We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Adventure

Troop 55 Team Placed 2nd at National Drone Competition

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Congratulations to the five Scouts from BSA Troop 55B and 55G (Great Falls, VA), who worked along with Civil Air Patrol Cadets from William P. Knight composite squadron (Herndon, VA), won the 2024 AMA UAS4STEM Drone Engineering Competition’s National Second Place Award at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh on July 24th. Among 17  teams competing, the joint team “55 Knights” is the only Virginia team, the only Scouts BSA Troop sponsored team at the competition, and the only winning CAP team for the 2024 season.

 

These Scouts and Cadets completed robust ground school coursework and went on to design, build, and operate advanced drones to complete specific missions for the beginner division of the competition. Through teamwork, competition, and STEM skills, teams constructed and programmed their uncrewed aircraft to meet a mission-based challenge.

 

“Seeing Civil Air Patrol and Scouts BSA come together in one team for the UAS4STEM Drone Engineering Challenge has been wonderful to witness! These students and their mentors showcase the quality of both organizations as they work to achieve great things.“ said Kyle Jaracz, Education Director at the Academy of Model Aeronautics.
Congratulations to Team 55 Knights for earning second place! For more information about 2024 UAS4STEM competition, visit here: http://amablog.modelaircraft.org/uas4stem/2024/07/31/uas4stem-finals-held-at-eaa-airventure-oshkosh/

Scouts Experience Memorable Day with the Nats

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On Sunday, August 4, 2024 the Washington Nationals welcomed National Capital Area Council to Scout Day as they took on the Milwaukee Brewers and won! Scouts were excited to see Scouting displayed on the stadium’s scoreboard.

The special adventure began with the exclusive opportunity to parade around the field before the game from the vantage point usually reserved for Major League Baseball players and staff.

One of the day’s highlights was when a Scout, Colin from Cub Scout Pack 295, had the honor of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. He delivered the pitch to home plate with impressive accuracy earning applause from the crowd.

Greeting the Nats Line up as they ran onto the field was Cub Scout Pack 295 and Scouts BSA Troop 1396.

The line-up delivery was made by Maxine from Cub Scout Pack 436. She and the Nationals Manager delivered the list to the umpire at home plate.

Finish Line Ribbon Holders for the Presidents Race were Laurel and Camden. This event is held in the 4th inning of every game since 2006. George won!

This annual event was a collaborative effort by the Washington Nationals and National Capital Area Council, Scouting America to provide an experience to remember. Thank you to the Nats for sharing the joy of baseball!

 

Scout from Troop 451 Participates in Inaugural Zia Trek at Philmont!

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From June 29th through July 7th, Derek S, a Scout from Troop 451, and his Scoutmaster, Patrick Van Hooser, participated in the inaugural Zia Trek at Philmont Scout Ranch.

This trek was designed for Scouts with special needs and disabilities to complete a traditional trek with the support of a caretaker or “shadow.” While most Scouts had a parent, Derek had his Scoutmaster as his “shadow.”

A space was even created in the National Scouting Museum, which included their trek and council service patches for each Scout who participated, with this drawer having an NCAC patch included.

 

There was also an article written about this inaugural trek experience in the Philmont News magazine!

Scouting CARES goes to Day Camp!

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Excitement filled the air as five eager Scouting CARES (Character, Achievement, Respect, Education, and STEM) students from St. Francis Xavier embarked on a thrilling day at Patuxent Day Camp in Bowie, MD. Their excitement grew even further on the car ride there, ready to dive into a day of outdoor fun and learning.

When they arrived, the Scouts were given the honor of leading the flag-raising ceremony and watched as the flag unfurled against the blue sky.

But the excitement didn’t stop there. The Scouts took center stage for the daily weather report, channeling their inner TV presenters as they shared the forecast with fellow campers.

However, the real showstopper of the day was the fishing expedition as five enthusiastic kids learning the art of casting. The looks of concentration on their faces as they attempted to perfect their technique were priceless. While the fish seemed to be on vacation that day, the sheer joy of being lakeside was infectious. The students’ laughter echoed across the water as they celebrated each other’s fish, or no fish, attempts.                                                                                           

As their day of adventure comes to an end, the tired but happy campers start their journey back to school. The ride home was peaceful, with drooping eyelids and content smiles telling the tale of a day well spent in the outdoors.

This amazing day at Patuxent Day Camp wasn’t just about fun and games – it was about building confidence, fostering teamwork, and creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Backpacking Adventure in Wyoming

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During the last week of June 2024, when the National Capital Region was at or above 100 degrees, a contingency trek of 13 Scouts and 6 Scouters sponsored by the NCAC High Adventure Committee flew to Wyoming. On Sunday, they first visited Yellowstone National Park and Old Faithful, seeing lots of wildlife including bison, mule deer and other small mammals. They then drove south to Grand Teton National Park and did a first day hike to Taggert Lake to acclimate to the high elevations, hiking from 6,000 feet to 7,500 feet for 7 miles. They then visited the town of Jackson, Wyoming to see the sites.

On Monday, they hiked from the Granite Creek Campground for 9 miles hiking from 6,500 feet to 8,500 feet for more acclimation, followed by a unique experience of swimming in a pool constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933. The pool is fed by hot springs and snowmelt.

On Tuesday they began their backpacking trek at the Big Sandy Trailhead of 9,120 feet hiking to Big Sandy Lake at 10,250 feet, hiking 8.4 miles. The fish were plentiful and everyone casting caught 6 or more fish each.

On Wednesday, they hiked 10.7 miles to the top of Jackass Pass at 10,805 feet through knee high snowbanks. Due to the high snow conditions they had the thrill of sliding down snowbanks to get to the trail and camped at Lizard Head Meadow at 10,031 feet.

On Thursday they hiked 13.5 miles to Valentine Lake at 10,433 but had to climb along the Lizard Head Trail at 11,857 feet. Heavy breathing due to thin air slowed the trek, but the beauty of the tall peaks and mountains inspired them.

On Friday, they hiked the most strenuous leg of their trek climbing to the top of Washakie Pass at 11,624 feet. The pass was covered by several feet of snow, but with good boots and hiking poles to steady their progress, everyone made it. They finished the hike after hiking 12.7 miles camping beside Shadow Lake at 10,140 feet.

On Saturday they hiked 13.3 miles back to the Big Sandy Trailhead with a stream crossing of icy cold snow melt water to cool everyone off.

Total distance backpacked 58.6 miles with stunning beauty of the Wind River Range to inspire them to visit again in the future.

 

Pinewood Derby at the U.S. Capitol!

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Yesterday, July 10, 2024, was a very exciting and energetic day for Scouting! As part of the “Scouting The Hill” reception, our Cub Scout Pack 98 from Washington, DC set up and raced a Pinewood Derby in the U.S. Capitol for members of Congress! We believe this was the very first time a Pinewood Derby was held at the Capitol. Thank you to the Pack leadership for making this happen!
The event was hosted by Scouting America in partnership with the bipartisan Scouting Congressional Caucus. We were pleased that NCAC contributed to this historic event in such a fun way for members of Congress and their staff (many who were themselves Scouts!).
Formal remarks were made by the co-chairs of the Scouting Caucus, Scouting America Scout Executive/CEO Roger Krone, and special guest COL Mike Fossum who is a former American astronaut, engineer, and the Chief Operating Officer of Texas A&M University at Galvestonand.
The Scouting Congressional Caucus comprised Congressmen who were Scouts as youth, are Scouts as adults, or who support the efforts of the international Scouting movement. NCAC was honored to assist with this legislative effort.