Tonight we had an in-person court of honor and I got my Scout rank and 5 merit badges that I got online over the summer working with virtual merit badge counselors. We did a socially distanced mask wearing ceremony outside. We made s’mores at the fire ring and it started to rain so we went home. My mom and sister in 1158G took photos of me for this because I’m now 5 merit badge ahead of my sister and the same rank as her. Mom is calling this sibling rivalry… in a good way. I love having more merit badges than her.
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Troop 58 Takes on Northern Tier High Adventure!
On July 18th, 2020, a crew of 2 adults and 6 scouts from Troop 58 in Ashburn, VA went to Northern Tier in Ely, Minnesota. Over 5 days and 4 nights, they canoed and portaged over 50 miles. Traveling from lake to lake, river to river, they shared stories and laughter. Every day was a new adventure for these S couts as they explored the wilderness. From wading through swamps to putting on wet socks, they truly experienced a high adventure out in the Boundary Waters. Their most memorable moments were seeing unique landmarks and cave drawings that represented the history of the native tribes that lived there. Through restless nights and rainy days, the crew persevered and made memories that would last a lifetime.
Pack 873 Protects the Environment & Helps Feed Local Families!
In April, Pack 873 teamed up with the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District to educate our neighbors about water runoff and the local watershed. As part of our Conservation Good Turn project we provided educational material to hundreds of households in the Canterbury Woods, Long Branch, Red Fox Forest, Oak Hill, Willow Woods, and Stone Haven communities. So far we have labeled almost 300 sewer drains with “No Dumping” markers. In July we participated in Trash The Trash Day and in August we hosted another day of drain labeling and trash pick-up in local parks. These two events generated about 6 large trash bags of garbage from our local watershed. Additionally, we turned both of these events into food drives for local food pantries, filling two minivans with food.
Pack 22 & Mattaponi District OA Host a Successful Carnival Can Drive!
A big thank you to the Mattaponi District OA and everyone who came out to support Pack 22’s Join Scouting Night Carnival! We collected over 280 lbs of items (including 118 rolls of toilet paper!) to donate to our Chartered Organization’s Food Pantry! The Scouts enjoyed ‘can bowling’, ‘noodle javelin’, ‘flush-it’, a ‘kissing booth’, and ‘fishing’ for the awards they earned over the summer – all while social distancing! The best part of the night was officially welcoming 9 new members! To those Scouts, welcome to Pack 22! We are so excited to have you join us and we look forward to our Scouting Adventures together!
Camp Outside at Camp Snyder this Fall!
Hey there Scouts and Scout Families! The Fall is a great time to camp and spend time in the outdoors. There are lots of places to do this, including our very own Camp Snyder!
The camp is open for overnight camping on the weekends for small groups, which include Families, Dens, Patrols and Crews (but no unit camping). You can follow the COVID-19 virus precautions we’ve put in place and still have FUN!
Patrols can work on advancement and Families and Patrols can bike (bring your bike and helmet), fish (bring your gear), use the Geocaching course, hike the Nature Trail, try a Natural Scavenger Hunt, roast marsh mellows on your own campfire and just relax!
For more information and to sign up, go to the Camp Snyder website.
Outstanding Commissioners Recognized at NCAC’s 2020 Virtual College of Commissioner Service
At our 2020 Virtual College of Commissioner Service (CCS) held via Zoom from August 28-30, 2020, NCAC’s CCS Dean Julia Mae-Shen Lesko and Council Commissioner Rick Rogers recognized some of our council’s outstanding commissioners.
John A. Mack Commissioner’s Award of Excellence – Ben Overbey
The Mack award recognizes a Scouter who has a distinguished record of consistent excellence and true servant leadership in a way that has profoundly improved our council’s service to units and youth…
This year’s Mack award recognizes a Scouter who has dedicated most of his adult life to Scouting and who has spent a decade being a master teacher for commissioners as an Assistant Council Commissioner. This person, while serving as an Assistant Council Commissioner for Roundtables improved roundtable quality in Maryland and across the council. He moved seamlessly from this role into serving as a model Service Area Assistant Council Commissioner for Montgomery County, where he has been a mentor and friend to at least a dozen council commissioners over the years. Because our council is so large, the Service Area ACC is a key role, and the requirements, activities, and scope of this ACC role are equivalent to what Council Commissioners would do in medium sized councils. In addition, this person distilled his knowledge of the rhythms of commissioner service into an annual calendar which we all use to plan ahead, and he has served as a master teacher for multiple district commissioner orientations and commissioner retreats. Finally, this person has served in our armed forces with distinction, having received the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star as an infantry officer. Without knowing he had been selected for this award back in March, this person further demonstrated his worthiness for the honor over the spring and summer by collecting and disseminating Scouting@Home best practices for our units as the current pandemic has changed the way we do Scouting. It is our honor to present the Council Commissioner’s Mack Award to Ben Overbey. Thanks to Sue Overbey for conspiring with us to present the award to Ben in person.
Robert L. Dise Gold Dean’s Award – Patrick Berney
The gold award recognizes a Scouter who has served as a commissioner for more than 5 years in a leadership role dedicated to education and training of commissioners at the unit, district, and council level. . . .
This year’s gold award recognizes a Scouter who has served continuously as a unit commissioner for over 30 years, while also serving 3 years as the immediate past District Commissioner. According to the district, this Scouter is known as the quintessential servant leader who strives to help units run a better Scouting program. This has included filling in the voids caused when another commissioner moves out of the area, and personally visiting unassigned units in addition to assigned units. The district greatly appreciates all the wealth of knowledge and advice this long-time commission shares in educating fellow commissioners, which includes mentoring of the new District Commissioner. It is our honor to present the Commissioner College Dean’s Gold Award to George Mason District’s Patrick Berney.
Robert L. Dise Silver Dean’s Award – Mark Stoffel
The silver award recognizes a Scouter who has served as a commissioner for more than 3 years and has spent a substantial portion of time educating and training commissioners . . .
This year’s silver award recognizes a Scouter who began commissioner service 12 years ago as a unit commissioner and has continued to serve in that role while also serving the past 3 years as the roundtable commissioner for Cub Scouts as well as the district commissioner. The district expresses great appreciation for this Scouter’s substantial contributions to education and training, not only for Commissioners, but also for the District’s unit recharter teams, which led to a notable reduction of unit frustration and the highest on-time submission of re-chartered units for the District. It is our honor to present the silver award to Chain Bridge District’s Mark Stoffel.
Robert L. Dise Bronze Dean’s Award – Josh Willberger
The bronze award recognizes a new commissioner. Someone who has been involved in Commissioner Service for less than 3 years . . . a shining star. . .
This year’s bronze award recognizes a Scouter who became a unit commissioner in 2017, and made such an immediate impact providing valuable leadership and guidance to multiple units, that the district now is excited to have this Scouter as their new District Commissioner. According to the district, this Scouter has brought great energy and enthusiasm to the commissioner staff, and already has increased their ability to serve units. It is our honor to present the bronze award to Mattaponi District’s Josh Wilberger.