We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

The Scouter Digest Staff

Save the Date: Goshen Staff Alumni Spring Service Weekend

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Goshen Staff Alumni, mark your calendars! The Goshen Staff Alumni Association is hosting a service weekend this spring to get Goshen ready for Summer 2022!

The dates for the service weekend are May 13 – 15.

Service weekends are open to staff alumni from any Goshen camp and any of their friends and family, ages 18 and up. We have a number of projects to work on around the Reservation. These weekends are a great time to see the camps again and spend some time with other camp alumni!

Learn more and register at www.gotogoshen.org/gsaasw

Tree Rescuer Program Launches on Jan 19th

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Learn how to spot and report trees that are being killed by invasive non-native vines. Help educate your community and save our trees. Participation in the Tree Rescuer project will meet the requirement for conservation hours and several BSA conservation awards. Register today here.

Would you like to help save more of our native trees? Most of our neighbors have no idea that the invasive vines on their trees may eventually kill them and potentially make the trees hazardous. You can help your community by walking around to spot these trees and to drop off a brochure to alert the landowners. This is an excellent conservation project for Cubs and Scouts BSA as well as their families.

Join our region-wide program of community volunteers to help save our native trees from invasive non-native vines! This is a public education program to inspire others to control invasive vines.

During this NCAC Tree Rescuer session you will learn:
-How to survey your community for trees at risk
-How to recognize invasive (versus harmless native) vines
-What resources are available to help you work with your community

Besides the numerous environmental benefits of saving native trees from invasive vines, scouts can also earn conservation hours and units can earn several BSA conservation awards such as Conservation Good Turn , World Conservation Award  and Keep America Beautiful Hometown USA Award.

Welding and Composite Materials

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On April 23 and May 21, 2022, Building Momentum in Alexandria, VA will host Welding and Composite Materials merit badge sessions, packed with hands-on experiences. Each merit badge class is a half-day session. Scouts BSA (and friends, same age friends are invited to join too!) may elect to only attend one class, or both classes.

All of the classes balance instruction with hands-on shop time so the youth can gain practical experience with Welding and Composite Materials. In order to maximize their workshop experience and project time, youth are asked to come prepared with a few pre-requisites.

Welding Pre-requisites

  • Requirements: 1a-b
    o We recommend that scouts earn the First Aid MB in advance, but at a minimum, please come prepared to demonstrate first aid knowledge as it requires to Welding MB requirements 1a-b.
  • Requirement: 5a
    o One of the processes that scouts research should be MIG welding.

Composite Materials Pre-requisites

  • Requirement: 1a-c

For more detail about the event, please visit the event page and register here: https://scoutingevent.com/082-buildMoSTEM

 

Building Momentum is a problem-solving organization based in Alexandria, Virginia. Their Innovation Academy empowers youth and adults in 21st Century technology, to become a creative problem solver, and work in a hands-on environment! NCAC is thrilled to introduce our scouting merit badges with BuildMo!

Akela Chess Classic – Join the Tournament!

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Take on the fun and challenge of playing chess!

After a brief hiatus in 2020, the NCAC BSA Chess Tournaments are back.

The tournaments will be held on Feb 5 & 12, 2022 at the Marriott Scout Service Center in Bethesda, MD.

Brackets

The Feb 5th Akela Chess Classic is a five-round chess tournament open to all Cub Scouts from Lions through Arrow of Light and STEM Scouts in Junior Labs.  Tournament play is in two brackets: Lions/Tigers/Wolves and Bears/Webelos/Arrow of Light/Junior STEM.

The Feb 12th Akela Chess Classic is a five-round chess tournament open to all Scouts BSA, Venturers, STEM Scouts in Technology Labs, and Sea Scouts from age 10 to 20. Tournament play is in three brackets: age 10-12, age 13-15, and age 16 and up.

Registrations

Cub Scout Tournament on Feb 5, 2022: https://scoutingevent.com/082-ChessCubs

SBSA Tournament on Feb 12, 2022: https://scoutingevent.com/082-ChessClassic

Background

In this video, NCAC BSA Tournament Director Roger Claff talks about the origin of the tournament in a broadcast with BSA’s Scouting Magazine! Life Scout KL also shares his tips for a game of chess – be sure to check it out!

Prior to the pandemic, the Chess tournament has been held at Trinity Church in Herndon, VA and at the Microsoft Technology Center in Reston, VA. Photos are from February 2020, pre-pandemic tournament. This year’s tournament will look different – following county guidelines, participants will be wearing masks.

To see more STEM events check out the NCAC STEM page.

Five PACK 1280 Scouts Complete NOVA WILD! Award

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Congratulations to the five Pack 1280 Scouts who participated in the NOVA WILD! program in Fall 2021.

The Scouts kicked off their NOVA WILD! experience with a boat tour around Clopper Lake where they observed local wildlife and talked with a ranger. Next they learned about weather forecasting, food webs, and native vs. invasive species and shared what they learned during virtual check-in meetings.

The program closed with an in-person gathering where Scouts shared their final reports with the NOVA counselor and played a spirited game of EcoFlux.

Join Who? Camp Staff 2022!

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Have you ever seen that spark in someone when they do something for the first time? Maybe it’s lighting a fire. Maybe they finally passed that swim test. Maybe they hit the bullseye on a target. Maybe it’s their first time seeing a bald eagle or osprey soaring through the sky. Be a part of camp staff this summer and introduce Scouts to the joy of outdoor discovery. It is one of the coolest summer jobs you could ever have!

We’re seeking motivated and enthusiastic people who enjoy the outdoors to be part of the Summer 2022 Camp Staff.

You’re not just a travel agency for Cub Scouts. Be THE BEST travel agency for Cub Scouts. Apply to work at Camp Snyder, where the 2022 Camp Theme – Passport to Adventure – is imaginatively carried through boating, crafts, nature, swimming, archery, and all camp activities as Cub Scouts and their leaders have fun in the outdoors.

Want to escape to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains for the summer? Get out of the DC summer heat and apply to work at one of the camps at 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 Olmsted, or Camp Marriott. 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, you can 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.

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 18 to August 2, 2022 for Goshen Camps and June 18 to July 29, 2022 for Camp Snyder.

We’re coming up on hiring season. Interviews, via phone or video call, start in January. Submit your application by January 20 to get a January interview date.

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