Joseph Lepak, from Alexandria, VA, a member of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Catholic Community, Archdioceses for the Military Services, USA is one of seven recipients of a service scholarship awarded in 2019 by the National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS) through the Emmett J. Doerr Memorial Scout Scholarship Fund.
Joseph received a $2,000 scholarship. As a military kid, Joseph moved around a lot but the two things that were consistent in his life were Catholic chapels on military posts and Scouts, so they both became very important to him. He says, “as a result of my faith and upbringing, I also have an extreme desire to serve others…It is very important to me that my legacy and my accomplishments in work, affect others for the better. I want the people of this country-and the world-to be better off due to my actions.”
After his dad retired, Joseph was able to stay in Northern Virginia throughout his high school years. He has held numerous leadership positions in Scouting including Senior Patrol Leader, Order of the Arrow (OA) Vice Chief of Finances, Ordeal Master and Area Chief, leading almost 1,000 Scouts in five chapters (Order of the Arrow is Scouting’s National Honor Society). Joseph has also STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) activity leader, secretary, and president of his Venturing Crew.
Joseph is currently Junior Assistant Scout Master of Troop 129 in Alexandria, VA. His Eagle Scout Project involved designing and constructing a new tool shed and improving the gardens for a middle school. He has been a participant in the 2015 World Scout Jamboree and the Inter-American Scout Jamboree in Ecuador. With his Venturing Crew he attended the National Jamboree in West Virginia, Sea Base Bahamas, and Northern Tier High Adventure. Joseph received several awards including the Dr. Bernard Harris Bronze Supernova Award, designed to introduce and encourage further study of STEM.
Through his archdiocese, Joseph has earned all four of the religious awards and has served as an altar server, lector, teen leader for vacation Bible School, assisted with clothing and food drives and with the Adult Education Program.
Always wanting to serve, Joseph has worked with many community organizations, including Wreaths Across America, Alexandrians Living Ecumenically, helping to set up and distribute food to low-income families, Scouting for Food, Park Clean-Up, National Cherry Blossom Festival, Meals on Wheels and Metavivor, a cancer survivor fundraiser swim-a-thon.
Academically, Joseph was selected for admission to T.C. Williams STEM Academy and to participate in their Cyber Security Camp. He has received numerous academic awards and represented his school through his science research. He has been active in “The High School Project Plan”, which aims to resolve issues around growing student enrollment and space at his high school. He also recently joined Community for Renewable Energy (CURE). Their mission is to train school staff and inform students about creating eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable schools. Joseph has been accepted at George Mason University and is interested in studying political science.
To be eligible to apply for the Emmett J. Doerr Memorial Scout Scholarship, the Scout must be Catholic, earned the Ad Altare Dei and/ or Pope Pius XII Awards, and received the Eagle Scout, Summit, or Quartermaster Award. Visit the website for a complete list of award recipients, eligibility requirements and applications.
Scouts displayed their conservation projects as part of the Sustainable Garden Tour hosted the weekend of June 9 by the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District. The annual garden tour features homes, churches, schools, and libraries with native plant landscaping, rain barrels, wildlife habitat, composting, rain gardens, and grass-free front yards.
Another other Eagle Scout discussed his project to remove highly-invasive Japanese stiltgrass at Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon, Virginia. He orchestrated several work days for Scouts and the public. During the second phase of his project, he led volunteers to plant common milkweed and other native plants in the area where the stiltgrass had been removed. This project also collaborated with the IMA program and helped the Scout earn the a Hornaday Award in addition to his Eagle Scout Award.
Last month twenty-six scouts from Troop 58 in Ashburn, VA, went on an outdoor adventure – a canoeing campout! The troop went camping at the Low-Water Bridge Campground in Front Royal for two nights. On Saturday, the troop departed on a 12-mile canoe trip on the Shenandoah River outfitted by the Front Royal Canoe Company.
The canoeing campout also helped Scouts meet requirements for the 
Troop 996 from Aldersgate United Methodist Church took an educational, exciting and fun-filled trip to New York City over Memorial Day Weekend. This trip was planned by Life Scout Chris G. and adult mentor Mr. Gayton. The educational aspect of this trip involved each Scout giving a short overview of each of the planned historical or iconic stops that they were assigned, this enabled each scout to improve their writing and public speaking skills.
The next morning, the troop had a wonderful breakfast provided by First Class Scout Thomas M. which included bagels, meat, cheese, apples, and homemade muffins provided by Mrs. Mulhern. The troop boarded the 8:00am Staten Island ferry and were fortunate to receive an impromptu magic show by an amazing magician, “Brucelee”, who baffled us with his sleight of hand for the 20-minute ferry ride. In Downtown Manhattan, the troop’s stops included the bull on Wall Street, the 9/11 World Trade Center Memorial, the Federal Reserve, and ended with a photo overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge. Lunch was at the Little Italy pizza joint on the outskirts of Chinatown.
After lunch, the troop visited the Titanic Memorial, walked through Chinatown, and took the subway (we talked our way on for free) to the Empire State building. The Scouts loved the view from 1,250 feet up. After returning to ground level, the troop walked up 5th Avenue and got to visit the New York Public Library, the main hall of Grand Central Station, Trump Tower, and Central Park. On the way down 6th Avenue the troop saw Radio City music hall and cut over to the iconic Times Square as the rain started coming down on us in buckets. The boys enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the heart of Times Square at Bubba Gump’s. After dinner, the Scouts took the subway back to Battery Park and boarded the 8:30 ferry headed for Staten Island. The troop slept at the same fitness center Sunday night and then departed by 0700 the next morning for home with breakfast en route.
Overall this trip was educational and had a lasting effect on the Scouts because it showed them that any trip is possible if a Scout puts in the work and time to plan and execute it. For many of the Scouts, this weekend trip to New York city was a once-in-a-lifetime event that Troop 996 was able to provide. Additionally, with some detailed planning and good negotiating skills, the cost per attendee for transportation, entrance tickets, entertainment, lodging, and food was an extraordinarily low $145. This trip is a testament to the success a Scout-led troop can have when youth are willing to put in the work and time to prepare with quality adult mentorship.
