Pack 257’s Webelos had an awesome summer camp adventure at NCAC’s Goshen Scout Reservation for a week in July. They jumped in the lake, they swam in the river, they shot BB guns and bows, they petted snakes and fished for the elusive cheese-moose! They sang, they danced, and they even saved the camp Phoenix! Camp Ross was totally ROSS-OME!!
While at Camp William B. Snyder on Friday, July 21, 2023 for its Merit Badge Specialty Week, Scouts in the National Capital Area Council talked with astronauts on the International Space Station via Amateur Radio. This activity complements the BSA’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) program and is part of the ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) Program which promotes learning opportunities as part of its STEM initiative.
In the days leading up to the ISS interaction, nearly 200 Scouts attended the Specialty Week at Camp William B. Snyder.
During this week, Scouts:
• Practiced proper call signs and Morse code, drew charts of the electromagnetic spectrum and assembled dipole antennas as part of earning their Radio Badge
• Built, launched, and recovered model rockets as part of earning the Space Exploration Badge
• Read aeronautical charts, experimented with ailerons and propellers, and flew model airplanes as part of earning the Aviation Badge
• Made electromagnets to show magnetic attraction and repulsion as part of earning the Electricity Badge
• Programmed robots for autonomous tasks akin to Mars Rovers as part of earning the Robotics Badge
These are just a few of the many activities that the Scouts participated in during this fun week of learning. Of the 138 merit badges that Scouts are eligible to earn, over 50 are considered STEM merit badges. Nearly 35 subject matter experts volunteered to counsel the Scouts during this week, making this event possible.
The ARISS contact was performed using the Amateur Radio telebridge network, a world-wide network of amateur radio ground stations that enable students to contact the ISS. The amateur radio ground station operated by Claudio Ariotti established contact with the ISS is IK1SLD in, Casale Monferrato, Italy, The ARISS mentor, Charlie Sufana AJ9N, was based in Florida and served as the ARISS Radio moderator for the event.
Scouts interviewed astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi and had time to ask 13 questions. Astronaut Al Neyadi is an Emirati Astronaut who traveled to the ISS with NASA’s crew rotation flight, SpaceX Crew-6. Astronaut Al Neyadi is the first Arab astronaut to perform a spacewalk.
The “ground” radio experts at Camp William B. Snyder were Pete Collat KI4YBH (Radio Merit Badge Counselor), Mike Aimone WA8AHZ (Virginia Radio Club coordinator) and Joe Porcelli KT3I (Virginia Wireless Club HAM). Porcelli set up a SATCOMM for Scouts to experience satellite chasing before and after the ISS contact.
A dozen STEM Scouts had a first look and experience with the SATCOMM in May, as the Virginia Wireless Club welcomed our Scouts to their radio field day. These STEM Scouts had completed a module on software-defined radio in which they listened to FM broadcasts, tracked airplanes, built a HAM radio, and captured GPS data. STEM Scouts is a National Capital Area Council program for girls and boys in grades 3-8 that incorporates hands-on activities to inspire youth in STEM. The SDR module encouraged hands-on experimentation as a basis for understanding technical subjects, and exposes Scouts to potential careers in broadcast engineering, telecommunications, computer science, consumer electronics, and more. Three of these STEM Scouts will take part in asking Astronaut Al Neyadi questions during the International Space Station contact on Friday.
The event was livestreamed at www.facebook.com/NCACSTEM and a complete recording can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/NCACSTEM/videos/796657518531573
Tristan Torabi of Troop 255 in Chevy Chase, MD led the design and build of a two-level training structure for firefighters and other emergency responders to practice real-world emergency scenarios at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad in Bethesda, MD. The structure houses two training props. Prop 1: A trap door for firefighters to experience a floor collapse followed by the need to squeeze through a tube to escape. And Prop 2: the upper story allows responders to practice repelling down an elevator shaft, with a reinforced bailout window. Staff at BCCRS told Tristan this project may save lives by providing real-world training for firefighters to practice infrequent, yet life threatening scenarios they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to experience. The project involved over 560 volunteer hours and the labor and materials is valued at $55,000.
Quote from beneficiary:
Edward “Ned” Sherburne, Fire/Rescue Chief, BCCRS: CRS): “Thank you to all involved for your work on
this. It will have tremendous benefits to training which ultimately allow us to perform on emergency incidents in a more effective way for the community and a safer way to protect ourselves from the dangers of the emergency environment. I have worked with many Scouts over the years on different Eagle projects and I know this is a tremendous undertaking and accomplishment.”
This game will sell out! Special pricing for a limited number of seats is available for this Scout Day!
A ticket to the Scout Day game – the season opener against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, September 10, 2023 – is included with this special offer along with a patch for game attendees and an invitation for a post-game photo on the field.
Need to purchase 10 or more tickets? Please contact Roman McLane at (301) 276-6456 or roman.mclane@commanders.com
Join fellow Scouts at the ballpark! The second Scout Day with the Nationals this year is on September 23, 2023, as the Nats take on the Atlanta Braves! All Scout Day ticket holders will receive a Nationals Scout Day patch and $5 from each ticket will be donated back to our Scouting program.
If you organize a group of 20 or more, the group leader will receive a complimentary game ticket (1 ticket per order).
Scouts are encouraged to attend as a troop, patrol, pack or den.
For more information or to purchase a group of 20 or more, please contact us at 202.640.7747 or email Bret.Morsberger@nationals.com
Link to purchase tickets: www.nationals.com/scouts
The full information regarding Scout Days and the patch pick-up will be emailed to all special ticket event buyers 24 hours prior to the game.
NCAC has two Sea Scouts participating in SSS 802’s virtual program and as Lone Scouts in the U.S. Virgin Islands.Our two Sea Scouts, Audrey and Ella , continue to work with our two adult leaders and the St. Thomas Yacht Club Sailing Center to meet many of their rank and elective requirements.Audrey has exemplified herself by supporting the ideals of Scouting. She has performed service hours in support of the community and Sea Scouts, and participated in a flag retirement ceremony with the American Legion Post 90. She was the youngest participant to skipper an IC-24 named “Black Pearl” during the 2023 St. Thomas International Regatta known as the Crown Jewel of Caribbean Racing. She placed as the top female competitor and 3rd overall in the Pan Pepin International Dinghy Regatta in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and earned the top female competitor and 5th overall at the 30th Annual International Optimist Regatta in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Next month she will be competing for the U.S Virgin Islands (Team ISV) at the 2023 Optimist North American Championships in Antigua.Audrey will also be attending the National Scout Jamboree with Jamboree Troop 3242 where she looks forward to continuing her scouting adventures and meeting other Scouts.
For more information on the U.S. Virgin Island District and the Sea Scout program visit:
https://www.ncacbsa.org/us-virgin-islands/
https://www.scouting.org/programs/sea-scouts/
