Mickey Nemier

This Scout’s Quick Thinking Saved a Man from a House Fire!

June 17, 2024 by Mickey Nemier

The National Certificate of Merit may be awarded to a youth member or adult leader who has performed a significant act of service that is deserving of special national recognition.

Congratulations to Amy E. on earning the Certificate of Merit for saving a sleeping homeowner from a house fire!

Amy was walking her dog in May of 2023 when she heard a smoke detector going off. She saw a steady stream of smoke coming out of two windows on the top level of a nearby house. While there was no car in the driveway and no lights in the house, when there was no sign of activity, she ran home to get help from an adult. Amy’s mother called 911 and waited with Amy across the street from the house. She told the firefighters what she saw. The firefighters entered the house and found the homeowner there. He was asleep. There was a fire on the stovetop. The homeowner was taken to the hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.

These Two Scouts Expertly Applied First-Aid to Treat a Fellow Scout!

June 14, 2024 by Mickey Nemier

On June 2, 2024, at the National Capital Area Council Court of Honor, Aditya K. and Sheil S. earned the Certificate of Merit for working together to care for an injured Scout.

At about 8:50 on April 23, 2023, Senior Patrol Leader Aditya K. was called and went to see what happened when he saw his fellow Scout Sreedhar lying face up in the grass, covered in blood. He called for Sheil S, who was sitting near the campfire, to grab his first-aid kit.

Sreedhar appeared to be going into shock, so Aditya told Sreedhar to take deep and big breaths to calm him down while Sheil put on gloves and began methodically cleaning Sreedhar’s head, wiping the blood off Sreedhar’s face, noticing he had a bloody nose.

They learned that Sreedhar had run, face-first, into a tree while trying to catch a football. They checked for additional injuries, including possible dental injuries, and evaluated Sreedhar for a concussion. After treating Shreedhar’s head, Aditya and Sheil had him stand and identified a large bruise on his leg, which was treated with an ice pack.

The National Certificate of Merit may be awarded to a youth member or adult leader who has performed a significant act of service that is deserving of special national recognition. Congratulations to Aditya and Sheil for being recognized for their helpfulness and first-aid skills during this incident!

2024 Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award goes to Jason!

June 13, 2024 by Mickey Nemier

The Glen and Melinda Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year award is presented to recognize valuable service of an exceptional nature by a Scout to a religious institution, a school, a community, or another entity while doing their Eagle Scout service project.

Congratulations to Jason W. on earning this year’s Glen A. and Melinda W. Adams Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award at the 2024 NCAC Court of Honor!

Jason is a 16-year-old Eagle Scout with Troop 1094 in Darnestown, Maryland. He and his family travel around the United States. Their goal is to see all 50 states by the time he graduates high school. He plans to attend college to become a wildlife biologist.

Jason’s Eagle project was to build a ½ acre pollinator habitat in Poolesville. “When it came time to plan my Eagle project, I knew it was important to me to make an environmental impact.” The day of Jason’s project it poured buckets of rain, but 60 people arrived and planted 300 plants. His next goal is to earn the BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Award. Scan the QR Code to watch a video explanation!

This Young Scout Safely Saved his Grandmother from a House Fire!

June 12, 2024 by Mickey Nemier

The Heroism Award may be awarded to a youth member or adult leader who has demonstrated heroism and skill in saving or attempting to save a life at more than minimal personal risk to self.

At the National Capital Area Council Court of Honor held on Sunday, June 2, 2024, Xavier P. received a Heroism Award for taking quick action to protect his grandmother and her pets during a home fire.

On July 16, 2022, while spending the night at his grandmother’s house, the attic of the house caught fire at 4:35 a.m. while everyone was asleep. Xavier was extremely brave and calm. He not only woke up his grandmother, but he also helped rescue her pets and made sure everyone evacuated safely. After Xavier and his grandmother got out of the house, they waited in the front with the other residents who all had evacuated safely. Once the fire department arrived, Xavier’s grandmother drove him to his mother’s house, where they spent the rest of the night. His mother later noted that Xavier was very kind and helpful while his grandmother recovered and secured new housing.

Thank you, Xavier for your quick action during an emergency and for exemplifying the Scout Law afterwards!

Congratulation to these Scouts who Earned Messenger of Peace Awards!

June 6, 2024 by Mickey Nemier

The World Organization of Scouting Movement’s (WOSM) Messenger of Peace Program (MoP) was initiated within BSA in 2012 and revamped in 2023. The Messengers of Peace program encourages Scouts worldwide to contribute positively to their communities and to make the world a better place. This unique service-oriented endeavor aims to promote a culture of peace and dialogue for mutual understanding, promote service initiatives led by Scouts, support the development of young people affected by conflict situations, provide further connection to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and connect Scouts around the world in a global network of 20 million Messengers of Peace. All members of Scouts BSA – both youth and adults – are eligible to participate at various levels of engagement: personal for individual achievement, Champion for those who create and run an MoP project, Ambassador for those who create and run a project in partnership with another organization, and a few select projects of extraordinary accomplishment, called the Distinguished Service Project, awarded at the National level. There is also a Unit MoP award for Units having at least 60 percent of their registered members participate in a service project suitable for the age level of the Scouts.

These are the first awards granted by the National Capital Area Council since the revised program entered into effect. The two Scouts who earned these awards are Tariq G., who earned MoP Champion, and Kiernan E., who earned MoP Ambassador.

Tariq G. is an Eagle Scout in Troop 1137B, Sully District, and a senior at Centreville High School in Clifton, Virginia. He completed his Eagle Scout and Messenger of Peace Champion Award Project at The Middleridge Park in Fairfax, Virginia. The Project was community based and entailed removing invasive plant species and spreading native seeds to replace the lost foliage. The targeted species were not eradicated, but significant progress was made in reintroducing native plants as the dominant group in the area. His project reduced the number of Boxwood and Wisteria plants, which will give much-needed real estate to native saplings and shrubs. He led 113 people, including BSA Scouts, BSA Scouters, other youth, and adults, over four days and 432 hours. His project enabled 10 BSA Scouts & Scouters to earn their Messenger of Peace Ring.

Kiernan E. is an Eagle Scout in Troop 1137G, Sully District, and a junior at Centreville High School in Clifton, Virginia. She completed her Eagle Scout and Messenger of Peace Ambassador Award Project at The Arlington-Fairfax Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA) in Centreville, Virginia. The Project was community based and entailed removing invasive plant species in three phases. Phase three had an educational component and was incorporated into the Nature Station at the annual Sully District Twilight Camp held at the IWLA. She led 125 people, including Cub Scouts, BSA Scouts, BSA Scouters, parents, and siblings over seven days and 272 hours. Together, they removed 134 Autumn Olive Trees and 57 bags of other invasive plants. Her project enabled 35 BSA Scouts & Scouters to earn their Messenger of Peace Ring.

Scouts meet Former President during Annual Memorial Day Service Event!

May 29, 2024 by Mickey Nemier

Members of Troops 1107B/G gathered at Alexandria National Cemetery for the Troops’ annual Memorial Day service event, placing flags and flowers on each of the graves of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

Former President Barack Obama was also in attendance, speaking prior to the distribution and honoring several service members by placing flags on their final resting places. According to the Military Times, there are more than 4,000 graves at Alexandria National Cemetery, and typically, a president is not part of the event put on by the Veterans of Foreign War Post 609.

Obama said, also according to Military Times, “One of the greatest honors of my life was the privilege of serving as commander-in-chief, and with pride also came sometimes heartbreak and loss.”

He added, “And the sober recognition of the sacrifices that so many Americans and their families have made to preserve our freedom. As we go out here, I hope that we just reflect and say a prayer for and say thanks for those who came before us. And for those of you who are still serving those of you who may be serving in the future, thanks to you as well.”

Thomas (TJ) D. of Troop 1107B in the Colonial District was among the members who first handed out the flags and flowers to other volunteers before placing them on the graves himself. He said of the annual event, “I do the flags every year to honor the people who give their life for this country, and this is a way to honor them each year with the Flags In and Wreaths Across America.”

TJ met Mr. Obama after the event. Although the former president was leaving, Obama took a moment to shake TJ’s hand and spent a few minutes talking with him about being a Scout and earning an Eagle.

Victoria W. of Troop 1107G said, “Being at the Memorial Day remembrance was a very special and significant thing for people, and especially for me as a scout to do. Memorial Day is more about remembering those who died to save us and our country and making sure that they receive the respect and admiration that they worked so hard to earn. Even with the surprise and exciting visit from former President Obama, I think the main focus was on those who had their names inscribed on the tombstones, with flags and flowers in honor of them lying there as well. I am very proud that we got to help, whether it be handing out flowers and flags or laying/placing those flags and flowers on the graves. I am thankful for all the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice, and appreciative that I was invited to help show my gratitude.”

Troop 1107G’s Sophie W. said, “I thought putting the flags and flowers by the graves was important because we were honoring the people who served in the military and who died while serving. It felt good to know that we were able to honor them. I also thought it was really cool that former President Obama was there. I haven’t met a President before and not a lot of people get to meet one. It was cool that I was standing about six feet from a former President!”

Her brother Sean W., a Cub Scout in Pack 867, said, “I wanted to help put flags in because it’s like the wreath-laying we did last December. We are remembering the people who died serving our country, and that’s important. It was exciting to see former President Obama. I wish I could have gotten his autograph and shaken his hand.”

Troop 1107B’s Troop Guide, Caleb W., said, “Placing the flags and flowers on each grave illustrated the Scout Law that all Scouts should live by. “The Scout Law emphasizes reverence as one of the most important parts of a Scout’s life, while we were honoring the sacrifices of all the men and women who had made the ultimate sacrifice. The experience of meeting former President Obama was cool, and although he previously held presidential office, that day he was just like us, just there to give back to those who gave everything.”

According to the cemetery’s website, Alexandria National Cemetery was one of the first 14 national cemeteries created in 1862. Its graves date back to the Civil War. Within two years, the cemetery was nearly filled, leading to the creation of Arlington National Cemetery. To read more about the cemetery and some of the notable people buried there, visit the cemetery’s website.