OA Scouts led an interfaith service at the Order of the Arrow Conclave Northeast Regional Leadership Camp at Camp William B. Snyder. Scouts BSA members and adult leaders were there representing the Protestant, Latter-Day Saints, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, and Sikh faiths. Thank you, Scouts, for showing that Duty to God touches all cultures!
Some familiar NCAC faces are working on the 24th World Scout Jamboree already! Here’s a picture of a few of them at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in April for a planning conference.
We are pleased to announce the team of Camp Directors for the 2019 Summer of Goshen Scout Reservation.
If you ever have any questions about camp or the programs we provide, please visit www.GoToGoshen.org to get in touch with your camp director.
Phil is excited to begin his 17th summer working on staff at Goshen Scout Reservation. It will also be his fourth year as the Director of Operations. Beforehand, he worked 10 summers at Camp Bowman, with the last three as the Camp Director. He has served in various positions including Ecology Instructor, First Year Camper Director, and Camp Commissioner. With his promotion, he now serves as NCAC’s Director of Camping with oversight over Goshen, Camp Snyder, Camp Airy, and Camp Wall.
This will be Carl’s 18th summer as a Goshen staff member, and 13th summer at Camp Bowman. Carl has a lot of experience in many different areas of camp, from a variety of program areas to Bowman Program Director, Lenhok’sin Camp Director, and even an NCAC District Executive. When not at Goshen, Carl lives in Australia, works as a high school teacher/administrator/outdoor educator, and runs a successful watersports business at the beach in Australia. Carl is excited to return to Bowman as Camp Director, and hopes to help maintain the many traditions which have made Camp Bowman such a powerful and positive influence on so many young people, while also thoughtfully navigating the many new challenges and changes which come with each summer at camp.
This will be Lauren’s 12th summer at Goshen and 2nd as the Marriott Camp Director. She spent 10 summers at Camp Olmsted as Ecology Instructor, Ecology Director, Trailshead Director, Program Director, and, most recently, Camp Director. She is known for her endless enthusiasm through the summer, and is incredibly excited to get this summer rolling. When not at Marriott, Lauren is the Assistant Program Director at Mountain Trail Outdoor School in Western North Carolina, which means she can change young lives throughout all 12 months – what a dream!
Allan is joining us for his 9th summer at Goshen and his 2nd summer as Camp Director. He has previously worked in facilities and Shooting Sports.
When not at camp, Allan is busy exploring opportunities.
This will be Ian’s 10th summer at Goshen and 1st summer as PMI Camp Director. He comes to us from Camp Ross, where he has worked in a plethora of areas and positions, most recently as Camp Director. He is a very exciting and outgoing individual and especially loves working closely with the Scouts. He will bring much experience and joy to the camp and ensure Camp PMI maintains its positive growth and excellence for years to come. When Ian is not a Camp Director, he teaches 8th Grade English in the Shenandoah Valley.
Taylor as a Scout attended and worked at Goshen Camps and is excited to return this year to Camp Ross. He is a very exciting and outgoing individual and especially loves working closely with the Scouts. He will bring much experience and joy to the camp and ensure Camp Ross maintains its positive growth and excellence for years to come. Taylor recently earned his MA in English from James Madison University and is excited that Camp Director is his first career step after graduate school.
This will be Griff’s 2nd year at Lenhok’sin. He has worked at BSA camps of all sorts since he was 13 years old. He has specifically worked at a lot of trek based camps and interpretive camps in leadership roles. Outside of camp, Griff is a middle school science teacher. He is currently working on his PhD for Educational Administration. He is looking forward to working hard with the staff and providing a quality program this summer.
All four of the BSA High-Adventure bases (HAB) require at least one person per trek (two per trek at Philmont Scout Ranch) to be current in Wilderness First Aid (WFA) through an approved provider. We want your trip to be safe and successful, and making certain that you have proper training certifications prior to launch is a big step towards that. Read on for tips on how to ensure that you’re prepared for that next high adventure trip, and how to verify that your current certifications meet BSA requirements.
Last fall we informed NCAC leaders about a third-party vendor providing WFA training without proper certifications. We continue to receive reports from Scouters that certifications for WFA that they received from a third-party vendor do not satisfy the requirements for High-Adventure as defined by BSA.
Your safety is of paramount importance to us, which is why we recently introduced our own WFA course to provide certifications suitable for both our High-Adventure Camp at Lenhok’sin and BSA’s 4 High-Adventure Bases. Information on NCAC WFA courses can be found at: www.ncacbsa.org/opi-wfa.
If you’ve already received a certification via a third-party vendor, please take the time to make certain it is current and valid. You can verify an ARC WFA certification by visiting redcross.org/take-a-class/digital-certificate. Simply search by your Email Address; by First Name, Last Name, Year and Month (when class was held); or by Certificate ID. If you also received a CPR certification with your WFA course, you can check it there too.
If you find that the ARC WFA certification you hold is NOT showing as valid within the ARC database but should be, we ask that you contact us directly. Please complete this form to report the situation and select “Certification Issue” for the topic.
If you do decide to use a third-party provider, we encourage you to verify their credentials via The American Red Cross or other governing agency prior to beginning any course. Directions for checking an instructor’s credentials prior to taking a class, can be found here. Be wary of providers who claim to “know” or “keep lists” of BSA requirements, but who are unable to provide BSA approved certifications for WFA per BSA WFA and High-Adventure requirements.To learn more about BSA approved providers and requirements, please visit BSA’s page on WFA and High-Adventure requirements at: https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/training/wilderness-fa/
As always, if you have questions or concerns about a provider, please contact a Council professional for assistance. Your safety is our priority. Help keep Scouting safe for all. Get trained by a certified professional and make sure your certifications are up to date and valid.
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.
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
