Adventure

Nov. 16 was another big day for NCAC at the annual MD Orienteering Day, taking the top 3 Troop awards. Troops 439 from Kensington and Troop 111 from Arlington were the first co-champions in the event’s 48 years, with La Plata’s Troop 1321 in third out of 49 Troops.

Alan M. of Troop 111 was the top orienteering champion out of 442 Scouts, edging out Kendall K. (College Park; her third year in the top 10). Ryan B. from Rockville’s Troop 1450 was third, Ben P. from 439 fourth, and Lucas A. from 1321 fifth, just ahead of two PA Scouts.

James T. and Isaac G. edged out 439 Troop mates Alex C. and Finn M. for top Older Category honors. Ian E. and Leo H. were the Younger Category winners. Sixth place Troop was Troop 1946 from DC, led by Charlie C’s top afternoon run in the fun, “free-for-all” Score Orienteering (requiring SPL leadership and Troop teamwork).

In 2025, the event will be on Oct. 25 (Oct. 24-26 if camping) at the Jug Bay area of Patuxent River Park near Upper Marlboro. To learn more, email DaveLinthicum@earthlink.net.

Jim Chaplin’s big 20th Annual NCAC Scout Orienteering Day will be on May 3 at Kings Ldg. Park in Calvert County. To learn more, email JHChaplin@comcast.net. Go to QOCweb.org for lists of good DC-area orienteering events suitable for Scouts.

Experience Troop 1396’s summer trek in Wyoming adventure by watching their epic video compilation, Troop 1396 Conquers Wind River Range in Wyoming 2024! Relive the thrilling moments with our Troop and Crew as they explored the great outdoors.

During the last week of June 2024, as the National Capital Region sweltered in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees, a contingent of 19 Scouts and Scouters from across Northern Virginia embarked on a high adventure trek sponsored by the NCAC High Adventure Committee. This group included 10 members of Troop 1396, comprised of both male and female Scouts and adult leaders.

The adventure began with travel to Wyoming, where the crew started their journey at Yellowstone National Park. They marveled at Old Faithful and encountered wildlife such as bison, mule deer, and other small mammals. Following this, they drove south to Grand Teton National Park and undertook an acclimation hike to Taggert Lake, a seven-mile trek rising from 6,000 to 7,500 feet. They then visited the town of Jackson, Wyoming, to see the sights before spending a few days at Granite Creek Campground.

At Granite Creek, the Troop embarked on another 10-mile acclimation hike and were rewarded at the end with some time swimming at the Granite Hot Springs. This relaxation was a welcome respite before the real challenge began.

The Troop’s rigorous trek through the Wind River Range started at the Big Sandy Trailhead. Their first major stop was Big Sandy Lake, a picturesque yet demanding destination. Over the next two days, they faced a series of formidable hardships.

Adjusting to the high elevation of nearly 12,000 feet took its toll on many members of the Crew, with the thin air causing labored breathing and slowing their progress. They also encountered harsh weather conditions, including freezing temperatures, fierce wind gusts exceeding 60 mph, and sudden hail and rain storms. These extreme conditions added considerable physical and mental strain, testing their resilience and adaptability.

The unexpected snow and ice crossings further complicated the trek. The Scouts had to navigate through these treacherous areas with care, relying on their scouting skills and leadership training to ensure safety and progress. The combination of high elevation, challenging terrain, and harsh weather conditions pushed their limits and demanded constant adjustment.

Despite these adversities, the Troop’s spirit remained unshaken. Their resilience and teamwork enabled them to overcome these hardships and complete the journey successfully. The breathtaking beauty of the tall peaks and mountains provided the motivation needed to persevere.

After these grueling days, the remainder of the trek was literally downhill to base camp. Over the course of approximately 52 miles, Troop 1396 encountered various wildlife, though they were fortunate to avoid any dangerous encounters with bears or mountain lions. Along the way, they enjoyed excellent trout fishing in the lakes and streams, providing a rewarding respite from the strenuous hiking.

This remarkable adventure through the Wind River Range will undoubtedly be a cherished memory for Troop 1396, highlighting their ability to overcome significant challenges and appreciate the beauty of nature. The diversity of the crew, consisting of both male and female Scouts and leaders, further exemplified the Scout spirit and teamwork that defined this extraordinary journey.

For more details about the adventure, go to https://www.troop1396.org/high-adventure/wyoming-2024.

This Article was Written by Team Over Coded

FLL, or First Lego League, is a competition in which teams of students ages 9-14 engage in research, problem-solving, coding, and engineering. Each team perfects building and programming a robot that navigates the missions of a Robot Game. After months of practice, teams participate in a competition against other teams.

Our FLL team #57964, Team Over Coded, is made up of four girls: Nirali, Mavya, Ahna, and Arianna. We are also members of Scouts BSA all-girls Troop: Troop 1920. 

Our journey this FLL Season of 2023-2024 lasted about nine months. From our qualifier, where 24 teams competed, we advanced to the State competition after winning 2nd place. Out of 60 teams at States, we were among the top seven teams chosen to advance to nationals. Our Nationals competition was in New Jersey, where over 80 teams from around the country competed among each other, and the competition lasted two days.

FLL has multiple aspects, including Robot Games, Robot Presentations, Core Values, and Innovation Projects.

Robot Games allow teams to compete against each other with the robots they built and programmed to complete as many missions as possible in under 2 minutes and 30 seconds, gaining points for each mission completed.

Robot Presentations are where judges take a closer look at your code and robot, interviewing the team about the key factors of the robot they have built and the techniques used in both building and coding.

Core Values are judged based on how well the team demonstrates the six core values: Discovery, Innovation, Impact, Inclusion, Teamwork, and Fun.

Innovation Projects allows teams to research a problem that addresses the season’s annual theme. This year’s prompt was choosing a hobby your team has and solving a problem associated with the hobby. Our Innovation Project was “How to Make Scouts BSA More Approachable to Girls.”

Because of these aspects, teams create presentations and scripts to present to a group of judges.

We interviewed multiple people, both kids and adults, and asked about their hobbies, their kid’s hobbies, and why they chose those hobbies. People responded with various answers, but almost everybody mentioned they wanted to gain essential life skills from their activities. We found that kids and parents experiment with different hobbies before finding one that truly offers benefits. This process demands significant time, effort, and money. We found scouting to be a great platform.

Scouting was historically gender-segregated, and despite changes allowing girls to join, awareness of this inclusivity remains limited. Many people don’t know that Scouts BSA is also available to girls. When we say we are in Boy Scouts, many try to correct us, thinking we meant Girl Scouts. Our approach was to develop a strategy to effectively promote scouting for girls, aiming to raise awareness and empower them through diverse opportunities.

As a sample solution, we developed a multimedia campaign including TikTok videos, Instagram posts, and more to showcase scouting activities to multiple audiences, including kids our age and adults! Our troop Scoutmaster, Mrs. Carolyn Hurt, and District Commissioner of Scouts BSA, Mr. Alex Pranger, provided great guidance for us!