Washington, DC, and the Young President’s Organization. Mr. Schaufeld has been quoted extensively in numerous publications and has appeared on CNN and NPR. He and his wife, Karen, reside outside of Washington DC, and are active in organizations dedicated to early childhood development, education, literacy, peace, the environment, and the arts.

He sits on the boards of Fight for Children and the Wolf Trap Foundation and is also a member of Venture Philanthropy Partners. He is also an active supporter of the Schaufeld Family Heart Center of the Inova Loudoun Hospital, the Fredrick D. and Karen G. Schaufeld Lower School of Loudoun County Day School, VA and the Fredrick D. Schaufeld Scholarship Program in Westbury, NY.

The awards ceremony on October 16 brought together civic-minded individuals and business leaders from throughout the DMV community in an event that recognizes and celebrates the importance of Scouting in guiding and developing today’s youth.

    Scout Refurbishes 1982 Eagle Scout Project

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    One of the strengths and wonders of Scouting in our area is the continuity inherent in our communities with families remaining in the area for decades. One of our current Scouts in Point of Rocks is looking to do his Eagle project refurnishing and adding names to an Eagle project that our third Eagle Scout did back in 1982. They met recently to go over pointers.

    The sign depicts the local veterans who have since passed as of 1982, when the original sign was done. He will be working with the VFW, the American Legion, and the local newsletter to get the names needed to update the sign. The sign will get newer materials rather than the wood that was used and improved landscaping including removing the tree that is swallowing it on the right.