We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Scouting Programs

Volcano Snow Supernova

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(From left to right) Supernova Award Recipient Robert El-Hage, Sully District Unit Commissioner Randy Young.

On May 29, 2021, Robert El-Hage was awarded the Dr. Luis Alvarez Supernova Award by Mr. Randy Young, Sully District Unit Commissioner, at Pack 717’s Blue & Gold event. Robert is a Bear in Cub Scout Pack 717, chartered by St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Clifton Virginia, where he is a 3rd Grader at the church’s school. Robert started off as a Cub Scout in the Lion pilot program as a kindergartener. He was quickly inspired by Mr. Young to work on Cub Scout Awards that are not earned very often. Robert first earned the International Spirit Award after expressing his interest in ham radio during the Jamboree-on-the-Air at Camp Snyder. This accomplishment led Robert to discover the Nova program.

(From left to right) Cub Master Elias El-Hage, Supernova Award Recipient Robert El-Hage, Sully District Unit Commissioner Randy Young.

To receive the Supernova Award, a Scout first must earn a certain number of Nova awards. He earned four Nova awards: Down and Dirty, Fearful Symmetry, Out of this World, and Up and Away. His favorite Nova was Down and Dirty because he got to make a Papier Mache volcano. He also enjoyed earning the Out of this World award which is all about astronomy. To earn this, Robert watched astronomy videos, participated in a two hour Zoom meeting hosted by the NCAC STEM Committee, and did some cool crafts. After completing this Nova award, Robert was inspired to become an astronomer.

Even after completing these Nova awards, Robert was determined to achieve the Supernova award. He wanted to earn a medal that meant something to him. Robert was mentored by Dr. Hatcher Tynes, who is the Sully District STEM Coordinator. For his scientific method demonstration he created “volcano snow”, experimenting so he could create the right consistency of “snow”. It took him six months to earn his Supernova. If Robert could describe his overall experience in three words it would be “hard, interesting,” and (most importantly) “fun.”

 

Article authored by Supernova recipient’s big sister, Kiernan El-Hage, SPL Troop 1137G. 

Register Today For Powder Horn 2022

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The Powder Horn course is designed to help the unit by introducing youth and adult Scouting Leaders to safely conducted outdoor/high-adventure activities of a fun and challenging nature. The course provides an introduction to the resources needed to lead youth through successfully a program of outdoor adventure and is based upon giving participants an exposure to some outdoor/high-adventure activities. It is not a certification event. It is for any youth or adult interested in experiencing a unit-level, high-adventure program.

The purpose of a Powder Horn course includes:

■ Safe participation in fun and challenging outdoor activities

■ An introduction to resources that can improve a unit’s program

■ Exposure to new and exciting high-adventure activities

■ Help in delivering the BSA promise at the unit level

■ Promoting youths’ and adults’ creativity when delivering high-adventure programs

Powder Horn at Camp St Charles
Friday 8-26-2022 8:00 AM  to Sunday 8-28-2022 5:00 PM

Register using the link below.

https://scoutingevent.com/082-49585?fbclid=IwAR0S_dXCdislDLZ3XV072lbf1wAwM-rXyH83iqzQMltwI4CN0IthUFnfr0c

Cub Scouts field trip is Out of this World!

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Pack 88 in Lorton VA recently held its first Nova Night where 25 Cub Scouts completed the Out of this World award.

The scouts built balloon rockets, learned the forces of flight, created a scale solar system and designed a Mars base. The evening was capped off with a zoom call with Michael Fossum, a retired NASA astronaut and grandfather of one of the Wolf scouts.

To round out the requirements the Pack went on a field trip to the Udvar-Hazy center and saw the Space Shuttle Discovery that their distinguished visitor commanded.

To learn the more about the STEM Nova awards, please visit: www.scouting.org/STEM

If Bigfoot Can Leave No Trace, So Can Scouts!

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On Saturday, March 26, Sara Holtz, Deborah Manhken, and Evelyn Bruno with 15 Scouts and 11 Scouters from all over NCAC got together to talk about the role of the Outdoor Ethics Guide in Scouts BSA. Once known as “Leave No Trace Trainer”, the Outdoor Ethics Guide is a leadership position for a Scout in a Troop that provides Scouts to be in the unique position to help others make choices to reduce impact upon the natural world. You can learn more about the position here: scouting.org/outdoor-programs/outdoor-ethics-guide/

This session of the course was a beta test with many hands-on activities to include: Camp OH NO! A trash timeline, the Generation Game, the Thumb Trick, etc. You can check out more games like these in “Bigfoot’s Playbook” published by the Center for Outdoor Ethics.

The biggest thanks to the following Scouts who helped lead the various Leave No Trace (LNT) activities: Meera, Cayden, Hunter, Alex, and Andrew!!!!

Since this beta test course went so well, there are plans to offer it in various locations across NCAC. Contact Sara (sh12sh34@gmail.com), Deborah (dsmahnken@aol.com), or Evelyn (evelynann.bruno@gmail.com) if your district wants to host this class for OEGs (and Scouts interested in becoming OEG) and their advisors.

 

Pack 278 Celebrates First Townes Supernova in 70 Years

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As Pack 278 enters its 70th year as a chartered BSA Pack serving boys and girls in the FSK District, leaders are excited to award it’s first Dr. Charles H. Townes Supernova to an Arrow of Light Scout, Finn H. The Dr. Charles H. Townes Supernova honors Dr. Townes’ many achievements. While working on the Townes Supernova, Finn was given the challenge to research 5 different scientists and engineers. Finn chose to research Ralph Baer, Jane Goodall, Katherine Johnson and Alan Turing. He found they had similarities to Townes and his ability to believe in himself despite others telling him his ideas would never work. The fifth innovator Finn researched was Walt Disney. Walt Disney believed that if you could dream it then it was possible. Throughout his life, Disney pushed the boundaries of what was possible by inventing a multi-plane camera to create the first full-length animated motion picture, Snow White. Walt Disney inspired his Imagineers to combine their imagination with technology to create incredibly life-like animatronics and innovative theme park rides. Like Disney, Supernova Mentors strive to inspire youth to believe in themselves and push the boundaries.

Finn’s parents would say that Finn has an overabundance of imagination. That imagination routinely materializes through Lego creations and occasionally scotch tape. While working on the Townes Supernova, Finn interviewed John Morin, a mechanical engineer responsible for designing and building the equipment and hardware that attaches rockets to the launch pad on the Northrup Grumman’s Antares and Omega programs. Finn continued to investigate his interest in engineering while completing other Townes Supernova requirements. Finn designed and built a birdhouse out of PVC drainage pipe. He spoke with his den leader, Adam Fogle, about the importance of angles when building and discussed why a tool that looks like a triangle is called a square. He completed a science experiment to better understand the structural design of bridges. He tested how different shapes like triangles, squares, and trapezoids can add to their strength. Finn has proven through his hard work over the past 18 months that he has potential as a future engineer if he continues to believe in himself and his imagination. Finn will continue Scouting with Troop 1066 in Jefferson, Maryland.

Cubic Bubbles made in STEM Scouts

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When you think of bubbles, what do you think of?

How about cubic bubbles? Do you think of economic bubbles or liquid or gaseous bubbles? How about glow in the dark bubbles?

In STEM Scouts Lab 605, sponsored by the Burke Centre Conservancy, we just finished a module called Bubbleology.

As the fanciful words suggests, STEM Scouts studied all aspects of bubbles, and experimented with manipulating the composition of their bubbles by going thru the engineering design process.

An underlying goal in each module is to introduce the youth to STEM careers. In this module, we learned about materials engineers are people who use their understanding of different materials (such as metals, plastics or wood) to make things that solve problems. STEM Scouts ‘stepped in to the shoes’ of materials engineers by experimenting with many different materials that can be used to make bubble wands and solution. We explored the chemistry behind the bubbles!

Scouts were guided thru experiments to design glow-in-the dark bubbles, and then given the challenge to demonstrate their own innovative bubble designs. Pictured here are Olivia’s creation of a hole in a bubble and David demonstrating his cubic bubble!