On Saturday, April 25th, 38 from MD,VA, PA, MI and even 1 from the UK attended the BSA 2020 North East Region Area 6 Venturing Leadership Awards Zoom Ceremony plus the Introduction and Swearing in of the new 2020~2021 NER Area 6 Venturing Officers Association President and Vice Presidents! Congratulations are in order for all our awesome Scouts!
During a pandemic, social distancing can be difficult, especially as a Scout. Our values include being helpful, but how can we help if we have to stay home? Quoc-Huy Nicholas Nguyen and DangKhoa Noah Nguyen of Scouts BSA Troop 1444, together with their mother (Thai Le) and the Vietnamese charities (Nha VietNam MD, The Marriage Family Enrichment Program of Our Lady of Vietnam Parish and many Vietnamese in DMV area) found a way despite the pandemic. They volunteered to help make cloth face masks to donate to local hospitals, nursing homes, police stations and places in need.
Volunteers donated money, fabric, and their time to sew masks. The Scouts spent time packaging the masks, which included washing, drying, ironing, putting them in zip lock bags, and labeling them. Together they were able to donate thousands of handmade masks to the community. They are so proud to be able to give back to the community during this difficult time and living the Scout values.
Scouts BSA Troop 33 in Takoma Park, Maryland ran a virtual food drive for two weeks in mid-April, which collected over 5,000 to help the Capital Area Food Bank provide meals to vulnerable community members during the COVID-19 emergency. Like a 5K road race, the food drive had a specific challenge with a measurable goal. In this case, the 5K theme represented a race to collect 5,000 food items resulting in much-needed assistance to children, families, seniors, and other individuals who are food-insecure at this time.
Scouts are known for acts of service, many of which are enabled through in-person, group activities. The current state of emergency, with stay-at-home orders and social distancing, presents opportunities for Scouts to think about how to serve others while remaining obedient to public health policies and keeping themselves out of harm’s way. Troop 33, and a supportive community of other youth and adults, faced the conundrum head on and exceeded the 5K goal. The total 5,380 food items collected is valued at $11,243.24, and weighs nearly two tons!
The food drive happened 100% online, powered by a giving platform developed by the woman-owned business YouGiveGoods. The food items will be shipped directly from YouGiveGoods to the Capital Area Food Bank by the end of April. Troop 33 hopes its success will inspire other units to imagine how they can meet the challenges of Scouting in these unprecedented times. The troop is celebrating 100 years of service this year, and has called the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church its home for the entire time. Troop 33 is grateful to everyone who pitched in to support the food drive, and their virtuous efforts to help others in a moment of crisis.
The National Capital Area Council (NCAC) is now accepting adult unit leader applications for the 2021 National Scout Jamboree NCAC provisional Scout Troops and Venturing Crews. The 2021 Jamboree will be held July 21-30, 2021 at the Summit Bechtel Family Reserve in West Virginia. NCAC plans to send to the National Jamboree twelve Scout Troops, including at least one Girls Troop and two co-ed Venturing Crews.
The National Capital Area Council (NCAC) is now accepting adult unit leader applications for the 2021 National Scout Jamboree NCAC provisional Scout Troops and Venturing Crews. The 2021 Jamboree will be held July 21-30, 2021 at the Summit Bechtel Family Reserve in West Virginia. NCAC plans to send to the National Jamboree twelve Scout Troops, including at least one Girls Troop and two co-ed Venturing Crews.
To ensure a successful Jamboree, the council requires qualified and committed adult leadership. Each troop requires three adult leaders over the age of 21, a Scoutmaster and a First and Second Assistant, as well as one adult between the ages of 18-21 to serve as Third Assistant. Crews require both male and female adult leaders over the age of 21. Members from the NCAC Jamboree Committee will review all applications to assess leader qualifications and experience, followed by interviews of qualified applicants in spring of 2020.
Adult leader applicants should register as an adult leader on the national Jamboree website AND complete the Unit Leaders Experience Survey (links below). The NCAC Unit Leader Experience Survey must be submitted to the council office (National Capital Area Council, Attn: Eric Smith, Program Director, 9190 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814) not later than 01 August 2020. Selected applicants will be notified in late summer and for those who are not selected, you may at that time amend your registration for a staff position at the Jamboree.
Should you have any questions, please contact the Chair of the NCAC Jamboree Committee, Bob MacKichan at bobmackichan@gmail.com.
Jamboree Registration: https://jamboree.scouting.org/
Council Survey: https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/DuTwg6fn4FnLvoUcbrsSmGrG
“Eagles as the Messenger: How we use Sea Eagles to Monitor the Health of the Planet”
Join us at 7:00 PM on April 22, 2020 as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day with this presentation from Dr. William W. Bowerman! This presentation will be delivered live via ZOOM; please sign-up here (free event) to receive the link: https://scoutingevent.com/082-earthday.
Biography:
Dr. William W. Bowerman has been awarded the Hornaday Gold Award, one of the rarest awards in Scouting, and is awarded for distinguished and unusual service to natural resource conservation and environmental improvement over a sustained period (at least 20 years). Dr. Bowerman has over 35 years of work on conservation of bald eagles and other birds of prey on five continents. He served for 18 years on the International Joint Commission, Great Lakes Science Advisory Board, including 3 years as United States Co-Chair. Bowerman’s Scouting achievements include Eagle Scout, Vigil Honor, NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award, and Silver Beaver Award. He has served as an adult leader in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, including service at the District and Council levels, currently NCAC’s Vice President of Outdoor Adventure. He is a National Fellow of The Explorers Club. Dr. William W. Bowerman, is a Professor and Department Chair of Environmental Science & Technology, University of Maryland.
To learn more about #NCACEarthWeek visit https://scoutingevent.com/082-earthday.
In January 2020, Stefan Morgan, a Life rank Scout with Scouts BSA Troop 98, chartered by St. Anthony of Padua Church in the Brookland neighborhood of Northeast Washington, DC, led two weekends of work to bring his Eagle Scout Service Project to life.
Stefan oversaw his months of planning and hard work come over two weekends of hard work by a combination of scouts, scouters, students, and neighbors. Together, all of these volunteers executed Stefan’s plans and worked under his leadership to build a new Zen garden on the grounds of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, part of the District of Columbia Public Schools in Northwest Washington, DC.
The new Zen garden includes two benches, decorative rocks, and sand; and has created a new quiet, calming, and contemplative space for students and neighbors alike to enjoy.
Stefan’s work included all aspects of planning and design of the Zen garden, securing financial support and donations of materials, and planning and coordinating multiple days of work in two different locations.
Thank you to all of the volunteers, scouts and scouters of Troop 98, and congratulations to Stefan on your hard work, and completing this very difficult step on your trek to Eagle!
