We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Archives for January 2021

A Better Pool

by

Ethan T. of Troop 1966 in Fairfax Station, VA, has always been an avid swimmer. In fact, for the past ten years, he has been part of the Sideburn Run Swim Team, which is nearly as long as he had been a Scout. So when Ethan was looking for an Eagle Scout Project, he learned that Sideburn Run’s pool had some overgrown ivy area. While he was inspecting the ivy-covered area, Ethan recalled the times he and his teammates had found the space too small. Ethan began to consider incorporating a way to make the area around the pool more usable while for his teammates while he inspected the ivy. After consulting the board members, he decided he would clean up the ivy and clean up the area so the team could maximize it.

Ethan got to work by writing up a proposal for the pool board. Once they approved his proposal, he created a timeline, yet that timeline got put on hold due to COVID-19. Yet once restrictions were lifted, and Ethan drafted a new plan that followed social distancing rules. Ethan then began to gather the supplies, and he got to work. He found some trouble trying to lead at first. He realized he couldn’t just explain and then do the task to his volunteers; he discovered that he would only do the work. He also felt overwhelmed by the number of questions he would receive, asking if he could assist them. Yet once he figured out how to properly guide his volunteers, Ethan felt like he could handle anything.

After completing this project, Ethan felt he learned a lot about leadership and how to break down a large project into manageable parts. He was proud to have helped his community and later said, “My favorite aspect of this project was seeing all the different tasks coming together. I enjoyed stepping back to see the progress we had made and how all the tasks were coming together. I also enjoyed seeing my plans turn out exactly how I envisioned the project would look in the end. I am looking forward to next season so people can start using the new area. I feel like the swim team can now fully maximize that area during their meets, and members can enjoy the games we made.”

Week 5 – Variety Week!

by

It’s been busy getting back to work and school, so I’m a little late getting this weeks guides posted – I apologize!

There are a variety in the numbers and types of adventures for each rank – This week you’ll see that. Not every rank will have an adventure guide, but you can go back and complete any you have left from earlier or take on an elective adventure.

Lions – King of the Jungle: https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/9c44qdPKSqcJuf1RsvLkHG5B

Tigers – Tiger Bites:
https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/xpZTCnAmZGTn5Po11j8ZT2D2

Wolves – Howling at the Moon:
https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/WsYZeLbvwhNrg5XRowQMp2jW

Bears – Baloo the Builder:
https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/SBE4qnAPr23MSs2W79qdVXui

Webelos – Cast Iron Chef:
https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/GTUEBVAFmaReFNdpgds5xFqF

Let us know on the Facebook page or by the email for the Scouters Digest how these are helping your Pack.

The Importance of Bees

by

Robbie S. of Troop 2012 in Sterling, Virginia, had taken an interest in his father’s hobby as a beekeeper. Watching him work taught Robbie the importance of bees in the environment. He learned that bees and other pollinators are vital to plant reproduction and biodiversity. While learning more about these pollinators, he also learned that honey bees are at extreme risk of extinction due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) which is caused by various factors such as pesticides and poor nutrition. Robbie knew that for his Eagle Scout Project he wanted to raise awareness about pollinators and help the local honey bees out with some new bee boxes.

Robbie needed to show his Troop and his community the importance of pollinators to their ecosystem. So he began to research all he could about honey bees, mice, tracheal mites, and other pollinators, and how they help spread pollen. While Robbie was enthused to have found so much information, he was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of it and he had to figure out how to condense it into a slideshow. Once he had completed his slideshow, he recruited some volunteers to begin the process of building bee boxes. They were able to get their hands on a few kits with the help of Robbie’s father and they began their work. After finishing two beehives, Robbie was ready to show his work and spread awareness about pollinators to his community. He explained their importance to biodiversity, and ways they can help on an individual level, such as not using pesticides on your lawn.

Now that he completed his project, Robbie was able to not only learn more about pollinators and how to build bee boxes but how to effectively communicate and organize. There were many steps to this project from emails and agendas to keeping Scouts organized and keeping track of dates which led Robbie to quickly build his communication and organization skills. Even though it was hard work, it was all worth it in the end for Robbie because he was able to spread more awareness about the importance of pollinators.

If you’re interested in learning more about pollinators, you can check out Robbie’s slideshow here!

Memories from University of Scouting

by

As we’re getting ready for this year’s University of Scouting – are you registered yet? – here are some of my favorite photos from last year’s UoS.

 

Messengers of Peace Course Participants

 

Met a Scouter from Australia who is now registered with NCAC

The Abrahmic Faith Representatives from the New NCAC Religious Relationships Committee

 

James E. West and friends of the Endowment Committee

Wood Badge Buffalo Mahmood Qadri sporting a World Scout Jamboree Tartan cap.

Watch Michael’s Woodshop Come to Life!

by

If you have ever wondered about the power of volunteering and donations, we invite you to view this short series of slideshows that chronicle the creation of Michael’s Woodshop at Camp William B. Snyder.

Before: Storage Space, December 2017

The slideshows capture the development of underutilized storage space from bare steel walls to the incredible facility which exists today.  As you view the slideshows, please keep in mind that everything you see was created ENTIRELY through the skills and efforts of volunteers.  In addition, substantially all of the equipment and tooling in the shop has been acquired through generous donations from individuals and units within the NCAC Scouting community.  Please enjoy our slideshows and remember how much of a difference you can make!

Michael’s Woodshop is operated and maintained by a group of dedicated Volunteer Shop Stewards.  The Shop Stewards take great pride in the shop and are committed to providing high-quality program offerings to all NCAC youth.  We invite you to visit Michael’s Woodshop Webpage which has information about upcoming events, scheduling a unit activity, volunteering, our shop calendar, and more.

After: Michael’s Woodshop, December 2020

There are also many other ways to support Camp Snyder.  Individuals, small teams and large groups can participate in Service Days or schedule a Service Project.  If you have specialized skills or training, you can register these skills with the Camp Ranger to assist at camp as needs arise.

Please visit the Volunteering Webpage for information about how you can get involved.           

Come out and enjoy Michael’s Woodshop at Camp William B. Snyder!

An Eagle Project With a History

by

The Eagle project of fourteen year old Jack Gray, of Troop 51 in Herndon, is literally historic. Jack and his team recently completed a ten-month, 450 hour restoration project at the Civil War era Lyon Family Cemetery in Loudoun County Virginia.

A site of historic interest at the edge of Brambleton Regional Park in Ashburn provides a glimpse into our area’s past. Featuring grave markers that pre-date the U.S. Civil War, members of several prominent and distantly related Loudoun County families with names like Burdine, Edwards, Havener, Hawes, Jackson, Lyon, Moran, Paxson, and Shryock connect us with events and individuals whose life and times helped shape our own. The site’s historical marker, notes the presence of Private Richard “Dick” Moran, the “Warring Methodist” and an influential member of Mosby’s Raiders – a well know contingent of Confederate soldiers, and a bold disruptor of local union army efforts of the time.

Exposure of the Lyon Family Cemetery to the elements over the decades left headstones sunken, fallen over, or severely tilted. Many were cracked. The spoils of time rendered many of their faces unreadable. The stone perimeter fence– expertly constructed and laid hundreds of years ago— had crumbled under nature’s ongoing assault. A once grand and impressive rectangular wrought iron fence surrounding a large granite marker withered with rust and tilted inward as if in protective crouch.

To restore these grounds, and with it a piece of local history, the fourteen-year-old Gray recruited an impressive array of volunteers to carry out this restorative work. The effort required not only physical repairs, but expertise of skilled craftsmen and local historic preservation organizations.

Chief among these volunteers was Mr. James Short, a former Brambleton Regional Park manager, and owner of a local gravesite maintenance company, Gravesite Guardians LLC. As a project consultant and trainer for the work crew of Troop 51 Scouts and community members helping with the project, Mr. Short conducted onsite demonstrations on marker identification, cleaning, leveling, and re-mounting.

Representatives of local historic preservation organizations contributed their expertise and abilities to the project. The Stuart-Mosby Historical Society, and the Loudon Preservation Society, assisted in archival research, database and information retrieval. Several representatives from the Daughters of the Confederacy gave of their time to help clean and remount headstones. Scouts and families of Troop 51 contributed both physical skill and enthusiasm for completing the effort.

Thanks to the work of Jack Gray and his team, visitors to this site have gained a new opportunity to understand the history of our area and country. With a greater appreciation for the events and individuals who have shaped our society, we as citizens are better prepared to discuss our shared challenges and solutions.
To explore the Lyon family cemetery historic location, and see the work of Eagle Scout Jack Gray and his team, visit Brambleton Regional Park in Ashburn.