We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

The Scouter Digest Staff

Upcoming Date: Goshen Deposit Phase Ending

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On March 1, 2021, starting at 9am, the Deposit Phase ends at all Goshen Scout Reservation camps. Units may begin to add their youth and adult campers. Sign ups for the Provisional Camp program, for individual campers, available to Scouts BSA and Venturing youth at Camp Marriott, also begin at this time.

Remember, only register campers when you are ready to pay for them.

If your unit has not yet made a registration for summer camp this year, there’s still time! Units can still make new registrations on or after March 1, but the sooner you sign up, the more likely you are to get your first choice of camp or week. You can keep track of which weeks have space available and which weeks are filling up on Goshen’s registration page here: www.gotogoshen.org/registration.

If your unit has made a registration, now is a good time to start collecting information and fees from prospective campers. You can find a list of the information you need for your campers in Summer 2021 on Goshen’s blog post here: www.gotogoshen.org/registration/registration-tips-how-to-add-more-campers/.

If your scouts have received a campership or a popcorn scholarship, make sure you have the vouchers for those as well. If you have campers that need financial assistance, we have extended the campership deadline to March 1, 2021. Campers’ parents and guardians can apply for camperships here: www.gotogoshen.org/camperships.

Other important deadlines to keep in mind:

  • March 18 – Merit Badge Sign Ups open for campers attending Camps Bowman, Marriott, and Olmsted.
  • May 8 – For high adventure campers at Lenhok’sin, be sure to make your outpost requests on your Crew Survey by this date.
  • April 16 – The Early Bird Deadline. Youth and adult campers that are registered by this date pay the Early Bird Fee (save $40!) and get a free Goshen hat.

Improve your Skills as an Adult Leader!

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The only way to improve in any job is to continually learn and practice! As Scouting Leaders, we do not have to figure all of this ourselves, we do not live in a vacuum. There are many opportunities to learn from others and share our experiences. As leaders, we can learn from our peers by attending our District Roundtables and taking additional training so we are always learning and growing. The University of Scouting provides a one-day event where we can choose from a host of classes to improve our toolbox!

The University of Scouting has something for every Scout Leader, whether you are a few months into the role, or a seasoned veteran. This year we will conduct a virtual training event on Saturday, February 27, 2021. Here’s what your fellow NCAC Scouters have to say about last year’s UoS:

  • Someone quite wise once suggested, “Every Scout deserves a trained leader.” Attending the University of Scouting is an easy way to continue my training as a leader. And I believe our Founder Lord Baden-Powell said, “The Scoutmaster teaches boys to play the game by doing so himself.” Well, I may not be a Scoutmaster but I trying to teach Scoutmasters how to play the game of Scouting. Where better — during this COVID19 pandemic — than in the University of Scouting?  – John L.
  • I am coming up on 2 years in my current position, and I feel like I know a thimbleful of what I need to in order to be the best leader I can be for Scouts. UoS gives me someplace to learn and to strengthen those areas I feel weaker in. That includes learning from fellow Scouters and not just the Scouter leading the session. It’s a fantastic way to learn, network, and build relationships across the Council. I strongly encourage all the registered Scouters in my Troop to attend each year. Heck, I would encourage my older Scouts and youth leaders to attend as well if they could. – John S.
  • As a female, I didn’t participate in Boy Scouts of America as a child. I went to my first University of Scouting to help increase my own knowledge as a new leader. As my husband – an Eagle Scout, then Cubmaster, then Scoutmaster – and I got involved more deeply as Scouters, we valued “Every Scout deserves a Trained Leader” and continued to attend the University of Scouting. “Inspiration” and “plagiarism” are very close siblings and every year at UoS I am inspired by somebody or something to improve the program for our Cub Scout daughter or Scouts BSA son. As the years go on, I hope I can be an inspiration to others on their Scouting journey. – Jodi B.
  • I have been attending, as well as teaching Boy Behavior, at the NCAC University of Scouting for almost twenty years. I hold a PhD from both the College of Boy Scouting Science and the College of Cub Scouting Science. I attend every year because you can always learn new things, learn new ways to do things, learn what are the latest changes to Scouting, and enjoy the wonderful teachers and attendees that attend this outstanding NCAC event! It is also an opportunity to meet and talk with people on the midway from both Scouting and non-Scouting organizations. – William T.

Join these Scout Leaders and others at the University of Scouting!

Register today!

Goshen & Snyder Summer Camp COVID-19 Protocols

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We at the National Capital Area Council are committed to bringing back the joy of in-person summer camp for the summer of 2021. However, we must take additional measures to continue to minimize the risk of spread and infection. In anticipation of the summer, we have released COVID-19 protocols for both Goshen Scout Reservation and Camp William B. Snyder.

You can read and get copies of the protocols at their respective websites: www.gotogoshen.org/coronavirus and www.gotosnyder.org/coronavirus.

Hornaday Gold Badge for John Wiltenmuth

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Please join the NCAC Conservation Committee in applauding conservationist and dedicated scouter John Wiltenmuth of Mattaponi District for receiving the prestigious BSA Hornaday Gold Badge. The Gold Badge is awarded by the local council to an adult Scouter or Venturing leader who has demonstrated leadership and a commitment to the education of youth on a council or district level for significant conservation efforts for a period of at least three years. Fewer than 40 Scouters nationwide received this highly coveted award in 2020. Read below the nomination letter that outlines John’s exceptional conservation leadership and dedication to youth education.

John Wiltenmuth has been a continuing supporter and promoter of environmental education and conservation within the Mattaponi District and BSA for over thirteen years. In addition to promoting conservation opportunities for district units at Roundtable since 2013 as well as with the several units he continues to serve in as a volunteer, he has also served as staff for two National events – a Squad Leader for ArrowCorps 5 in 2008 and on the Environmental and Conservation staff of the 2010 National Jamboree. He has promoted the OA’s High Adventure program with the local chapter and in three of the past four summers, two Scouts from Mattaponi have participated in portage trail construction at Quetico Provincial Park (Northern Tier) and one each doing mountain bike trail construction at New River Gorge (adjacent to Summit Bechtel) and beach cleanup at Fort Jefferson in the Keys with OA Ocean Adventure.

He has been an advisor/consultant in over 30 local Eagle projects, many of which supported local conservation efforts at national, state, and local parks. Eagle Scout trail construction projects have included a relocated trail section at Caledon State Park, “Salamander Loop” trail constructed in support of Spotsylvania Greenways Initiative at Massaponax, several projects removing invasive ivy at local National Park Service sites, new trails, and maintenance of existing trails at Fredericksburg Chapter of Izaak Walton, and Order of the Arrow trail work with Fredericksburg Trail Alliance in the Quarry Trail system. He has fostered the involvement each year of many local troops and packs participation in “Park Day” service projects with the Friends of the Wilderness Battlefield at local National Park Service sites. One particularly interesting Eagle project involved site preservation/interpretation of a Civil War field cemetery at the local Izaak Walton League.

The Mattaponi Order of the Arrow Chapter typically conducts spring and fall ordeals at the local Izaak Walton chapter where John has been instrumental in aligning the service work to meet the conservation needs there to include bat houses, solitary bee houses, bluebird houses, erosion control, and trail construction/improvement and maintenance.

As noted above, much of John’s efforts have aligned with environment/nature interpretation and instruction and trail construction/maintenance. He has developed a local network of organizations that support service and education for responsible outdoor recreation and protection and consistently provided opportunities for local Scouts to be involved with these groups. Among the groups he has worked with are Virginia Master Naturalists, National Park Service, Fredericksburg Parks and Recreation, Friends of The Wilderness Battlefield, Caledon and Widewater State Parks, Spotsylvania Greenways Initiative, Fredericksburg Trails Alliance, Izaak Walton League, Gari Melchers Home and Studio, Friends of the Rappahannock, Tri-County Soil and Water District, and Friends of Crows Nest. He is now working to bring these groups into closer communication and mutual support with the establishment of the Rappahannock Conservation Coalition.

John’s efforts have not been restricted to Scouting youth. As a volunteer interpreter he has had interactions with hundreds of youth and adults each year at the Motts Run Nature Center and as a guide for the monthly Woodland Walks at Gari Melchers Home and Studio in Stafford County. He has maintained his annual recertification credentials as a Virginia Master Naturalist and shares his knowledge on nature hikes with Scouts and other youth.

While not pertinent to Scouting youth, in his 25 years at the University of Mary Washington he led the design and construction of 10 LEED-certified projects, initiated environmental stewardship programs of student/staff behavior modification for water and power savings resulting in annual savings of over $250,000/yr., and stream restoration projects to improve water quality. With his leadership, the Fredericksburg Campus has been certified as a “Tree USA” campus and as an arboretum. He established the school’s Office of Sustainability and was an advocate for creating the President’s Council for Sustainability.

DC National Guard Popcorn Donations

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Article by:  Jonathan Carter
Thank you again to all the Scouts and leaders that supported the 2020 Popcorn Program. While it was not a usual year and certainly not without a few bumps we rallied together and were able to sell $1,072,000 in total sales. Almost $800,000 of it was online making us #2 in the county in online sales.
I was able to make our military donation today to the DC National Guard Armory. A little over 200 cases, over $32,000 in retail popcorn was donated to the DC National Guard and the visiting soldiers from other states that are still in DC supporting security efforts.  They were extremely thankful for the gift. I also met a young officer who as an Eagle Scout told me a story about how the knowledge and skills he learned in Scouting were put in real-time situations while on deployment in Iraq.
Thank you again for continuing to fight the good fight and support Scouting programs in NCAC. Our scouts today may not know exactly how the leadership and skills being taught to them now will support their adult life, but we can rest assured knowing that we are making an impact in the lives of thousands of young men and women.

Cub Scout Novas in STEM@Home

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On February 6th, STEM@Home returns to offer Cub Scouts the opportunity to work on Nova Awards! Each class will run from 1-3PM, guiding you through the fun and interactive requirements of each award.

Read more about each class and register here: https://scoutingevent.com/082-stemnova

 

1-2-3 Go! Nova Class

  • Meet a real cryptography expert
  • Learn statistics with the flip of a coin
  • How much does the air in your bedroom weigh?
  • Make your own 5e¢ret c0de

 

Cub Scouts Can Code Nova class

  • Learn about binary code, and write a message in it
  • Use and explore algorithms
  • Start coding!

 

A tremendous thank you to NCAC STEM Nova Counselors, Dr Jason Kralj and Mr. Mark Bruno, for developing and teaching these classes!

Both Dr. Kralj and Mr. Bruno have taught multiple times in STEM@Home during the past year, and we appreciate that they continue to create these opportunities for our cub scouts!

Special thank you as well to Ms. Susan Plano-Faber and Dr. Hatcher Tynes for coordinating guests (cryptology experts)  for these presentations!

Finally, if you are a STEM aficionado and can help out as a guest speaker or by teaching a Nova class in a future STEM@Home, we would greatly appreciate this! We are looking for volunteers to lend their expertise for all the Cubs, Scouts BSA and Venturing Novas this spring.

Interested to volunteer but not sure how to get started? Please send us an email at stem@ncacbsa.org and we will connect you.