We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

The Scouter Digest Staff

USPTO invites Scouts BSA to learn about Inventing

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This summer, the United States Patent & Trademark Office will host a 2-day virtual event for Scouts BSA to earn the Inventing Merit Badge. This event is organized by the Eastern Regional Outreach Office at the USPTO, and several USPTO employees (now registered Merit Badge Counselors) who are volunteering!

The USPTO’s Inventing Merit Badge program will include two synchronous sessions for youth:

  •  July 17, 2021: the virtual class
  • August 28, 2021: the virtual inventions showcase

Between the two sessions, youth will design and build prototypes of their inventions. They will have the opportunity to consult with USPTO employees and Inventing Merit Badge Counselors via ‘virtual office hours’. Youth will all submit videos of their presentations by August 27, to be included in the virtual inventions showcase!

Agenda for Inventing Merit Badge class 

July 17, 2021

12:30 – 1:00 Opening remarks

1:00 – 1:30 The Impact of Invention & Inventing

1:30 – 2:00 An Introduction to Intellectual Property

2:10 -2:30 Invention Case Study

2:30 – 3:15 Why do you invent: panel discussion

3:15 – 4:15 Break-out sessions, interactive discussion

Registration details:  https://scoutingevent.com/082-inventing

In the past, the USPTO had held an Inventing Merit Badge class on site in Alexandria, VA. Below are some photos from the past events! We can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with this year – join us in this summer’s Inventing Merit Badge series!

 

Check Out The 2021 Potomac District Pinewood Derby!

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The 2021 Potomac District Pinewood Derby is in the books!  On Saturday June 12th, a total of 66 cars from Packs around the Potomac District raced and the event picked up two more Packs participating this year over the field from the 2020 event. The event was held again remotely, as it was for the first time last year, and streamed out via a private Youtube channel. The race can be rewatched for a finite period here:  https://youtu.be/QleFyboKOpM.

Cub Scouts chatted online as they competed for fastest cars by rank and for appearance in five judge’s categories.  Despite it being essentially shaped and painted blocks of wood rolling down an incline, an event like this is takes planning and a core team of dedicated volunteer Scouts and Scouters. Three Scouts BSA, Peter C. of Troop 472, Connor V. and Devin C. of Troop 1450, ran the car check-in and race day heats and Dr. Stan Fricke of the NCAC STEM Committee served once again the Master of race day ceremonies. Eric Van Ryzin of Troop 1450 and Vince Camobreco, of Troop 472, provided the equipment and technical know-how, Stephen Allen, Potomac District Field Director, provided the online registration and NCAC provided the venue to broadcast from.  Charles McKee and Jim Boyce of Pack 1280 coordinated the overall planning and awards.  And appreciation goes to all the Pack points of contact who coordinated race car drop-offs for their Units in the week before the event. Next year the organizers look forward to seeing this event return to being in-person.

Scouts start designing those new cars!

June 12, 2021 Potomac District Pinewood Derby Pit Crew (L-R): First Class Scout Devin C., Life Scout Conner V., Scoutmaster Eric Van Ryzin, Dr. Stan Fricke, Life Scout Peter C., Cubmaster Jim Boyce, Scoutmaster Vince Camobreco.

Meet 2021 NOESA Honoree Philip Reilly

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Phil Reilly is a retired CIA senior Operations Officer with a decorated 29 year career.  He also served in the US Army Special Forces prior to CIA.  Among the many positions he held, Mr. Reilly served as the CIA’s senior paramilitary officer as Chief of Special Activities Division and was charged with conducting Presidentially directed activities. Mr. Reilly had numerous foreign and domestic assignments including Chief of Station positions in Afghanistan, Europe and in the Far East. He also served as Deputy Chief of Station in Iraq and operated in Latin America and Africa.  Mr. Reilly was the deputy commander of the first USG team to enter Afghanistan two weeks after the 9/11 attacks.

Mr. Reilly is now the Senior Vice President at Orbis Operations, a Senior Advisor at Boston Consulting Group, and an advisor or board member of several companies in the national security, cyber and financial space.

Mr. Reilly is a graduate of Georgetown University, was a Senior Executive Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School and attended leadership training at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.  He holds numerous awards including the CIA Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, the Intelligence Star, and the Director of National Intelligence Personal Medallion.

Congratulations to Philip and his fellow 2021 NOESA Honorees!

Bee Crossing: A Project Of The Future

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Submitted by: Nuruddin A., Eagle Scout

Bee Crossing is an Eagle Scout project with a focus on sustainability— to live beyond the present day. It was always planned with the future in mind. That’s why this project’s three goals were about safety, education, and community.

The physical part of this project was planned to foster the future as well. It’s 16 wooden posts, 10 with Solar LEDs and all with plaques. They’re planted in a marshy grove between an Elementary School, and two neighborhoods. The plaques describe the diverse representation of wildlife. From the native to the invasive, to the birds in the trees to the skunk cabbages rooting in the hummus, the beauty in the diversity are the main highlights.

A website was made since 16 plaques could not cover every single species in Bee Crossing. This website, beecrossing.org, was made to correct and expand on the information covered by the plaques. These plaques were also made with the Elementary School in mind. We have been working with the school to make Bee Crossing a part of the local curriculum. In fact, each plaque has a unique QR code that leads back to the website. This way, if visitors wish to do their own research, they can scan the QR code and learn more through the sources we provided or the additional information we offer.

The suggestion to light up the path was actually pitched by the community itself. The path at night is awfully dark, but many people still use it. The 10 Solar LEDs were placed on the post as a way to have renewably powered lights to keep the community safe at night. These LEDs are dim enough to avoid blinding, but bright enough to make the path visible. This way, everyone can enjoy the path both in the day, and safely at night.

Sustainability and the future goes hand in hand. Scouting teaches us to be prepared for life, and bringing a community together with this project does exactly that. Bee Crossing was made to be a rally point for everyone to gather around. The name itself was suggested and voted on by the community. We have a volunteer group called Friends of Bee Crossing to maintain the path. The vision is for this project to become bigger than itself. For this project to instill a sense of identity and action. To one day return home and see many projects and works done for the benefit of all of us, would be a dream come true.

Bee Crossing is an Eagle Scout project built now for the future with 16 posts embedded along the trails with Solar LEDS and plaques about the wildlife.

 

Get Trained To Take Your Scouts Camping!

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NCAC is hosting BALOO and IOLS trainings for both Cub and Scouts BSA leaders on June 19 through June 20th at Camp Snyder, VA.

WHO: Cub Scouters, WEBELOS Leaders, Arrow of Light Leaders, Scoutmasters, Assistant Scoutmasters, Crew Advisors, Associate Crew Advisors who need to complete their program-specific training requirements, as well as those other adult volunteers who want to help with the outdoor program activities and basic advancement skills.

WHAT: Instruction designed to hone outdoor skills will use the Den and Patrol methods. It will focus on safety & risk, unit structure, event planning, camping, Scout craft skills, Outdoor Ethics, and outdoor cooking. Partially fulfills the training requirements for Cub Scouters, WEBELOS Leaders, Arrow of Light Leaders, Scoutmaster, Assistant Scoutmaster, Venture Crew Advisor, and Assistant Venture Crew Advisor positions..

WHEN: Weekend Session starts at 11:00 am, Saturday, June 19, and runs through 3:00 pm, Sunday, June 20 at Camp Snyder

COURSE FEE: The fee for the course registration is $30.00

REGISTRATION: https://scoutingevent.com/082-47930

Calling All Merit Badge Counselors!

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We’re looking for Merit Badge Counselors for the first-ever Camp Snyder Scouts BSA Merit Badge Week, July 19 – 23. Come and be a part of creating an amazing week for Scouts BSA of all ranks as they learn in the outdoors.

There are 135 Scouts registered for camp so far. They’re looking forward to learning new skills and personal growth as they explore the world around them through the 50+ merit badges to be offered. We are looking for Merit Badge Counselors to guide the Scouts in earning the following merit badges:

Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communication, Emergency Preparedness, Environmental Science, First Aid, Lifesaving, Swimming, Animal Science, Archeology, Archery, Architecture, Aviation, Canoeing, Chess, Fishing, Geocaching, Geology, Mammal Study, Moviemaking, Nature, Nuclear Science, Oceanography, Orienteering, Photography, Pioneering, Plant Science, Programming, Public Health, Public Speaking, Radio, Railroading, Rifle Shooting, Rowing, Scouting Heritage, Search and Rescue, Soil and Water Conservation, Space Exploration, Weather and Welding

WE WANT YOU if you are 1) a registered counselor in one of the above merit badges, 2) have current Youth Protection Training and 3) are willing to come to Camp Snyder each the day or to camp overnight to help Scouts from Tenderfoot to Life rank earn merit badges. All your meals will be provided free and there is no cost to register at https://scoutingevent.com/082-2021SnyderMBWeekStaff

Please contact Jim Chaplin jhchaplin@comcast.net or Dave Seitz dbseitz@gmail.com for more information or to volunteer.