Adventure

Help Celebrate NCAC Camping Centennial at Camp Snyder’s Work Days for All

March 5, 2020 by Craig Weston

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!

February 24, 2020 by Dave Schneeman

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!

February 20, 2020 by Carey Johnston

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.

BSA Units Honor 19th Amendment Centennial with Hike

February 20, 2020 by Imogen Crumbling (C/O Troop 82)

Over winter break, three Scouts BSA Girl Troops from three Pennsylvania Councils (Northeastern PA, Minsi, and PA Dutch) set out on one adventure together to Washington, DC. The Scoutmasters from these units had met and wanted to find a way for their Scouts to not only experience the wonders of DC, but also to learn about the Women’s Suffragette Movement, as 2020 is the 100th anniversary of women having the right to vote in the United States. The troops also combined resources to work on the Scouting Heritage and American Heritage Merit Badges, along with the Baden-Powell Hike Medal, which follows the path of the 1913 Suffrage parade.

Troop 82 from Lancaster offered to host Troop 519 from Allentown (Minsi Council) and Troop 2619 from Paupack, PA (Northeastern PA Council) overnight on the day before and after the DC trip to make the trip possible and to avoid high costs. Friday night, the two troops that had traveled to Lancaster were greeted with a taco bar dinner, followed by an evening of merit badge classwork in preparation for the hike. It was a bit crowded sleeping and eating in the church with about 40 leaders and Scouts tucked everywhere, but everyone had a wonderful time. The scouts woke up long before dawn, ate a ‘grab and go’ breakfast and left for their destination. Many of the scouts on this trip had never been to a big city, so they were all very enthusiastic upon seeing the Capitol Building in the distance as the sun was rising over DC.

Their journey covered over 7 miles, walking in the footsteps of the early 1900s’ suffragettes. They began the trek at the Peace Memorial, and visited the Naval Memorial, the Benjamin Franklin statue outside the Old Post Office, the Vietnam Memorial Wall, and the Boy Scouts of America Memorial. Their group then headed to the Lincoln Memorial, where a park ranger gave them a personal tour. They learned about the Gettysburg Address, which is on the left side of the statue, and Lincoln’s second inaugural address, which is on the right. After that, they took a trolley bus ride back to Capitol Hill and ate their packed lunches in a beautiful grassy spot overlooking the Library of Congress. After lunch, they proceeded to their final destination, the Capitol Building.

The Scouts learned that the Capitol Building sits higher in elevation than the White House, as the town planners wanted to reinforce the idea that the voice of the people was more important than the president’s voice. Inside the Capitol Building, a special tour was provided to the Scouts called the “Votes for Women” that focused on the efforts of famous American women who worked hard to get the 19th Amendment passed. Scoutmaster Natalia Lyckowski from Troop 2619 reflected on the similarities between the brave women who struggled for the Right to Vote and the BSA girls that were present, stating, “Stand proud, Scouts; you’re all trailblazers!” Before they headed back to PA, a small Court of Honor was held on the steps of the Capitol.

Lalina Van Gorden, SPL Troop 2619, shared, “This trip meant a lot to me because I might not have been able to ever go to DC and have this incredible experience if I wasn’t in Scouts BSA. I also want to thank all the leaders that helped make this trip possible, especially Mrs. Erin Blank, Junior Assistant Scoutmaster Lyndsey Nedrow, and Mr. Mike Nedrow (Troop 82 and Venture Crew 82) and my Scoutmaster Mrs. Natalia Lyckowski and Assistant Scoutmaster Casey Waldie
from Troop 2619.”

Aquia District’s 12th Annual Bear Claw Leadership Conference is Gearing Up!

February 20, 2020 by Mike Haas

The 12th Annual Aquia District Bear Claw Leadership Conference registration page is now open! Bear Claw will be held on March 28, 2020 in Stafford, VA and is a day-long leadership conference run entirely by our Youth Staff who’s Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) is busy getting the Staff ready through a series of four Staff Development sessions. Bear Claw is open to Troops, Crews and Ships. Scouts & Adults can register at https://scoutingevent.com/082-27302

For those unfamiliar with the program, Bear Claw is an exciting, action-packed program designed to offer Scouts training on leadership skills and provide Scouts practical experience and ideas to take back and use in their home units and in other situations demanding leadership of self and others. Bear Claw is a one-day interactive leadership training event designed by Scouts for Scouts. It is a District-level leadership workshop and is intended to bridge the leadership training gap between Introduction to Leadership Skills (ILSx) offered by Scout units and the National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) program offered at the Council level.

There is also an adult breakout session designed to share ideas and help adults gain a better understanding of how running a Scout program using the Youth-led Patrol Method benefits their Scouts and Scout unit. This session is open to all registered adults and parents too, including Webelos II parents. Come take a deep dive into the Patrol Method – as Baden-Powell said: “The patrol system is not one method in which Scouting for [Youth] can be carried on. It is the only method.”

Content is delivered in a Troop and Patrol setting by trained Youth Staffers who are experienced Scouts. Participants, with their Scoutmaster’s/Crew Adviser’s/Skipper’s approval, may choose between the Patrol Leader or Senior Patrol Leader track. Throughout the Bear Claw training day all participants will learn how to more effectively lead their Scout units using the Patrol Method. They will see how a Scout program can achieve results with minimal adult oversight through proper planning, communication and team development.

By offering a training track for adults who want to better understand the Youth-led/Adult-mentored Patrol Method concepts, Bear Claw provides an excellent opportunity to get Scouts, Scouters and Parents on the same page and to share best practices and cross-pollinate ideas for what’s working and not in their home units. Again, going back to the words of our founder, Baden-Powell: “The object of the Patrol Method is not so much saving the Scoutmaster trouble as to give responsibility to the [Scout].”

WHY BEAR CLAW?

Every Scout deserves well-trained leaders. Regardless of a Scout’s program affiliation, Bear Claw provides exposure to leadership skills that hopefully reinforce and expand upon lessons learned through their unit’s ILSx training and provides a bridge to promote attending NYLT. Bear Claw offers Scouts a leadership training environment with Scouts from other units across the District – this opportunity to meet and talk about Scout leadership challenges with Scouts from other units is an invaluable part of the experience and hopefully encourages Bear Claw graduates to continue their Scout leadership training through NYLT. The Bear Claw Youth Staff also demonstrates that the Youth-led Patrol Method can work quite well with minimal adult supervision. As The Ancient One (TAO) has been known to say: “Adults are meant to be seen, not heard!”

Over the course of the Bear Claw leadership conference, participants are exposed to six of the eleven leadership skills or competencies, originally offered in BSA’s Junior Leader Training (JLT) program, using Buzz Groups and practical application – including a SPL-led Patrol Leader Council (PLC) meeting, a PLC-planned/executed Troop meeting and PLC-planned/executed closing campfire where Patrols and Staff have fun putting on skits, songs and cheers before the closing ceremony.

This course is built around the BE-KNOW-DO of leadership:

What a leader must BE

What a leader must KNOW

What a leader must DO

Registration is only $25 per participant until March 1, 2020 and $30 after March 1st. Registration normally fills up quickly so don’t delay. Did we mention your registration also includes lunch? You can register at https://scoutingevent.com/082-27302

If you are not a member of an Aquia District Scout unit and would like to attend or learn more about Bear Claw leadership training, please contact our Aquia Bear Claw Coordinator, Ken Buszta at ken.buszta@gmail.com. Our 2020 Bear Claw Course Director & Scoutmaster is Aleska Buszta and she can be reached at aquia.bearclaw@gmail.com

Meet your 2020 Goshen Camp Directors!

February 4, 2020 by Goshen Scout Reservation

We are pleased to announce the team of Camp Directors for Goshen Scout Reservation 2020! If you ever have any questions about camp or the programs we provide, please visit www.GoToGoshen.org to get in touch with your camp director.

Phil Barbash, Goshen Scout Reservation Director

Phil is excited to begin his 18th summer working on staff at Goshen Scout Reservation. It will also be his 5th year as the Director of Operations. Beforehand, he worked 10 summers at Camp Bowman, with the last three as the Camp Director. He has served in various positions including Ecology Instructor, First Year Camper Director, and Camp Commissioner. He currently serves as NCAC’s Director of Camping with oversight over Goshen, Camp Snyder, Camp Airy, and Camp Wall.

Carl Trocki, Camp Bowman Director

This will be Carl’s 19th summer as a Goshen staff member, and 14th summer at Camp Bowman. Carl has experience in many different areas of camp, including: Camp Director at Bowman and Lenhok’sin, a myriad of program staff positions and even as an NCAC District Executive. When not at Goshen, Carl lives in Australia, working as a high school teacher/administrator/outdoor educator, and runs a successful watersports business at the beach. Carl is excited to return to Bowman as Camp Director for another summer, and hopes to help maintain the many traditions which have made Camp Bowman such a powerful and positive influence on so many young people.

Chris Warner, Camp Marriott Director

Chris is going on his tenth year working at Goshen. He started coming as a scout to Camp Bowman in 2008. He worked on staff at Bowman in Scoutcraft, Aquatics, and Facilities. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2015. Chris is very excited to be continuing the tremendous program that Camp Marriott offers. In the months outside of summer camp, he attends the Business school at Salisbury University.

Tom Van Patten, Camp Olmsted Director

This summer will be Tom’s 9th year on the Goshen staff and his first at Camp Olmsted! Tom previously worked at Camp Bowman as the Program Director. He also worked in several areas including Nature and Scoutcraft. He has also served on the National Camping School Ecology staff. Outside of Scouting, Tom is a recent graduate of Lycoming College and an avid birder. He resides in Montgomery County, MD and works as a cabinetmaker. Working with scouts is a deeply gratifying experience for Tom and he looks forward to positively impacting the lives of young people this summer through the methods of Scouting.

Michael Filmonchik, Camp PMI Director

This will be Michael’s 4th summer at Goshen Scout Reservation and his first as Camp Director. He has worked in areas such as scoutcraft and shooting sports and is excited to be PMI’s Camp Director this summer. He loves Goshen Scout Reservation and values the everlasting experience it provides to scouts. When Michael is not at Goshen he is enrolled in the Masters of Teaching program at VCU. Michael attended PMI as a scout and is very excited to continue the legacy that made him fall in love with Scouting.

Richard Holtslander, Camp Ross Director

Richard attended Ross as a scout, and joined the Camp Ross Staff as early as he could. Since Richard’s first Summer in 2011 he has worked in various positions at camp, learning what it means to be part of the Ross Staff. This will be Richard’s tenth Summer working at Ross and first Summer as Camp Director. When Richard is not at camp he attends Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia and is studying for a Bachelors in Mathematics with a Minor in Environmental Science. Richard is excited for the new challenges the position will bring, and is looking forward to working with Scouts to have a great Summer and introduction to Scouting!

Griffin Linehan, Lenhok’sin High Adventure Director

This will be Griff’s 3rd year at Lenhok’sin. He has worked at BSA camps of all sorts since he was 13 years old. He has specifically worked at a lot of trek based camps and interpretive camps in leadership roles. Outside of camp, Griff teaches seventh grade enriched science. He is currently working on his Doctorate for Educational Policy, Measurement, & Evaluation. He is looking forward to working hard with the staff and providing a quality program this summer.

Learn more about our two Webelos Camps, three Scouts BSA & Venturing Camps, and Lenhok’sin High Adventure and all the adventures they have to offer on our website at www.gotogoshen.org.