On March 8, Pack 1892 Bear Scout Constantine H. and his brother, Tiger Scout Nicholas H. visited Summit Ropes in Chantilly, Va (near Dulles airport) for an unforgettable afternoon of climbing. The two scouts had never attempted anything comparable to the course, but with the constant encouragement and personal support of the facility’s staff, the scouts overcame their initial fears and discovered that they really could do it!
Some familiar NCAC faces are working on the 24th World Scout Jamboree already! Here’s a picture of a few of them at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in April for a planning conference.
Hey Cub Scouts (and Cub Scout parents) – have you ever wanted to meet a famous scientist? Do you want to find out what it’s really like to be an engineer? Do you have a science project that you want to share? Or do you like math games and puzzles? We have all that and more for Cub Scouts at STEM U!
Sign up right now for STEM U on June 15 at Microsoft Training Center in Reston!
And bring your mom, dad and the whole family because there will be great things for them to learn too!
Earlier this month Troop 248G took the Hornaday hike, one of the HOST trails through Washington, DC. Six Scouts and three adult leaders joined the hike that commenced at the Smithsonian Zoo at 8 am and wrapped up at the Smithsonian Castle around 1:30 pm. The hike was about 6.2 miles in total.
Four of the Scouts completed the entire hike and the associated eight Hornaday-specific trivia questions, and got their hike card stamped at the WWII memorial. Another of the Scouts got her hike card stamped at the WWII memorial and answered 6 of 8 trivia questions, which is the minimum threshold for earning the hike pin.
The Scouts met many people along the way, including a Canadian Scout from Quebec as well as several WWII and Korean War vets who were there for an honor flight visit.
The Hornaday Hike overlaps much of the hike trail with the Colin Livingstone HOST hike. However, the trivia questions to earn the pin are unique. The hike was a lot of fun but be aware that many of the hike notes or directions are cryptic and it took us some time to orient properly. Now that I know where certain items are or what hint a hike item refers to, I think the hike could be winnowed down to a solid 4.5 hours.
On March 30, Cub Scout Pack 492 of Rockville, MD spent the morning earning their Forensics Adventure loop by “investigating a break-in” at the National Law Enforcement Museum. The Cub Scouts learned how to photograph and bag evidence from a crime scene, how to dust & lift their own fingerprints, and how to cast a shoe impression.
The Cub Scouts were also explored the museum’s K-9 and forensic science exhibits, and created some memories at the interactive police car and Wanted Poster wall.
All four of the BSA High-Adventure bases (HAB) require at least one person per trek (two per trek at Philmont Scout Ranch) to be current in Wilderness First Aid (WFA) through an approved provider. We want your trip to be safe and successful, and making certain that you have proper training certifications prior to launch is a big step towards that. Read on for tips on how to ensure that you’re prepared for that next high adventure trip, and how to verify that your current certifications meet BSA requirements.
Last fall we informed NCAC leaders about a third-party vendor providing WFA training without proper certifications. We continue to receive reports from Scouters that certifications for WFA that they received from a third-party vendor do not satisfy the requirements for High-Adventure as defined by BSA.
Your safety is of paramount importance to us, which is why we recently introduced our own WFA course to provide certifications suitable for both our High-Adventure Camp at Lenhok’sin and BSA’s 4 High-Adventure Bases. Information on NCAC WFA courses can be found at: www.ncacbsa.org/opi-wfa.
If you’ve already received a certification via a third-party vendor, please take the time to make certain it is current and valid. You can verify an ARC WFA certification by visiting redcross.org/take-a-class/digital-certificate. Simply search by your Email Address; by First Name, Last Name, Year and Month (when class was held); or by Certificate ID. If you also received a CPR certification with your WFA course, you can check it there too.
If you find that the ARC WFA certification you hold is NOT showing as valid within the ARC database but should be, we ask that you contact us directly. Please complete this form to report the situation and select “Certification Issue” for the topic.
If you do decide to use a third-party provider, we encourage you to verify their credentials via The American Red Cross or other governing agency prior to beginning any course. Directions for checking an instructor’s credentials prior to taking a class, can be found here. Be wary of providers who claim to “know” or “keep lists” of BSA requirements, but who are unable to provide BSA approved certifications for WFA per BSA WFA and High-Adventure requirements.To learn more about BSA approved providers and requirements, please visit BSA’s page on WFA and High-Adventure requirements at: https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/training/wilderness-fa/
As always, if you have questions or concerns about a provider, please contact a Council professional for assistance. Your safety is our priority. Help keep Scouting safe for all. Get trained by a certified professional and make sure your certifications are up to date and valid.
