We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Articles

Inspiring Students at Newton-Lee Elementary

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Scouts BSA Troop 58’s Grant K. painted a large mural of different explorers throughout history on a wall at the elementary school he attended: Newton-Lee Elementary School. The reason for the mural’s design is that Newton-Lee’s mascot is a compass, and the slogan is “We are Newton-Lee Explorers on a voyage to success.”

Another Scout from a different Troop who originally considered doing this mural as his Eagle project posted a survey to their fellow teachers asking which important historical explorers they would prefer to be on the wall. Grant used those historical figures selected from the survey.

With this mural featuring explorers from many different fields, backgrounds, and time periods, Grant is confident that it will help promote diversity and help students remember to explore their personal interests through brave and creative ways.

The mural is located outside the Exploratorium room, which is dedicated to exploration and encourages innovation and creativity. It took five days to paint since Grant and his group had to paint on days when the school staff was available but after hours so they didn’t disrupt the students and teachers.

After a total of 170 hours worked on this project, which includes meetings, planning, sketching, and painting, Grant completed his Eagle Scout project in early April 2024 and his Eagle Board of Review on June 3, 2024.

Enhancing Be the Good Food Project’s Physical Infrastructure

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For his Eagle Scout project, Davis J from Troop 654 decided to help a local nonprofit focusing on food insecurity for at-risk populations better provide essential services by assessing and building a system to help them better understand their physical infrastructure.

Be the Good Project was founded in 2020 to provide food for those facing food insecurity in parts of Virginia, The District of Columbia, and Maryland. One of their programs is 25 Free Little Food Pantries distributed across 238 square miles, providing 24/7 access to food staples for those in need.

While Be the Good Project has dedicated volunteers who help keep these pantries stocked, they do not completely understand the physical status of the Free Little Food Pantries, some of which had been emplaced as long as three years ago.

Davis developed an assessment tool using a Google Form that asked volunteers to inspect a Free Little Food Pantry. His form asked questions like what the status of the paint was, whether there were holes in the roof, whether the shelves were in working order, and what the area around the pantry was like (the pantry’s accessibility).

This form then auto-populates a Google Sheet that captures the physical data about the pantries. The spreadsheet is then sortable, allowing Be the Good Project to sort the pantries by maintenance status and need for repair. This allows Be the Good to prioritize what pantries they want or need to repair with their network of volunteers, allowing them to continue their mission of providing food to those in need within the local community.

Volunteers (in groups of 2-3) from his Troop, his high school sports team, and friends in his neighborhood helped survey the 25 locations on a rolling basis over two weeks. This allowed the volunteers to complete the survey at a time that was convenient for them while simultaneously making sure all surveys were completed in a timely manner. The surveys, which included pictures of each site, were completely automated, so the only tool that his volunteers needed were their mobile phones. Each survey took about five minutes to complete, but the drive time varied because some locations were 50 minutes away.

This project took 101 hours to complete, starting July 22, 2024, to August 25, 2024. Davis completed his Eagle Board of Review on October 2, 2024.

“I really enjoyed doing this project as it allowed me to help a great local nonprofit,” Davis remarked. “The project will also have a lasting impact in my local area by helping Be the Good more efficiently provide food to those dealing with food insecurity.”

Honoring our Veterans in the Aquia District

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 This past week was full of patriotic celebrations in the Aquia District!
Scouting has a strong connection to our Veterans. On Veterans Day, November 11, 2024, Cub Scouts from Packs 26 and 907 carried flags of military branches and marched alongside the 75 veterans honored at Park Ridge Elementary School. They also enjoyed eating some donuts with several veterans! Click here to watch the whole Ceremony.
Scouting America National Capital Area Council appreciates all the Veterans who serve in leadership positions to provide Scouting to our youth. We honor and thank them for their service.

On November 7, 2024, Col. Frank Harris, III, age 100, was recognized as the oldest Marine at Quantico’s annual USMC birthday celebration. Col. Harris, a veteran of WW2, Korea, and Vietnam, has served as the Charter Organization Representative of Troop 121 for the past 20 years. He was also a Scoutmaster of the same Troop in the early 1960s.

On November 9, 2024, Gregory Bodge of Troop 907 was awarded the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) Robert E. Burt Scout Volunteer Award. Nationally recognized by the SAR, this award is presented to any SAR member in good standing currently active in a Scout Unit, District, Council, or a SAR member who has displayed outstanding dedication to the Scouting program. This award aims to recognize the recipient’s outstanding service to youth through the Scouting America programs. 

On November 11, 2024, Richard Haas, aka The Ancient One (TAO for short), was honored by the Quilts of Valor at a Veterans’ Day ceremony at the Falls Run Retirement Community. TAO, who turns 98 in a few days, is a US Navy veteran of WW2. He’s been a member of the BSA for 88 years! He joined Troop 26 when he moved to Virginia, and then his son joined the same Troop. Now, his grandson and great-grandson are in Pack 242 as a Den Leader and Cub, respectively!
                   

Summer Camp Planning: How to Build Excitement and Engagement for Camp Ross

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In the second installment of the Summer Camp Planning for Bear and Webelos Den Leaders webinar series, we hear from two experienced Cubmasters, Clare and Spencer. They cover their favorite parts of Camp Ross and the benefits they have found for their Packs, advice for parent/guardians preparing their Scouts to attend for the first time, and tips and tricks for Den Leaders and Cubmasters to recruit both adults and Scouts for a fun week of camp.

Miss the webinar? Watch the recording:

Want to catch up? Check out our previous post with the first installment in the Summer Camp Planning for Bear and Webelos Den Leaders webinar series complete with the Tool Kit: weownadventure.com/summer-camp-planning-tool-kit/

You can also find more resources on the Camp Ross webpage at www.gotogoshen.org/ross and on the Goshen Scout Reservation About page at www.gotogoshen.org/about . The video resources mentioned in the webinar can be found both on the About page as well as on the Goshen Scout Reservation YouTube channel www.youtube.com/@gotogoshen

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)

  • January 21, 2025: Funding Your Summer Adventure
  • February 24, 2025: Meet Your Camp Ross Team!
  • March 24, 2025: Program and Elective Adventure Offerings
  • April 22, 2025: Pre-Camp Planning
  • May 20, 2025: Your First Day – Arrival Overview

Scouts Demonstrate Fire Safety to the Community

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During the Fair Oaks Volunteer Fire Department Open House on Saturday October 12, 2024, Scouts from Troop 7 for girls and Troop 51 for boys spent the day informing the public about fire safety. In Scouting, our young people learn valuable and life-saving skills that remain with them for the rest of their lives. Along the way, they share their knowledge and skills and contribute to making our communities better places.

While serving as staff for the Open House, the Scouts BSA, which consists of middle and high school aged-youth, met the local community and provided information about smoke alarms, stop-drop-roll, creating a family meeting place, and general fire safety.

The Fair Oaks’ volunteers won Best Open House in Battalion 7 for their efforts!

One of the distinct benefits of Scouting to the community has always been the close connection between our Scouting units (called Packs, Troops, Crews, Ships, and Posts depending on the program) and the organizations and community groups that sponsor or “charter” them. Annual charter agreements with religious, community, and education organizations allow them to operate the Scouting program. These partners are provided with training, supportive materials, and direct professional service. We are grateful for the Fair Oaks Volunteer Fire Department and each of our charter partners whose objectives, mission, and methodologies match those of Scouting America. Together we are dedicated to a youth movement fostering character development, citizenship, and personal fitness for our young people.

 

 

 

Local Scouts Bring Community Together to Help End Hunger

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Local Scouts Bring Community Together to Help End Hunger

Scouts Ask for Public to Support Virtual and Doorstep Food Collection Drive 

OCTOBER 24, 2024, WASHINGTON, DC— For 38 years, Scouts have collected food for families experiencing food insecurity in the greater Washington, DC region. As part of “Scouting For Food,” Scouting America National Capital Area Council (NCAC) is walking through the local community collecting directly from their neighbors in their annual effort to help alleviate hunger throughout the region.

After notifying neighbors with post notes, flyers, and virtual advertisements about the collection in their neighborhoods on November 2, 2024, Scouts will mobilize on November 9, 2024 to collect non-perishable food items. If a notification is received, residents are asked to participate by placing their donated food items on their doorstep in bags or boxes to aid in the collection process.

Scouting for Food is one of the largest annual food drives in the metropolitan area. Scouts of all ages, from 5 to 20 years old, will participate in Scouting for Food throughout the District of Columbia; the Maryland counties of Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s; and the Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, Fauquier, Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George, Stafford, Culpeper, as well as the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, Manassas Park and Fredericksburg.

If charitable neighbors do not receive a notice at their door, contributions can be made through the virtual Scouting for Food campaign. Partnering with You Give Goods, NCAC has created 19 virtual food drives that will benefit specific nonprofit food pantries throughout the region. The virtual food drives can be found at: https://yougivegoods.com/campaign/view/657

The yearly campaign meets the mission of the Boy Scouts of America, “…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” and specifically the part of the Scout Oath that states, “…to help other people at all times.”

“In 2023 Scouts collected over 537,000 pounds of food for families experiencing food insecurity across our council territory,” said Mario A. Pérez, CEO and Scout Executive of Scouting America National Capital Area Council. “We know that almost 1.5 million people in our region are struggling with hunger. Through Scouting for Food, our Scouts, their parents, and adult leaders endeavor to live up to the Scout Law and be helpful by serving their community. Scouting America aims to prepare young people for lives of impact and purpose. This service project demonstrates our commitment to this aim.”

According to the Capital Area Food Bank’s 2024 Annual Hunger Report, “37% of the Washington region – nearly 1.5 million people – didn’t always know where their next meal would come from at some point last year. That’s an increase of 5 percentage points from last year, when 32% of households in the region experienced food insecurity during 2023.”

Scouting for Food is held every fall prior to Thanksgiving. Local food banks rely on the efforts of the Scouts to stock their shelves for the upcoming holiday months when food demands are the highest. Scouts depend on the community to support the effort. Healthy, nonperishable items needed include canned protein (tuna, salmon, chicken); peanut butter; grains (pasta, whole grain pasta, brown & white rice); whole grain hot & cold cereals (multi-grain, low sugar cereals, oatmeal); canned vegetables; and canned fruits.

Scouting for Food is made possible in part by a grant from the Safeway Foundation.

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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.®” The Scouting organization is composed of more than 1 million youth members between the ages of 5 and 21 and more than 628,000 volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories. Since its inception in 1910, more than 130 million young men and women have participated in the Scouting program. More than 35 million adult volunteers have helped carry out the organization’s mission. For more, please visit www.Scouting.org.

Scouting America National Capital Area Council (NCAC) was organized in 1911 and today stands as one of the oldest and largest councils in America. Scouts from the NCAC do over 370,000 hours of community service each year. NCAC prepares youth for life through outstanding programs that inspire, build character and instill the values that young people need to succeed today. That includes everything from camping and hiking, to community service and leadership development. Each Scout gains experiences that not only help them when they are young, but stay with them throughout their adult lives, helping them grow into adults that respect their family, community, religion, country and themselves which we refer to as the “Scouting Edge.” For more information, please visit www.NCACBSA.org.