Over winter break, three Scouts BSA Girl Troops from three Pennsylvania Councils (Northeastern PA, Minsi, and PA Dutch) set out on one adventure together to Washington, DC. The Scoutmasters from these units had met and wanted to find a way for their Scouts to not only experience the wonders of DC, but also to learn about the Women’s Suffragette Movement, as 2020 is the 100th anniversary of women having the right to vote in the United States. The troops also combined resources to work on the Scouting Heritage and American Heritage Merit Badges, along with the Baden-Powell Hike Medal, which follows the path of the 1913 Suffrage parade.
Troop 82 from Lancaster offered to host Troop 519 from Allentown (Minsi Council) and Troop 2619 from Paupack, PA (Northeastern PA Council) overnight on the day before and after the DC trip to make the trip possible and to avoid high costs. Friday night, the two troops that had traveled to Lancaster were greeted with a taco bar dinner, followed by an evening of merit badge classwork in preparation for the hike. It was a bit crowded sleeping and eating in the church with about 40 leaders and Scouts tucked everywhere, but everyone had a wonderful time. The scouts woke up long before dawn, ate a ‘grab and go’ breakfast and left for their destination. Many of the scouts on this trip had never been to a big city, so they were all very enthusiastic upon seeing the Capitol Building in the distance as the sun was rising over DC.
Their journey covered over 7 miles, walking in the footsteps of the early 
1900s’ suffragettes. They began the trek at the Peace Memorial, and visited the Naval Memorial, the Benjamin Franklin statue outside the Old Post Office, the Vietnam Memorial Wall, and the Boy Scouts of America Memorial. Their group then headed to the Lincoln Memorial, where a park ranger gave them a personal tour. They learned about the Gettysburg Address, which is on the left side of the statue, and Lincoln’s second inaugural address, which is on the right. After that, they took a trolley bus ride back to Capitol Hill and ate their packed lunches in a beautiful grassy spot overlooking the Library of Congress. After lunch, they proceeded to their final destination, the Capitol Building.
The Scouts learned that the Capitol Building sits higher in elevation than the White House, as the town planners wanted to reinforce the idea that the voice of the people was more important than the president’s voice. Inside the Capitol Building, a special tour was provided to the Scouts called the “Votes for Women” that focused on the efforts of famous American women who worked hard to get the 19th Amendment passed. Scoutmaster Natalia Lyckowski from Troop 2619 reflected on the similarities between the brave women who struggled for the Right to Vote and the BSA girls that were present, stating, “Stand proud, Scouts; you’re all trailblazers!” Before they headed back to PA, a small Court of Honor was held on the steps of the Capitol.
Lalina Van Gorden, SPL Troop 2619, shared, “This trip meant a lot to me because I might not have been able to ever go to DC and have this incredible experience if I wasn’t in Scouts BSA. I also want to thank all the leaders that helped make this trip possible, especially Mrs. Erin Blank, Junior Assistant Scoutmaster Lyndsey Nedrow, and Mr. Mike Nedrow (Troop 82 and Venture Crew 82) and my Scoutmaster Mrs. Natalia Lyckowski and Assistant Scoutmaster Casey Waldie
from Troop 2619.”
Michael’s Woodshop at Camp William B. Snyder just completed its second annual series of Pinewood Derby Days. During the 2019-20 season, Michael’s Woodshop held 13 Pack Sessions, 3 Den Sessions and 5 Open Registration Sessions during which Cub Scouts, Siblings (and a few parents) built 376 cars!
well-defined process to walk Cub Scouts through each step to build their car. The sessions begin with a safety briefing which is then followed by a series of work stations; re-drilling axel holes (if permitted), designing/design templates, cutting, sanding and adjusting the car weight. All necessary tools are provided and the work is supervised by a group of volunteer Shop Stewards. At the end of their work session, Cub Scouts leave the shop with paint-ready cars, axel polishing kits and huge smiles!
To get a better understanding of this event, please see the “View our Process” link on the Pinewood Derby Days webpage which has many good photos of Cub Scouts in action. As you will see, these sessions are engaging and are great fun for Cub Scouts, parents (and volunteers). We are already looking forward to the 2020-21 season!
Woodshop holds monthly Woodwork Merit Badge Sessions and a monthly Woodworking 101 Class, which is now open up to both Scouts and adults. The shop may also be reserved for Unit activities, District events, Eagle Scout projects and many other Scouting activities. The volunteer Shop Stewards are experienced woodworkers and are available to help you plan and carry out a successful event. For information about shop capabilities, upcoming events, reserving the shop or to learn more about volunteering, please visit the Camp Snyder website or email us at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com
The 12th Annual Aquia District Bear Claw Leadership Conference registration page is now open! Bear Claw will be held on March 28, 2020 in Stafford, VA and is a day-long leadership conference run entirely by our Youth Staff who’s Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) is busy getting the Staff ready through a series of four Staff Development sessions. Bear Claw is open to Troops, Crews and Ships. Scouts & Adults can register at https://scoutingevent.com/082-27302
Many gathered in reverence to Scout Sunday at Kirkwood Presbyterian Church. BSA Troop 1140-B, Pack 1140 and GSA Troops 4001 & 52054, both sponsored by Kirkwood participated in the day’s events.
Other units who were represented by members of Kirkwood’s congregation were Troops 1345-G, 1849-B, 1853-G, & 1865-G and Crew 1620.
We also had members attend services at their own place of Worship. If you attended services at your place of worship please inform Scoutmaster Huggins of Troop 1140 at