We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

The Scouter Digest Staff

NCAC to Participate in the Virtual Peace Light Ceremony

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A Peace Light Ceremony has been hosted by the National Capital Area Council (NCAC) International Committee since 2017. It has been held at the Marriott Scout Service Center on the second Saturday of December since 2018. Each year the scout lead ceremony has grown in participation.

Plans for a December 12, 2020 ceremony have been cancelled however due to the COVID-19 concern.

A virtual Peace Light Ceremony will take place on Sunday December 6, 2020 at 9 pm EST. It will be hosted by Peace Light North America. The website is https://www.peacelightnorthamerica.org/virtual.php. The website provides a variety of information including additional history, online registration, resources and FAQs.

The direct link to view the live broadcast will be on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr5Yjb1tCT0.

Though our local formal gathering will not take place, light or flame transfer stations have been set-up to provide access to those who may still wish to receive the Peace Light this year. The preliminary list of persons who are available to share the light are the following:
Elizabeth Esper – elizabethesper@yahoo.com
Jeff Lepak – star.surfer8@gmail.com
Jay Eidson – ir.ncac.je@gmail.com
Anthony Malone – travitaly4@gmail.com

In 2021, the ceremony is expected to return to the scout center.

Peace Light Overview and History

The Peace Light, symbolic of the Light of Christ especially evident at Christmas, is meant to promote peace, harmony and unity among all people of the world regardless of race, ethnicity or creed. Many churches, Scouting, and associated community organizations use the Peace Light in Advent worship services, parish tree lighting events, and other special ceremonies. Some groups even maintain the Peace Light year-round using the flame to ignite their Sanctuary Lights, Baptismal Candles, and Votive Lamps.

The Peace Light from Bethlehem campaign was originally organized in 1986 by the Austrian Broadcasting Company as part of a large charitable relief mission Light into Darkness, for children in need in Austria and abroad. Since 1986, and especially after the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe in 1989, there has been a growing cooperation between Scouts in many countries allowing the light to travel throughout 30 European nations.

Each year in late November, a child from Austria lights a lantern from the continuously burning candle in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the site of Jesus birth. The light, known as the Peace Light, stored in special explosion-proof lanterns, is then flown with a safety adviser back to Vienna, Austria, where it is shared with delegations from across Europe who distribute it with a message of Peace to their own countries for use at ecumenical services. Scouting organizations then take the light to houses of worship, hospitals, homeless shelters, nursing homes, and places of public, cultural and political importance – to anyone who appreciates the significance of the “gift”.

In early December, Austrian Airlines representatives transport the Peace Light from Austria to New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. A distribution ceremony of about 150 adults and children gather at the airport’s Our Lady of the Skies Chapel to welcome the light of peace and kindle their own flames.

The light’s pilgrimage across the U.S. begins from New York City via volunteers, many of whom are Scouts and Scouters associated with the Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA, transferring and sharing it in their communities. Many other dedicated volunteers meet, share, and move the Light across North America, person-to-person, coast-to-coast. The Peace Light is a sign of hope. It has expanded from a small flame to a sea of lights in a few years and shines with its message to millions of people worldwide.

For several decades, the Scouts around the world have actively promoted global peace and harmony through sharing the Peace Light.

The Peace Light is often used as a Messengers of Peace project. Administered by the World Scout Bureau, Messengers of Peace is a worldwide program aiming to inspire millions of Scouts to work toward peace. In order to earn the Messengers of Peace uniform ring to be worn around the world crest, Scouts must be actively involved in planning Peace Light activities and in sharing the flame in ways that are appropriate to the Scouts age and abilities. Cubs might welcome guests to a candlelight ceremony, hand out programs and candles, and/or be part of a procession bringing the Peace Light into the gathering. Older Scouts could help in planning and implementing the program, speak or lead a song during the ceremony, or perhaps create a display about the history of the Peace Light.

If you have additional questions, would like to be added to the email list or other related interests, please contact Anthony Malone at travitaly4@gmail.com. If you would like to join the NCAC International Committee, please contact Jay Eidson at ir.ncac.je@gmail.com.

Bridging the Trail

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Robert C. of Troop 1916 in McLean, VA, has always enjoyed his time at Potomac Outlook Park. As a kid, he visited the park frequently with his family and as a Scout, he completed many service projects there with his Troop, so the park holds a lot of meaning for him. When Robert heard that the park was looking to replace a decaying old bridge, Robert knew what he had to do. For his Eagle Scout Project, he decided that he would replace the bridge.

First, he met with the park staff to figure out what they needed and execute the plan. The bridge was on one of the park’s more popular hiking trails and was decaying to the point it was too narrow to walk on. Robert found that most of his project revolved around planning the project, creating a timeline, and a brand new design. But once Robert finalized his plans, he and his volunteers got to work on replacing the old bridge with a new one.

By the end of this project, Robert was glad to have seen the bridge completed and to have seen his volunteers so eager to work on it. He felt that he even grew a lot as a leader. Robert said, “Personally, I strengthened my leadership skills by guiding my Troop. I also learned the positive impact that my Troop and I can have on our community. But most of all, I saw first-hand that if you put in a lot of serious work in the planning stages, making sure to think of every possible hurdle and how to fix anything that could come up, then the execution stage will work much better.”

Front Row Seats

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Aden V. of Troop 956 in Sterling, VA, loves to play volleyball. He is on the volleyball team at his school, Dominion High School. They often practice and play games at Potomac Baptist Church. Their games frequently bring in big crowds, but the facility lacked places to sit while watching the games. So Aden knew he had to do something to make these games more comfortable for the crowd. He decided to make two eight-foot-long benches to add to the court for his Eagle Scout Project.

Aden began his project by creating and planning out the instructions for how to make the benches. While a bench may look easy to make, Aden had the extra challenge of making them long enough and sturdy enough to fit five to six people. So he spent a lot of time researching bench construction. When assembling the benches with his volunteers, Aden found that the most challenging part was the backrest. The wood wasn’t perfectly straight, and he had to be much more careful when fastening the pieces together so they came out correctly. He also had to sand and round the bench to reduce the chance of splinters.

After completing this project, Aden said, “I learned that even though the preparation for the benches was a very long process, all the planning was all worth it when the workday went off without a problem and was completed in one day. BE PREPARED.”

Giving Back to the Lake

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Olivia Preston of Troop 1965 in Burke, VA, spent most of her meetings over the past two years at Lake Braddock Community Center with her Scouts BSA Troop. The Community Center provides the Troop with a free meeting space and many project opportunities. When it came time for Olivia to begin her Eagle Scout Project, she knew she wanted to give back to the place that had given her and her Troop so much. So Olivia decided to make boat barracks for the Community Center to say thanks and to provide a secure space to store kayaks and canoes.

Olivia never had much experience with carpentry, so before she could even begin this project she had to familiarize herself with a lot of building terminology. After that, she created a plan and began to search for the materials she needed. It took several months to find all the materials since there was a shortage of lumber at the time. Once she had collected all the lumber, she transported it to Lake Braddock. There she pre-cut it to the required dimensions. Next, she led her volunteers in assembling the four boat racks, and installed them around the lake.

Olivia is glad to have had time with her volunteers to assemble the boat racks and is proud of how smoothly the project went. She learned quite a bit during her project, saying, “The biggest thing I learned was how hard it is to manage projects. It took months of planning and preparation to put together a four hour service project for my peers. It makes me really appreciate my Scoutmaster and all the other adult leaders who help plan the logistical side of our Troop events.”

Pow Wow Weekly Webinar – Fall Funstravaganza

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If you weren’t able to join us for the first installment of our Pow Wow weekly webinars – We had a blast!

Talking about the resources and ideas for safe Cub Scout events and having fun to keep Scouts involved in the program is both crucial and challenging.

Here are some resources to help you with ideas:

Webinar Slides: https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/tSTr1wbpKBBdoC9j7qufykMN

National Council FAQ: https://www.scouting.org/coronavirus/covid-19-faq/

Restart Scouting Checklist: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/680-693.pdf

Program Ideas and Resources:
https://cubscoutideas.com/
http://www.cubmaster.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ncac.cubscouts
https://www.facebook.com/allaboutscouts

Optional Programs and Awards:
STEM: https://www.scouting.org/stem-nova-awards/
Conservation and Outdoor Ethics: https://www.ncacbsa.org/blog/2017/12/22/ncac-cub-scout-outdoor-ethics-award/

And last but in no way least:

The Cub Scout Adventure Guides –
This collection is week 1, focused on fun in the outdoors, while the weather is still relatively comfortable and everyone is looking for new ideas for free time activities:
Lions: https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/yZcdUm4Rn156fAGpTV78sSds
Tigers: https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/rZuhgpC71PJK9WKx4SvviSAn
Wolves: https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/obpDeGZGRSFURRPLDnL2Uywx
Bears: https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/7zRsezZYLy6nbB2HnRiw39B8
Webelos: https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/eaDep9vv8hCLvvap43QgXJFZ
Arrow of Lights: https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/tg67vxZ2eGmYDmqKgqZETPvw

Check back next week for another dose of Adventure Guides to share with your families and leaders and more resources for Cub fun!

Snyder Sawdust Saturdays

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What could be better than getting together at camp with some Scouting buddies for a few hours, telling jokes and war stories, and playing with your favorite hand tools? The Camp Snyder fixer-uppers were at it again in November, this time patching up some worn-out floorboards on the south porch of Carroll’s Cottage. There’s nothing quite like the creak of old nails being pulled, the whine of a circular saw, and the satisfying feel of a power driver sinking a screw through a board deep into a joist below.

We have Sawdust Saturdays at Camp Snyder twice a month. Next up: December 5 and 19, January 9 and 23. Email Dan Kurtenbach at cwbs.volunteers@gmail.com for more information.