Hey, Hyattsville, MD! Grab everyone, and I mean everyone, and let’s hit the trails of Philmont Scout Ranch. Or maybe the town of Culpepper, VA, or Georgetown University’s undergrads. Let’s go, staggered over the summer. Those two towns and Georgetown each have around 20,000 residents/students. (US Census for 2023) Twenty thousand is the predicted number of Scouts and Scouters who will hit the 315 miles of trails, 220 square miles, at Philmont this summer. Many people are making a (potentially) significant impact on the environment.
How do we reduce the “considerable impact”? Have the Philmont Rangers, your guides for the start of your trek, trained as Leave No Trace Trainers (Level 1). They can assist the hiking crews in limiting their negative impact on the area and its wild inhabitants—the best way to keep the area wild for the next year and generations to come.
Philmont hosted sixteen Level 2 and Level 3 Instructors the weekend of June 7-9. We delivered a Level 1(Trainer) course to a group of Philmont Rangers. I was fortunate to be one of those instructors.
Our participants were primarily first-year Rangers, and my group came from all over the United States—from Florida to Washington State and one from our own NCAC. All had a variety of hiking backgrounds and insights. All were former Philmont crew participants and had beautiful memories of the area and their trek. Each was vested in keeping Philmont wild and available for future generations.
We were based at the Camping Headquarters area, where crews begin their Philmont adventure. This is quite a change from the June weather/humidity and lack of elevation here in the DMV.
During the two-plus days of the course, the Rangers learned how to use the Leave No Trace Principles and related activities to help perpetuate the wild adventure that is Philmont for years to come. One of the best aspects of the course was learning from one another and getting insight into the different ways of teaching and influencing the Principles of Leave No Trace.
This was a pilot program, and we plan to return next year to continue integrating Leave No Trace into the Ranger training. Maybe we’ll see you at base camp as you start your trek.
— Carol Brown
I liked everything we did, from archery to BB’s and everything in between. The Beekeeper was a surprise but was a delight. Also, I loved tasting honey and making Bee hives with the other scouts (my dad won’t let me put the Bee hive in our backyard because it attracts carpenter bees!🤣).
Have you ever wondered about the purpose of Outdoor Ethics in Scouting? Have you ever wondered what the role of a Troop’s Outdoor Ethics Guide is? Never fear, as the NCAC Outdoor Ethics Committee can help you out!
This week, our favorite wedding venue in Loudoun County has been taken over by nearly 130 Cub Scouts from dens all around the area!
We started camp on Monday, but on Sunday, our amazing adult and youth leaders transformed the venue into a scout paradise, just hours after a wedding that even had an Eagle Scout groom!
Throughout the week, we’re having a blast making harmonicas and slingshots, learning first aid, improving our wilderness and sports skills, practicing with bow and arrows and BB rifles, and trying to catch fish in the pond. Nurses from the GW School of Nursing are running our First Aid station, ensuring we’re safe while having fun.
Our staff is a mix of volunteers of all ages, from seasoned scouters whose kids have aged out but who still love to be involved to young adults who have just crossed over and brand-new Scouts who have just joined a Troop. We have Cub Scouts of all ages here, from new Tigers to Arrow of Light scouts. It’s been an unforgettable adventure!
Venturing Crew 1345 of Burke, VA, embarked on an extraordinary journey to one of the most iconic buildings in the United States – the Pentagon. This visit was not just a tour of the five-sided headquarters (which the Crew counted to actually be 72 sides!) but a cool experience where they learned about different careers and government efforts.
