We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

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Aquia District Pack 242 Cheetah Den Visits Stafford County Board of Supervisors

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In January, as part of our Building a Better World Adventure, Scouts from Aquia District’s Pack 242, led by the multi-age girl’s Cheetah Den, visited the Stafford County Board of Supervisors. While there, they met with one of their local Supervisors, Ms. Cindy Shelton, and the Board’s Chairwoman, Ms. Meg Bohmke, to discuss the roles of the Board of Supervisors and how they came to represent our area. The Den led the Pledge of Allegiance at the opening of the meeting, and then stayed to observe the Board’s business.

Pack 1156 Participates in Siren Salute to Health Care Professionals

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Picture by: Byron Andrews, III Pack 1156, chartered by the Sterling United Methodist Church participated in the Siren Salute to the Health Care professionals at INOVA Loudoun Hospital Friday, May 1st. Not only was it one to complete Day 15 or the Build My Own Hero adventure in the Webelos Challenge it was a true honor to thank and support all the hard working Health Care Workers (Doctors, Nurses, Administrative and Support Staff) along with our communities First Responders.

 

“Cans for COVID” Food Drive

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Throughout history, Scouting has assisted in helping in times of crisis. With the current virus concerns, our local food bank has been under significant strain. As Scouts, we put out a call for help from our community to assist people right here in northern Frederick who are in need. We are grateful and pleased that our “Cans for COVID” food drive for the Thurmont Food Bank was a huge success!

Many, many thanks to those who came by to drop off their very generous donations during these tough times. By acting locally, you have truly shown how a global community and society must function to step into a new era. Exercising special care to wear masks and keep our social distance, we collected a trailer full of food and several sizable monetary donations! Our Pack, Troops, and Crew would like to thank everyone who donated!

Special thanks to the Town of Thurmont and our Mayor John Kinnaird for helping spread the word about a project we threw together in just 1 week; to the Thurmont Police department for stopping by and helping set up a good “traffic flow”; To several local and state representatives for their generous donations; and to the woman who traveled all the way from Middletown to donate because she saw our post and was inspired! Northern Frederick county is truly a fantastic place to live because of the kindness of our communities, and we are proud to be your BSA units!

Local Boy Scout Council To Hold Day Of Giving And Unity

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Scouts join #GivingTuesdayNow in response to urgent COVID-19 need

 BETHESDA, MD (May 1, 2020) — National Capital Area Council, BSA (NCAC) has joined forces with #GivingTuesday in order to support local Scouting families experiencing COVID-19 related needs and develop ongoing digital programs that enable Scouts to continue building leadership and character while maintaining social distancing.

#GivingTuesdayNow is a global day of giving and unity, set to take place on May 5, 2020, as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19. The day is designed to drive an influx of generosity, citizen engagement, business and philanthropy activation, and support for communities and nonprofits around the world.

NCAC has cancelled or rescheduled all in-person events due to the pandemic. In addition to Scouts missing out on anticipated events such as Pinewood Derbies and Family Campouts, this has hurt the council by eliminating activity revenue and traditional fundraising campaigns, especially as stay-at-home orders are extended into the summer camping season. Many families now also face difficulty affording the Scouting program without assistance. NCAC plans to relaunch their annual fundraising campaign on #GivingTuesdayNow, restructured for online giving, in order to help meet these needs.

“If I was going to add one point to the Scout Law, it might just be, a Scout is grateful. We learn gratitude from truthful and reverent behavior, and in turn, it teaches us to be helpful and kind,” stated Scout Executive, Craig Poland. “We are incredibly grateful for all the Scout families, volunteers, and donors who are making it possible for young people to continue their Scouting experience while remaining safely at home.”

At a time when we are all experiencing the pandemic, generosity is what brings people of all races, faiths, and political views together across the globe. Generosity gives everyone power to make a positive change in the lives of others and is a fundamental value anyone can act on. It’s a day for everyone around the world to stand together and give back in all ways, no matter who or where we are.

People can show their generosity in a variety of ways during #GivingTuesdayNow, whether it’s helping a neighbor, advocating for an issue, sharing a skill, or giving to causes, every act of generosity counts. The global movement will emphasize opportunities to give back to communities and causes in safe ways that allow for social connection even while practicing physical distancing.

“As a global community, we can mourn this moment of extreme crisis while also finding the opportunity to support one another. We each have the power to make an impact with acts of generosity, no matter how small, and to ensure the sustainability of organizations and services that are crucial to the care and support of our communities,” said Asha Curran, CEO of GivingTuesday. “#GivingTuesdayNow is a chance for us to stand united and use grassroots generosity to show that we are all in this together, beginning to end. Even as many face financial uncertainty, generosity is not about size. From calling an elderly neighbor to chat to offering translation help; from showing gratitude to our healthcare workers to donating to your local food bank, every act of kindness is a beacon of hope in this crisis. We all have something to give, and every act of human consideration and kindness matters.”

Community members interested in joining NCAC’s #GivingTuesdayNow efforts can visit www.NCACBSA.org/GTN.

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About Boy Scouts of America & National Capital Area Council

Boy Scouts of America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life. ™ The Scouting organization is composed of 2.6 million youth members between the ages of 6 and 21 and more than a million volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories. For more, please visit www.Scouting.org.

National Capital Area Council was organized in 1911 and today stands as one of the oldest and largest councils in America. The Council territory includes the District of Columbia; Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties in Maryland; and in Virginia the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, Fauquier, Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George, Stafford and Culpeper as well as the independent cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, Manassas Park and Fredericksburg in Virginia; and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information, please visit www.NCACBSA.org.

About GivingTuesday

GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past eight years, it has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

Whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people we care about, or giving some of what we have to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts and everyone has something to give. GivingTuesday strives to build a world in which the catalytic power of generosity is at the heart of the society we build together, unlocking dignity, opportunity and equity around the globe.

Local Scout Earns All 137 Merit Badges

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Seventeen-year-old Eagle Scout Daniel Free of Troop 489 in Germantown Maryland achieved the rare status of earning all 137 merit badges currently offered by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). There are about 450 scouts who have earned all the merit badges in the 110-year history of the Boy Scouts.

BSA is among the largest youth organizations in the United States, numbering about 2.3 million youth participants and supported by just over one million adult volunteers. Founded in 1910, scouting’s mission is to “prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.” Youth are trained in responsible citizenship, character development, and self-reliance. The Merit Badges are central to the program, offering a variety of training in life skills, exposure to careers, and other topics of interest. At least 21 Merit Badges must be earned in order to attain the rank of Eagle Scout, 13 of which must be from a list of eagle-required merit badges.

Daniel joined Scouting when he was six years old as a cub scout, earning the Arrow of Light, cub scouting’s highest award. He bridged into Boy Scouts near the end of 5th grade and became an Eagle Scout on October 27, 2017 at the age of 15. He had earned 54 merit badges at that time. His eagle project involved planning and leading other youth in building outdoor stations of the cross at Mother Seton Catholic Church in Germantown Maryland, where he also serves on the alter during the mass. The night he was awarded his Eagle, Daniel said that he “was not satisfied stopping there” and wanted to do more while as he continued his involvement in Scouting. That evening, he made it a personal goal to earn the rest of the merit badges before his 18th birthday.

His favorite merit badge subjects were welding and metal working. He says that cycling was the hardest for him personally as it involved multiple bicycling treks covering over 150 miles. His Eagle-required badges covered subjects such as citizenship, personal management, first aid, cooking, and physical fitness. Others included a variety of fun subjects such as scuba diving, golf, water sports, and athleticism. Through the merit badges, Daniel learned may life skills, grew personally, and was exposed to many opportunities to learn and do things he knew nothing about. His Scoutmaster Karl Moline says “It has been a great pleasure having Daniel as part of Troop 489 starting during his Cub Scout days when he would visit with his older brother Ryan, also an Eagle Scout. Daniel continued to be active in the Troop while pursuing his goal of earning all the merit badges, helping younger scouts start off on their trails to Eagle. The entire Troop has been watching Daniel’s countdown to earning all the merit badges, and we could not be prouder of him. His dedication and hard work are an inspiration to all of our Scouts.”

Daniel is a senior at Clarksburg High School in Clarksburg Maryland, where he played on the golf and volleyball teams. He is also a percussionist in the Symphonic Band and the Jazz Band. Daniel plans to attend college at the University of Maryland to major in Secondary Education and History.