We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Articles

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

 

Don’t Miss Bullseye Family Camping This Spring!

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Hurry to sign up for family activities at Spring Bullseye Family Camping weekends at Camp Snyder! The first weekend of April 23-25 is rapidly approaching and appointments for program activities are filling up fast!

Pack your camping gear and get ready for FUN for the whole family! There is lots to do at Camp Snyder, whether its shooting a BB gun, climbing the Scouterhorn, building a project in the Wood Shop, flying a drone, being amazed with a STEM experiment or launching your own rocket. Plus activities to do on your own, like fishing, a scavenger hunt on the Nature trail, biking and roasting marsh mellows on your own campfire!

Don’t miss out! Sign up for either the weekend of April 23-25 or May 21-23 at https://scoutingevent.com/082-45030

See you soon!

Check Out the Merit Program at Camp Snyder This Summer !!!

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Check out the merit badges being offered at Camp Snyder this summer during July 18-24 for Scouts BSA Merit Badge Week!

Interested in learning how to Weld? Want to make a Movie? How about learning about Radios? Perhaps you have an interest in Archeology? Come to Camp Snyder!

How about Rowing, Canoeing, Rifle Shooting, Pioneering and other outdoors merit badges? Come to Camp Snyder!

Want to earn merit badges required for Eagle rank, like Swimming, Lifesaving, First Aid and Communications? Come to Camp Snyder!

As a Day Camper or an Overnight Camper, you can choose from 47 different merit badges. See the complete list and sign up for camp at https://www.gotosnyder.org/summer-camp/specialty-week/

Registration for camp is open now. Sign up for merit badges opens on April 16th. Hurry, because the Early Bird price deadline is April 16th.

                       

Astronaut, NASA, Out of this World, Nova

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Brian Hoffer is a Den Leader of Pack 129 in NCAC as well as a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. In other words, he went to the same academy as Astronaut Charlie Duke! How cool is that?! Even cooler, Brian reached out to NCAC in February to suggest that we invite Astronaut Duke to STEM Speaker Series. We did, Astronaut Duke agreed to participate, and on March 18th STEM Speaker Series hosted a great chat with Astronaut Duke and a few thousand scouts.

In case you’re wondering, astronauts have a strong connection to scouting. In fact, all but one astronaut to walk on the moon were in BSA at some rank or another (ranging from Cub Scout, to Tenderfoot… to Eagle Scout). Only two of those astronauts earned the rank of Eagle and they are Astronaut Charlie Duke and Astronaut Neil Armstrong.

STEM Speaker Series

Needless to say, we were delighted to host Astronaut Duke in STEM Speaker Series. This webinar series was designed by the NCAC STEM Committee in spring 2020 as a way to encourage youth to learn about STEM careers during the pandemic. We invite STEM professionals to present about their career and education, and to then answer questions live from the youth.

This special edition featuring Astronaut Duke was even broadcast across National BSA’s channels! You can rewatch the talk here, and check out the NCAC STEM Facebook page for future STEM Speaker Series.

 

Brian Hoffer’s Den from Pack 129 tuned in for the chat, and even submit a few questions for Astronaut Duke! This wasn’t their first interaction with the incredible world of space exploration. These cubs earned a Nova Award, “Out of this World” during the past year.

Nova Awards

Each Nova Award generally follows a format that encourages a myriad of activities: read/watch an hour on the topic, do some hands-on activities in the subject area, visit a museum/laboratory, talk to an expert, discuss what you learned.

The requirements of the Out of this World Nova Award included a field trip. Thus, for requirement 4A, Brian had organized a field trip for his den to visit the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD.  They were lucky to have visited pre-pandemic, but NASA offers some interactive virtual tours even now.

For another requirement, one of the webelos created this vibrant digital  art of a Mars base.

Congratulations to the following Webelos in Pack 129, in National Capital Area Council, for earning the Out of this World Nova Award:

Ben
Bastian
Xavi
Murphy
Sam
Max

Here’s the photo of them at the NASA Goddard Space Center eating Astronaut Ice Cream. All in all, what a cool way to learn about space, and have a capstone event!

Norm Augustine Receives 75 Year Veteran Award

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Norm Augustine receives his 75 Year Veteran Award from NCAC Scout Executive Craig Poland
Norm Augustine receives his 75 Year Veteran Award from NCAC Scout Executive Craig Poland

Norman Augustine has done many amazing things in his life. He graduated from Princeton University magna cum laude, he was the CEO of Lockheed Martin, he has received the NASA Distinguished Public Service Award, and much, much more.

But before he did any of that he did one other very amazing thing: he became a Scout.

“Scouting had a profound impact on my life and the lives of many top business leaders I worked with over my career,” said Mr. Augustine. “I will never forget the extraordinary times I had in Scouting, particularly at summer camp.”

Earlier this year Mr. Augustine reached a milestone not many Scouting volunteers achieve; he reached 75 years of continuous and active membership in the Scouts. During that time he served as BSA’s National President, received the Silver Buffalo Award for his work in service to young people, and was recognized with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.

And Mr. Augustine is not the only Eagle in his family. Since earning his Eagle Scout Award in 1952 he has been joined by every other man in his family. That’s right; every male member of the Augustine family is an Eagle Scout! It is inspiring to see the impact Scouting has had on one family.

Thank you, Mr. Augustine, for your many years of dedication and service to our Scouts and to our nation!