We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

The Scouter Digest Staff

Save the Dates: Goshen 2022

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Save the dates for Goshen Scout Reservation Summer 2022!

We will be offering five weeks of summer camp at all our Webelos and Scouts BSA/Venturing resident camps and four weeks of backpacking program and river trekking program at Lenhok’sin High Adventure.

Save your spot Goshen 2022. Registration opens September 1, 2021.

Week 1: June 26 – July 2, 2022
Week 2: July 3 – July 9, 2022
Week 3: July 10 – July 16, 2022
Week 4: July 17 – July 23, 2022
Week 5: July 24 – July 30, 2022

Goshen 2021 units that reserved their spot at camp will get a confirmation email in late August with their new registration number.

Registration opens for the general public on September 1, 2021. Mark your calendars!

New to Goshen or haven’t been in a while? Learn more about camps for Webelos, Scouts BSA/Venturers, Provisionals (individuals), and Troops and Crews looking for a High Adventure trek at www.gotogoshen.org.

Stay tuned for more info as we get ready for Summer 2022!

Tic-Tac-WOW!

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Cub Scouts and Webelos made 453 Tic-Tac-Toe boards while attending Day Camp and Resident Weekends at Camp Snyder this summer. That’s a lot of games!!! The process started with a short safety briefing and then each youth selected and marked their “blank” using our custom templates. The Cub Scouts then entered the shop and were guided through three work stations where they cut, drilled and sanded to create their very own game boards. Upon completion, youth were able to brand their game boards with the coveted “Handcrafted in Michael’s Woodshop” image.

This was a great hands-on activity that was enjoyed by all youth who attended camp. To see more great photos from the activity, please check out our slideshow: Summer Camp in Michael’s Woodshop. This was the first summer that Michael’s Woodshop was fully integrated into the camp activity program and camp staff and volunteers are looking forward to making this a regular summer camp offering.

Michael’s Woodshop operates year-round and is a great venue for Scouts to create and learn. We offer a number of regular and seasonal activities such as merit badge classes, woodworking skills classes and of course our annual Pinewood Derby Days! The shop may also be reserved for Den activities like our Baloo the Builder and Webelos Build It Workshops and for many other events such as Troop merit badge sessions, conservation projects and Eagle Scout Projects.

Please visit the Michael’s Woodshop webpage for more information about the shop capabilities and upcoming events or for information about reserving the shop. If you have questions or would like additional information, please email the volunteer team at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com

 

 

Aquia District Cub Scout Day Camp a Huge STEM Success!

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Is it too early to start inspiring our future generation of scientists? Heck No! That’s what 50 Cub Scouts, boys and girls ranging in age from 6 – 10, discovered while having “Fun with a Purpose” exploring becoming scientists at the STEM-focused Aquia District Cub Scout Day Camp held at Pratt Park in Fredericksburg, from June 28 – July 2. The Founder of Scouting, Lord Baden-Powell said: “A week of camp life is worth six months of theoretical teaching in the meeting room.” And did this ever prove to be true – Everyone left already excited about coming back for next year’s Camp!

Director, Kristy Freeman, and Program Director, Jenna Cooper, led their all-volunteer Camp Staff of adults from Pack and Troop 26 and older Scouts from Troops 26 and 907, who kept these budding scientists busy all week with a variety of activities setup and run by the hard-working Camp Staff, including some pretty cool nature hikes. These included fun with model rockets, elephant toothpaste, bubble snakes, rock testing, lava lamps, leather work, robot hands, tie dye, marbles, exploding sticks, moon dough, slime, ooblick, learning about planets, yo-yos, puzzles and codes, as well as shooting archery, BB guns, and sling shots!

Scouts got to meet two of Stafford’s finest K9’s and their handlers, while Stafford Fire & Rescue stopped by to cool everyone down. Scouts also enjoyed singing some seriously silly songs with great gusto and much laughter!

All the Scouts grew from the experience and found it fun trying new things, working as a team and meeting new friends. They also learned about flexibility when weather threatened the fun – but the Staff made sure it was about K.I.S.M.I.F. (Keeping it Safe, Making it Fun!)

Kristy and Jenna had an amazing adult Camp Staff: Susan Wood, Hallie Graves, Joe Fijalkowski, Kari Hammond, Xander Korb, and Jennifer Bell. But the Staffers who truly made it the best week ever were teen Scouts BSA volunteers, Michael, Maddie, Jackson, and Nathan (aka Ranger Rick). Everyone is already looking forward to next summer!

Meet the Newest Volunteers in Michael’s Woodshop

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Michael’s Woodshop is pleased to introduce five new members of the Team. Michael’s Woodshop is run entirely through the time, effort and talents of its volunteers and we welcome these latest additions to our Team!

Adult Volunteers

Kirk Vetter is married with two teenaged children and has a passion for millwork. He is the Executive Vice President / General Manager of Gaithersburg Architectural Millwork which specializes in manufacturing Commercial Interior Architectural Millwork in Warrenton VA. (We toured his facility – it is a very impressive operation!) He is volunteering his time in an effort to get youth as excited about millwork as he is.

Ryan Fisher is an experienced woodworker and has been actively engaged in Scouting since his youth. He is an Eagle Scout, OA member (Vigil Honor), has attended Philmont twice, two National Jamborees and NOAC and after a series of adult leadership positions currently serves as ASM, Troop 1372-G. Interestingly, during his service career, he willingly jumped out of perfectly fine aircraft on 52 occasions.

Elena Ziu discovered Michael’s Woodshop while her son was working on his Woodworking MB. The shop reminded her of her days at the University of Virginia where as an experimental physicist she often modified or built parts for her experimental apparatus in a machine shop. Elena has been active in Scouting since 2016 and currently serves as NCAC STEM Counselor and Powhatan Crew 160 Advisor.

Youth Volunteers

Ayaan A. is an Eagle Scout with Troop 1548.  While working on his Eagle Scout Project in Michael’s Woodshop, he was “bitten” by the woodworking bug (we would apologize, but it would not be sincere…).  Ayaan has a goal of earning a Gold Congressional Service Award (requires 400 service hours) and has decided to combine his new interest in woodworking with his desire to serve others.

Mihai Z. is a First Class Scout with Troop 160.  He loves playing trumpet and serves as bugler for his Troop. Mihai completed the Woodworking MB Spring 2021 and now has three hobbies he loves: woodworking, model rocketry, and 3D model design and printing. Mihai is already excited to try out our newly donated CNC machine. (And the adult volunteers are happy to have a teenager around to teach us how to use it!)

If you are interested in volunteering, please see  Join the Michael’s Woodshop Team on our webpage, or email any questions to MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com. Interested female adults and youth are also invited to attend one of our Ladies Nights in the Woodshop sessions which provide potential volunteers with a chance to learn more about the shop – and to make some sawdust!

Announcing Ladies Nights in the Woodshop

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Michael’s Woodshop at Camp Snyder has become a very popular venue, hosting fun, hands-on activities for Scouts of all ages. As female youth membership in the National Capital Area Council continues to grow, we are hosting more and more female youth for activities ranging from Pinewood Derby Days to Eagle Scout Projects. As a result, we would like to add female adult and youth volunteers to our Team. The feeling of satisfaction derived from completing a project or coaching youth as they complete their own is difficult to describe. Rather than trying to convey this feeling with mere words, we decided to invite potential volunteers out to the shop to experience it first-hand!

While experienced woodworkers would be ideal, we have volunteer opportunities available for a variety of skill levels and ages, including our Youth Shop Assistant Program for BSA registered youth who are 14 and older. Volunteers are expected to be role models for visiting youth and adults. They should enjoy coaching and guiding youth during activities and a focus on safety is a must. All adult and youth volunteers must be (or become) BSA registered.

We have planned a variety of project sessions including bird houses, a cheese board and a sure to be favorite “Mom’s Tool Box”. These projects will be hands-on, sawdust-making sessions with participants having the opportunity to use a number of shop tools. The sessions are open to female adults and youth 14 and older. Time will be allotted during the activity for a shop tour as well as sharing information and answering questions about our programs and volunteer opportunities. A series of events will be held over the coming months. Please visit the Registration Page for the schedule and additional information about the projects. There is no registration fee for these events and materials will be provided free of cost. However, space is limited so make your reservation soon.

If you are interested in volunteering, we hope you will be able to join us for one of these events. If you are unable to attend a session but are interested in learning more, please visit the Volunteering Page on the website or email us at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com.

Scouts Learn the Craft (and Art) of Paddlemaking

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This spring, the Aquatics Committee hosted its first paddlemaking class in Michael’s Woodshop at Camp Snyder. Two Scouts and two adults from Troop 191F and a shop volunteer all crafted their own paddles in this initial class. The process began with each student receiving a milled Ash “blank” approximately 1 1/8” thick, 6” wide and 6’ long and ended with everyone having created their own individually sized, properly balanced and beautifully shaped flatwater canoe paddle which they will treasure for a lifetime!

The class was taught by Steve Park, a highly experienced paddlemaker who specializes in flatwater canoe paddles. He generously shared his knowledge, educating students about the key components of a paddle and instructing them about the proper tools and their use. With his guidance and assistance, students were able to properly size, shape and balance their paddles. The class was not about making a single canoe paddle, but was rather an investment in learning a valuable skill. The students gave the course high marks and are looking forward to taking an advanced class where they can further refine their skills. Definitely a couple of days very well spent!

Going forward, the paddlemaking class will be formally organized into an Introductory Class and an Advanced Class. The Introductory Class will teach a number of valuable skills and will use several custom jigs and processes to enable completion of the paddle during the class. The Advanced Class will introduce additional skills students will need to start their own journey of becoming a paddlemaker!

Michael’s Woodshop at Camp William B. Snyder is a great place for Scouts to create and learn. Paddlemaking is just one of many activities available in the wood shop. For more information about upcoming Paddlemaking Classes and other shop programs or for information about reserving the shop, please visit the Michael’s Woodshop webpage or email any questions and requests to the volunteer team at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com