We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

The Scouter Digest Staff

Troop 1577 Preps Food at Anna Sudha Community Kitchen

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Troop 1577 volunteered at Anna Sudha Community Kitchens at the Dulles Town Center Mall. We prepared potatoes, onions and sliced bread. It was a lot of fun! It would be a great place to volunteer again. They welcome all Scouts to volunteer!

The volunteers at Anna Sudha said they appreciated our help especially because this week is Diwali and they are preparing extra food for the celebrations.

Anna Sudha feeds 2,500-3000 people per month by delivering meals to shelters and events. It’s an incredible effort by many volunteers!

If you would like to support the mission of this organization and also have a yummy meal, you can purchase dinners to-go. They sell for $8 per dish and the price goes down as you buy more meals.

They have events on Saturday nights and Sunday brunch where you pay a fee and taste many dishes to see what you like best.

Pack 257 In Cheverly Doubles Scouting for Food Donations

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Cub Scout Pack 257 and Boy Scout Troop 257 thank you everyone in Cheverly for their generous donations to the Scouting For Food program this year. We collected 1,580 pounds of food for donation to those in need as the holidays approach – that’s more than double last year’s donations! Cheverly really is an awesome town!

Poolesville Scout Awarded a National Conservation Medal

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Poolesville Scout Awarded a National Conservation Medal

The National Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) awarded Jason Woodman of Poolesville their Conservation Medal for his outstanding efforts to create a half-acre native plant pollinator habitat in Poolesville, MD. In March 2023, Jason organized 63 volunteers who planted 391 native straight species pollinator plants at the entrance to Stevens Park. Jason’s local newspaper published an article about him receiving this award (https://www.monocacymonocle.com/images/issues_2023/MM_2023-11.pdf page 28)

The beautiful habitat provides a source of native plants, nectar from spring to fall, and a new home for wildlife including a variety of pollinators such as butterflies, birds, and bees. Moreover, the town’s response to his project has been incredible. T own residents enjoy spending time in Jason’s stunning pollinator garden, photographing native flowers and local wildlife in it, and posting comments and photos about it on local Facebook groups. A local artist painted a watercolor of the garden, and a young Poolesville resident released her butterfly in it. Inspired by Jason’s project, some residents now want to create their own native pollinator gardens.

Jason said, “It’s really an amazing honor to be 16 and recognized by a national organization for the pollinator habitat I built. I put in over 187 hours planning and implementing this habitat.” Jason aims to complete a second project to earn the BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Award (https://www.scouting.org/outdoor-programs/conservation-and-environment/conservation-awards-and-recognitions/bsa-distinguished-conservation-service-award/)(DCSA). “It’s a very rare scouting award and my 2nd project proposal was just approved by the Town of Poolesville and by the National Capital Area Council Conservation Committee,” he said. “I’m ready to start work on it very soon.”

Congratulations to Jason for this remarkable achievement!

 

2024 NCAC Summer Camp Guide Now Available

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With the weather getting chilly, we can think fondly of summer camp and get excited for Summer 2024! Check out the 2024 NCAC Summer Camp Guide, available online.

www.ncacbsa.org/campguide

Find prices, dates, and details on all the National Capital Area Council Summer Camps for Summer 2024!

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Cub Scouts

Is your Scout going to be a rising Tiger, rising Wolf, Rising Bear, or rising Webelos or Arrow of Light? Find the Cub Scout Camp that’s right for your Scout!

Choose a local District Day and Twilight Camp for a wild time with the 2024 theme: Jungle Adventure.

Discover your powers and save the day at Camp William B. Snyder with the 2024 theme: Superheroes. Attend a Day Camp, stay overnight on a Resident Weekend, or join the staff for a special Family 4th of July Weekend.

Are your rising Webelos and AOL dens looking for a weeklong adventure? Camp Ross is Goshen Scout Reservation’s dedicated overnight camp. The theme this summer is Indiana Ross. Avoid traps, find clues, and fool villains in an adventurous week!

Scouts BSA

There are plenty of options for Scouts BSA – whether they have been in the Troop for a while or are going to be bridging in next spring. There are camps for both units and individuals.

Camps Bowman, Marriott, and Olmsted at Goshen Scout Reservation offer a variety of dining options, unique and favorite Merit Badges and activities, and exciting programs for new Scouts, older Scouts, and all the Scouts in between.

Finish out your summer with Camp Catoctin BSA’s expert Merit Badge counselors in mid-August.

Is your Scout not able to attend camp with their Troop? Are they looking for a second week? Check out our options for individual scouts! Goshen runs Provisional Camp each week and Camp Snyder has two different Scout Specialty Weeks with both overnight and day camp options.

Older Scouts, Venturers, & Sea Scouts

Need more adventure for older Scouts, Venturers, and Sea Scouts? Sign your unit up for a backpacking & adventure activity trek or a river canoe trek at Goshen’s Lenhok’sin High Adventure.

Individuals can find adventure with a High Adventure Base Trip to Philmont, Northern Tier, Sea Base, and Lenhok’sin High Adventure with a council contingent run by the NCAC High Adventure Committee.

Order of the Arrow members should also check out GOAT, the Goshen Order of the Arrow Trail Crew, involving cheerful service on trail maintenance and a classic Lenhok’sin backpacking and activity trek at a reduced rate.

Those ages 14 and up who just cannot get enough summer camp should submit an application to join Summer Camp staff! Interviews will begin in January for the Summer 2024 season.

Be sure to check out the online 2024 NCAC Summer Camp Guide for all the details  and pictures of the possibilities for your summer! Get outdoors, have fun, and find your next summer adventure!

Visit the Summer Adventure page for information on all these camp options!

Celebrating Our 500th Baloo the Builder Adventure!

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On October 22nd, Bears from Pack 1139 completed their Baloo the Builder Adventure in Michael’s Woodshop. They learned about useful tools to have in their toolboxes and practiced using clamps, sanding blocks, hammers and nail punches. They made a golf tee game board as their “fun project” and after sanding, they applied a clear polyurethane finish. Finally, as their “useful project”, each Bear made their own toolbox. It was a couple of hours very well spent and not only did these Bears learn a few things and have some fun but, they also earned the distinction of having among their Den the 500th Bear to complete the Baloo the Builder Adventure in Michael’s Woodshop!

The Baloo the Builder and Webelos Build It Workshops are two of the most popular activities in Michael’s Woodshop. These workshops are great, hands-on activities that are fun, learning experiences for the Cub Scouts. To learn more about these workshops and the many other shop activities available, or to reserve the shop for an activity, please visit the Michael’s Woodshop webpage. Start planning now to schedule an activity for your unit in the spring.

With continuing high demand for woodshop activities, we recently announced the expansion of the woodshop. To support the additional work space we need additional tooling and are seeking additional volunteers to join the Woodshop Team. There are roles available for experienced woodworkers, Woodwork Merit Badge Counselors, and both adult and youth assistants. For more information about becoming a volunteer or donating tools, please see our recent article Michael’s Woodshop is Expanding! or email us at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com for additional information.

 

                                                                                           

Troop 1577 Enjoys Chopped Cooking & Video Game Campout

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Troop 1577 had a fantastic campout on October 28-29 at Lake Fairfax! It started with dropping off the Scouts at a location about 25 minutes away from camp, and they found their way back for Camping merit badge requirement 3.

Next the Scouts made scrumptious meals using only Dutch oven, foil or skewers for Cooking merit badge requirement 5d. At this Chopped cooking competition, the pre-announced ingredient was chicken and the surprise ingredient was apple. Patrols came prepared with a ingredients and a plan ready to pivot if needed. The meals were scored on taste, presentation, teamwork, cleanliness, use of ingredients and technical complexity.

Next the Scouts had a video game competition on a big screen set up in the forest! Scouts made monkey bread in a Dutch oven as a snack.

Thank you to all the Scouts and adults who helped make this event such a success!

Photos by Carla Brown & Bill Wacek