Adventures of Pack-Man and Newbie – STEM by Roger Claff
Articles
National Jamboree Postponement FAQ
National Jamboree Postponement FAQ
General
Q. Why has the 2021 National Jamboree been postponed?
A. The safety of Scouts, volunteers, staff members and communities is at the forefront of every decision the BSA makes. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have wide-ranging implications for events across the country, and the Jamboree is no exception. Planning, preparations, and decisions regarding National Jamborees take place months, and even years, in advance. Given the current situation and the uncertain nature of future conditions, we determined we could not prepare in a manner that would provide the safest possible environment for all those involved. We look forward to holding this incredible event at a future date.
Q. When will the next National Jamboree be held?
A. A Jamboree task force of volunteers and staff, appointed by national Boy Scouts of America leadership, will recommend a new date for this event. We will inform all currently registered participants once that date is selected.
Refunds and travel plans
Q. I am a registered youth participant or the parent of a youth participant; how will I receive my refund?
A. Council contingent members should work directly with their local council regarding refunds.
Q. I am a registered Jamboree Service Team member; how will I receive my refund?
A. The Jamboree Department at the National Service Center will process refunds.
Q. I am a Jamboree Service Team member and have already booked my flight, what should I do?
A. Jamboree Service Team members should work directly with their airline to inquire about refunds or flight credits.
Other High Adventure opportunities
Q. Will the Summit have other high adventure programs next year?
A. At this time, the Summit Bechtel Reserve is taking reservations for 2021 Summit Adventure programming with councils and Jamboree contingents. BSA High Adventure Base programs, including those offered at the Summit, can be found at
https://www.scouting.org/outdooradventures/.
Q. Can my unit still attend the S ummit as part of the James C. Justice National Scout Camp in the summer of 2021?
A. Yes, you can review options for an adventure at the Summit here:
https://www.summitbsa.org/programs/scout-camp/
Q. What other adventure opportunities will be available next year?
A. Council camps offer incredible opportunities for adventure of all kinds and levels. While some may not be open now, be sure to consider your local council camp when planning for next year.
Other
Q. I am a participant who applied for a scholarship to attend the Jamboree, will I need to apply again when the Jamboree is rescheduled?
A. Yes. Unfortunately, you will need to apply again given that the situation, available funds, and allocation process may be different.
Q. If I have already accepted a staff assignment, what happens to my position?
A. The BSA will inform key stakeholder groups of plans and decisions regarding positions for a future Jamboree as soon as that information is available.
Q. Can I still buy 2021 National Jamboree merchandise and apparel?
A. No. Official BSA 2021 National Jamboree merchandise and apparel are no longer available.
Q. My council is planning a pre-Jamboree trip for a few days before the Jamboree (Ex: Washington, D.C.), is that still going to happen? Will we still get the local contingent merchandise we ordered?
A. Council contingent members should work directly with their local council to inquire about pre-Jamboree trips and locally ordered merchandise.
Q. I am a youth participant but may be over 18 for the new National Jamboree date, can I still go as a participant?
A. Yes. There will be opportunities to attend a future Jamboree within the participant structure and the Jamboree Service Team structure.
Q. Where is the best place to go for the latest information?
A. As new information becomes available, we will include it on the 2021 National Jamboree Website at www.jamboree.scouting.org.
Q. What if I have questions that aren’t answered here?
A. Some details are not available yet. However, we will do our best to answer your question if you send an email to 2021Jamboree@scouting.org.
Rev: July 14, 2020
Cub Scouts Investigate Electronics in STEM@Home!
On Saturday, June 27, NCAC held its’ 4th STEM@Home Nova event! Nova Counselor, Dr. Jason Kralj of Potomac District ran a ZOOM class for 20 Cub Scouts to earn the Nova Award: Swing!
Scouts completed a few requirements on their own (such as watching physics-related videos for requirement 1 and submitted their assignments for Dr. Kralj to review in Google Classroom).
However, we did most of the requirements together during the ZOOM class. A very fun activity was requirement 2A: With parental permission, Cubs took an old or broken mechanical item and broke it down into its component pieces! We investigated some cool items in our class; cubs took apart alarm clocks, scooters, CD players, hard drives, and even washing machine components! Can you tell what is what?!
The class was lots of fun and almost all of the cubs completed their Nova Awards!
Want to join the next STEM@Home event? Dr. Kralj is teaching Down & Dirty this Saturday, July 18 and you can sign up here: https://scoutingevent.com/082-STEMatHome
This upcoming event will have a cool twist to it too:
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- From 1-1:30PM, this session will include an interaction with WD Lab Grown Diamonds, which uses patented Chemical Vapor Disposition to create diamonds for the gemstone market as well as for medical and scientific fields!
- From 1:30 – 3PM, cubs in the Down & Dirty Class will continue their activities and requirements with Nova Counselor Dr. Kralj
Sign up and join us!
Scoutmaster Seminar on Delivering ILST
Join us for the Adult Series Training Seminar: Delivering ILST to Scouts this Wednesday, July 15 at 7pm. Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (ILST) is the training Scoutmasters deliver to Scouts to teach them to basic leadership skills they need to run a Troop. It’s a great course, but working over Zoom presents many challenges. This 50-minute overview for Scouters will cover some lessons learned from around the Council. (Youth welcome, but material is tailored for at Adults.)
Register HERE:
Trashing the Trash!
Saturday, July 11th started as a challenge however, we kept pushing to the mark and collected (Maya – 2nd yr Daisy Girl Scout – 16.5 lbs) and (Marco – 1st yr Weblo Cub Scout 31.0 lbs). So, as I originally stated, the day started kind of rocky. I dropped Marco off with his Den Leader and within 10 minutes I got the call that he had thrown up. Oh boy! He rested and began to feel better, so we tried again. It was roughly 4 PM when we started and about 5:20 PM when we finished.
We left our residence in Upper Marlboro in our neighborhood of Marlton. As I drive home, I often see a lot of litter on the main road of Heathermore Blvd. Well, we didn’t have to go far. Today was a win win. My kids put down their tablets and moved from in front of the TV to do some good in our community. I made it into a contest. Maya was winning at the start, however, Marco found abandoned two (2) 5 gallon paint buckets. Our official winner is Marco. Truthfully, we are all winners that thought enough to Trash the Trash on today’s date.
Engine-nuity in Powhatan Virtual Pinewood Derby
With the wave of a virtual checkered flag, Powhatan’s Pinewood Derby features great looking cars and suspenseful finishes – with first and second-place finishers just hundredths of a second apart!
Several dozen Cub Scouts from across Powhatan delivered their hand-crafted cars to the district’s state of the art racing facility – and home of Racemaster/Scouter C.J. Takacs. C.J. and his dedicated one-person Scout-led pit crew, setup races for all participating Lions, Tigers, Wolves, Bears, Weebs and Arrow of Light Scouts.
Using split-screen technology, viewers were treated to a great virtual Pinewood Derby experience, and the first in Powhatan’s history. With views of the starting gate, mid-track and finish-line, every Powhatan parent, Cub Scout, family member and friend had great seats for every race.
Who won? To find out, check out the event on YouTube. Watch all the races, or just a few! Be sure not to miss the virtual Concours D’Elegance – highlighting the designs and artistic skill of Powhatan Cubs – at the end of the video.