Adventures of Pack-Man and Newbie – Knots
Adventure
Heads Up…Going Underground!
Adventures happen when you must do something unfamiliar and confront the unexpected. A truly memorable adventure often requires going the extra distance to face the challenge.That’s exactly what the White Oak District’s Troop 264B and Venturing Crew 264 did at Laurel Caverns, and that’s what landed them on the cover of Boys’ Life [March 2020].
That visit to Laurel Caverns in Western Pennsylvania brought scouts and Venturers face to face with dark caves, low rock ceilings, boulders, and rappelling down a thin rope. And dirt everywhere. Safety gear and proper attire were essential for safety and comfort and could not be neglected. Some activities were restricted by age or skill, but everyone had a range of activities to choose from, including two merit badges (Geology and Forestry). But a part of everyone’s activities was going underground.
Take a few minutes to read about the Laurel Caverns adventure in the March 2020 Boys’ Life, also available through the Boys’ Life app. There is also the summary in Troop 264’s Signaler newsletter . And most recently (April 3), Mr. Aaron Derr of Boys’ Life Magazine conducted a live interview with Mrs. Joan Geller, an Assistant Scoutmaster with Troop 264B, about the outing on Facebook Live. The video of that interview is available on Facebook, even if you do not have an account!
Adventures don’t happen in meetings (but meetings are essential to planning safe and successful adventures). Take a look at what your unit does now. Then look at a radius an hour’s drive further out and see what’s there. Your biggest adventure could be ”just a little further.”
Register for the Outdoor Ethics Leave No Trace Trainer Course!
What is the purpose of this class?
The Cub Scout, Scouts BSA, Varsity Scout, Venturing, and Sea Scout programs all include outdoor stewardship, care for the environment, and Leave No Trace as part of their programs. This course is offered to train adults as Leave No Trace Trainers and youth aged 14+ to serve their units as Outdoor Ethics Guides. Every Cub Scout, Scouts BSA, Varsity Scout, Venturing, and Sea Scout unit should have at least one individual fully trained in Leave No Trace.
We recommend that youth complete this course before serving as in the troop Outdoor Ethics Guide position.
Who should attend?
Venturers, Sea Scouts, Varsity Scouts, and Scouts BSA aged 14+; adult Cub Scout, Scouts BSA, Varsity, Venturing, and Sea Scout leaders; and District and Council leaders and trainers.
What will I learn?
This course is designed to enhance your understanding of Leave No Trace practices and outdoor ethics, and to increase your level of expertise and confidence in teaching Leave No Trace skills. This class is both active and highly interactive. You will be introduced to concepts and methods that will advance your knowledge of Leave No Trace issues in both developed and high adventure environments, expand your repertoire of low-impact skills, and increase your effectiveness in teaching these important skills to others. You will be qualified to lead a unit in completing the last requirement for the BSA Outdoor Ethics Awareness award and the NCAC Outdoor Ethics Awareness award for Cubs.
On completion of this course, participants will be registered as Leave No Trace Trainers with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics and with the BSA. Students will receive Leave No Trace teaching materials, a certificate of course completion, a Leave No Trace Trainer lapel pin and patch, and a BSA Leave No Trace Trainer card.
This course is instructed by nationally designated Leave No Trace Master Educators and Trainers. Attendance for the entire duration of the training is required.
(Campsite location, equipment list, and other course details will be emailed to participants a few weeks prior to the course. Each participant will have an assignment to prepare for the training.) Please remember this course is taught entirely in the outdoors and we will camp out Saturday evening.
To register for March 28-29, 2020 at Camp Snyder visit https://scoutingevent.com/082-NV1, for April 18-19, 2020 at Izaak Walton League in Gaithersburg please visit https://scoutingevent.com/082-MD1# or June 6-7, 2020 in Southern Maryland visit https://scoutingevent.com/082-SMD.
Help Celebrate NCAC Camping Centennial at Camp Snyder’s Work Days for All
Celebrate 100 years of NCAC summer camping by helping Camp Snyder get ready for the summer! Earn service hours and a free Camping Centennial patch for working on projects.
Open to all Scouts, Cubs through Venturers, and Families. Projects for all skill levels, which may include building and installing bird houses, splitting and stacking logs, staining and painting, digging and installing sign posts, assembling traffic barriers.
Be sure to bring work gloves, lunch, water, sunscreen and insect repellant. Check for ticks when departing. And, wear old clothing that can get dirty or stained with paint. No scout uniforms and no open toed shoes or sandals. Check In/Out at the Admin Building at the Camp Entrance.
Join us on Saturday, April 4th and/or Sunday, May 17th, from 9am to 4 pm. Come for the day or just part of the day!
Free registration at https://scoutingevent.com/082-35883
See you on April 4th and/or May 17th!
Cub Scouts Build Their Own Tool Boxes!
On February 9, Two Dens from Pack 1601, Powhatan District, attended their own Pack session in Michael’s Woodshop to work on a tool box project. During the process, the Cub Scouts received a shop safety briefing and were able to learn and apply many basic woodworking skills. They were instructed and guided in the use of a tape measure, hand saw, drill press, hammer, nail punch and sanding block. 
Parents in attendance were able to assist during the process making this an excellent parent/Cub Scout experience. At the end of their session, each Cub Scout had completed the project and went home with a sense of accomplishment and their very own tool box!
Michael’s Woodshop is the perfect place to work on Baloo the Builder or Webelos Build-It activities or to organize a great hands-on Pack or Den activity. Units may reserve the wood shop to hold their events. The experienced group of volunteer Shop Stewards in Michael’s Woodshop can assist you with selecting or designing an activity that is tailored to meet the needs of your group. They will also attend your session to help ensure you have a successful wood shop event.
Michael’s Woodshop was designed to be a hands-on work space for use by Scouts of all ages to learn and create. For information about shop capabilities, upcoming events or reserving the shop, please visit the Camp Snyder website. For shop information, just click on the Michael’s Woodshop link located on the Camp Snyder main page.
Troop 648 earns the National Outdoor Challenge Unit Award!
Troop 648 had a great year of outdoor adventures in 2019. We participated in many Chain Bridge District events (Camporee, Klondike Derby, Projectoree), local camping trips, and three high adventure trips (two crews to Seabase and another crew sent to Philmont). Scouts also earned many outdoor related merit badges and conducted a Leave No Trace program.
The Troop memorialized all these activities by earning the National Outdoor Challenge Unit Award for 2019. See: https://www.scouting.org/awards/awards-central/national-outdoor-challenge/ This is an easy award to earn if your Troop has an active outdoor program and good record-keeping. You can fill out the application and send it to Craig Weston, Chair, Camping and Outdoor Program Committee. See: https://www.ncacbsa.org/council-committees/outdoor-adventuring/camping/. After you earn the award you can purchase a nice ribbon for the Troop.