We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Archives for December 2020

Temple Benches

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Nathan T. of Troop 904 in Arlington, VA, has always attended Van Hanh Buddhist Temple. His family has been members there for 30 years. It is a welcoming place, and Nathan enjoys attending services there. But during holidays and special events, the temple became so crowded that many people had no place to sit and would have to stand for hours; this was especially challenging for elderly members. Nathan saw this and he knew he had to help. So for his Eagle Scout Project, he decided to build four new benches for the temple so that everyone would have a place to sit.

First, Nathan spoke to the temple’s leadership and showed them sketches and plans of the style and size of the benches. Once his plan for the benches was approved, he was told he could start in April. But unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nathan had to postpone his plans to August. In the meantime, he was determined to keep working as much as possible. Nathan gathered the necessary materials and volunteers for his project. They began their work by measuring and cutting the wood. Then they moved onto assembling and painting the four benches.

Nathan couldn’t have been more proud to see the four benches in the temple after the hard work he and his volunteers put into it. It was exciting to see the project completed because Nathan knew how many people these benches could help.

Cub Scout Fall Funstravaganza – Week 2: Fitness

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As promised last week – Here is the next installment of Cub Scout Fall Funstravaganza Adventure Guides. Each guide has some simple ideas, links, and trackers for the requirements for each Cub Adventure.

This weeks focus is FITNESS – The weather for our area looks decent now that the rain this morning blew through, so you can get your Scouts outside to enjoy nature, and get some fresh air.

Lions – Fun on the Run: https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/6y156KgD5SwAGuaiBi8Y34Ne
Tigers – Games Tigers Play: https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/6GZxGD4DjvDuquq3ZfLniZJk
Wolves – Running with the Pack: https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/ccdCa2PwLq9iBQYR4ns6zxwB
Bears – Bear Claws (This is pocketknife safety, but is probably best practiced outside): https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/xk7ZyP1exzcjCLTzkKoG1ie2
Webelos: https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/rJg5TcKPEDqmotZ28KjWwokH
Arrow of Lights (This focuses on the transition to the Troop, but seeks an outdoor event to attend, if able in your local area): https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/QcUKskaNmGUptzFqEb6jqbYG

There are still chances to catch Pow Wow webinars! Monday the 7th will be about Rechartering Made Simple. Register here: https://ncacbsa-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwtc-2rpz4qH9KhyTMcFbxZ7OEyCfXyreUX

Stay tuned for more Cub Adventure guides to share with your leaders and families!

Clearing the Path

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One day I walked my dog down this path in Rock Spring Park, and I was getting extremely frustrated with the path. It had rained recently, and the path had become more like a small muddy river than a path. And that’s when I got the idea that I could perhaps fix this path for my Eagle Scout Project.

First, I reached out to my fellow Scouts within my troop for help with repairing this path. They agreed to help, which made the project go smoothly thanks to all their hard work. When working, I found the most challenging part of this project was probably getting it all organized beforehand and during the actual work. But once it was all organized, fixing the path was smooth sailing from there.

My favorite aspect was probably seeing the finished product and how surprisingly fast it all happened. I learned a lot about planning out projects, mostly because I need to anticipate what might be required. I was also able to learn more about the managing side of leadership. As a leader, I’ve realized it’s more about guiding the people you lead and directing the labor they do, rather than doing all the work myself.

Congratulations to Our Winning Female Eagle CSP Designer!

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Back in October our Council started receiving completed Eagle Scout applications from the first female Scouts BSA members to complete their Boards of Review. They will officially be recognized as part of the inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts in February 2021, but that doesn’t mean we have to wait to start celebrating their accomplishments!

That’s why last month we posted the four finalists in our contest to design a commemorative Council Shoulder Patch (CSP) to recognize our trailblazing young leaders. The designs were posted on Facebook, and after hundreds of votes and comments we are proud to announce that the entry from Sarah C. of Troop 1965G in Patriot District was selected as our winning design!

Congratulations Sarah, and thank you to all our designers for creating such outstanding, original patches!

Next step is to turn Sarah’s design into a fully stitched-out patch. Once it is completed we’ll let you know how you can get ahold of one of these CSPs to show your Scout Spirit for our history-making female Eagle Scouts!

Back to School

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In 2014, I graduated from Arcola Elementary School. Arcola means a lot to me; it’s where I created some of my earliest and most cherished memories, so I wanted to give back to my former school. I recall there are multiple courtyards located around the building. Teachers like to use those courtyards for specific, hands-on lessons. However, the courtyard on the open-ended, left-wing of the building was a mess and unusable. So after talking with the principal, I devised a plan to clear out space and construct four picnic tables for the classes to use.

First, I created a group chat with nine veteran Scouts in my Troop, whom I trust, to assist me in this project. I wanted to keep the project simple and complete it as quickly and efficiently as possible. I communicated with my volunteers when and where the project was taking place and what I needed them to bring. Since it was summer, I reminded them to beware of the heat and reminded them to wear sunscreen and stay hydrated as we created the picnic tables. By some luck, we ended up with excess funds which meant we could accommodate some last-minute touch-ups around the courtyard. And we managed to complete the construction portion of this project within five hours.

I felt I learned a lot about leadership throughout the project, like how to keep people engaged and when to step in and help others. It was very satisfying and cool to watch my project come together so well and know that my hard work had paid off.

Scouter Carol Brown awarded the Hornaday Gold Badge

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Conservationist, naturalist, outdoorswoman, and amazing scouter Carol Brown of the Old Dominion District was recently awarded the Hornaday Gold Badge. The BSA Hornaday Gold Badge is awarded by the local council to an adult Scouter or Venturing leader who has demonstrated leadership and a commitment to the education of youth on a council or district level for significant conservation efforts for a period of at least three years. Fewer than 60 scouters nationwide received this award in 2019 so it is a truly exceptional, coveted award. Ms. Brown is a tireless scouter, advisor, advocate, and counselor for scouts. Not only does she bring deep expertise and experience, but she also brings enthusiasm, energy, passion, and love of the outdoors to every task.

 

Below are excepts from her nomination letter:

Influence on youth and educational programs emphasizing sound stewardship of our nation’s natural resources for at least three years:
Ms. Brown has been counseling scouts in conservation-related merit badges such as Soil and Water Conservation, Environmental Science, Sustainability, Bird Study, Fish and Wildlife, Nature, Forestry, Insect Study, Mammal Study, and Reptile/Amphibian Study since 2009. She also teaches Environmental Issues and Plant and Animal Identification Skills and the Nature and Conservation section of the Old Dominion District’s Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills course. Part of the curriculum is introducing leaders to the conservation opportunities and awards available to scouts. She has been a member of the NCAC Conservation Committee since 2017 and the NCAC Outdoor Ethics Committee since 2018, attended the National William T. Hornaday Adviser training in 2018, became a Leave No Trace Trainer in 2018, and completed the TreadLightly Trainer course in 2019. Ms. Brown has co-taught the Hornaday Award course at the NCAC University of Scouting since 2018. Recently for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day (April 2020), she co-taught a lunch session about Hornaday Unit awards on Facebook live that has more than 1000 views. She advised one unit to earn the Hornaday Unit award, is currently advising two Hornaday Badge projects, and both of her sons earned Hornaday Badges. Regardless of the scouting activity Ms. Brown is leading, she teaches scouts and scouters to incorporate principles of the Outdoor Code into all aspects of scouting and into their lives.

Environmental improvement during a period of at least three years:
Ms. Brown worked with US Fish and Wildlife Service in Hawaii in wetlands conservation. She has participated in the Audubon Bird Census since 2005 and volunteered for the US Fish and Wildlife Service Volunteer since 2010. She conducts biological research including avian migration studies and census data. For Scouts BSA, Ms. Brown is an OA Vigil member and worked with the Old Dominion Chapter of the Order of the Arrow to serve as the conservation advisor on two Ordeals that focused on invasive plant species removal: Hemlock Regional Overlook Park (2018) and Camp Fraser (2019). She was the conservation adviser for an Eagle project in erosion control work at Hidden Pond in Fairfax County and has also advised three additional Eagle projects in the survey area of her son’s Hornaday project.

Please join me in congratulating Ms. Brown for this prestigious conservation award!!!!!!