We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Adventure

Troop 128 Enjoys a Summer at Sail to the Florida Keys and U.S. Virgin Islands

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Over the Summer Troop 128 participated in a journey to the Florida Keys and U.S. Virgin Islands
Florida Keys Sea Base Adventure:
The Sea Base Coral Reef adventure involves a week of living aboard a sailboat with time spent sailing, snorkeling, and fishing the beautiful waters of the 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.
The Sea Base adventure was a great way for the Scouts to try activities with which they were unfamiliar.  There were plenty of opportunities for leadership as there were many duties to complete.  Our least favorite duty was the 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. night watch taken in 2-hour shifts with Scouts and leaders all taking turns each night.
We were fortunate to have a great captain who shared his knowledge of sailing, navigation, fishing, and more.  He took us to great spots that enabled us to snorkel with a nurse shark and many amazing fish, spot turtles, dolphins, and even a ray.  We will never forget the sunsets and the incredible star gazing far from the city lights.
 U.S. Virgin Islands Adventure
The Scouts snorkeled and saw turtles, rays, squid, and a barracuda. Captain Wes guided the Scouts and taught the crew about the use of a sextant for celestial navigation. They enjoyed amazing views, and time catching waves on the beach and hiked around the Island. Scouts even explored the history of the island, visiting an old sugar mill in St. John.
 
Here are some of the thoughts, reflections, and highlights shared by the Scouts:

“We were able to get the Captain’s Award, Snorkeling BSA, and the sailing req for the 50 Miler without much difficulty.”

“The biggest thing we learned was being able to navigate from point A to point B without any obvious solutions (ie. just motor straight upwind to the destination)”

“We got to polish a lot of skills we already had, like tying off and coiling rope, cooking, and swimming.”

“Our captain was very willing to improvise and have fun (like when we saw a regatta and joined in).”

 

Thank you to Troop 128 for sharing!

Aquia Scouts BSA Troops 199’s Philmont Trek Adventure 2023

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Troop 199B & 199G formed a crew that participated in a Philmont 7-day backpacking trek at the Philmont Scout Ranch. We had 5 adults (Glenna B, Lisa L, Skip S & Chris T), Trip Wiggins being the Lead Advisor, and the following 6 Scouts: Cameron B, Natalie G, Dots L, Alex S, Kaitlyn T and John W. John was the Crew Leader, Kaitlyn the Chaplain’s Aide and Dots the Wilderness Pledge Guia.

The crew headed to Philmont on ‘planes, trains, and automobiles’ arriving on July 13. We completed Check-In and immediately started with training and logistical support for our trek (tents, fly, bear bags, cooking pots, food, water purification tablets, etc.) guided by our Philmont Ranger, Yahir Olvera who accompanied us on our first two nights on the trail.

We hit the trail on July 14th and the training continued with map & compass/navigation, crew dynamics/positions, weather, backcountry cooking and cleanup, and bear bag use. Our daily camps, in order, were Heck Meadow (dry camp), Clark’s Ford (staff camp), Schaefer’s Pass (dry camp), Miner’s Park (staff camp), and Abreu (staff camp). We ended the trek at Rayado trailhead with a bus ride back to base camp. At Clark’s Fork and Abreu the crew enjoyed a staff Chuckwagon & Mexican dinner, respectively.

Notable aspects of the trek: Climbing the iconic Tooth of Time peak (9,000 feet MSL) and doing three hours of trail building work to assist future trekkers. More fun activities included horseback riding, climbing wall, getting hats branded with the Philmont brands, visiting a New Mexico homestead, the Kit Carson Museum, tomahawk throwing and at the end, visiting the National BSA Museum. Oh, and members of the crew spotted one black bear and 2 rattlesnakes to make the trek even more memorable!

The printed guidebook noted that our trek would cover some 37 miles – but, with side trips, actual miles logged was closer to 70! (Just ask our feet [NO blisters] and shoulders as we acclimated to the mountain desert climate.) The Base Camp elevation was 6,500 ft and we topped out at nearly 9,500 ft, with a 3,400 ft elevation gain on our 3rd day on the trail.

We noted lightning and thunder in the distance throughout the week, but our trek was rain free and the humidity in the 20-40% range – enviable to any Virginian.
At the end, we were all hot, dirty and tired – but a quick poll indicated that the Crew wanted to COME BACK TO Philmont! Yes, we all had FUN!

For any questions about Philmont – please contact Trip at tripwig@cox.net. He’s been there twice as Lead Advisor and has a dozen 50-Mile backpacking trips under his belt.

 

 

Troop 3228 Conducts Flag Ceremony at the 2023 National Jamboree

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The Scouts of Troop 3228 under the guidance of Scoutmaster Troy O’Donnell conducted a reverent and solemn flag ceremony on day four of the National Jamboree. The Scouts first lowered the flags of the visiting foreign Scout Associations, and then retired the flags of the Summit Reservation, the State of West Virginia, and the Flag of the United States. The Jamboree coordinator commended the Scouts on their service, saying that they conducted the best ceremony by far.

#myNCAC #nationaljamboree #NatJamboree23

 

NCAC Scouts Featured in The Washington Post

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NCAC Scouts are featured on the front page of The Washington Post Style section today in an article about the 2023 National Jamboree and how Scouting benefits girls. The writer, Anne Branigin, followed Audrey Perez, daughter of NCAC Scout Executive Mario Perez, Mia Strouder, and Lucy Hurd as they “flew down zip lines, played one-armed volleyball, shot laser guns, ate pizza and posed with Regis, a 17-year-old bald eagle with a busted wing” among a whole lot of other experiences!

Noting that the past three years had been a downer for all of the girls, the article explains, “Scouting, a 113-year-old rite of passage for generations of American boys, helped save the girls from total boredom and staved off loneliness in the pandemic years. They know the myriad opportunities being a Scout affords them, benefits adults extolled all the time: the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout; a network they can lean on; an edge during the competitive college application process; life and leadership skills.”

Read the full article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/08/10/girlhood-boy-scouts-jamboree/

The BSA has licensed the recent Washington Post article about Scouting, and a copy of the article is available in the BSA Brand Center for download and additional use. Download the article from the BSA Brand Center here: https://scouting.webdamdb.com/bp/#/folder/4731610/152075105

Sea Scouts Make Waves in the U.S. Virgin Islands

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NCAC has two Sea Scouts participating in SSS 802’s virtual program and as Lone Scouts in the U.S. Virgin Islands.Our two Sea Scouts, Audrey and Ella , continue to work with our two adult leaders and the St. Thomas Yacht Club Sailing Center to meet many of their rank and elective requirements.Audrey has exemplified herself by supporting the ideals of Scouting. She has performed service hours in support of the community and Sea Scouts, and participated in a flag retirement ceremony with the American Legion Post 90. She was the youngest participant to skipper an IC-24 named “Black Pearl” during the 2023 St. Thomas International Regatta known as the Crown Jewel of Caribbean Racing. She placed as the top female competitor and  3rd overall in the Pan Pepin International Dinghy Regatta in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and earned the top female competitor and 5th overall at the 30th Annual International Optimist Regatta in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.  Next month she will be competing for the U.S Virgin Islands (Team ISV) at the 2023 Optimist North American Championships in Antigua.Audrey will also be attending the National Scout Jamboree with Jamboree Troop 3242 where she looks forward to continuing her scouting adventures and meeting other Scouts.

For more information on the U.S. Virgin Island District and the Sea Scout program visit:

https://www.ncacbsa.org/us-virgin-islands/

https://www.scouting.org/programs/sea-scouts/

 

Flag Day 2023

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Flag Folding at the National Harbor with FoX5 DC

In honor of Flag Day, National Harbor invited Troop 450 of Glenn Dale, Maryland to demonstrate how to fold a U.S. flag for a live news segment on Fox 5 DC. Reporter Gwen Tolbart FOX 5 DC joined in to help! Afterwards, our Scouts stayed to collect flags to be retired during a concert by the U.S. Army Band. Thank you to National Harbor for the invitation and the opportunity to invite the community to properly and respectfully dispose of U.S. flags.

 

St.Mary’s County Flag Day Celebration

Last week St.Mary’s County Celebrated its 37th annual Flag Day event. Scouts were able to participate in the color guard, retire American flags and enjoy the rest of the festivities. The Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department Company 1 retired over 800 U.S. flags. One of our NCAC Scouts Kaden S, built flag collection boxes in his community and contributed 200 flags to be retired next year. This event was covered and featured in Southern Maryland News.

Photos by: Elizabeth Clark