We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Leaders

NCAC Bids a Fond Farewell to Les Baron

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It is with mixed emotions that we bid farewell to Captain Les Baron. Yes, that’s right: captain. After 38 years as a professional Scouter, Les is headed out to sea. If you need him now he can be found in Florida waters offering tours and fishing trips with Brown Dog Adventures.

During the eight years he spent as our Scout Executive, Les helped our Council grow and accomplish an amazing amount. Under his leadership nearly 100,000 young people joined Scouting, more than 12,000 earned their Eagle Scout Award, and we recorded more than 4 million service hours.

At the same time we were growing our summer camp programs and facilities. Goshen Scout Reservation posted record attendance numbers, built a new dam, rennovated one dining hall, replaced another all together,  added a STEM program, and celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Camp William B. Snyder celebrated its 10th anniversary, added a new STEM Shack and woodworking shop, built a new dining hall, and is now running near capacity all year round.

During this time our council also merged with the U.S. Virgin Islands Council. Working with local families, he forged new relationships with community organizations that have revitalized Scouting in the Islands. Camp Howard M. Wall  has also been rebuilt as such an exciting high adventure destination that starting next year it will be part of Sea Base’s program.

He accomplished all of  this while paying off our council’s debt and growing the endowment to almost $13 million.

But perhaps the best thing that can be said about Les is that the changes he made will endure beyond his time here. Their impact will be felt for generations to come as the families he helped welcome begin their own traditions of Scouting.

Les was the steady hand on the tiller during times of great change for Scouting, reminding us that through it all our our core values remain the same. They are our guiding star through stormy seas.

Now that’s a lasting impact!

Save the Date: University of Scouting Is February 23rd

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The University of Scouting, a supplemental training opportunity for all adult Scout leaders, returns to Hayfield High School on February 23. It is the one time during the year where you can find the widest variety of training opportunities in all program areas all in one place.

The University offers interesting courses in Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting (soon to be Scouts BSA), “Adventuring” (a combination of Venturing and Sea Scouts), District Operations, and an Electives College where the classes cover a broad range of areas of interest to Scouting but not specific to any one Scouting program. A key topic across all programs this year will be Family Scouting.

The University has a degree program where, over time, attendees can earn Bachelors, Masters, and PhD degrees in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Adventuring.

Classes are taught by experienced Scouters and Scouting professionals. Many classes focus on subject areas not otherwise covered in the usual adult leader training curriculum.

We expect to offer over 160 different courses from which to choose. In addition to the academic program, there is more… a midway where up to fifty vendors and council committees will have exhibits describing how their products and services can enhance your scouting program and a Scout Shop trading post where you can pick up needed items. And finally, there will be a scouting museum where dedicated collectors will be displaying their extensive collections of scouting memorabilia. 

At the closing ceremony, we will be presenting the D. Andrew Grafton Exceptional Trainer Award.  This annual award, presented by the NCAC Leadership Training Committee, recognizes a single NCAC Scouter for sustained, dedicated and highly skilled service to Scouting over the years by demonstrating a high commitment to quality adult leader training. 

The University of Scouting provides all the above, along with great fellowship with dedicated Scouters, making this a day to be remembered. 

Registration is expected to open on or about January 2, 2019. Your registration fee includes morning refreshments, lunch, an event patch, course materials, and a special recognitions.   

Whether you are new to Scouting or a veteran of many years, the University is a place where you can learn from experienced Scouters from all over the council; it truly provides something for everyone.

Hayfield High School is close to the Beltway, just south of Alexandria, VA. Doors open at 7:15 AM. The opening ceremony starts at 8:15 AM with the closing ceremony ending by 4:30. In 2018 over 900 Scouters were in attendance. Help us pass 1000 for 2019!

Remind Leaders to Complete YPT 2.0 Today

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Over the decades, the Boy Scouts of America has been a leader in developing training and policies designed to keep young people safe. Groundbreaking when they were developed, they soon became the standard used by other organizations for safeguarding youth. But when it comes to the safety of children, our goal is to continually improve. Sustained vigilance on youth protection is a central part of our culture.

Over the past two years, the BSA has worked with experts in the field of child abuse, child sexual abuse and maltreatment to develop new training and resources that will further strengthen our ability to protect youth. These changes include:

  • Fully updated and revised Youth Protection Training with the latest strategies for recognizing and preventing major forms of abuse.
  • Expanded youth protection content across all our communications channels will inform and engage our volunteers and parents.
  • Expanded ScoutsFirst Helpline to aid volunteers & families in addressing potentially dangerous situations.
  • The BSA also provides unlimited counseling and support for healing to anyone who has ever been abused in Scouting.
  • Youth protection training for youth members will be available in 2019.

In addition to updated training and resources, the BSA announced new policies to ensure compliance with mandatory training requirements. These policies have been in place in the NCAC for a number of years. These policies include:

  • As of January 1, 2018, no new leader can be registered without first completing youth protection training.
  • As of January 1, 2018, no council, regional or national leader will be allowed to renew their registration if they are not current on their youth protection training.
  • As of September 1, 2017, no unit may re-charter without all leaders being current on their youth protection training. Registrars no longer have the ability to approve charters without full compliance.

By October 1, 2018, all new and currently registered leaders will be required to complete the updated training. The enhanced and updated content will allow leaders and councils to comply with all current legal requirements. While this may be inconvenient for some, it reflects the BSA’s commitment to the safety of all youth.

For camps this summer across the BSA, adults accompanying units on activities who are present at the activity for 72 hours or more, must be registered and take Youth Protection Training. The 72 hours need not be consecutive. If your unit desires to set a stricter policy (e.g. ALL adults going to camp must be registered and have current YPT), that is certainly permitted.

To learn more, discover additional resources, or take the training now, please visit

www.Scouting.org/youthprotection.

Or stop by the Marriott Scout Service Center to use one of our training stations. Be on the lookout for additional live trainings this summer and fall.

Commissioner Service and Family Scouting

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Fellow commissioners, we have a unique opportunity to serve Scouting at a historic time of change!

I personally am thrilled that through Scouting we will be serving the whole family. Through visiting two of our council’s Vietnamese long-standing Family Scouting groups, I have seen a vision of the future, and it looks fantastic! At the Vietnamese Scouting groups, I saw boys, girls, and entire families (including grandparents) at a Scouting meeting where they shared fellowship, prepared young people to live by the Scout Oath and Law, and had separate but linked programs by age and gender where appropriate. I do not view family Scouting as accepting girls into Scouting – rather, I view it as serving the whole family.

The most recent issue of The Commissioner, the national newsletter for commissioners and professionals (http://bit.ly/2tUJ1VC), contains several excellent articles on commissioner service and Family Scouting.

While commissioners will continue to serve units and Scouters as we always have, we need to be ready to support growth in our movement. Specifically, this means:

Working closely with district membership teams to form sustainable new units based on the processes described in the Unit Performance Guide (http://bit.ly/2Nt5Zvm)

Working closely with district training teams and our roundtable commissioner staff to get our Scouters the training they need to succeed

Continuing our traditional role as “agents of change” by keeping up with the latest information available at www.Scouting.org/FamilyScouting and communicating that to our districts and units

Commissioners, as friends and mentors, will play a crucial role in family Scouting’s success. As the national newsletter notes, “If the trend holds true from what we have seen in the early adopter program, many of these new families will not have a background in Scouting, making the presence of the unit commissioners who will follow these units through their first two charter renewal cycles more important than ever.”

This is a time of change. We have the opportunity to make a real difference in Scouting by serving the whole family. We need to be ready and set to go!

National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT): Ready for a Challenge?

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NYLT is an exciting, action-packed program designed for youth to learn and practice the leadership skills that will help them succeed in Scouting and in life!

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Scouts who have completed their unit’s introduction to leadership course, have been practicing these skills, and are ready for the next level of training should attend NYLT once they meet all Eligibility Requirements.

NYLT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Scouts must:
  • Complete their home Unit’s Introduction to Leadership Skills course*
  • Receive approval from your Scoutmaster or Unit leader
  • Be at least 14 years of age by course start date. We reserve limited space for 13-year-old participants on each course. All 13-year-old participants must contact the Course Director lbefore registering to see if slots still exist.
  • Earn First Class rank, if registered in a Troop
  • Have current BSA Health Form (Parts A, B, and C)
  • Be comfortable camping and cooking outdoors
  • Commit to attending the entire six-day course
  • * Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (ILST), Crews (ILSC), and Ships (ILSS) should be offered through a Scout’s home unit. Ask your Unit Leader how you can participate in this course.

WHAT NYLT IS (AND IS NOT)

NYLT is not like summer camp and is not designed for rank advancement or earning merit badges.  NYLT is an intense and challenging hands-on leadership training program.  It is essential that NYLT participants be physically, emotionally, and mentally prepared to handle the demands of this advanced training. In order to get the most benefit from this unique experience, participants must exhibit emotional maturity, a positive attitude, proficiency in basic camping and outdoor cooking, and have an ambition to serve in leadership roles.

For more information or to register for upcoming NYLT Training, please visit:
www.ncacbsa.org/nylt.

 

The Trainer’s EDGE

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The Fundamentals of Training/Trainer’s EDGE is for anyone interested in different training methods. It will equip you with ideas, techniques, and materials for improving presentations by enabling you to select approaches that will communicate your messages most successfully, and with PIZZAZZ!!

In Fundamentals of Training participants learn the tools of good training including characteristics of good trainers, how people learn and training methods. The Trainer’s EDGE emphasizes the importance of “experiential learning,” or learning by doing, as well as numerous other contemporary training strategies. These strategies can then be applied to a wide range of training programs.

WHAT DOES EDGE MEAN?

Explain how it is done – Tell them

Demonstrate the steps – Show them

Guide learners as they practice – Watch them do it

Enable them to succeed on their own – Use memory aids, practice it, they teach it

WHO SHOULD COME?

Anyone interested in improving their presentation skills should attend! This course is required for all trainers who train on the District and Council levels (including Wood Badge and NYLT staff).

The next course will take place on Saturday, August 25, 2018 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Potomac, MD. The  cost is $15 (Continental Breakfast and Full Lunch Included along with Training Materials).

For more information or to register, please visit www.ncacbsa.org/trainersedge or contact Danielle Ballantine at (301) 335-6012 or dmballantine@gmail.com.