Scouting Programs

Troop 648 earns the National Outdoor Challenge Unit Award!

February 20, 2020 by Carey Johnston

Troop 648 had a great year of outdoor adventures in 2019. We participated in many Chain Bridge District events (Camporee, Klondike Derby, Projectoree), local camping trips, and three high adventure trips (two crews to Seabase and another crew sent to Philmont). Scouts also earned many outdoor related merit badges and conducted a Leave No Trace program.

The Troop memorialized all these activities by earning the National Outdoor Challenge Unit Award for 2019. See: https://www.scouting.org/awards/awards-central/national-outdoor-challenge/ This is an easy award to earn if your Troop has an active outdoor program and good record-keeping. You can fill out the application and send it to Craig Weston, Chair, Camping and Outdoor Program Committee. See: https://www.ncacbsa.org/council-committees/outdoor-adventuring/camping/. After you earn the award you can purchase a nice ribbon for the Troop.

Second Annual Pinewood Derby Days a Great Success!

February 20, 2020 by Dave Schneeman

Michael’s Woodshop at Camp William B. Snyder just completed its second annual series of Pinewood Derby Days. During the 2019-20 season, Michael’s Woodshop held 13 Pack Sessions, 3 Den Sessions and 5 Open Registration Sessions during which Cub Scouts, Siblings (and a few parents) built 376 cars!

For those who have never attended one of these events, they are certainly a great experience. Pinewood Derby Days are supervised shop sessions that use a well-defined process to walk Cub Scouts through each step to build their car. The sessions begin with a safety briefing which is then followed by a series of work stations; re-drilling axel holes (if permitted), designing/design templates, cutting, sanding and adjusting the car weight. All necessary tools are provided and the work is supervised by a group of volunteer Shop Stewards. At the end of their work session, Cub Scouts leave the shop with paint-ready cars, axel polishing kits and huge smiles!

To get a better understanding of this event, please see the “View our Process” link on the Pinewood Derby Days webpage which has many good photos of Cub Scouts in action. As you will see, these sessions are engaging and are great fun for Cub Scouts, parents (and volunteers). We are already looking forward to the 2020-21 season!

While the Pinewood Derby Days series is the largest program hosted by Michael’s Woodshop, there are many other ways to use the shop. Michael’s Woodshop holds monthly Woodwork Merit Badge Sessions and a monthly Woodworking 101 Class, which is now open up to both Scouts and adults. The shop may also be reserved for Unit activities, District events, Eagle Scout projects and many other Scouting activities. The volunteer Shop Stewards are experienced woodworkers and are available to help you plan and carry out a successful event. For information about shop capabilities, upcoming events, reserving the shop or to learn more about volunteering, please visit the Camp Snyder website or email us at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com

Where to find information
Camp Snyder website: https://www.gotosnyder.org/
The Michael’s Woodshop page can be found in the Year-Round Events section

Aquia District’s 12th Annual Bear Claw Leadership Conference is Gearing Up!

February 20, 2020 by Mike Haas

The 12th Annual Aquia District Bear Claw Leadership Conference registration page is now open! Bear Claw will be held on March 28, 2020 in Stafford, VA and is a day-long leadership conference run entirely by our Youth Staff who’s Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) is busy getting the Staff ready through a series of four Staff Development sessions. Bear Claw is open to Troops, Crews and Ships. Scouts & Adults can register at https://scoutingevent.com/082-27302

For those unfamiliar with the program, Bear Claw is an exciting, action-packed program designed to offer Scouts training on leadership skills and provide Scouts practical experience and ideas to take back and use in their home units and in other situations demanding leadership of self and others. Bear Claw is a one-day interactive leadership training event designed by Scouts for Scouts. It is a District-level leadership workshop and is intended to bridge the leadership training gap between Introduction to Leadership Skills (ILSx) offered by Scout units and the National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) program offered at the Council level.

There is also an adult breakout session designed to share ideas and help adults gain a better understanding of how running a Scout program using the Youth-led Patrol Method benefits their Scouts and Scout unit. This session is open to all registered adults and parents too, including Webelos II parents. Come take a deep dive into the Patrol Method – as Baden-Powell said: “The patrol system is not one method in which Scouting for [Youth] can be carried on. It is the only method.”

Content is delivered in a Troop and Patrol setting by trained Youth Staffers who are experienced Scouts. Participants, with their Scoutmaster’s/Crew Adviser’s/Skipper’s approval, may choose between the Patrol Leader or Senior Patrol Leader track. Throughout the Bear Claw training day all participants will learn how to more effectively lead their Scout units using the Patrol Method. They will see how a Scout program can achieve results with minimal adult oversight through proper planning, communication and team development.

By offering a training track for adults who want to better understand the Youth-led/Adult-mentored Patrol Method concepts, Bear Claw provides an excellent opportunity to get Scouts, Scouters and Parents on the same page and to share best practices and cross-pollinate ideas for what’s working and not in their home units. Again, going back to the words of our founder, Baden-Powell: “The object of the Patrol Method is not so much saving the Scoutmaster trouble as to give responsibility to the [Scout].”

WHY BEAR CLAW?

Every Scout deserves well-trained leaders. Regardless of a Scout’s program affiliation, Bear Claw provides exposure to leadership skills that hopefully reinforce and expand upon lessons learned through their unit’s ILSx training and provides a bridge to promote attending NYLT. Bear Claw offers Scouts a leadership training environment with Scouts from other units across the District – this opportunity to meet and talk about Scout leadership challenges with Scouts from other units is an invaluable part of the experience and hopefully encourages Bear Claw graduates to continue their Scout leadership training through NYLT. The Bear Claw Youth Staff also demonstrates that the Youth-led Patrol Method can work quite well with minimal adult supervision. As The Ancient One (TAO) has been known to say: “Adults are meant to be seen, not heard!”

Over the course of the Bear Claw leadership conference, participants are exposed to six of the eleven leadership skills or competencies, originally offered in BSA’s Junior Leader Training (JLT) program, using Buzz Groups and practical application – including a SPL-led Patrol Leader Council (PLC) meeting, a PLC-planned/executed Troop meeting and PLC-planned/executed closing campfire where Patrols and Staff have fun putting on skits, songs and cheers before the closing ceremony.

This course is built around the BE-KNOW-DO of leadership:

What a leader must BE

What a leader must KNOW

What a leader must DO

Registration is only $25 per participant until March 1, 2020 and $30 after March 1st. Registration normally fills up quickly so don’t delay. Did we mention your registration also includes lunch? You can register at https://scoutingevent.com/082-27302

If you are not a member of an Aquia District Scout unit and would like to attend or learn more about Bear Claw leadership training, please contact our Aquia Bear Claw Coordinator, Ken Buszta at ken.buszta@gmail.com. Our 2020 Bear Claw Course Director & Scoutmaster is Aleska Buszta and she can be reached at aquia.bearclaw@gmail.com

Pack 1345 Conducts Disability Awareness & Inclusion Event

February 12, 2020 by Joe Tull

Pack 1345 in Burke, VA recently conducted a disability awareness and inclusion event for Cub Scouts. Activities focused on common disabilities and exposed Scouts to the challenges those with disabilities face on a daily basis. Scouts came away from the event better prepared to recognize and assist those with disabilities.

Pinewood Derby Fun

February 4, 2020 by Jodi Gardiner

My son Jacob (8) looks forward to the Pinewood derby every year. As far as a year in advance he thinks about what kind of car he wants to build. He first draws out his car ideas, then carefully choses the theme and even suggests where to put the weights. He watches videos on how to build a fast car and does his own research.

No other kid in the room exudes as much excitement as he does on Derby day! It’s so much fun to watch him jump up and down and cheer on not just his car but his fellow scouts! This year after the race, he proudly set up his 3 derby cars and the awards he won at home in our cabinet.

I love that the derby not only teaches the kids the science behind the racing but gives them the satisfaction of designing and creating a car and watching the cars perform. It’s very rewarding for everyone involved. It teaches the kids they can do anything if they work hard enough at it. This year Jacob won “Most Patriotic” in the whole Pack and 3rd place for “speed” in his Bear den. He can’t wait for show-and-tell at school to show his classmates his car and awards this week!!!

Help NCAC Celebrate 100 Years of Camping!

January 30, 2020 by Craig Weston

The Council celebration of 100 years of NCAC summer camps is well underway, as we continue to celebrate the opening of Camp Roosevelt on the Maryland western shore as our first council summer camp in 1919!

To honor the long history of summer camping in the Council and to highlight the importance of the outdoors to the growth and development of Scouts, throughout 2020 we are encouraging Families, Webelos, Scouts, Venturers, Explorers and Sea Scouts to get involved by attending a camp (or cruise) overnight —- for a weekend or for a week (or two) at one of our summer camps!

Here’s what happening in the coming weeks:

Districts can hand out the free Camping Centennial Logo patch to those who attend the District Klondike Derby or Winter Camporee. Contact your District Executive before the event.
New to Scouting or camping and want to learn what gear you need and where to go? Sign up for Course ELC135 “Camping Opportunities in the NCAC” at the University of Scouting on February 29th.
Also, at the University of Scouting, take a walk-through history! Stop by the midway area to view displays of rare council camping memorabilia dating back over the past century.

Visit gotogoshen.org/summercamp or gotosnyder.com/summercamp and register today!

Stay tuned to WeOwnAdventure to learn about future special events and commemorative merchandise.