Scouting Programs

Usually our troop hosts a “Lock-in” in February where the Scouts spend a night at the church and play video games, eat pizza and socialize. This year we could not do it, so the Patrol Leaders’ Council decided to try to replicate this event outdoors.

We booked a campsite with electricity at Lake Fairfax Park. Scouts and our Scoutmaster built a stand to hold up a video screen. The stand was made from two buckets filled with 25 pounds of concrete with a PVC tube in the middle. Then you slide in a 2×4 which has hooks attached. You use guylines and tent stakes to spread the poles apart. The screen we purchased was from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Mdbebbron-150-inch-Projection-Screen/dp/B0878RVTKX/ref=sr_1_11). We had a projector already from our Court of Honor events. The Scouts played a Smash Brothers tournament with two players at a time while others watched.

During the video game tournament, Scouts made Dutch oven desserts.

This outing had the highest attendance of any outing in recent years other than our Lock-ins at the church. It was voted the top outing idea in our troop outings survey.

For more details about the screen set-up, email troop1577scoutmaster@gmail.com.

World Scout Moot in Ireland – register now! If you will be between the ages of 18 and 26 by July 18th, 2022 — the World Scout Moot will be a global Scouting adventure that you will not want to miss! The theme for this Moot is Le Chéile (leh kay-la) which translates to ‘together’. There is an old saying in the Irish language; “Ní neart go cur le chéile” which means “There is no strength without unity”. The Moot will bring together thousands of Scouts from across the world, to share cultures, learn from each other, gain new skills, and create a better world by ending poverty, fighting inequality, addressing climate change, seeking to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, etc.

BSA will be selecting 275 young people to attend the Moot in Ireland. A Moot is similar to a Jamboree, but specifically designed for older Scouts, as many countries have “Rovers” in the 18-26 age bracket. Participants must be willing to fully commit to the moot experience, immerse themselves in Irish culture, join an international patrol and collaborate with 5,000 other young leaders from around the globe. Participants are grouped in Patrols of ten people each, organized into “Tribes” consisting of 4 international Patrols each for the “Trails” portion of the Moot.

BSA is recruiting an additional 75 adults over the age of 27 to join the IST (International Service Team, or “staff”) working alongside Scouting Ireland to execute this incredible World Scouting event.

The cost is $1,850 for Participants, and $1,575 for IST (not including travel).
To find out more about the moot, and apply to be part of the contingent visit the link in our bio or check out this link: https://www.scouting.org/international/world-scout-moot/

You may also contact NCAC’s International Representative, Jay Eidson, at ir.ncac.je@gmail.com

Jamboree On The Trail – May 8th

Jamboree On The Trail (JOTT) is an annual day for the World Scout Movement to hike together. All Scouts, whatever their age and wherever they may be in the world, are invited to participate in whatever way they can. Cubs and younger Scouting sections could visit a local nature trail as part of a weekend camp. A Scout Troop might check out a hiking trail while working on badge requirements. A Venturing Crew might make a Service Project out of restoring or maintaining a hiking trail.

In their own way, everyone will be hiking the same direction: towards a better future through Scouting. JOTT is held on the second Saturday of May each year.

Register your Den, Patrol, Unit, District or Council for a traditional in-person group hike or doing a social distanced hike with your family. https://jamboreeonthetrail.org/

History

JOTT started with a Canadian Scout Troop who hiked part of the Trans Canada Trail in 1997. This lead to the idea of a Scout hiking day for all sections and on any trail. Further discussion set the date for the first event as April 25, 1998; late enough that those in the Northern parts were likely to have trails free of snow on which to walk.

Reading list messages about the idea, UK Scouters began to wish that he could take part in this too. It then occurred to them that this needn’t be limited to the shores of Canada as there are trails to walk on all over the world. Scouters quickly agreed that this could be a world-wide event.

Now that the event was born, they discussed what to call it. For a while it was going to be World Wide Walk because it had been started through discussions on the World Wide Web. In the end, they decided on Jamboree On The Trail (JOTT).

The inaugural JOTT had over twenty-four thousand participants in seventeen countries around the world. From this beginning, Jamboree On The Trail has grown. JOTT 1999 had thirty thousand participants and JOTT 2000 was bigger still.

Jamboree On The Trail is the only international annual event for every member of the Scouting family; Scouts of all ages and all sorts. It is an ideal opportunity to come together in spirit with Scouts all over the world and to promote the world-wide aspect of this growing Movement.