We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Leaders

Fall 2022 Leave No Trace & TREAD Lightly courses

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National Capital Area Council is fortunate to offer many outdoor ethics training courses thanks to the many Leave No Trace Master Educators and Tread Lightly! We are pleased to offer three courses this fall.

Please spread the word widely with your units, districts, committees, and parents and encourage them to register for these excellent courses!

**Leave No Trace Trainer courses**
MD course on 9/26/22 (virtual) and 10/1/22 (in person) https://scoutingevent.com/082-55113

VA course on 10/17/22 (virtual) and 10/22/22 (in person) https://scoutingevent.com/082-55114

Participants in the Trainer Course learn Leave No Trace skills and ethics as well as techniques for educating others about these low impact practices. Research has shown that this course significantly improves participant knowledge and understanding of how Leave No Trace protects the outdoor places we love. The goal of this course is to teach students taking the course how to introduce the concept of Outdoor Ethics in a fun and engaging way to a group with little experience in outdoor ethics. It should help youth and adults at all program levels understand the general principles behind Scouting’s outdoor ethics program. Graduates of a Trainer Course are prepared to lead Outdoor Ethics Orientation and BSA Leave No Trace 101 courses and to offer Leave No Trace Awareness Workshops to their community.
We recommend that youth complete this course before serving as in the troop Outdoor Ethics Guide position.

**Tread Lightly!**
Sunday 9/18/22 https://scoutingevent.com/082-57352
Learn about Tread Lightly! and how to share the concepts with Scouts and others. Tread Lightly Tread Trainer course is an 6 and a half hour course designed to provide a “crash course” on outdoor ethics focusing on motorized and mechanized recreation on both land and water. Participation in the course qualifies individuals to present the Tread Lightly! message to others in their state or region. Participants will work with a Master Tread Trainer on understanding the role outdoor ethics play in the recreation community, learn the Tread Lightly! principles of responsible recreation and be provided with the tools to conduct workshops and coordinate community outreach. This training is of interest to all Scouters involved with the BSA’s outdoor ethics program, including rank advancement, youth leadership positions, awareness awards, and action awards.
The Tread Trainer course is designed to help volunteers promote the message responsible recreation where lands and waters are protected. This course is centered on land based recreation focusing on the Tread Lightly! principles designed to minimize impacts on roads, trails and the wildlands they access.

National Exploring Volunteer of the Year

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On August 10, 2022, NCAC’s Commissioner for Exploring was recognized at the National Exploring LIVE Hour as the National Exploring Volunteer of the Year.

Jeff has been a Scouting Commissioner for over 25 years. In NCAC, he serves as a Unit Commissioner and Assistant District Commissioner in the Colonial District and as Assistant Council Commissioner for Exploring, STEM, Communications and Resources. Jeff is our council’s only Exploring volunteer who single-handedly manages our nearly 40 Exploring Clubs and Posts and STEM labs across our 19 districts.

One “small” example of his attention to detail is given by his institutional knowledge. We’ll be in conversation with a prospective new Medical Post, and Jeff will rattle off the name, unit number,  and insights from a similar Post from 5 years ago. Jeff keeps unparalleled offline records of units with every detail imaginable. This helps our Council analyze and direct our resources. He NEVER complains about shifting formats of the raw data (from scoutnet/my.scouting). This takes work on Jeff’s end, but he steadfastly compiles everything, ensuring our Council’s Exploring sector is always poised with data.

On the National level, Jeff is the Vice-Chair of Marketing & Recruitment, Learning for Life National Executive Board. In addition to this position, he has been designated at the Exploring focal point for any internet issue as well as the Exploring Homepage Webmaster. During his recognition, Colonel Craig Marti (National Vice Chair of Exploring & Support Services) extended a big thank-you to Jeff for his initiative to assist all Councils‘ through rechartering of posts/clubs in late 2021/early 2022. When IT challenges presented in the new online rechartering portal, Jeff immediately orchestrated the efforts of Technology Group on the National Commissioner Service Team and National BSA IT Department to solve these problems.

Jeff holds a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and master’s degrees in systems technology and computer science from the Naval Postgraduate School. Finally, we thank him for his service to our Country as a retired United States Navy Lieutenant Commander.

NCAC Sporting Clays Shoot

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YOU are INVITED to the NCAC Sporting Clays Shoot on September 16, 2022. Come out and test your marksmanship! Teams will compete for the top spot at the inaugural NCAC Sporting Clays Shoot.

See the attached flyer for details — and share with friends and Scouters!

This event is open to all adults and will be held at the premier Prince George’s County Trap & Skeet Center, 10400 Good Luck Rd, Glenn Dale, MD.

Register NOW for World-Class Leadership Training !!!

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New and seasoned Scouters, you have the opportunity to take WORLD-CLASS leadership training offered by NCAC. It is easily the equivalent of the best corporate management and leadership programs!

The course is Wood Badge, a 103 year-old course first taught by Baden-Powell and most recently updated in 2020 for our era of Scouting. The next course will be taught this early fall at Camp Snyder.

Over the course of two weekends in September and October, Scouters will immerse themselves in engaging, interactive instruction and live the life of a Scout. For some, it will be a life-changing experience! For everyone, it will be a FUN and fulfilling event, lead by a well-experienced and trained staff of Scouters.

A great side benefit are the Scouting friends and connections participants make to help them in their future work with our youth. It is designed for Scouters working at the unit, district and the council level. Whatever your Scouting position, you will benefit from this course!

Sign up NOW at www.ncacbsa.org/woodbadge. Scholarships are available for those needing financial assistance.

June NESA Luncheon Featuring 2003 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry, Peter Agre!

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Calling all Eagles to an extraordinary NESA Luncheon! Join us on Thursday, June 9th, 2022, via zoom to hear from the 2003 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry, Peter Agre! Register here at, ncacbsa.org/nesa-lunches/.

Did you know that one of the fundamental processes of life is the transportation of water molecules through the surface layer of the cells that comprise organisms? Channels that allow the passage of water but not other substances are crucial for processes such as the kidney’s capacity to recover water from urine. For a long time, no one knew what these water canals looked like, but in 1990 Peter Agre succeeded in isolating a protein that he proved was the sought-after water canal. This protein is known as Aquaporin.

Today, Agre now focuses his attention on combatting malaria in the laboratory and in the field, where he oversees efforts in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Although the lunches are free, please consider making a donation to Scouting at www.ncacbsa.org/give to help support our luncheons as well as the great Scouting experience. Who knows—you might be helping a future luncheon speaker write their story!

And if you or someone you know are interested in being a guest speaker at one of our lunches, or you have a suggestion or idea, please contact us at NESADC@NCACBSA.org.

For updates and registration on upcoming networking luncheons, follow us on Facebook, add us on LinkedIn, or check out our schedule on the National Capital Area Council’s Calendar of Events.

 

June Council Wide Virtual Roundtable, Wednesday, June 15, 2022

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The next NCAC Council Wide Virtual Roundtable will be held Wednesday evening, June 15, 2022 from 7:30PM to 8:30PM via Zoom. The Zoom room will open at 7:15PM.

Plenary Session Topic: Adult & Youth Training Trends

Guest Speakers:
Danielle Ballantine – BSA National Territory 12 Training Coordinator
Tom DiMisa, NCAC Training Committee Chair
Chris Cooper – NCAC Training Committee
Vice-Chair

Zoom Meeting Details:
https://ncacbsa-org.zoom.us/j/81365752820? pwd=bEQrOFdBMmJ1ZkVOQWxTVER6L3lnZz09

Meeting ID: 813 6575 2820
Passcode: 467148