We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Eagle of the Week

Troop 1882 Scout Builds Playhouse for Veteran Retreat

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Ryan C. of Troop 1882 of Haymarket, Virginia, didn’t think he’d ever reach Life Scout, much less try for Eagle. Taking a “fun and laid-back” attitude towards Scouting, he was always more concerned with the journey and finding new experiences than rank. Yet, through some friendly pushing from his fellow Scouts, and the competitive realization that he would be the only non-Eagle of his five-man patrol, he triumphed. Now, after more than 230 hours of work spent learning, assembling, and budgeting, his Eagle Project is completed.

Prior to his project, Ryan had worked many summers as a sous chef for the Warrior Retreat at Bull Run, the leading program of the Willing Warriors organization, a group that offers vacations and reprieve for wounded or ill veterans. To honor these veterans and their families, Ryan dedicated his Eagle Project to replacing the old playhouse at the Retreat, itself a former Eagle Project, which had become run down with age. Seeking to make his own mark, Ryan planned to make the new playhouse larger and better than it had been before.

Larger isn’t easier, however, and Ryan soon found his greatest issues were logistics and finance. Ryan wanted to build the playhouse completely from scratch, avoiding things like kits, and required large amounts of lumber to fulfill his sought expansion. Even after thrifty budgeting, Ryan’s predicted expenses were around $1,200 dollars. Ryan called on his community for support, setting up a GoFundMe campaign that proved so successful he raised $500 beyond what he needed; this extra was donated to the Willing Warriors. With his lumber secure “the hard part” was done, allowing Ryan to begin constructing the shed. 

Over the course of two weeks, Ryan built a project he was truly proud of. The first week was spent building a skeleton for the new playhouse with his family, and the second was spent roofing, tiling, and filling it out with Scouts from his troop, “There’s obviously a great feeling of accomplishment as you’re building it and seeing it all come together. But the greatest feeling was when I went back to do my post meetings with the Eagle Coordinator. One of the best things she said was that, when they were walking there to review it, there were already muddy footprints. A veteran had arrived, and his toddlers went right to the playhouse. From the beginning, even before the paperwork was signed, people loved it.”

Looking forward, Ryan hopes to study Computer Science and Cyber Security at Virginia Tech, pursuing his interest in the sciences. As for advice to prospective Eagles and Scouts, Ryan said: “It’s never too late to start doing anything in Scouting, no matter how new it is to you or how long you’ve been doing it. It’s never too late to start your trek to Eagle, and you should always try new stuff and try new things. Don’t focus on ranks, but on making the most out of your Scouting experience… A lot of people think Eagle is just a rank, like a college degree that you just mount on the wall. But I know now that an Eagle Scout is really a name and placeholder for all the work that you’ve put in to become it. It’s not just a title, but the time and work that you’ve spent to attain it.”

Aspiring Eagle Overhauls 9/11 Monument To Inspire Her Community

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Megan M. was introduced to Scouting by her younger Cub Scout brothers. She first joined BSA as a Venturer, then, on February 1, 2019, joined Scouts BSA Troop 164 and rose to Star within eight months. Now, after an additional year of work, her Eagle Project is finally completed.

On the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the Arlington Fire Department received a steel beam from the Twin Towers to recognize their role as the first responders to the Pentagon. Lacking a support structure, however, the piece simply rested on the grass for a decade. To commemorate the 20th anniversary and honor the Fire Department, and inspired by her own father‘s 9/11 experiences, Megan decided to overhaul the monument, fashioning wooden supports to hold the steel beam and placing railroad beams around it in the shape of the Pentagon, with lights at each corner so the monument could be visible at night. After some final on-site adjustments, the monument has since become a community hotspot.

Megan fondly recalls people stopping on the street to watch them work. “Not many people visit the fire station, but the project drew a lot of interest.” It was this desire to celebrate community that motivated Megan to begin her journey towards Eagle and she hopes the monument will continue to draw crowds for years to come.

Today, Megan is studying to be a nurse at George Mason University and remains active in Scouting. She hopes to apply to her future occupation the skills learned through Scouting, particularly Lifesaving (her favorite merit badge) and Wilderness Survival. After all, “if I can save someone outside of the hospital, I’m prepared for anything.”

Speaking to all Scouts, Megan emphasizes the role of community: “Make sure you have a tight bond with your patrol mates. They’ll be more likely to come to talk with you if there’s a problem if they feel they have a strong relationship. No one is an island, and all Scouts can rely upon their fellows to assist and motivate them in any way.”

Megan also encourages young women to consider joining Scouting. “At first, I was like ‘uh this is all Boy Scouts,’ and I was concerned it would all be mud and roughhousing, but really it’s so much more.”

Seneca District Passes First Female Eagle

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On Wednesday, August 25, 2021, Seneca District of the NCAC held its regular Eagle Boards of Review and passed its first female Eagle Scout – Bethany H.

Bethany is a member of Troop 1920 in Montgomery Village, MD. This is a remarkable achievement, because as few as 2 1/2 years ago, young women did not even have the opportunity to earn the prestigious award, or even to participate in, what was at the time, the Boy Scouts program, now called Scouts BSA.

Bethany’s dedication allowed her to earn this award in just 30 months, while many who earn this award take over six years to learn these skills and complete these requirements. Over these 30 months she, and the other Scouts of Troop 1920 have learned many basic Scouting and camping skills, cooking, citizenship, first aid, and leadership. She has then taken these skills and applied them both within the troop serving in roles of Patrol Leader and Senior Patrol Leader, and applied these skills in her daily life at School, in her job, at her church and with her family.

We are all very proud of her achievement.

The Scouts BSA has a saying … “Once and Eagle, always an Eagle”, and this is very true. These skills will always be a part of her life, and we look forward to learning of the journey that they help to take her on.

Troop 544 Holds Eagle Scout Court of Honor

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On a sunny Saturday morning, nine Boy Scouts belonging to Troop 544 of Peoples Congregational UCC of the NCAC Council, in Washington DC, received the rank of Eagle Scout. This event took place at Northeastern Presbyterian Church, and it was truly wonderful as each Scout gave speeches about their journey in scouting, and were given awards in the presence of parents, family and friends.

The nine Scouts that achieved this rank were Brandon Hall, Xavier Scott, Joshua Simpson, Jamir Grier, James Marcus Hall, Charles Brown II, Benjamin Evans, Spencer Fridie, and Greyson Thrower. Under the direction of Scoutmaster Robert Simpson and other Parent Leaders, these young men have worked hard, over many years, to learn life skills and mature as young adults as they progressed through the ranks of Scouting.

Troop 544 is a historically African American troop that was started 90 years ago. Despite the underrepresentation of African American males who have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in the US, Troop 544 has the distinction of having 58 Boy Scouts who have earned the Eagle Scout designation. What is even more remarkable is that this class of nine Scouts achieved the rank of Eagle Scout during the pandemic.

Here’s a list of the new Eagles and their service projects:

  • Brandon H. – Buddy Weekend: Went to senior citizen nursing homes to play games with and provided lunches and prizes too them on multiple weekends.
  • Xavier S. – Helping Hands: Assembled volunteers to do yard cleanup and various household chores for seniors in his neighborhood.
  • Jamir G. – Technology for Seniors: Held two weekends of sessions that provided technology training (i.e. cellphones, tablets, etc.) to seniors at different churches.
  • Marcus H. – Dog Poop Stations: Constructed a “Dog Poop Station” in front of his church.
  • Charles B. – Beautification Project for South Manor in DC: Led a group of volunteers to install various plantings in a neighborhood area in need of cleaning.
  • Joshua S. – Supplies for Seniors: Created activity bags for residents of senior nursing homes which included a variety of items too keep them entertained during the pandemic which limited their visitors.
  • Benjamin E. – Washington Yu Ying Rain Garden: Eco friendly project that had him plant plants to stop erosion at the hill of his former elementary school.
  • Spencer F. – SEGL Sick Room: Built a wellness and recovery center at his high school which included installing cabinetry, bed, etc.
  • Greyson T. – Little Libraries: Built little libraries at various multi family housing developments.

Congratulations, gentlemen! We are very proud of you all. If you would like information about joining Troop 544, please feel free to contact Scoutmaster Robert Simpson at rob@robsgroup.com or Jonathan Simpson, at jonathansimpson786@gmail.com.

Submitted by: Jonathan Simpson

Goose Creek District Merit Badge Dean

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Boy Scout builds outdoor classroom for Eagle Scout project

By John Battiston, Loudoun Times-Mirror

Grant Newcomb planned and helped build an outdoor classroom at his childhood school, Discovery Elementary School, for his Eagle Scout project. Here he’s pictured with the nearly finished project on May 19.

For his Eagle Scout project, Grant Newcomb of Ashburn’s Boy Scout Troop 997 decided to leave a legacy at his childhood school by building an outdoor classroom.

“I wanted to make something that would last a very, very long time and would leave my impact there,” he said of his project at Discovery Elementary School in Ashburn.

Newcomb, now a junior at Broad Run High School, said he first came up with the idea of an outdoor classroom for Discovery’s center courtyard two years ago.

As it turned out, the school already had previously come up with a budget for an outdoor classroom and made calls for ideas for the classroom’s design.

However, the school’s outdoor classroom was never brought to fruition, according to Newcomb’s father, Rich Newcomb.

“So when Grant showed up and said, ‘Hey, we’d like to do an outdoor classroom,’ they were very excited that they had a path forward,” Rich Newcomb said.

After a six-month planning period, Grant Newcomb enlisted the help of fellow scouts as well as friends from his neighborhood and workplace to start building earlier this month.

Close to 400 volunteer hours went into the project, he predicted. He said the school’s parent-teacher organization is providing the project’s funding.

Over a two-week period, the project team dug holes in the school courtyard, poured in concrete, then built nine wooden benches and a stage to be placed into the holes.

The stage includes a weatherproof whiteboard that any school instructor can use to teach a class on a particularly nice day.

Grant Newcomb said he also hopes the space will help teachers educate students on Leave No Trace and The Outdoor Code — two very important practices for him and other scouts.

“This project will definitely leave a very positive impact here,” he said. “It gives kids a good space where they can learn and be outside, so they’re not cooped up in their classrooms all day.”

Laptops for the Needy

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My name is Matthew, and I’m from Troop 17. I’ve been in Scouting since 3rd grade, and I’ve stuck with it ever since. I’m currently a Life Scout, and I’ve decided to start my Eagle Scout Project.

My Eagle Scout Project is called Laptops for the Needy. It’s about refurbishing old laptops so those in need can use them. I wanted to do this project because I noticed that a lot of good jobs require some form of computer work, and a lot of jobs require applicants to fill out online forms to apply. I want to give everyone a good, even chance at securing those jobs, and if someone can’t afford a computer, they’re already at a disadvantage. Plus, these computers can be used for educational purposes, as well as entertainment.

We will be taking any old laptops we get, cleaning off any data, reloading Windows, adding an antivirus, and placing them in laptop bags with instructions in English and Spanish. All laptops will come with an AC adaptor and a mouse.

Currently, I am looking for corporations that may need to dispose of or recycle older equipment that could possibly be used. Laptops with or without hard drives would be perfect.

I appreciate any support that you can offer. If you have anything that could help our efforts, please contact me at laptops4needyEP@gmail.com (which goes to an adult for YPT purposes). Thank you!