We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Ashante Corey-Bey

NCAC Scout Wins Local and State SAR Eagle Scholarship

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Ethan Morlu of NCAC Troop 1369, chartered by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7916, is an accomplished Eagle Scout and citizen. His application and essay earned First Place with the COL William Grayson Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and again at the SAR State level competition for Virginia.

Ethan got involved in Scouting in preschool by tagging along at his older brother’s Cub Scout Pack meetings.  He spoke very fondly about his earlier memories in Scouting  ” I had so much fun spending time with my older brother’s den, learning both scouting skills and doing quirky activities. We made air vortex cannons and chased each other around shooting rings of smoke. I also loved the energy of the monthly Pow Wows, where they would host a raffle, announce achievements, and the different groups would put on skits. The pack was also very welcoming to families, letting siblings build and race pinewood derby cars in the annual race. Due to how much I enjoyed my time tagging along to meetings, I was so excited when my mother decided to sign me up for the program.”
Ethan has been involved in Scouting ever since, holding several leadership positions in his Troop. Ultimately Etahn decided to pursue his Eagle Scout rank, completing environmental projects for a local Middle School. Ethan was introduced to the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) when he was presented his Eagle Scout SAR certificate at his troop’s court of honor by Tim Cline.
The SAR’s Eagle Scout Scholarship competition began in 1980 and is composed of three parts –  an essay, an application whose criteria includes leadership, merit badges, and volunteering; and a four generation Ancestor chart. Tim Cline leads the competition for the Col William Grayson Chapter of the SAR which covers the Sully, Patriot, and Prince William Districts of NCAC. This is the third year in a row the winner of the Virginia State level competition came from NCAC and the Col William Grayson SAR Chapter! The SAR supports the local community in many ways by providing historic preservation of sites and artifacts related to the American Revolution, providing Color Guards in Continental or Militia uniforms for meetings or events such as Wreaths Across America, and presenting to student youth groups about the American flag just to name a few.
With encouragement from Tim and the SAR Eagle Scout Scholarship team, Ethan began to write his essay. Ethan recalled:
“My essay was about Jeremiah O’Brien and the capture of the Margaretta. This was a naval skirmish that took place after the townsfolk of Machias, Maine, had set up a liberty tree celebrating the victories at Lexington and Concord. A British ship accompanying a merchant ship threatened to raze the town to the ground if they did not remove the liberty tree. The town responded by rallying behind O’Brien, commandeering the merchant ship, and capturing the British ship in a naval battle. I had never heard of Jeremiah O’Brien before drafting this essay, much less the Battle of Machias. To me, it seemed like an obscure part of the Revolutionary War that was important for others to know about. I also felt as though it was a perfect example of how the fight for liberty was each colonist’s responsibility and is something important to fight for.”

When asked what he learned most during his scholarship application process Ethan shared “With each scholarship, I have to transcribe my experiences, successes, and growth on paper, and seriously examine where I’ve come from and where I am going in life. I’ve found that I’ve come to appreciate the aspects of research and introspection that comes with the process. This scholarship has once again reminded me of how I’ve spent much of my life helping others and improving myself in the process. It also reminded me that despite my tendency to dwell on my failures, I have accomplished a lot to be proud of. I also have strong support from my family and other mentors who have watched me grow over the years and shaped me to be the person I am today. Winning this scholarship makes me feel blessed to know people want me to succeed and are helping me along the way.

Ethan is now studying Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  He continues to be a scholar and a leader working diligently through his courses. He explained “Throughout my years in scouting, I’ve spent a lot of time developing my leadership. I attended National Youth Leadership Training at Impeesa when I was 13 and served as Instructor, Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader, Junior Assistant Scoutmaster, and now Assistant Scoutmaster over the course of my time with my troop. This leadership has been instrumental as I’ve gone into college, knowing when to step up and lead while working on team projects. Additionally, scouting has helped instill a strong moral compass within me through the scout law and oath, giving me a guide for navigating situations and finding people who share my values. Heading into my future, I will be able to become a leader in industry, implementing the values that I gained through scouting.”

Ethan and his brother, Nathan Morlu, were also among the 13 service-minded students across the U.S. and Canada who were chosen for the Chick-Fil-A Scholars Inaugural Class. Chick-fil-A, Inc. has awarded more than $25 million in scholarships in 2023, investing in higher education for more than 13,000 restaurant team members, and now for the first time, outstanding community members. Read more at https://www.chick-fil-a.com/stories/inside-chick-fil-a/community-members-surprised-with-scholarships

NCAC Congratulates Ethan, Nathan and the entire Morlu family on these amazing accomplishments!

 

2023 NCAC Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year

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Ian pictured with this year’s recipients of the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Awards at Tuesday’s banquet

Each year, the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA) sponsors council, regional and national level recognition of the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. This year, Ian Wallace of Troop 1523 was chosen as the NCAC receipient. Ian’s interest in technology, coding, and computers inspired him to teach students how to assemble PCs. For his project he reached out to his community and posted ads in the local paper for donations of computer hardware, then cleaned and made fixes to all the donated computers and took out the hard drives to be used in desktops. Ian then taught students at Annandale High School how to install the Motherboard, CPU, RAM, hard drive, graphics card, power supply, and fans for each computer. Annandale High School has a large population of ESOL students with English being their second language. Ian’s leadership skills and experience teaching other Scouts to assemble PCs allowed him to effectively communicate each part of the building process to the students who now have the ability to assemble computers for the rest of their lives. After completing the course, the students were gifted the computers they had learned to assemble.

On Tuesday night, Ian shared about his service project and other experiences at the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Awards (NOESA) Banquet where it was announced that he has been selected as the National Service Territory 12 recipient of the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award for 2023. His project was one of  111 council winners nationwide submitted to be reviewed at the National Service Territory (NST) level. He is now one of 16 NST winners being reviewed for national recognition and the winner will be announced in May. Congratulations Ian and thank you for your service to your community and in Scouting!

National Women’s History Month: Elisabeth Warren The First Woman Goshen Scout Reservation Director

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NCAC would like to welcome and honor Elisabeth Warren as the first woman to serve as Goshen Scout Reservation Director. She has a passion for all things outdoors. Elisabeth’s family was heavily involved in Scouting and encouraged her to participate very early on. Her first time at Goshen and her experiences through Scouting encouraged her to pursue a degree in Environmental Science at Dickinson College. This will be Elisabeth’s 7th summer at Goshen but her first as Reservation Director. She acknowledges the lasting impact of women in Scouting before her. Elisabeth also encourages younger Scouts to follow their interests, pursue leadership positions, and never give up! She is a trailblazer in our Council and we are proud to honor her this Women’s History Month!

Visit the link to hear more about Goshen and her amazing journey of becoming Goshen Scout Reservation Director: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BkQBm1JhIs

NCAC STEM Program Participates in RSC Grand Reopening

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Last week, NCAC’s STEM programs participated in the Rockville Science Center (RSC) grand “re-opening” celebration. Our STEM Scouts and STEM Explorers joined dignitaries, including Rockville Mayor, representatives from the Rockville City Council, Montgomery County Council, and Rockville Chamber of Commerce, to present Post 1010’s Advisor and RSC President, Bob Ekman, with six awards. NBC anchor Melissa Mollett emceed the event, spoke of her own children’s interest in science, and chatted with our representing Explorers, Scouts, and advisors.

The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation brought a film crew and will feature our STEM Explorers in their “Be Next” campaign – stay tuned!

The RSC’s Explorer Post 1010 has over 40 youth and participates in four national engineering competitions. Their Explorers have won several national awards; most notably their drone and rocketry teams placed at the top in national competitions. Proudly displayed from the ceiling of the Rockville Science Center is a 6’ model rocket that these Explorers designed in a program with NASA last year; this year, the Explorers are building a 7’ model rocket. The Montgomery County representatives expressed interest in expanding the STEM Explorers program within the County.

During the event, RSC proudly portrayed all the ways NCAC partners with their program and our STEM Explorers were staples of the exhibition. RSC holds physics of Pinewood Derby classes for Cub Scouts, STEM Merit Badge workshops, and they sponsor three NCAC units. In addition to Explorer Post 1010, and the STEM Scouts Lab, RSC recently charted Scout BSA Troop 1325 with the help of a Seneca District volunteer and RSC employee, Howard Lichtman. Eagle Scouts from Troop 1325 have participated in building projects for RSC including designing and assembling bookshelves. The NCAC thanks the Rockville Science Center for the many Scouting opportunities -in and out of STEM – that they provide.

Any girl or boy in grades 3-8  is welcome to be a part of NCAC’s STEM Scout Program. To read more about the different labs and opportunities to explore STEM, go to www.ncacbsa.org/stem.

National Women’s History Month: Julia Mae-Shen Lesko NCAC’s First Female Council Commissioner

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NCAC honors Julia Mae-Shen Lesko, she is the first woman to serve as Council Commissioner. Julia is an integral part of NCAC, specializing in youth and adult training.  She has trained Scouts and Scouters from around the world. Volunteers like Julia are what help NCAC provide our Scouts with quality programs and experiences.

When asked about her inspiration to continue her scouting journey through volunteering she stated: “I was a tag-along little sister to an Eagle Scout brother. My late father has been my inspiration in Scouting. He believed in the values of Scouting. He lived the values of Scouting every day. He instilled the value of Scouting in his children and his grandson. When my brother started in Cub Scouts, mom, and dad were den leaders. They would always have a table for me so I could do everything the boys did. When I was growing up, the BSA was not open to me, but I was a Girl Scout and an Explorer. I am so excited that Scouting has evolved into Family Scouting, and today there is a place for everyone in Scouting. Scouting has always been an important part of our family for three generations. I see how Scouting has had a positive impact on the life of my Eagle Scout son, his friends, the local community, and the global community.”

As a youth, Julia enjoyed Scouting as a Brownie, Girl Scout (First Class), and BSA Explorer (Scout Band). A passionate trainer, Julia is grateful for her many opportunities in Scouting to develop and deliver training to youth and adult leaders. She has developed training on three BSA national task forces: as chair of the Commissioner College Curriculum Update Task Force, as a member of the Wood Badge Update Task Force-Leadership Team, and as a writer of original training materials for the Cub Scout Roundtable Planning Guide Task Force. She has trained Scouts and Scouters from around the world at Philmont Training Center, Summit Bechtel Reserve, Florida Sea Base, and National Order of the Arrow Conference.  She is the immediate past National Wood Badge Coordinator and a former Regional Wood Badge Coordinator, Northeast Region area training chair, Order of the Arrow lodge training adviser, council training chair, and council Wood Badge coordinator.

While in college and law school, Julia served as a Girl Scout leader, Philmont Training Center summer staff, and BSA Explorer Post advisor. When her son joined Pack 1861 in Clifton, VA, as a Tiger Cub in 2003, Julia became the assistant Cubmaster and later Cubmaster. In response to requests to help start new packs, Julia helped start Pack 1136 at a new elementary school in Sully District and Pack 187 at Fairfax United Methodist Church in George Mason District, where she continues to serve as the unit commissioner. Julia served 12 years as an assistant Scoutmaster and Goshen summer camp coordinator for Troop 187, and later as assistant Crew Advisor for Crew 4. During this time, she also served at the district level as a district training chair, assistant roundtable commissioner, day camp coordinator, and district nominating chair; and at the council level as an assistant council commissioner (ACC) in various roles, which includes five years as the ACC- Commissioner College Dean

During her 23 years as a Scouter, Julia serves regularly as an instructor and/or midway coordinator for Cub Scout Leader Pow Wow, University of Scouting, and National Camp School-Day Camp Administration. She also has served as conference faculty and chair for the Northeast Region Wood Badge Course Director Conference and as course director for Wood Badge and for National Youth Leadership Training. As the Goshen Training Initiative coordinator (2009-2019) prior to the pandemic, Julia set up and delivered adult leader training every year at Goshen Summer Camp Week 1, and recruited volunteer trainers to fill the other weeks. She also served on SCUBA staff at three national scout jamborees and on Visitor Experience staff at the last world scout jamboree.

Julia also shared “I am proud to serve as the Council Commissioner and chief morale officer of the National Capital Area Council.  I give my heartfelt thanks to all the dedicated volunteers and professionals committed to making sure our Scouts and Scouters have a great Scouting experience as we join together to be the heart, build relationships, and change lives through Scouting!”

Julia believes in resilience and that we can make a positive difference in the lives of all youth through Scouting. A Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow, Julia is the recipient of the Silver Buffalo Award, Silver Antelope Award, Silver Beaver Award, District Award of Merit, NCAC’s Andrew D. Grafton Exceptional Trainer Award, Philmont Training Center Masters Track Award (and device), and numerous other square knot training awards.

She is the proud mother of Timothy Farr, an Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow, married to Bethany St. Thomas, who earned her silver award and served as a Girl Scout ambassador. Julia is a member of Fairfax United Methodist Church, where she served 18 years as a handbell director, and founded the children’s handbell choir in 1991. A past Fairfax County Civil Service Commissioner and certified mediator, she is retired from serving as the Deputy Director for Case Management and Attorney Development at the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, where she had been regulating our nation’s freight railroads for over 34 years. She is married to Lieutenant Colonel (retired) John Lesko, an executive coach/facilitator, BSA COPE facilitator, and Wood Badge Scouter, who proudly serves as her wonderfully supportive aide to camp.

Thank you, Julia, for sharing your knowledge through training and being an amazing asset to NCAC’s Executive Committee.

 

Nygard Yeckley Skills Regatta 2023

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Registration for the Nygard Yeckly Skills Regatta on Saturday, April 29, 2023, is OPEN! Join the NCAC SeaScouts to test your seamanship. A hot lunch, patch and memories to last a lifetime. Overnight camping is also available. It’s open to all Scouts – those competing must be 14 plus. All those in attendance 18 and up must have a current BSA.

REGISTER: https://scoutingevent.com/082-seascoutregatta

Scouters will be able to practice:

  • First aid
  • Knot tying
  • Radio Communications
  • Small boat handling

Plus much, much more!

Make sure to review the boarding manual for information about gear, eligibility to compete, and sign-ups for each event. We hope to see you there!