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Scouting America National Capital Area Council Celebrates 115 Years of Youth Leadership, Character Development and Adventure

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Scouting America has been inspiring generations of leaders since 1910. Join the movement at BeAScout.org.

WASHINGTON, DC (February 7, 2025) – On February 8, Boy Scouts of America will celebrate its 115th birthday, marking a pivotal moment in the organization’s journey as it officially adopts its new name, Scouting America. Scouting America is the nation’s foremost youth program providing young people with unique opportunities focused on character development, leadership, fun and outdoor exploration. The organization continues to adapt to meet the evolving needs of young people, ensuring that future generations will have the opportunity to benefit from this transformative program.

For more than a century, Scouting America’s mission has remained the same: 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. Whether it’s a camping trip, a pinewood derby car race, or a trail hike, every adventure encourages personal growth by teaching youth how to set goals and achieve them with determination. As we look to the future, Scouting America is dedicated to providing young people with the values, skills and experiences they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

“Scouting America has helped instill timeless values for multiple generations of Americans,” Roger Krone, Scouting America president and CEO said. “In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, the values and skills instilled by Scouting are more critical than ever, and the need for strong character, ethical decision-making and effective leadership remains paramount. As we celebrate 115 years of service to our nation, we are reaffirming our commitment to providing a safe and supportive environment where young people can develop these essential qualities, empowering to reach their full potential, and preparing them to become responsible and engaged citizens.”

Scouting America has remained committed to providing youth with a safe environment where they can learn meaningful life skills, create lifelong memories and grow into tomorrow’s leaders. In fact, more than 130 million Americans have been through Scouting America programs since our founding in 1910. Currently, more than 1 million youth are served by 477,000 dedicated adult volunteers in local councils throughout the country.

The annual report of 2024 for NCAC showed membership at 31,107 with 957 total units. Out of all the youth in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Explorers, Venturers, Sea Scouts and those in the U.S. Virgin island or abroad, 4,330 of them are female Scouts. The entire organization of Scouting America has also seen over 8,000 females earn the rank of Eagle Scout.

“The rebranding marks an important moment for the organization to celebrate its growing inclusivity,” NCAC Scout Executive Mario A. Pérez said. “Our Council has been dedicated to welcoming all youth, no matter what gender, race, ethnicity, or background the child may have.”

The opportunities for all youth are limitless in Scouting America. In 2018, Scouting America started single-gender dens for boys and girls in the Cub Scout programs. A year later, Scouts BSA was introduced so older boys and girls could join single-gender troops and earn their Eagle Scout. Co-ed programs are also available in Venturing, Sea Scouting, STEM Scouts, Exploring and Learning for Life.

NCAC has seen approval and positivity about the rebranding from parents, Scouts and leaders. This change will improve the impact of the organization and NCAC will reach out to more youth to showcase its inclusivity and opportunities. Scouts across the board recognize skills they have learned from their program, which includes confidence, leadership, teamwork and friendship.

“We welcome families who want to have fun, and learn about important life skills, personal safety, and environmental stewardship. In Scouting we participate in outdoor activities, get involved in the local community, and learn teamwork,” NCAC Field Director and Eagle Scout Keenan Pallone said.

The weeklong birthday celebration will kick off with historic sites from coast-to-coast illuminated in red, white and blue lights in honor of Scouting America — including Niagara Falls, Milwaukee’s Hoan Bridge, St. Louis’ The Wheel at Union Station, Cleveland’s Terminal Tower, Pennsylvania State Capitol, Louisiana State Capitol, Baltimore City Hall and Capella Tower, and I-35W Mississippi River Bridge in Minneapolis. Scouts and non-Scouts alike can join in the celebration by sharing their favorite Scouting moments on Instagram (@boyscoutsofamerica) and TikTok (@scouting.america). Lastly, Scouting America will raise the redesigned organization flag over its headquarters in Irving, Texas on Wednesday, February 12.

Scouting America invites families, individuals and communities nationwide to join its mission. Whether you come from a family with a Scouting tradition or are considering Scouting for the first time, we welcome you to be a part of our next 115 years. To learn more, visit www.BeAScout.org.

 

About Scouting America National Capital Area Council (NCAC)

NCAC started in 1911 and stands as one of the largest and oldest councils in Scouting America. The Council represents a variety of territories from the Washington Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Columbia, such as Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties from Maryland, Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Loudon, Fauquier, Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George, Stafford and Culpeper counties from Virginia and the independent cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, Manassas Park and Fredericksburg in Virginia. NCAC also serves the U.S. Virgin Islands and Scouting families abroad in North, Central and South America. During 2024, NCAC Scouts performed over 200,000 hours of community service and over 1,000 Eagle Scouts were attained.

 

About Scouting America

Scouting America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life.®” Scouting America welcomes all of America’s youth into its programs. Our goal is to give them fantastic experiences in the outdoors, and elsewhere, where they can grow with us in a safe environment. More than 130 million Americans have been through our programs since our founding, and currently more than 1 million youth are served by 477,000 dedicated adult volunteers in local councils throughout the country. To learn more about Scouting America’s mission, or to sign your child up for Scouting, visit www.BeAScout.org.

 

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Summer Camp Planning: Funding Your Summer Adventure

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Summer Camp Planning: In the third webinar for Bear and Webelos Den Leaders, the Goshen Scout Reservation team, along with NCAC Director of Field Services Stuart Goins, explores financing your summer adventure at Camp Ross, a week-long camp just for rising Webelos and Arrow of Light Scouts.

Why it matters: Understanding how to fund camp experiences ensures more Scouts can participate and benefit from the programs offered at Camp Ross.

  • This session provides valuable insights into making the camp experience affordable and accessible.

Fundraising opportunities:

  • Upcoming Camp Cards fundraiser and fall Popcorn sale are key ways to generate funds.

  • These initiatives offer practical ways for Scouts to actively participate in raising money for their camp.

Financial aid & tips:

  • Learn about the Camperships process for financial aid.

  • Get registration tips, like applying Free Camp Vouchers from the 2024 fall popcorn sale for the 2025 camping season.

This webinar equips leaders with the tools to plan and fund a memorable summer camp experience for their Scouts.

Miss the webinar? Watch the recording:

You can also download the slides from the webinar here: How to Fund Your Summer Adventure Webinar slides [PDF]

Want to catch up? Check out our previous posts with the first and second installments and the Summer Camp Planning Tool Kit:

You can also find more resources and learn about all the summer fun on the Camp Ross webpage at www.gotogoshen.org/ross

Save the dates for upcoming webinars! All are at 7pm Eastern Time.

For current Lions and Tigers (rising Tigers and Wolves)

For current Bears and Webelos (rising Webelos and AOLs)

Camp Kenya features hiking and safari

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A group of Scouts in Troop 160 traveled to Nairobi to attend the Camp Kenya 2024 program from Dec. 29 to Jan. 4, participating in many adventure activities and learning new Scouting skills.

Camp Kenya was open to all youth and adults registered in a Scouts BSA Troop. A Scout parent from Troop 160 is from Kenya and found out about the opportunity, prompting them to share it back to the troop. Namith Gangireddyvari, 19, and Nishanth Gangireddyvari, 15, were two Scouts who participated in the camp.

“This is such an organized activity that everyone gets to have some levels of fun with it,” Namith said.

Courtesy of Namith Gangireddyvari

The troop participated in the Kilele camp program, which featured hiking, abseiling, rafting, a safari and many other teambuilding activities. Namith said the best part of the trip was the safari, while Nishanth said his favorite was the rafting.

There were two safari trips, morning and night. The two Scouts said they were able to see animals such as lions, hippos, rhinos, hyenas and buffalos. The morning safari featured a tour at Ol Pejeta Conservancy where Scouts saw a chimpanzee conservatory and a blind Rhino.

“It was pretty fun, I would love to do it again,” Nishanth said.

The camp also featured a backpacking hike with abseiling. They hiked up Mt. Kiambicho and stayed there overnight in tents. Both Scouts said they experienced challenges such as running out of water, not enough space in backpacks, and the hot weather.

“It was pretty challenging for people who aren’t used to backpacking and then people who had minimal water,” Namith said. “So, we also learned how to ration water pretty well.”

Courtesy of Namith Gangireddyvari

The Scouts also participated in a conservation project by going to Lord Robert Baden-Powell’s memorial, who was the founder of the Boy Scouts and its first Chief Scout. The project consisted of cleaning his grave and doing yard work. Troop 160 also interacted with the Kenyan Scouts who participated in the project as well.

Namith said there were a few differences in the Kenya Scouting program. Scouts in Kenya are not done at 18, but can continue to be a Scout at their university’s troop. He also said their flag ceremony was very different, specifically the way they held the flag.

“I’d say it’s more ceremonial the way they carry themselves,” Namith said.

Courtesy of Namith Gangireddyvari

Overall, Scouts from Troop 160 were able to learn new skills such as leadership, friendship and teamwork, as well as interacting with new cultures during their time in Kenya.

Scouts Seek Yeti as part of Burke Lake, Prince William Districts’ Annual Klondike Derby Campout

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The Scouts and Scouters from Troops 1107 B and G in Springfield, Virginia, Accotink Bay District, braved the cold along with 20 other troops from across NCAC for the annual Burke Lake and Prince William Districts’ Klondike Derby, held at Camp William B. Snyder from January 24 – 26, 2025.

The Scouts from Troop 1107 B and G were the only Scouts who camped Friday into Saturday, braving the frigid 8°F, and were recognized for their feat.

In all, 203 Scouts and 85 volunteers participated in competitions for Scout skills and teamwork in a blanket of snow in near-freezing temperatures.

Troop 1107 Mammoths Patrol won third place in the sled race with a time of 22.58 seconds. This is the fourth Klondike Derby in a row in which the Scouts from Troop 1107 B participated. It is the first for Troop 1107G.

Additional accomplishments and activities Troop 1107 B and G did at the Klondike Derby:

Troop 1107B Mammoths built a fire to see who could burn the string in the fastest time.
Troop 1107G Jumping Frogs Patrol stands to watch over the hot water, getting ready to warm up with some hot chocolate and apple cider on Friday night.
Troop 1107G Jumping Frogs patrol created snowflakes out of staves and lashings.

Details and photos provided by Natalie Dreier, Troop 1107 B/G, Accotink Bay District – Vice Chair for Social Media 

Captions credited to Jim Dreier, Accotink Bay District Commissioner.

Building a Memorial for a Fallen Scout

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Yoi S-F. completed his Eagle Board of Review in January 2024, marking the end of an incredible chapter in his Scouting journey. For his Eagle Project, he set out on a goal to memorialize a fellow Scout: a bike rack and repair station at Winston Churchill High School. This project will stand as a lasting memorial to Jacob Cassell, who tragically passed away while biking down Old Georgetown Road at 17 on July 31st, 2019. From advocating for bike lanes at Montgomery County meetings in his early teens to creating a successful fundraiser, Yoi’s dedication to this cause is a testament to his unwavering citizenship and character!

Jacob Brian Cassell, who was born with autism, left an incredible mark on the special-needs community. His service extended beyond borders, from mission trips to the Dominican Republic and Honduras, to his active role in Boy Scout Troop 233. Jacob’s life was a testament to the power of determination and the impact one individual can have on the world.

As a Boy Scout, Jacob earned the rank of Life Scout and completed all of the requirements for Eagle except for his Eagle Scout project, which he had planned for September 2019. His family and his troop later completed his project.

Yoi’s mother showed him the article of a fellow Scout and Churchill student who had been in a tragic accident, and he realized he had also biked on Old Germantown Road with his dad on the same day. That moment is where the inspiration for his Eagle Scout project stemmed from, but Yoi wanted to do something before then. So, at 14 years old, he went to Montgomery County meetings and advocated for the bike lanes along OGR! While the state initiated this bike lane project independently, Yoi’s follow-through is an excellent example of citizenship and character.

Yoi further honored Jacob by dedicating his Eagle Scout project to building a Memorial bike rack and repair station at Winston Churchill High School, the high school they both attended. This would reflect Jacob’s love for riding his bike and the high school since Jacob was the mascot for the Winston Churchill Bulldogs, causing people not to love him because he was the Bulldog but love the Bulldog because he was Jacob Cassell. These reasons solidified Yoi’s decision to make the high school the perfect place for the memorial.

To start his Eagle Project, he went to former Principal Heckert to get approval for the project, but once she left, he had to get approval from Mr. Taylor, who was coincidentally the principal of Yoi’s middle school. After his approval, he was sent to the PTSA to discuss funding. After going back and forth between the PTSA and the school, Yoi created a GoFundMe for his project, reaching the proposed $7,500 goal within 48 hours and ending with $9,333 from over 120 donors. After another back and forth with the county about where the building site would be and waiting for the county to collect bids for the project, the finish line was finally in sight for Yoi.

Yoi found a contractor and vendor for all the materials needed for the project. The contractor poured in the concrete slab necessary to install the bike racks and repair station on October 9th, with the actual bike racks and repair station installed by October 26th. On October 28th, 2023, the repair station was painted purple, Jacob’s favorite color, marking the completion of Yoi’s Eagle Project.

Yoi donated the unspent money from his GoFundMe to the school, which paid for a memorial sign. As requested by Jacob’s father, Jacob’s bike is currently being fully restored and will be donated to a family in need so that someone else may enjoy cycling as much as Jacob did.

As Yoi stated in his GoFundMe, “Jacob Cassell was a shining member of our society. He spread his love and compassion to everyone he met. Jacob was a leader, a friend, and an inspiration to all. Above all, however, he was and forever will be our bulldog.”

Jacob’s legacy will always be remembered at Winston Churchill High School, and Yoi helped to solidify that with his project.

Citation:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/jacob-cassell-memorial-fundraiser
https://jakecassellfund.org/about-jake/
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/jconline/name/jacob-cassell-obituary?id=8980879
https://moco360.media/2020/03/08/remembering-jake/

NCAC Scouts Honor Former President Carter

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On January 7, 2025, NCAC Scouts and leaders from Troop 500, Troop 544, and Troop 98 in Washington, D.C., and Troop 1107 in Springfield, VA, paid their respects as former President Jimmy Carter was lying in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

Lying in state in the United States is the rare honor either authorized by a congressional resolution or approved by the congressional leadership, for a deceased member of government (or former member) whereby his or her remains are placed in the rotunda of the United States.

It is fitting that a contingent from the National Capital Area Council honored Jimmy Carter in this way as he was a long-time and dedicated Scout leader serving as a Cubmaster, Troop Committee Member, Committee Chair, Scoutmaster, and Exploring Advisor who demonstrated the Scout Oath and Law throughout his life.

Bryan Martin Firvida, Scoutmaster of Troop 98 and NCAC Executive Board Member, said, “As a group, we came to a Scout Salute three times for President Carter to represent the three parts of the Scout Oath. President Carter certainly fulfilled his Duty to God and Country, Duty to Others, and Duty to Self, and set an example for all of us to strive for. I must admit that each time we held our Scout Salute, a shiver of emotion went down my spine.”

“Our honor guard at the Rotunda in the US Capitol was absolutely spectacular, and spine chilling for me as we were saluting the President. You can all be very proud of our Scouts. To me, high adventure aside, this is part of what Scouting is all about,” Jay Eidson, NCAC International Representative.

 

Embed from Getty Images

A delegation of scouts from Scouting America’s National Capitol Area Council troops salutes as they pay their respects in front of the flag-draped casket at the Lying in State Ceremony for former President Jimmy Carter at the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC on January 8, 2025. Carter, the 39th President of the United States, died at the age of 100 on December 29, 2024 at his home in Plains, Georgia. (Photo by Samuel Corum / AFP) (Photo by SAMUEL CORUM/AFP via Getty Images) (SAMUEL CORUM/AFP via Getty Images)

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