We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Articles

Participate in Scouts Trash the Trash Day on May 1

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Scouts Trash the Trash Day is an international Messengers of Peace project for Scouts around the world, where each Scout is challenged to bring a friend or family member along and pick up at least one Kilo (2.2 pounds) of trash each on the first Saturday in May.

The idea for Scouts Trash the Trash Day came from the scouts of Troop 1206 in Helena, Montana after realizing that there are several days throughout the year that Scouts get together and do the same thing on the same day. Days like Jamboree on the Air and Internet, Jamboree on the Trail, Trees for the World, World Neckerchief Day, but there was not a day for Scouts to all get together and clean up their communities. Thus Scouts Trash the Trash Day was started. Scouts are asked to bring a non-scout with them on this day of service in order to double the impact of their trash cleaning effort.

Scouts Trash the Trash Day is about more than just cleaning our planet, it is a day to show the world what Scouting is about, educate individuals about Scouting and recruit new boys, girls and adults into the Scouting movement.

To participate in this day of service, Scout groups are asked to organize their own trash clean up day on May 1, 2021.
See these links for more details about Scouts Trash the Trash https://scoutstrashthetrashday.org/ and Messengers of Peace https://www.scout.org/messengersofpeace

Here are 2 games to encourage scouts to collect as much trash as possible:
-BINGO
-scavenger hunt

Scouts Trash the Trash is a great way to practice Leave No Trace & participate in a conservation project.

Please be sure to log your hours!

Let’s Get Camping Webinar Series: Scouts BSA Camping Options

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April 1, 2021: Scouts BSA Camping Options

Missed the webinar? You can view a recording of it below.

In this webinar, we go over the different summer camps available for both Troops and for individual scouts (aka provisional scouts) at the various places in NCAC – from Thurmont, MD to Haymarket, VA to Goshen, VA. We go over how camping and program are going to work at the Virginia camps, given the Governor’s order concerning COVID-19 protocols.

Download the slides from the webinar here: Scouts BSA Camping Options slides [PPTX]

Get more information on the various Scouts BSA Summer Camps:

Stay up to date on the camp COVID protocols:

Find the whole series of Let’s Get Camping Webinar recordings on our playlist here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5x999ziTZaU6Kr1lqS6tbNqgYTzjcBRf

Let’s Get Camping Webinar Series: High Adventure at Summer Camp

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March 25, 2021: High Adventure at Summer Camp Webinar

Missed the webinar? You can view a recording of it below.

In this webinar, we give units planning for Summer 2021 and future summers an overview of our local Lenhok’sin High Adventure, as well as the National High Adventure bases and our Council-sponsored trips there. In addition the overview, we also talk a little about the different COVID-19 protocols at the different camps.

Download the slides from the webinar here: High Adventure at Summer Camp slides [PPTX]

Get more information on the various high adventure opportunities:

You can find the whole series of Let’s Get Camping Webinar recordings on our playlist here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5x999ziTZaU6Kr1lqS6tbNqgYTzjcBRf

The remaining upcoming webinar will be on Scouts BSA Camping Options on April 1 at 6pm EST. Register in advance at https://ncacbsa-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_K297JI5zTrOSqIcHr9mpVw

Jamboree On The Trail – May 8th

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Jamboree On The Trail – May 8th

Jamboree On The Trail (JOTT) is an annual day for the World Scout Movement to hike together. All Scouts, whatever their age and wherever they may be in the world, are invited to participate in whatever way they can. Cubs and younger Scouting sections could visit a local nature trail as part of a weekend camp. A Scout Troop might check out a hiking trail while working on badge requirements. A Venturing Crew might make a Service Project out of restoring or maintaining a hiking trail.

In their own way, everyone will be hiking the same direction: towards a better future through Scouting. JOTT is held on the second Saturday of May each year.

Register your Den, Patrol, Unit, District or Council for a traditional in-person group hike or doing a social distanced hike with your family. https://jamboreeonthetrail.org/

History

JOTT started with a Canadian Scout Troop who hiked part of the Trans Canada Trail in 1997. This lead to the idea of a Scout hiking day for all sections and on any trail. Further discussion set the date for the first event as April 25, 1998; late enough that those in the Northern parts were likely to have trails free of snow on which to walk.

Reading list messages about the idea, UK Scouters began to wish that he could take part in this too. It then occurred to them that this needn’t be limited to the shores of Canada as there are trails to walk on all over the world. Scouters quickly agreed that this could be a world-wide event.

Now that the event was born, they discussed what to call it. For a while it was going to be World Wide Walk because it had been started through discussions on the World Wide Web. In the end, they decided on Jamboree On The Trail (JOTT).

The inaugural JOTT had over twenty-four thousand participants in seventeen countries around the world. From this beginning, Jamboree On The Trail has grown. JOTT 1999 had thirty thousand participants and JOTT 2000 was bigger still.

Jamboree On The Trail is the only international annual event for every member of the Scouting family; Scouts of all ages and all sorts. It is an ideal opportunity to come together in spirit with Scouts all over the world and to promote the world-wide aspect of this growing Movement.

Conservation and Cardboard Camping!

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Inspired by Troop 2000 in Coralville, Iowa (highlighted in a recent issue of Boy’s Life), Troop 440 scouts hosted their own cardboard campout in early March at the Izaak Walton League of America- Lois Green Sligo chapter. With advice from Troop 2000’s SPL and Scoutmaster who “zoomed” in to a troop meeting prior to the campout, T440 spent two nights in their individually designed and self-built cardboard structures.

Additionally the scouts left the space a little nicer, after completing an extra successful service/trash collection project from the back side of the IWLA property where they amassed a bicycle frame, part of an outboard motor, 26 tires and 4 large bags of trash, all of which the county transfer station was happy to accept.

Troop 440  is especially grateful to our new scout friends in the Midwest for sharing their tips and tricks for a successful cardboard structure!         

16th Annual NCAC Scout Orienteering Meet

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Test out your troop or crew member’s navigation skills at the 16th NCAC Annual Scout Orienteering meet on Saturday, May 1st. Over 45 orienteering controls will be placed at Prince William Forest for troop teams of 10 scouts (5 pairs buddy system) to identify in 90 minutes. Each orienteering control has a different point value based on the difficulty level and distance from the starting point.

The event is designed around the idea of competing as a unit (Troop or Crew) to gather the highest score than the other scouting units called the Score-O. This event is open to all Scouts BSA Troops, Venturing Crews, and other appropriately aged Scouting groups; minimum age for this event is 10 and a half years old.

Each “team” of ten scouts will select the time of day to start on the course when they register for the event. The cost is $70 per team or about $7 per scout and includes (12) event patch and five course maps that the team gets to keep. Unit registration and additional information, including COVID safety precautions that are being taken, can be found at https://scoutingevent.com/082-2021ScoutOrienteering