Join fellow Scouts at Nationals Park for Scout Day on August 14th!
This should be a great event as every individual who purchases a special ticket will receive a limited edition patch, and have access to an exclusive pregame event before gates open for the game!
If you organize a group of 20 or more, the group leader will receive a complimentary game ticket (1 ticket per order).
To book your tickets for Scout Day, head over to:
https://www.mlb.com/nationals/tickets/specials/scout-days
As we know, outdoor ethics is a critically important aspect of scouting. It is central to everything we do in BSA, how we live the outdoor code/law/oath/motto, how we use resources wisely & how we live as humans on planet Earth. Sara Holtz, Chair of the NCAC Outdoor Ethics Committee & Leave No Trace Master Educator, created an Outdoor Ethics newsletter that includes upcoming courses, best practices, interviews with members, news from our community, awards, project ideas, etc
Complete this form if you’d like to subscribe: https://forms.gle/bWfZwwZduhFXQSvA6
You do not need to be an Leave No Trace Trainer/Master Educator, Tread Trainer, Master Tread Trainer, or in NCAC to subscribe, so please subscribe and please share this with scouters interested in outdoor ethics, Leave No Trace, Tread Lightly, the Land Ethic, environmental issues, conservation practices. There are currently subscribers from 12 councils!
Normally in Michael’s Woodshop, we use the expression “like kids in a candy store” to describe either our shop volunteers (who just love to be in the shop) or parents who are visiting the shop for the first time and find themselves admiring the well-organized array of tools and great workspace. However, this summer we also used the phrase to describe the Cub Scouts who attended Day Camp and Resident Weekends at Camp Snyder. During their stay, they had the chance to visit Michael’s Woodshop and create their very own candy dispenser. It was a great hands-on project and over the course of the summer the Cub Scouts made 564 candy dispensers!!!
The process started with a safety briefing and some brief assembly instructions and then the fun began! Cub Scouts were guided by camp staff and volunteers in drilling, gluing and nailing together their dispensers. After the assembly process was completed, Cub Scouts sanded all the corners and edges and were then given the opportunity to stamp their project with the official “Handcrafted in Michael’s Woodshop” brand. It was great fun and the activity in Michael’s Woodshop was rated as one of the youth favorites. To see more great photos from summer camp, please link to our Activity Slideshows and view Summer Camp in Michael’s Woodshop 2022.
Michael’s Woodshop operates year-round and is a great venue for Scouts to create and learn. In addition to supporting summer camp and family camping weekends, Michael’s Woodshop offers a number of regular and seasonal activities such as merit badge classes and our annual Pinewood Derby Days! The shop may be reserved by Dens for our Baloo the Builder and Webelos Build It Workshops and may also be reserved for many other events such as District events, Pack & Troop activities and Eagle Scout Projects.
Please visit the Michael’s Woodshop webpage for more information about the shop capabilities, upcoming events and for information about reserving the shop. If you have questions or would like additional information, please email the volunteer team at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com
The NCAC Climbing and High Adventure Committees will host a weekend of family camping fun and adventure at Camp Rock Enon on September 16-18, 2022. Open to all ages. Enjoy the best climbing on natural rock on a Scout camp close to DC. Hike to scenic Pinnacle Rock on the Tuscarora Trail. Join Cub games. Relax at a wooded campsite with nearby restrooms and showers.
Youth 11 and older can climb and rappel on Camp Rock Enon’s massive sandstone climbing wall. Scouts BSA can complete on-rope Climbing and Camping merit badge requirements. Webelos can rappel. Cubs and Webelos can climb on Camp Rock Enon’s mobile climbing tower, boulder, walk a slackline, join a photo scavenger hunt, geocache, hike, launch water or air-propelled rockets, and more.
See our flyer and Climboree Guide for details. Contact NCAC.Climboree@gmail.com with questions. Registration closes on Friday, September 2. Register today at https://scoutingevent.com/082-Climboree!
If you’re interested in Climbing… are you interested in Climb Instructor Training?
Check out these two October events held by the NCAC Climbing Committee:
https://scoutingevent.com/082-Level_I_ClimbingInstructorTraining
The United States Patent & Trademark Office and HERL of University of Pittsburgh (Human Engineering Research Laboratories) are hosting a hybrid event for Scouts BSA youth and friends to earn the Inventing Merit Badge.
The event is graciously being hosted by the University of Pittsburgh’s Human Engineering Research Laboratories and will include tours and demos of their labs and machine shop!
There is also an option to join the event as a virtual participant.
What: Inventing Merit Badge
Where: at University of Pittsburgh, Human Engineering Research Laboratories & virtually
When: July 23, 2022
Registration: https://scoutingevent.com/082-inventing
S.E.A.L., Sea scout Experience Advanced Leadership training is the Sea Scouts BSA highest leadership training for youth, which is now open for Scouts BSA as well. It is a demanding hands-on leadership experience that takes a lot of preparation. The course is designed to develop leadership skills in young adults in an “at sea” experience, but seamanship and nautical skills are merely the means, not the end. Sea Scouts need to have the rank of Ordinary (the second rank in Sea Scouts BSA, after the rank of Apprentice) or be a Venturing Pathfinder or a Scouts BSA First Class Scout by June 1st of the year of the SEAL training.
Furthermore, both Sea Scout, Venturer, and Scout need to study Chapter 4 of the most current edition of the Sea Scout Manual, have to be able to perform basic coastal navigation, and be able to tie all knots required for Apprentice and Ordinary rank (15 knots) within 3 minutes. They also need to know most basic names of all sailing vessel parts, helm commands and relative bearings, which can be found in the Sea Scout Manual. All participants must also have their State’s Boater License in order to pilot a boat or ship.
Troop 447 Life Scout and SPL Austin was accepted to attend the NY/NJ SEAL training off of Long Island NY on the 65’ motorized vessel Sea Dart II, out of Linden NJ the last week of June. Austin had only 6 weeks after he was accepted to this course to be fully prepared for this adventure. Fortunately was offered help for this by the new National Service Territory Boatswain William Kennedy, who gave Austin a crash course in Coastal Navigation, and in the use of Austin’s newly acquired Boatswain pipe, the high pitched device with which commands are given on a ship.
Austin also studied the required Chapter 4 of the Sea Scout Manual and earned his MD Boater License, all while earning his PADI open water certification (not required, but scheduled 2 weeks before the SEAL course). He also got a full Sea Scout uniform, which was a requirement for this course. Fortunately, the uniform can be found at any local Walmart, the dark navy shirt, and shorts or cargo pants from Dickies (a higher end, but more expensive option can be found at any 5.11 store).
We dropped Austin off on the dock in Linden New Jersey on Saturday, June 25 and received sporadic messages during the week, as cell phone use is restricted on board during most of the day, so the candidates can focus on the rigorous training. Fortunately we were able to follow the vessel in real time through on online maritime locator system. From Linden, they visited Port Jefferson on Long Island NY, through the Long Island Sound to New London CT for the U.S.C.G. Academy, to Bridgeport CT, to Throgs Neck NY for the State University of NY Maritime College and back to home port of Linden NJ. During the trip Austin and his fellow candidates practiced and performed the twelve areas of leadership management of the SEAL course and experienced life on board of a vessel, including cooking, cleaning and preparing for the journey of the next day.
When we picked Austin up a week later, he was exhausted, but he was happy to report that he had successfully completed the SEAL training, and that he was now the proud owner of the coveted SEAL Award pin, the Silver Dolphin pin and SEAL certificate! In the 5 hour journey home it was a non-stop waterfall of stories from his adventure. In the end he shared with us that it was an exhausting trip, but more than worth it.
