We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

The Scouter Digest Staff

Earth Rocks!

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On November 19, dozens of Cub Scouts and STEM Scouts found their way to George Mason University’s Fairfax Campus, where the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences’ Geology group hosted interactive workshops.

The activities included learning how to identify different rocks and minerals, learning how to read topographic and geologic maps, creating mineral hardness tests, recognizing geologic materials around the house, and discussing the wide range of activities that can be part of a geologist’s work day.

Webelos earned the “Earth Rocks” adventure by attending the workshop, and all Cubs earned some requirements towards their Nova: Down and Dirty STEM Award!

Best of all, the scouts benefitted from the incredible instruction directly from GMU’s AOES faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students. This event was designed by Dr. Julia Nord in 2014 who designed the program with Northern Virginia Mineral Club’s then president Jim Kostka and NCAC Powhatan District’s then STEM Coordinator Tony Petruzzi. After a hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to covid protocols on campus, we are delighted that GMU welcomed our scouts again for this always popular opportunity! We are thankful to Dr. Julia Nord and Dr. Jules Goldspiel for their leadership in reviving this excellent program, as well as to all the students in GMU’s STEM accelerator who supported the activities.

After the Geology activities, the scouts were able to visit the Gem and Mineral show on the GMU campus. The show is co-sponsored by the Northern Virginia Mineral Club, and the timing of the show is coordinated with the Scouting event to help make a full day of geology centered activities. The show was also open to all GMU students and the public, and it was by all reports a fun and successful event for the students, community, vendors and the Friends of Mineralogy Virginia Chapter.

To learn more about the scouting Nova Awards: www.scouting.org/STEM
To learn more about upcoming NCAC STEM events: www.ncacbsa.org/STEM

Backpacking Trek: Looking for Campers!

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The NCAC High Adventure Committee is sponsoring a Provisional backpacking trek at Lenhok’sin High Adventure (Goshen Scout Reservation), July 2 – 8, 2023 (Week 2 Session)!

Lenhok’sin High Adventure is NCAC’s very own high adventure base, located at the Goshen Scout Reservation. Offering week-long backpacking and canoeing treks, Lenhok’sin is a platform to “plan your own adventure” and train for future high adventure opportunities, including Philmont and Northern Tier.

On a Lenhok’sin backpacking trek, each crew is able to personally tailor their itinerary to fit their level of experience and unit’s goals. Backpack through 4,000+ acres of the Goshen Scout Reservation and the 35,000 acres of the surrounding state wildlife game lands. Participate in outpost programs, including caving, blacksmithing, COPE, black powder rifle shooting, and more! Challenge your Crew to summit the five mountain peaks and earn awards along the way. Lenhok’sin is an opportunity for challenge, excitement, and growth for all scouts and scouters.

This crew is for individual Venturers and Scouts, ages 14+. Interested individuals who are 12 (13 by September 1, 2023) or 13 years old should contact the trek leaders first for information on attending.

Registration costs for 2023 is $485/youth and $265/adult. Enjoy a $30 discount if you register before the Early Bird Deadline on April 14, 2023. Camperships are available on the Goshen website: www.gotogoshen.org/camperships

Learn more about Lenhok’sin High Adventure and the Backpacking Trek at www.gotogoshen.org/lenhoksin

Register and get contact information for the NCAC High Adventure Committee Provisional Backpacking Trek Crew at https://scoutingevent.com/082-65212

Learn more about the NCAC High Adventure Committee and other high adventure trips for Summer 2022 at www.ncacbsa.org/high-adventure

Art and Science Find Parallels within the Fearful Symmetry NOVA

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If you were to look up the meaning of Symmetry, you would find definitions that relate to mathematics, physics, and art. The Fearful Symmetry NOVA award highlights these parallel concepts between Art and Science by investigating symmetry found within different cultural art forms. Pack 278 Cub Scouts visited the Gandhi Memorial Center in Bethesda, Maryland to attend a Kolam workshop taught by Shanthi Chandrasekar and her daughter, Aishwariya Chandrasekar. Kolam are passed down generationally and compose of a series of dots and lines creating patterns with varying motifs and forms of symmetry.

Cub Scouts learned about the history and cultural significance of the Kolam and explored the many forms of symmetry found within them. While learning to draw different Kolam, they also gained a better understanding on the concept of fractals. Aishwariya demonstrated the traditional way Kolam are created using rice flour and sand and had the Cub Scouts do their best at creating their own. Following the workshop, Cub Scouts viewed Aishwariya’s art collection called Thalaimuraigal, Three Generations of Kolam, displayed within the Gandhi Memorial Center. The collection showcases Kolam created by Aishwariya’s grandmother, mother, and herself.

Shanthi describes Kolam as, “a versatile tool for her to explore topics she is curious about, such as cosmology, neuroscience, and math.” The connection between the art form and STEM concepts is especially clear at her art installation, Singularities and Infinities, displayed at the Katzan Art Center at American University. Pack 278 Cub Scouts ventured to the Katzan Art Center following the workshop to continue their investigation into the parallels between Art and Science.

Experimental Particle Physicist, Michael Albrow, combined prose and poetry with Shanthi’s artwork to explore and express concepts of the cosmos. Found within the Artists’ Statement, the following best explains the goal of the Fearful Symmetry NOVA; “While artists and scientists view the universe through different disciplinary lenses, there is much in common – a sense of wonder and beauty, a fascination with the unknown, the boundaries of our knowledge, the perfect symmetries and broken symmetries.” Pack 278 Cub Scouts, parents, and leaders left the day with a better understanding of how symmetry can be found within their everyday life.

Kudos to National Outdoor Ethics Award Recipient NCAC Scouter Paul Schimke

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Please join the NCAC Outdoor Ethics Committee in congratulating our very own scouter, Leave No Trace Master Educator & instructor extraordinaire Paul Schimke for receiving the prestigious Outdoor Ethics Distinguished Service Award! This highly coveted national award is presented by the BSA Outdoor Ethics & Conservation Subcommittee to an individual or organization who has provided distinguished service & leadership in support of outdoor ethics in the Scouting program. The nominee must have provided exceptional service and leadership to outdoor ethics in the Scouting program above & beyond the basic responsibilities outlined in their job description. This award is intended to recognize service with a scope of responsibility beyond the council level. Fewer than 30 individuals & organizations have earned this award!

For those of you who do not know Paul, he has volunteered tirelessly to educate scouts & scouters about outdoor ethics. He has taught 23 Leave No Trace Trainer courses to over 250 students! He has also taught countless Leave No Trace 101 & Outdoor Ethics Orientation courses, reaching hundreds if not thousands of students. In addition to teaching, over the years he developed a very comprehensive curriculum with a robust, modular, reusable set of training materials that made instruction easy for course staff & learning easy for students. Paul also helped develop a set of training materials that were used to teach Leave No Trace at Goshen Scout Reservation. Paul plays a key leadership role in the NCAC Outdoor Ethics Committee providing priceless guidance, insights, updates & help where needed. He leverages his position as the Leave No Trace Maryland & DC State Advocate to support Leave No Trace training within scouting; this includes access to Leave No Trace booth kits & to events such as Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers & Hot Spots. Paul’s reach goes far beyond our NCAC council; as the lead of the national Outdoor Ethics & Conservation Round Tables, hundreds of scouters & scouts have attended these national Round Tables, viewed the videos, downloaded the slides, & clicked links to additional materials. In addition to Paul’s incredible efforts to promote Leave No Trace, Paul is also a Leopold Education Project Facilitator for the Aldo Leopold Foundation & regularly includes lessons on the Land Ethic in various scouting events.

Previous recipient Josh Lamothe presented the award to Paul at the 2022 National Outdoor Ethics & Conservation Conference at the Bert Adams Scout Reservation in Georgia. Here is an excerpt from Josh’s remarks:

“Paul has been active in sharing outdoor ethics in the National Capital Area Council for over 20 years. He completed his Master Educator course in 2011 and since that time has organized and facilitated more than 20 Leave No Trace Trainer courses in multiple states and councils. Paul has been a leader in developing material and systems for conducting online trainer courses during the pandemic, enabling Scouts and adult leaders to learn about Leave No Trace during a time when record numbers of people were heading outdoors to enjoy our public lands. Paul has led outdoor ethics activities during council and area events as well as for outside organizations as Maryland’s Leave No Trace State Advocate. Paul is a Leopold Education Project facilitator, helping incorporate the Land Ethic into Scouting and a key member of the Outdoor Ethics and Conservation Sub-committee operations groups, helping to develop and deliver monthly online outdoor ethics roundtables. Please join me in congratulating Paul Schimke in receiving the Outdoor Ethics Distinguished Service Award.”

We are incredibly lucky to have Paul in NCAC & we thank him for his phenomenal efforts in teaching outdoor ethics!

Join 2023 Camp Staff

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Is a week of summer camp not enough? Spend the whole summer! Get out of the house and into the outdoors. Each summer, our summer camps employ close to 300 youth and adults as camp staff – one of the coolest summer jobs you could ever have! Work a fun summer job and get valuable experience and trainings to put on your resume and valuable skills to bring to future summers at camp and other future jobs.

Camp Snyder and the six camps of Goshen Scout Reservation are seeking motivated and enthusiastic individuals who enjoy the outdoors to be part of the Summer 2023 Camp Staff. Which camp is the best fit for you?

Engage your imagination and have a chance to lead your favorite Cub Scout activity at Camp Snyder. Create fun for Cub Scouts and their leaders in boating, crafts, nature, swimming, archery, and theme activities in both day camp settings and weekend overnight settings. Finish out the summer with a week of Merit Badge program for Scouts BSA with a core of expert Scouting volunteers.

Head into the Blue Ridge Mountains for the summer at one of the six camps of Goshen Scout Reservation. Join our energetic and goofy staff at our Webelos Camp – Camp Ross. Want to teach your favorite Merit Badge? Choose one of our three Scouts BSA camps – Camp Bowman, Camp Marriott, or Camp Olmsted. Looking for adventure? Become part of the elite staff at Lenhok’sin High Adventure Base. Are you a behind the scenes person? Our administration camp – Camp Post – might be the place for you.

Staff must be 15 years of age or older to be an instructor and 16 or older to work at Goshen’s Lenhok’sin High Adventure. Not yet 15? If you’re 14, apply to be a Counselor-in-Training at any of our Cub Scout, Webelos, or Scouts BSA Resident Camps. We’re also on the lookout for those 18 years of age or older to take on leadership positions and those 21 years of age or older to fill specialized positions.

Have friends or family that love the outdoors, but aren’t in Scouting? Tell them about it! Prior experience with the Boy Scouts of America is not required.

Employment dates are from June 17 to August 1, 2023 for most camps at Goshen Scout Reservation and June 17 to July 28, 2023 for Camp Snyder.

Hiring season starts in January with interviews via phone or video call. Submit your application by January 20 for a January interview date.

Apply online and get more information on our websites. Visit www.gotogoshen.org/staff for camps at Goshen Scout Reservation and www.gotosnyder.org/work for Camp Snyder.

Looking to be part of the volunteer staff for your District’s Cub Scout Day Camp? Contact the Camp Director for your local Day Camp or the District Executive for your District. The contact information for your local Day Camp Director will be on the event page for the Day Camp, accessible via www.gotodaycamp.org.

Want to volunteer for Camp Catoctin BSA? Finish out your summer with the dedicated volunteers of this one week Thurmont, MD camp for Scouts BSA in August by visiting www.campcatoctinbsa.org.

Virginia Youth Conservation Leadership Institute Project

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I participated in the Virginia Youth Conservation Leadership Institute by leading a project to measure the impact of Leave No Trace education at Great Falls Parks in Virginia on trash in the park. I took the Leave No Trace Trainer course and attended stream monitoring sessions. From 04/2022 to 06/2022 I led scouts in my Troop 55 to educate 273 park visitors and collect 476.1 pounds of trash.

Great Falls National Park (VA) has been a popular tourist destination even before COVID-19 for its rich history – home to one of the nation’s first canals, the scenic view of the Great Falls of the Potomac, as well as hiking trails along Potomac River. After the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 and the local government’s encouragement of the using of parks and outdoor recreation to mitigate mental health issues, Great Falls National Park again became a hot destination for families in the Washington DC area.

The park has a nice and well-maintained picnic area near the visitor center, with access to restrooms and a concession window. Though the park provides multiple waste bins around the picnic area, many visitors leave trash on the ground. Moreover, the park had a two parking lots near the visitor center in which both have trash problems. Great Falls National Park Volunteer and Youth Program Coordinator, Ms. Trudy Roth, has worked with our local Scouts BSA Troop 55( Boy) and Troop 55G(Girl) to have scouts and adult volunteers pick up litter at the picnic area and parking lots. Pickups had been conducted every two weeks, between the month of April and November since 2020, when the weather was warm and when the park attracted the most visitors.

When I participated in the litter pick up service project with BSA Troop 55 scouts every other week, I noticed that roughly the same amount of trash needed to be picked up after our bi-weekly effort. At our Boy Scout Troop monthly outings, we have always practiced “Leave No Trace” (LNT) principles after we left a camp site or activity area. So, I wondered if the “Leave No Trace” education that was emphasized to every scout to keep parks clear of trash after every camping would make a difference to the public. If so, to what degree would it reduce the litter issue at the park? With those questions, in the October of 2021, I applied for the “Youth Conservation Leadership Institute” program (https://vaswcd.org/ycli), a youth leadership program sponsored by the Virginia Soil & Water Conservation Districts.

To prepare for my project, I first completed the “Leave No Trace Trainer” course in the October of 2021. I also reached out to Dr. Sara Holtz, a conservation champion in National Capital Area Council of Scouts BSA, and asked her to be my mentor to help me with my project proposal and resource planning. In October 2021 and February 2021, I participated in two sessions of “Stream Monitoring” projects with Northern Virginia Water & Soil Conservation District to understand the impact of litter on local water quality. In addition, I searched for research papers on the topic of the “Leave No Trace education’s impact” to help me understand the status of current research. I also attended a virtual Northern Virginia Soil & Water Conservation District board meeting in March 2022 to understand the government’s function for community conservation effort.

In the March of 2022, I began my work with the leadership teams from BSA Troop 55 to plan out the bi-weekly litter pickup project, also communicating my intention to conduct LNT education at Great Falls National Park. With the good relationship between Great Falls National Park (VA) and BSA Troop 55, I hoped that I could gain the approval from the National Park Community Service and Youth Coordinator Ms. Roth Trudy and Park Ranger Ms. Franice Sewell to conduct my LNT education sessions at the park. While waiting for project approval, I designed two LNT board games to educate park visitors on trash’s impact on the environment.

To allow for a comparison, I also participated and collected trash weight data from three sessions (March 20th, March 27th and April 10th) of the litter pick up project that BSA Troop 55 scouts completed at Great Falls National Park (VA). The trash weight data allowed me to establish the baseline data for my “pre-LNT” education sessions. The first step is to collect three rounds of trash, calculate the weight of the trash. Then, set up a “Leave No Trace” education/exhibition table at the picnic areas later at the park and educate visitors on the “Leave No Trace” principals for 2-3 hours. After the exhibition, the Troop 55 scouts collected trash again to see any difference in terms of weight of the trash to analyze the impact of “Leave No Trace”. My plan was to conduct 2-3 “Leave No Trace” education sessions at the picnic area to collect enough comparison data.

On April 16th, 2022, with the invitation from George Washington Memorial Parkway Community Service and Youth Coordinator Ms. Trudy, I was invited to conduct my pilot “Leave No Trace” education table at the Mount Vernon Trail 50th Year Celebration event at the Daingerfield Island National Park (Alexandria, VA). I recruited 10 volunteers and worked onsite for six hours, and we brought in more than 223 visitors for the “Leave No Trace” table and more than half of them played the board games that I designed. To promote the Sea Scouts program, I wore my Sea Scouts uniform, and had another two scouts wear them as well. George Washington Parkway’s Superintendent Mr. Charles Cuvelier visited the LNT booth and was excited to see the educational materials and the game design, and I also received great feedback from park ranger Aurelia Gracia for our efforts at the event.

With the success of the pilot program at the Mount Vernon Trail 50th Year Celebration event, and further communication and clarification on some questions from the park, I finally received the approval of my plan from the Great Falls National Park on the “Leave No Trace” education sessions. I had my first two-hour “Leave No Trace” education table at the park on April 24th, and I recruited ten scout volunteers and had 60 visitors for my first session. After the LNT session, I also worked with additional BSA Troop 55 scouts, and we collected 249 pounds of trash from the picnic area and parking lots. Between April 16th and June 5th 2022, I led more than 44 scouts and scouters, and the “Leave No Trace” sessions reached more than 555 visitors (with 272 from Great Falls National Park at Virginia). Between March 20th and June 5th, 2022, BSA Troop 55 collected 476.1 pounds of trash from the picnic area and parking lots of the park.

What I learned from the research on the Leave No Trace education:
• Many visitors were surprised with how long certain items took to decompose such as fruits, soda cans, glass, and Styrofoam
• LNT will make a long-term impact for visitor behavior, many visitors’ feedback confirm this
• Short term LNT education sessions will not result in immediate reduction of litter at the park
• Park trash, in short term, will still be correlated to weather, temperature and picnic activities
• Long term LNT education is needed in conjunction with the troop’s litter pick up efforts.

In addition, I’ve developed my leadership, and took away team management and communication lessons from this project:
• Building a good relationship early – Troop 55 started work with Great Falls National Park since 2018 as a unit, not to mention many Eagle Scout projects were executed at the park
• Timely communication with park rangers and community service coordinator: design and plan, report the results of each session, address concerns and share activity photos
• Recruit volunteers: working with the home unit, Troop 55, to gather enough volunteers to help and support from troop leadership
• Work closely with a project mentor: communicate on materials needs, update on plan changes, invite mentor to come to your project site, report progress and result numbers
• Communicate with the YCLI project coordinator and stakeholder to make sure the project was on the right track and receive additional support.

By working with many scout volunteers, I’ve also learned these valuable tips for my future Eagle Scout project or Sea Scouts Quartermaster project:
• earn LNT Trainer certificate first so that project lead can train volunteers
• Some scout volunteers are shy and are afraid of rejection at the park, so they need a lot of encouragement to work with park victors
• Build a core team of couple of active volunteers
• Make it a fun activity so that more volunteers will come
• Promote the activity pictures to Troop, BSA district and council level social media, recognize those volunteers’ efforts
• Recruit more volunteers trained with LNT Trainer for future LNT sessions.

In June 2022, I graduated from the Virginia Youth Conservation Leadership Institute (YCLI) and gave my presentation to the board of the Virginia Youth Conservation Leadership Institute (YCLI) and received my certificate via mail from Ms. Maura Christian, the YCLI Coordinator, Education & Training Coordinator-Virginia Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts. In addition, Dr. Sara Holtz and Ms. Ashley Palmer, the Conservation Education Specialist, Northern Virginia Soil & Water Conservation District, referred me to publish my presentation at the 2022 Virtual Student Environmental Action Showcase (SEAS). For details of my YCLI project presentation, you can check it out at this web link: https://seas.live/2022-seas/student-projects/