We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Ashante Corey-Bey

AwesomeCon 2024

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Awesome Con is Washington DC’s Comic Con! Awesome Con is a family-friendly, inclusive celebration of geek culture, bringing over 70,000 fans together with their favorite stars from across comics, movies, television, toys, games, and more!

There will be:

•Science Fair including lots of STEM activities

•Book Fair dedicated to authors and book dragons alike

•Awesome Con Jr. for the next generation of fans

•Artist Alley – a fully inclusive area for independent and aspiring artists!

•Panels of interesting topics and celebrity discussions

•Photo & Autograph Sessions with your favorite stars

•Main Hall filled with vendors, exhibitors, & lots of cosplay – NCAC has a booth for recruitment so stop by and say “hello!”

 

Best of all, this year all Scouts and Scouters get a $5 discount! Just use the promo code SCOUTS5 before checkout!

To purchase badges and see a list of celebrity guests, visit https://awesome-con.com/

Coming in July 2024: JAMBOREE-ON-THE-WATER (JOTW)!

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July 2024: JAMBOREE-ON-THE-WATER (JOTW)! Sea Scout Ship 1176 of Springfield, Virginia USA and its partners, along with the Sea Scout Committee of the National Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America (NCAC) will take the lead in organizing the inaugural Jamboree-on-the-Water in July of 2024. The idea behind having a Jamboree centered on water-based activities is that the JOTW will become the third leg of a “Triple Crown” of three different kinds of remote location Scout Jamboree adventures: (1) on land (Jamboree on the Trail), (2) in the air (Jamboree on the Air and Jamboree on the Internet) and (3) on the sea (Jamboree-on-the-water). The Jamboree-on-the-Water will be like the other two “join-in” Jamborees that allow Scouts anywhere to join in and participate by organizing local events on the same date in locations everywhere and unite in camaraderie by using modern communication technology to share their experience on the Internet and on Facebook. Together, these three events form a “trifecta” of different kinds of

Jamboree experiences that make up the “Triple Crown of Scouting.”

The Jamboree-on-the-Water will be like the other two “join-in” Jamborees that allow Scouts anywhere to join in and participate by organizing local events on the same date in locations everywhere and unite in camaraderie by using modern communication technology to share their experience on the Internet and on Facebook. Together, these three events form a “trifecta” of different kinds of Jamboree experiences that make up the “Triple Crown of Scouting.”

What is the Jamboree on the Water?

Jamboree-on-the-Water is an annual day for Scouts of the World Scout Movement to get together on the water, wherever they are in the world, at the same time. All Scouts, regardless of their age or program — Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venture Scouts, Rover Scouts, Guides, etc. — are invited to participate in whatever way they can, wherever they are. To participate, Scouts only need to plan and execute a water-related
event on the second weekend in July and send a short report and picture(s) for the web site and Facebook page. Sign up your unit and each participating individual online in advance to receive an official participation certificate.

When is the Jamboree on the Water?
The inaugural Jamboree-on-the-Water will be held on the second weekend of July in 2024, in remembrance of the first Sea Scout event ever back in July of 1909.

How do you participate?
Participation is easy and fun. Plan an activity involving the water on the second weekend of July. If it is not possible that weekend where you live, any activity in July could be acceptable. Register your activity and participants online to receive an official JOTW certificate after the event.

Participation patches can be purchased separately. Cub Scouts and younger Scouting sections could visit a local pond, lake, or beach as part of a weekend camp. A Scout Troop might check out a water activity of any kind, particularly involving ships, boats, canoes, kayaks or paddleboats, or take part in some educational presentation or activity done while working on water-centered Merit Badge requirements. A Venture or Rover Crew might make a Service Project out of restoring or maintaining portions of a dock or help with harbor cleanup. In their way, everyone will be on the water in solidarity with world-wide Sea Scouting, progressing together in the same direction: towards a better future through Scouting.

If you want to help in the organization, you can volunteer to be on the JOTW Event Advisory Committee (Scouts and adults) or be the representative for your council, state, or province, or serve as a national JOTW coordinator for your country.

Is there a badge or participation patch?
It would not be a true Scouting event without a badge or participation patch. Participants will be able to purchase a JOTW badge as recognition of having participated in this worldwide event. Scouts around the world are invited to suggest badge ideas. Event participants will be able to order badges online from the official JOTW website. All registered Scouts who take part will be sent a certificate by e-mail.

REGISTER your event for free certificate at:
https://www.scoutingevent.com/082-Jamboreeonthewater2024

Scouting CARES 2024 Belt Loop Ceremony

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Scouting CARES (Character, Achievement, Respect, Education, and STEM) provides students with engaging programs with a focus on character development and leadership. NCAC’s CARES program partners with schools and communities that would benefit from a vibrant Scouting program. Serving almost 300 students across five different schools!

CARES students from St. Francis Xavier School received their Belts and Belt Loop Badges after completing the first 8 weeks of the 16-week curriculum. Notable belt loops earned included Howling at the Moon, Adventures in Coins, Tiger Bites, and Call of the Wild, among others. Howling at the Moon had students communicating in creative ways, while Tigers Bites taught them the joys of healthy eating and handwashing. Adventures in Coin introduced them to the fascinating world of currency, and Games Tigers Play emphasized the power of teamwork. Call of the Wild? It’s all about being prepared with a first aid kit and mastering knots!  Eager to continue their journey, the students expressed enthusiasm for acquiring more badges in the future.

Suitland Elementary School  3rd- 5th graders received their Belt Loops and Belt Loop Badges after completing half of their CARES curriculum. The 3rd graders earned a few badges including Howling at the Moon, Adventures in Coins, Tiger Bites, and Call of the Wild.

4th and 5th graders also held their Belt Loop Ceremony. The 4th graders are in their second year of Scouting CARES and received badges such as Running with the Pack, Council of Fire, Code of the Wolf, and Roaring with Laughter to name a few. These activities promoted the importance of physical activity, community service, and mathematics.

The 5th grade students in Scouting CARES are following a more STEM specific Scouting CARES Curriculum in their science class. These students earned  Belt Loops for Digging in the Past, Engineer, and Air of the Wolf. The STEM-specific curriculum dove into topics like fossils, matter, and aerodynamics. They explored STEM through hands-on experiences, building, and creating. Teachers were thrilled to see how Scouting CARES could make learning extra fun and relevant to their daily science lessons.

A significant highlight of the fall 2023 program was the field trip to the College Park Aviation Museum by Suitland Elementary School. These field trips expose students to new experiences as a substitute for traditional scouting activities. Exciting plans for 2024 include visits to the Air and Space Museum, The University of Maryland Greenhouse, and the Monuments in Washington D.C. Along with continuing to engage with possible new schools.  

NCAC Scout BSA Receives Lemelson Early Inventor Prize

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Hill H., a NCAC Scout from Maryland, created wearable devices to aid visually-impaired individuals. Hill’s invention earned him the Lemelson Early Inventor Prize. This award from the Lemelson Foundation recognizes and celebrates the achievements of individuals who have “demonstrated early excellence in inventing solutions to real-world challenges.”

Read the full story published by the Society for Science at this link:
Middle schooler creates sonar-enabled wearables to help visually impaired

Troop 12’s Fall Adventures!

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Scouts from Troop 12, sponsored by Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Herndon, VA have had quite the fall 2023 season so far.

On September 10th, the Troop 12 scouts were at Manassas Airport where each scout got to fly as a passenger in a single engine plane thanks to Dallas of Flywyld, LLC. This trip was a highlight of their working on their aviation merit badge. During this visit, each scout had to record certain facts and observations as a part of the merit badge requirements.

On Sept. 22nd, one of the Troop 12 Scouts, Ben, was on Good Morning America to show how a letterboard allows non-verbal people to communicate. That’s Ben in the front row with the glasses.

Then on October 6th – 8th, Troop 12 camped at Bear Wallow Camp at the larger Shrine Mont Retreat Center in Orkney Springs, VA, an Episcopal Diocese of Virginia camp. This was a cabin and tent camping event that started on Friday evening at 4pm. Parents and some scouts unloaded cars and set up rooms and beds and the rest of the Scouts checked out the camp. They were easily monitored as all cabins faced the 360 open pavilion. The Shrine Mont dinner bell tolled around 5:30 pm, so the group drove or hiked to the 2nd floor dining hall in the prominent white-with-green-trim 1850’s Virginia House at the center of town, passing inviting rockers out front. There was a wonderful aroma of abundant home cooked food waiting for the Scouts. After dinner, there was a campfire with s’mores, and everyone fell asleep to the sound of rain.

Saturday was blustery with increasing sun and falling temperatures. In the morning, Scouts hiked to one of the town springs, then up to the rustic, hand-built rock shrine to hear Assistant Scoutmaster Dave McDonald explain its history from the 1920’s on. After lunch, the Scouts drove to an orchard about 30 minutes away to explore, pick apples and take in the magnificent view of the fields and nearby Blue Ridge Mountain. As there were breaks in the day, groups would form to compete in heavy-duty Velcro axe throwing and cornhole. The group had fun developing the Scouts’ skills and camaraderie. The day ended with another roaring campfire and s’mores.

On Sunday after breakfast, Assistant Troop Chaplain Nick lead a prayer service in front of one of the cabins with the cabin steps as pews. After packing out of Shrine Mont, several families drove to explore nearby Lake Laura, then had lunch and headed home.

Scoutmaster Scott Smith reflected on the weekend, “Even though I can’t provide a long list of scout achievements, for our troop, I think this campout was a success. We got to spend quality time outdoors and inside with our scout sons and their families. We also got to focus more on them as we weren’t distracted or time constrained managing, preparing, and cleaning up for meals. Yes, in part it was glamping. But it was also very much an outdoor camping experience with cold, wind and rain. More than anything, I think it was a troop bonding opportunity. I’m not sure about everyone else, but I could tell that Brandon and I were both a little sad when we saw Orkney Springs in our rearview mirror.”

Troop 12 helped Holy Cross put on Trunk or Treat in the church’s parking lot on October 29th along with the Herndon Police Department.

Troop 12 is a special needs troop where the Scout never ages out. Troop 12 meets at Holy Cross most Tuesday nights from 7pm-8pm in the Fellowship Hall where they work on various merit badges and rank advancements. Stop by to see love and scouting in action!

 

Article submitted by Anne Geiger
Troop 12 Chartered Organization Representative (COR)
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
1090 Sterling Road Herndon, VA 20170
fellowshipchair@holycrosslutheranchurch.net

Virginia Scout Earns Prestigious Bernard Harris SUPERNOVA Stem Award

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FALLS CHURCH, VA (December 4, 2023)

Scout Joe H. of Falls Church, Virginia, became the first (and only) Scout in 2023 to earn the highly regarded Bernard Harris STEM Award for achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math in the National Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America (NCAC). According to Trisha Dalal, NCAC Director for STEM and Exploring, it is estimated that “fewer than 25 Bernard Harris Supernova awards have ever been awarded in our Council.”

The Dr. Bernard Harris Supernova Award was established by the Scouting Movement in the United States to encourage and recognize superior achievement in the STEM subjects of Science, Technology Engineering and Math and to inspire Scouts to explore the wonders of the cosmos and make a lasting impact on our world. It is the bronze (first) level of three Supernova Awards for Scouts BSA, which recognizes the achievements of Scouts who have displayed exceptional dedication, passion, and curiosity in the STEM fields.

Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr. is a distinguished pioneer who made history by becoming the first African American to walk in space. He embarked on this extraordinary journey aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 1995 during the STS-63 mission. Beyond his stellar achievements as an astronaut, Dr. Harris holds a medical degree and has dedicated his life to promoting STEM education among young people.

Joe H. is currently a Life Scout with BSA Troop 150 in Annandale, Virginia. He has earned over 100 of the 138 merit badges in Scouting. He is an officer of the local Chapter of the Order of the Arrow, the Honor Society for Scouting. Joe appeared in the November 2023 issue of the national SCOUT LIFE Magazine for placing fourth in the Under-15 Age Division of the U.S. National Championships in the Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon.