We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Scouting Programs

Geology Rocks

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Geology Rocks, and this year it was awesome!

This was the 4th biannual Geology Day at George Mason University and sponsored by Dr. Julia Nord. The day’s events led with going through requirements 1 and 3-8 of the Earth Rocks Cub Scout Adventure, and requirements 2-3 of the Down and Dirty Nova Award.

Cub Scouts were able to learn about paleontology and physical sciences with tactile activities, including exploration of the microscope labs. The kids were most excited about the stream table which demonstrated how soil erosion changes our land forms.

Alexandria Eagle Scout Wins Scholarship

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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 for Conservation

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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.

One Eagle Scout presented his Hornaday Badge project and Eagle project to remove invasive plants at South Run Rec Center in Springfield, Virginia. He led an effort to mobilize volunteers to remove invasive vines and plants. Invasive plants are plants that are non-native and spread so quickly and aggressively that they prevent native plants from growing. The Fairfax County Park Authority’s Invasive Management Area (IMA) program coordinates site leaders at over 60 sites throughout Fairfax County.

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.

This garden tour provided an excellent opportunity for Scouts to educate the public, advocate for environmental action, and showcase some of the amazing conservation service projects led by Scouts.

Canoeing and Camping on the Shenandoah River

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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 troop recently welcomed twenty-one new Scouts who crossed over from the Webelos program. For this outing, more experienced Scouts were paired in canoes with younger Scouts to leverage their knowledge and let them spend time getting to know each other better. Along the way the troop stopped for brown bag lunches on the bank of the river, had water fights, and capsized two of the canoes!

The canoeing campout also helped Scouts meet requirements for the Canoeing Merit Badge and one of the requirements for the Camping Merit Badge by taking a non-motorized trip on the water of at least 5 miles. Troop 58 is also preparing for a Northern Tier High Adventure in July 2020. During the high adventure trip next summer, Troop 58 Scouts will use the canoeing skills they have developed to explore millions of acres of lakes, rivers, forests, and wetlands in Northern Minnesota, Northwest Ontario and Northeast Monitoba.