We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Archives for June 2022

Troop 492B’s First Eagle Scout!

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Troop 492B, founded in 2019, just had its first Eagle Scout pass his Board of Review on June 17th! Troop 492B, part of the White Oak District, is a small, but very active troop in Rockville, MD, and has earned JTE Gold every year since it started.

Michael Browning joined the BSA as the small troop was forming, and is a founding member. Michael’s Eagle Project was a renovation of his church’s outdoor sanctuary area. He ranked up to Eagle with 42 merit badges and numerous other awards. Michael’s BoR was just 10 days after his 14th birthday, so he has many more adventures planned for his scouting career. This week he is off at NYLT, and his troop – and their linked girls’ troop, 492G – will be heading off to Camp Olmstead at Goshen Scout Reservation at the end of July. He has already signed up for Jamboree 2023 – and is working hard to get as many of the rest of Troops 492 to go with him.

Pictured: Michael after his Eagle Board of Review with Michael Cooke, his Scoutmaster, who is a fellow Eagle Scout! (Taken by Laura Browning)

Biking in paradise

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Scouts from Troop 7227 on St. Croix, USVI organized a bike outing to assist members who are working on rank and merit badge requirements. They started at the Howard Wall camp and stopped for refreshments at the Southgate Coastal Reserve. Beautiful views of the Caribbean Sea and cooling breezes welcomed the Scouts.

Family Camping Weekends at Goshen – next up is Labor Day!

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Did you know that there are opportunities to camp at Goshen Scout Reservation beyond summer camp?

The first big event each summer, is in fact Memorial Day Weekend Family Camp at Goshen! Campers enjoyed activities at the waterfront, shooting range, COPE course, and handicraft areas.

The next opportunity for Family Camping at Goshen is Labor Day Weekend, September 2-5, 2022.

Registration for Family Camp is $30/camper, and is open here:  https://www.gotogoshen.org/events/family-camp/

Goshen Staff and volunteers supply all the program. You just need to bring your own food and camping equipment!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos are courtesy of the GSR Facebook page.

Composite Materials is the material science merit badge

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The Composite Materials Merit Badge was published by BSA in 2006. Since then, almost every year it has ranked in the bottom ten of merit badges earned in BSA. Specifically, in 2021, Composite Materials ranked 131 out of 137 merit badges according to Bryan on Scouting.

If you look at the requirements of the Composite Materials merit badge, you’ll notice that it is demanding in terms of hands-on materials.

On April 23 and May 21, 2022, NCAC’s STEM Committee partnered with an Alexandria, VA based organization to offer the Composite Materials Merit Badge class to nearly 175 scouts.

The organization, Building Momentum, offers military training as well as community education thru dynamic programs. Often, their programs involve Arduinos, drones, welding, CAD, laser engraving, etc. The NCAC STEM Committee is working with Building Momentum’s Senior Education Associate, Cecily, to map Building Momentum’s incredible capabilities with scouting events.

Last week, we wrote about the incredible Welding merit badge workshop the Cecily and her team put forth for scouts. https://weownadventure.com/scouts-weld-nameplates-on-their-way-to-earning-new-awards/

Well, that wasn’t the only workshop! Building Momentum also led workshops for scouts to earn Composite Materials merit badges. Scouts learned about polymers, resins, their physical and chemical properties, toxicity, strength, softness, availability and cost effectiveness. A particularly interesting discussion ensued regarding cost – scouts noted that the cost comparison of materials was different from when the Composite Materials pamphlet was last updated in 2012. Now, in 2022, with the current supply chain challenges, lumber was more expensive than most metals.

For their projects, scouts made knife sheaths with fiberglass and acrylic boxes affixed with epoxies.

Scouts Weld Nameplates on their way to earning new awards

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The Welding merit badge was first offered by BSA in 2012. The cover of the MB pamphlet shows a welder, safety gear, and on the bottom right corner, a patch of the BSA Nova Award. That emblem indicates that a merit badge counts for towards an additional award – a BSA STEM Nova or Supernova Award. Specifically, the Welding MB counts towards the Dr. Bernard Harris and Thomas Edison Supernova Awards. You can read their full requirements  here.

On April 23 and May 21, 2022, NCAC’s STEM Committee partnered with an Alexandria, VA based organization to offer the Welding Merit Badge class to nearly 200 scouts.

The organization, Building Momentum, offers military training as well as community education thru dynamic programs. Often, their programs involve Arduinos, drones, welding, CAD, laser engraving, etc. The NCAC STEM Committee is working with Building Momentum’s Senior Education Associate, Cecily, to map Building Momentum’s incredible capabilities with scouting events.

To kickstart our partnership, Building Momentum held two days of workshops this spring, focused on Welding. Each workshop totaled 3.5 hours. Scouts learned about welding safety, practiced welding, then welded their own nameplates. The event was made possible thanks largely to Ms. Cecily Wynne of BuildMo who took the time to design this welding experience for scouts, as well as other incredible facilitators of Building Momentum, and over a dozen SBSA volunteers who assisted as classroom helpers, registration assistants, and general volunteers.

Superhereos are STEM-powered at Mattaponi Cub Day Camp

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This year NCAC’s Cub Scout Day camp had the theme of Superheroes. Mattaponi District STEM Chair, Wendy Latella, designed a series of STEM stations all of which were right on theme!

In an action-packed week, Cub Scouts learned about density with Aquaman, properties of water with Superman/ Mr. Freeze, and  machines with Wonderwoman. For the culminating activity on Friday, all Cubs worked thru an escape room, themed around X-Men unite. The cubs had a blast as you can see from the photos!

Ms. Latella generously shared her STEM-action hero themed day camp plans below:

Monday (Aquaman / Water)

  • STEM – Water / Cool – Power of Water (Aquaman) – Sink or Float, water bottle tornado, water bottle diving character
  • Explore Superpower – Save Fred (gummy worm)
  • Make a SuperHero Float – (design a float for a ‘superhero’)

Tuesday (Superman vs Mr. Freeze / Lasters)

  • STEM – Water / Cool – Leak-proof bag
  • Explore Superpower – Laser eyes: Melt Ice to save Superheroes
  • Make – magnifying glass & solar power s’mores (s’more 2 ways!)

Wednesday (Wonderwoman / Flying Machine and Robin / Water Boat)

  • STEM – Water / Cool / Make – Rubberband-Powered Boat
  • Explore Superpower / Make – It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s a Superman
  • Paper Plane! (exploring shape & size in comparison to how paper planes fly, furthest flight, coolest trick

Thursday (Mr. Freeze / Frost / Cold)

  • STEM – Water / Cool and Explore Superpower – Make Frost in Can and explore a “Greek Tower”
  • Make – Plastic Bag Ice Cream / fruit slushies for kids with allergies

Friday (X-Men Unite / Escape Room)
STEM – ESCAPE ROOM