We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Articles

Basecamp at Goshen Home Camping!

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I would like to give a huge shout out to the Goshen Home Camping staff and support personnel. I know it was a lot of hard work and challenges to put this all together but your passion and dedication really showed.

While maybe not in the mountains of Goshen Pass, we still was able to transform our dining room into our own basecamp. This far exceeded our expectation and kept my Scout active and engaged.

Avoided a mess on the floor from tie/dye and Adventures in Science!

To learn more about Goshen Home Campng or to sign your Scout up today please visit gotogoshen.org.

Eagle Project District Review is COVID-19 Proof!

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John Drisco, my George Mason District Eagle representative, met me at my church’s Fellowship Hall to discuss and improve my Eagle Project proposal. Normally this is a simple matter of contacting one of our district Eagle reps and setting a time and place to meet. But we all know that nothing has been simple since the pandemic started for all of us in the NCAC in March!

I first had to review BSA guidance, local restrictions, and our church safety standards and then plan the room preparation after getting approval from several different groups! My dad and I arrived early with our masks, wipes, and hand sanitizer. Set up an eight-foot table, some chairs, and wiped everything down. A Scout is prepared.

But despite all the challenges, it was a great meeting and experience. Mr. Drisco provided input on tracking hours, planning and budgeting costs (don’t forget pizza to feed scouts and adult helpers). To clearly state the benefits of the project, and how you measure success. Oh, that last one might have been from my Life to Eagle Coach? Take before and after pictures. Keep good notes in the planning notebook and notify the beneficiary, troop leadership and my district Eagle representative if anything changes on the scope of the project. Do not put off writing it up your project once completed, or you will forget details. Then once you have written everything up, review your notes one last time and type it up to make it look professional. Be proud of your work because it will be read by the board of review, the district, the council and at National!

As we all stood up to go, we were reminded that Safety will be a big factor on future Eagle projects. Plan for how to keep Scouts and adults safe. Have a checklist and remind Scouts on how to be safe while helping. Have masks, gloves, wipes, hand sanitizer and plan for social distancing! As we wiped down the table with Clorox wipes and returned the table and chairs to storage, I felt my mask, remembered to use hand sanitizer, to keep my distance and waved thanks to Mr. Drisco. Now to the next step on my journey to Eagle. Good luck to all the Life Scouts working hard on Eagle Projects in the Pandemic! We can and will make a difference.

Bobby Humphreys
SPL Troop 345

Free Leadership Seminar July 9th at 5pm EST

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Join us for our third Seminar for youth leaders this Thursday, 7/9 at 5pm, delivered by youth NYLT staff. The topic for this seminar will be titled, “Mastering the Art of Improvement.” Scouting provides opportunities to try new things and take on new roles. But few people are instantly good at something they’ve never done before, like cooking over a fire, or holding a new position of leadership. Learn the tools Scouting gives us to improve after each experience.

Register here today!

An Eagle’s Guide to the Rainforest | Adventure Talks Webinar

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Fellow World Explorer, Gabriel Burgos (left), and Evan Dann (right) holding up the NESA World Explorers flag while out for a hike through the forest searching for the best spot to set up wildlife cameras.

In the summer of 2018, I was one of several Eagle scouts chosen to participate in the NESA World Explorers program. I travelled to the Amazon to participate in a two-week research experience at Tiputini Biodiversity Station (TBS), a part of the Yasuni National Park in Ecuador. On Tuesday, July 14, 2020 I’ll share a presentation in the Adventure Talks Webinar Series about my experiences while on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure to one of the most remote places on earth.

I’m sitting in the front of a canoe as Gabriel and I are birdwatching on a small lake in the forest.

I will cover some information about the research that is performed at TBS, what we did to help document and map Jaguar populations in that part of the forest, and what it was like to live at TBS. I’ll highlight some of the most amazing plants and animals we encountered while hiking; and I’ll tell you my wildest stories about the forest – including being chased by a pack of peccaries! At the end of this presentation, I’ll be able to answer your questions about the NESA World Explorer program and how to apply!

A downed tree on which a trail crosses a ravine. When it rains the water level in the ravines can rise upwards of 10 feet!

My Bio : I am currently studying Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in Nanotechnology at Boston University. I earned my Eagle Scout award in 2015 and five Eagle palms. I’ve been a volunteer Merit Badge counselor at BSA Camp Airy for 7 years teaching the Ice Skating and Pioneering merit badges. In addition to participating in the NESA World Explorer Amazon Research Experience, I’ve completed a Philmont backpacking trek in 2015; I’ve sailed Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island with Sea Scout Ship 59 in 2016; and competed in the Sea Scout Koch Cup in 2018 in Galveston, TX.

A saddleback tamarin spotted climbing on the trees just outside of the station’s laboratory.

I also volunteered as a scout at President Obama’s Inauguration in 2012 and President Trump’s Inaugural parade in 2017. Personally, some other adventures I’ve undertaken include hiking the Appalachian Trail through all of Maryland, parts of Pennsylvania and Virginia, living in France for 6 months, and skiing through the Alps, Colorado Rockies, and parts of New England.

 

 

Photo 5 : I’m standing in the station’s lab and library that me and Gabriel used in the evening to learn more about the animals we encountered during the day.

Tune into Evan’s presentation and join him for a conversation on July 14, 2020 at 7PM in the Adventure Talks Webinar.  Register here: https://scoutingevent.com/082-adventureTalks

Learn Python Coding with Ayiti Analytics, a Data Science Lab!

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Exploring is a BSA affiliate program focused on career exploration and development.

Ayiti Analytics is a Data Science Lab formed by a former NCAC Scout based in Haiti that is advancing analytical capacity through education, consulting and research.

Ayiti Analytics is forming virtual NCAC Explorer Posts and you are invited!

In their first cohort, Ayiti will will offer a series about Introductions to Computer Programming in Python. This is a series of six 90-minute sessions in which Ayiti will teach:

  • Python knowledge: introduction to computing
  • Shadowing at a Data Science Company: as a bonus, Ayiti will also provide students who complete the Introduction to Computing Course with an opportunity to shadow their virtual Data Science Lab for an afternoon; the goal is to show you what a real working day at a Data Science Company looks like!
  • Nova Award: for those who are registered Scouts BSA, they will have the opportunity to earn requirements 3-8 of Nova Award – Hello World! Please note however, that you do not need to be a Scout to become an Ayiti Explorer.

The first cohort kicked off in June, and the second cohort will begin this Saturday, July 11th. This session will run on Saturday from 10:00AM – 11:30AM on these days:

  • July 11, 2020
  • July 18, 2020
  • July 25, 2020
  • August 1, 2020
  • August 8, 2020
  • August 15, 2020

Read more about Ayiti Analytics and register here!

This program is brought to you by a former White Oak District Boy Scout, Morgan Mendis!

Climb—Shoot—Build—Fly—Create at Camp Snyder!

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Claim your campsite for Camp Snyder Family Camping and enjoy the program activities! You can still sign up for Family Camping weekends in July and early August.

Settle into your campsite and begin your adventure! Climb the Scouterhorn like a
mountaineer; see who is the best shot at the BB gun range; build a bird house or tool box or game at the Wood Shop; fly a drone or drive a robot car and create heat, color and odd shapes with STEM Foam Fun! You can also fish, walk the nature trail, try your hand at Geocaching and roast marsh mellows over your campfire before ending a very full day.

Register at https://scoutingevent.com/082-38193 and count down to your family’s weekend adventure at Camp Snyder. See you at camp!