Adventure

Join us every Tuesday at 7PM as we host conversations with adventurers!

Adventure Talks are a webinar series to bring the illustrious and exciting adventures that Scouts take to you! Scouts have explored the deep ocean, the corners of the earth, and space. This series of talks features presentations and panels about Philmont, the Appalachian Trail, research in Antarctica, biking across the USA, Scouting Jamborees, and more. The first two presentations are described below, and you can read more here: https://scoutingevent.com/082-adventureTalks

July 7: Philmont Talks:  Fires, the Welcome Center, the highest peaks and longest treks

A panel of Philmont Ambassadors, Rangers and Camp Directors take you on this virtual adventure!

Panelist Tom Giugni: He first experienced Philmont as an adult advisor for a 7 day trek in 1997. Since then, he’s trekked two 12-day treks and one Autumn Adventure trek. He attended training at the PTC and served as faculty and course director for NAYLE and Philmont Leadership Challenge and served as volunteer coordinator for NAYLE and PLC at Philmont. He’s worked as seasonal staff in Logistics at Philmont Scout Ranch as a Trip Planner in 2011 and 2012 and as the Logistics Manager in 2013-2018 (the Ute Park Fire occurred during my last year as manager.) He drove commissary trucks in 2019 and was schedule to serve as camp director for Rayado Ridge Leadership Camp before Philmont cancelled the 2020 camping season due to COVID-19.

Panelist Jay Oakman: Jay is currently the Central Region Area 5 Camp Assessment Chair. In the past 40 years he has held positions in Unit,(Pack, Troop, Ship and Crew) District, Council, Area, Regional and National. He severed on 27 National Camping Schools for Day Camp Administration, the last 18 as a Course Director. At Philmont, Jay has been on Backcountry treks, a participant at the Training Center, and been staff at Basecamp and well as faculty at the Training Center.

Panelist Sam McGrath: Sam is currently the District Executive of George Mason District in the National Capital Area Council. But before he joined us, had worked at Philmont for 7 seasons, including a fall and a winter, and in 3 different departments!

Panelist Arden Dougan: Dr. Arden Dougan is a Philmont Ambassador and has earned the Master’s Track Knot. She has been on faculty at the Philmont Training Center 7 times. She co-developed the 2016 STEM/Nova and 2010-2011 University of Scouting conference and has served on faculty for Boy Scout Roundtable conference. She was a Crew Advisor on a Philmont Trek. Her Eagle Scout Son and Venturer/Girl Scout Gold Award daughter have enjoyed the Philmont Training Center family program. She has been an avid Unit District, Council, Area, Regional and National Scouter, and she has staffed the National Scout Jamboree and the World Scout Jamboree. Arden is the VP of Program Impact on the Executive Board at the National Capital Area Council, and the ideator behind Adventure Talks!

• Moderator Julia Mae-Shen Lesko: Julia Mae-Shen Lesko’s love for Philmont began in 1983, when her father took the family to Philmont Training Center, and Julia spent a memorable week on a Mountain Woman Trek.  She serves as the current national Wood Badge coordinator for Scouting U and Northeast Region Wood Badge coordinator.  Julia has served in many leadership positions at the unit level (pack, troop, crew) as well as district, region, and national levels. A member of the National Capital Area Council, Julia currently serves as an Assistant Council Commissioner (Commissioner College Dean) and as one of the council’s Philmont Ambassadors.  She has served as a conference facilitator and trainer at the Philmont Training Center, Florida Sea Base, Summit Bethel Reserve, and National Order of the Arrow Conference.

 Julia is a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow and recipient of the Silver Buffalo Award, Silver Antelope Award, Silver Beaver Award, District Award of Merit, Philmont Masters Track Knot/Device, and other training knot awards.  Julia resides in Gainesville, Virginia, with her wonderfully supportive Scouter husband, John. Although this summer’s trip to Philmont has been delayed due to Covid-19, the newlyweds can’t wait to get to Philmont soon!

July 14: An Eagle’s Guide to the Rainforest 

 NESA World Explorer Evan Dann shares his experience at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in Ecuador!

Speaker Evan Dann: Evan is currently studying Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in Nanotechnology at Boston University. He earned my Eagle Scout award in 2015 and five Eagle palms. He’s been a volunteer Merit Badge counselor at BSA Camp Airy for 7 years teaching the Ice Skating and Pioneering merit badges. In addition to participating in the NESA World Explorer Amazon Research Experience, he has completed a Philmont backpacking trek in 2015; he’s sailed Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island with Sea Scout Ship 59 in 2016; and competed in the Sea Scout Koch Cup in 2018 in Galveston, TX. Evan also volunteered as a scout at President Obama’s Inauguration in 2012 and President Trump’s Inaugural parade in 2017. Some other adventures that Evan has undertaken include hiking the Appalachian Trail through all of Maryland, parts of Pennsylvania and Virginia, living in France for 6 months, and skiing through the Alps, Colorado Rockies, and parts of New England.

The Adventure Talks are brought to you by the NCAC High Adventure Committee and Summer WOW Task Force! We hope you have a WONDERFUL time tuning in with us every Tuesday at 7PM!

If you want to share your adventure, please email the High Adventure Committee Chair: john.blackwell@goosecreekdistrict.org