Scouts from Troop 12, sponsored by Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Herndon, VA have had quite the fall 2023 season so far.
On September 10th, the Troop 12 scouts were at Manassas Airport where each scout got to fly as a passenger in a single engine plane thanks to Dallas of Flywyld, LLC. This trip was a highlight of their working on their aviation merit badge. During this visit, each scout had to record certain facts and observations as a part of the merit badge requirements.
On Sept. 22nd, one of the Troop 12 Scouts, Ben, was on Good Morning America to show how a letterboard allows non-verbal people to communicate. That’s Ben in the front row with the glasses.
Then on October 6th – 8th, Troop 12 camped at Bear Wallow Camp at the larger Shrine Mont Retreat Center in Orkney Springs, VA, an
Episcopal Diocese of Virginia camp. This was a cabin and tent camping event that started on Friday evening at 4pm. Parents and some scouts unloaded cars and set up rooms and beds and the rest of the Scouts checked out the camp. They were easily monitored as all cabins faced the 360 open pavilion. The Shrine Mont dinner bell tolled around 5:30 pm, so the group drove or hiked to the 2nd floor dining hall in the prominent white-with-green-trim 1850’s Virginia House at the center of town, passing inviting rockers out front. There was a wonderful aroma of abundant home cooked food waiting for the Scouts. After dinner, there was a campfire with s’mores, and everyone fell asleep to the sound of rain.
Saturday was blustery with increasing sun and falling temperatures. In the morning, Scouts hiked to one of the town springs, then up to the rustic, hand-built rock shrine to hear Assistant Scoutmaster Dave McDonald explain its history from the 1920’s on. After lunch, the Scouts drove to an orchard about 30 minutes away to explore, pick apples and take in the magnificent view of the fields and nearby Blue Ridge Mountain. As there were breaks in the day, groups would form to compete in heavy-duty Velcro axe throwing and cornhole. The group had fun developing the Scouts’ skills and camaraderie. The day ended with another roaring campfire and s’mores.
On Sunday after breakfast, Assistant Troop Chaplain Nick lead a prayer service in front of one of the cabins with the cabin steps as pews. After packing out of Shrine Mont, several families drove to explore nearby Lake Laura, then had lunch and headed home.
Scoutmaster Scott Smith reflected on the weekend, “Even though I can’t provide a long list of scout achievements, for our troop, I think this campout was a success. We got to spend quality time outdoors and inside with our scout sons and their families. We also got to focus more on them as we weren’t distracted or time constrained managing, preparing, and cleaning up for meals. Yes, in part it was glamping. But it was also very much an outdoor camping experience with cold, wind and rain. More than anything, I think it was a troop bonding opportunity. I’m not sure about everyone else, but I could tell that Brandon and I were both a little sad when we saw Orkney Springs in our rearview mirror.”
Troop 12 helped Holy Cross put on Trunk or Treat in the church’s parking lot on October 29th along with the Herndon Police Department.
Troop 12 is a special needs troop where the Scout never ages out. Troop 12 meets at Holy Cross most Tuesday nights from 7pm-8pm in the Fellowship Hall where they work on various merit badges and rank advancements. Stop by to see love and scouting in action!
Article submitted by Anne Geiger
Troop 12 Chartered Organization Representative (COR)
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
1090 Sterling Road Herndon, VA 20170
fellowshipchair@holycrosslutheranchurch.net
This past summer, Scouts from the National Capital Area Council attended the 25nd World Scout Jamboree in Seoul, South Korea. For two weeks, the Scouts bonded, shared stories, laughed, and explored Korea with thousands of Scouts from around the world. As they
were buddying up with new friends and exploring the different cities and towns we stopped at. I loved discovering more about modern Korea through these outings. Even coming to find one of my new favorite desserts, Korean shaved ice. We looked everywhere for the shop that our tour guide, Jake suggested but eventually we had to ask for help in which we met a very kind owner who apparently had a daughter that was going to the World Scout Jamboree later that week.” Abbey talks about the the wonderful culture of Korea and how much she enjoyed the 
experience, “On the days between the 6th and the Closing Ceremony, we went to a South Korean Water Park, a traditional Tai Kwon Do and Folk Festival, went to the Samsung Plant, and a South Korean baseball game at which they had cheerleaders! Baseball is huge in South Korea.” She mentions that though it was not what she expected, she was excited to have gone and become a better leader for it. The Scouts from Troop 612 in Virginia allows us to see how beautiful the experience of learning new cultures and sharing a love of Scouting: “Throughout our stay at the camp, we often visited the Scouts from Vietnam, sharing our own scouting experiences with Vietnamese Scouting, despite our country’s differences. The camp was incredibly massive, 
designed to accommodate over 40,000 people…Trading was a significant part of the World Scout Jamboree, a universal activity that transcended language barriers. Given our Troop 612’s involvement in lion dancing, we worked to obtain patches and neckerchiefs from Hong Kong, which featured designs related to lion dance—a meaningful aspect of our culture.” The Scouts had an incredible experience that turned out to be full of fun, joy, and an appreciation for the many cultures. As they departed camp, they looked forward to seeing their friends in Poland in four years at the next World Scout Jamboree!
Last night, Colonial District represented NCAC at the Alexandria City Council meeting. The City of Alexandria’s Mayor and council members presented a proclamation supporting Scouting for Food and our partnership with ALIVE!, a local resource bank that provides free food, personal items, etc. to the community.
Last year our NCAC Scouts collected over 641,512 pounds of food through door-to-door and virtual donations. We are gearing up for this year’s collection efforts and aim to collect 1 million pounds of food. Please be on the lookout for instructions from Scouts collecting door-to-door in your area between October 28 and November 5. Also if you wish to donate virtually the giving link will be live October 1- December 16.
12 Scouts from three local Troops took flight with some help from 1400 horsepower fans and some nifty aerodynamic engineering. iFly Baltimore hosted an Up and Away NOVA field trip for these Scouts. They started with Randy, a retired missile flight engineer, explaining the history, design, and build process that produced the 5th generation vertical wind tunnel. After that talk, the group was split in two – Half went to their Preflight, and the others worked on building parachute delivery systems to deliver paperclips back to earth safely.
Scouts. Flying in winds nearing hurricane force and assisted by a certified coach, Scouts (and some parents) learned how to stabilize in the air, turned left and right, and went on a “high-flight” approximately 30 feet above the floor.
Did you know that rain falls at approximately 21 miles per hour? Our Scouts tested it! They gave the instructor a pitcher full of water, and he could suspend it in the air column with help from the tunnel operator. They also tested how much wind it would take to pick up several objects off the net floor of the tunnel. A giant stuffed Pikachu was the first to float away, and a Nerf Football stayed grounded until 94 miles per hour.
middle Florida Keys. After breakfast each morning we pulled anchor and sailed for the first snorkeling site of the day always dragging a line in anticipation of pulling in a big fish. After a snorkel, we would enjoy lunch and plot the course to the overnight anchorage. Upon arrival, there would be another opportunity to snorkel, followed by dinner and after cleaning up we would enjoy a swim. After the swimmers were out of the water, there would be time to fish, play games, read, or enjoy free time as the Scouts preferred. Most slept on the deck, under the stars and one night had a sighting of the Star Link satellite.
Midweek we were fortunate to dock for the night at a local resort. This provided an opportunity to swim in a pool, play beach games, have power for AC on the boat, and most importantly a shower. That night we had steaks to grill on the barbecue as well. We can attest to the fact that the meals were a step up from the usual Scout fare and there was a lot of food for meals and snacks.
