Thousands of girls registered in Scouts BSA will be participating in 2019 summer camps. To help you find out all you need to know to ensure you are ready for Family Scouting in the outdoors, BSA will be offering a livestream webinar on Monday, February 25th at 7pm CST (that’s 8 pm for those of us in the DMV). Best practices from around the country will be shared, as well as Q&A time with a panel of BSA professionals from the Scouts BSA program team, Youth Protection, and Outdoor Programs. Anyone serving in camp leadership this summer is invited to attend. Mark your calendar and save this link to join the livestream broadcast.
At Camp
Get Wilderness First Aid Certified
NCAC is now offering a Wilderness First Aid Certification course!
Presented by the NCAC Camps, the Outdoor Preparedness Initiative (OPI) offers Wilderness First Aid certification with CPR/AED. OPI aims to prepare Scouts, Scouters, and outdoor enthusiasts for high adventure activities and other outdoor adventures. Certification is provided through the American Red Cross. Courses will be offered at Camp Snyder in Haymarket, VA in the Fall, Winter, and Spring. During the summer, OPI will move to Goshen Scout Reservation in Goshen, VA to offer courses to adult leaders attending one of the six Goshen camps.
When attending national and local high adventure bases, at least one member of the crew needs to be certified in Wilderness First Aid. As always, Scouters are encouraged to check out the information for the high adventure base you are attending to learn more about their specific requirements.
To attend, participants must be at least 14 years old and hold current adult CPR/AED certification. Because CPR/AED certification is required, you’ll need proof of that certification, should you decide to take the course. For those who are not certified and need it to complete the WFA cert, CPR/AED certification is also offered as an option during this course.
To accommodate the needs of those in the NCAC community, several convenient course dates have been established for Camp Snyder.
| Course Date |
|---|
| January 25-27, 2019 |
| February 22-24, 2019 |
| March 22-24, 2019 |
| April 26-28, 2019 |
| May 10-12, 2019 |
More information on the OPI courses offered at Goshen Scout Reservation is coming soon. For the most up-to-date information, please visit the Goshen website at www.gotogoshen.org.
OPI will also provide complimentary coffee, tea, and water during the course at Camp Snyder, as well as a continental breakfast and sandwiches for lunch. Unfortunately, at this time they will not be able to accommodate special dietary needs. Participants should make their own plans for dinner and are encouraged, but not required, to bring snacks, especially to share! Participants will be welcome to tent camp on the grounds near the instruction building. Hotels are also available nearby.
For more information, please contact Jonathan Bjorson, OPI Lead Instructor via email at jonathan.bjorson@gmail.com
NCAC PADI Scuba Course
In August, 16 Scouts and Leaders enrolled in the annual Camp William B. Snyder Open Water Diver scuba certification course. They spent two days at Camp Snyder learning safety information in the classroom and basic scuba skills in the pool. The following weekend they completed their certification at a local quarry where they demonstrated the skills they learned in the pool. Many of these Scouts are headed to the Florida Sea Base this summer for a Scuba Adventure program. Online registration for the NCAC 2019 August scuba course is available at ncacbsa.org/aquatics. Leaders can find out how to incorporate scuba into their annual program at the University of Scouting on February 23.
Lifeguard Training
Would you like a job as a lifeguard at your local pool or Scout camp this summer? If so, you will need lifeguard certification. This year NCAC will offer both BSA Lifeguard and American Red Cross pool and waterfront lifeguard training at Camp Snyder. Minimum age is 15. The mandatory pre-course swim test will be on April 28. Once you pass the swim test you will have 2 weeks to complete the online portion of the Red Cross Lifeguard course. The in-pool course dates are May 18, 19, and 25. Attendance at all sessions is required to pass the course. More information and registration can be found at ncacbsa.org/aquatics.
NCAC Bids Farewell to Snyder Camping Director, Michael Snowden
On Sunday, September 23, several hundred Scouters from across the Council gathered in the dining hall of Camp William B. Snyder to celebrate the life of former Camp Snyder Camping Director Michael Snowden.
Michael passed away unexepectedly in August of this year. In his time with our Council, he made a lasting mark at Snyder, driving it to achieve its full potential and energetically creating a superior experience for all those he hosted there.
For those who had the privilege of getting to know him, he is remembered as a uniquely warm and kind individual who possessed a drive to succeed in all that he did.
NCAC asks that you please continue to keep Michael and his loved ones in your prayers. As you mourn his passing, we also encourage you to take the time to celebrate his life by sharing your memories. As a co-worker, a colleague, or most importantly, a friend, he will certainly be missed by all of us in the NCAC community.
He has gone home.
Family Camp: Two Camps, Twice the Fun!
For the first time this year, Goshen had two Family Camps – one during Memorial Day Weekend and one during Labor Day Weekend. The inaugural Memorial Day Family Camp had good turnout for the new event. It was a little stormy, but campers crammed in fun in the sunny mornings at Aquatics and Shooting Sports and then, when the storms came in the afternoon, tried their hand at crafts in Handicraft. The event was popular enough that Goshen is happy to announce it will be offering Memorial Day Family Camp again in 2019!
The traditional Labor Day Family Camp once again had great attendance this year and had the full range of activities. Families could have fun shooting rifles and BB’s, test their skills at archery, go swimming and boating, fly on the giant swing, and more. It was a little rainy on Saturday, but that didn’t stop the hike to the Swimming Hole, where families could hop in and float down the river. The sky was nice and clear the next day for the Viewing Rock Hike, which afforded those who went beautiful views. In addition to swimming and boating, Aquatics also offered tours of the lake on the pontoon boat.
The newest aspect of Family Camp during the Labor Day Weekend was the return of the Saturday evening Square Dance. Way back in the day, the Square Dance was a staple of Family Camp, but it gradually faded away as there was no one who knew how to call. Lucky for Goshen, one of the current summer camp staff members, Lauren Brown, knows how to call from her off-season job at an outdoor school. She led much of the camp in square dancing and line dancing at Forster Hall. Everyone had a fantastic time and we’re looking forward to adding the Square Dance back in as a regular event at Goshen’s Family Camps.
Family Camp closed off, as usual, with the Sunday evening campfire. Families, Troops, Packs, Staff, and Staff Alumni shared their favorite songs and skits before heading back to their campsites for bed.
Miss out on the fun? Want to come back again? Join us for Family Camping fun in 2019. Goshen Family Camps will be offered Memorial Day Weekend (May 24-27, 2019) and Labor Day Weekend (August 30-September 2, 2019). The cost is $20 per person. Bring your own tent, bring your own food, and Goshen supplies the program. All ages are welcome. Registration is already open! Learn more and sign up at www.gotogoshen.org/family-camp.