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Scouting Programs

Scouts BSA Supernova Award Recipient

February 6, 2019 by Trisha Dalal submitting on behalf of MaryGrace Gagliardi

On January 5, 2019, Dominic Gagliardi was awarded not only his Eagle Award but also the Dr. Bernard Harris Super Nova Award.

When Dominic started High School in the fall of 2014, he joined the Botball team of Explorer Post 1010 in addition to being a member of Boy Scout Troop 944 and Venture Crew 27, to start his path to the award. During this high school years he earned three Nova awards with each requiring earning a merit badge, at least 3 hours of study, and an experiment and a field trip.

Then, to earn the Super Nova, Dominic had to fulfill several more requirements, including earning 5 more STEM merit badges, researching a STEM career, shadowing a scientist or engineer, participating in STEM competition, researching a STEM debate, and sharing his knowledge. He shared what he learned by helping Cub Scout Pack 1975 earn a part of a nova award. Among other things, he showed them how a soda can demonstrated two different levers. As a member of Post 1010, Dominic participated in Botball competitions for each of his four years of high school. To prepare for theses competition,s he spent a minimum of 3 hours each week building, rebuilding , and coding an autonomous robot made from a rumba.

Only 20 others Boy Scouts have earned the Dr. Bernard Harris Super Nova award in our Council since its inception in 2012.

Filed Under: Scouting Programs Tagged With: Awards, Potomac, STEM

Old Dominion 2019 Klondike Derby Breaks Records – Again!

February 1, 2019 by Luke Rose

Wow! This years’ Klondike Derby was a fantastic, record-setting success!

The Klondike Derby is a fun patrol-level competition emphasizing Scout Skills, Leadership, and Scout Spirit. We draw scouts and units from the entire region for a weekend of fun, challenge, and cold-weather camping.

This year we broke records again with more than 700 participants, including:
• more than 500 scouts
• in 78 patrols
• from 46 units
• representing 10 districts
• from all five NCAC service areas, and
• two councils.
• Twenty-two units that had never attended our Klondike before joined us. That’s
• One impressive District-level event!

The Klondike staff and volunteers developed 36 challenging stations set out across all of the Harpers Ferry KOA. Twelve stations were brand new, another four stations weren’t offered last year, and al-most every station had a new twist on it so returning scouts didn’t have a leg-up on first timers.

 

Special thanks to these units for sponsoring/adopting their own stations, adding fun and variety for the scouts and carrying some of the water for the Klondike Key 3:
• Western Shore Troop 430, Minecraft
• ODD Troop 856, Sight-N-Go
• Patriot Troop 1346, Yeti Snacks
• Occoquan Troop 1363, Raging River
• Occoquan Troop 1390, Jeopardy
• ODD Troop 1518, Trivial Pursuit
• Western Shore Troop 1785, Svenska Fickilampa
• ODD Troop 1853, Avalanche, Chilkoot Pass, Do You Want to Build a Snowflake?, Headbanger’s Ball, Klondike Kate’s Kitchen (with help from lots of other units), Natural Gas Power, Radioac-tive Tailings, Simple Machines, Swimming Upstream, Palace Grand Follies
• ODD Troop 4673, Compass Pie

The Stations were staffed by close to 200 of our in- and out-of-district scouters who came with their units. Adults don’t accompany patrols, so the scouts had a real test of their skills and teamwork. But, the adults still had fun!

To compete in the Klondike, a patrol must manage their time wisely. They have seven program hours and a choice of stations of varying difficulty and pointes. The planning and leadership challenge is to earn as many points as possible, quickly, and move through as many stations as possible.

Patrols were tested on their leadership and teamwork most of all, but also had to demonstrate Scout skills, Merit Badge proficiencies, backcountry abilities, and being physically strong and mentally awake. The patrols that won also demonstrated the best Scout Spirit at each and every station.

Everyone wins at the Klondike – the event gets patrols out in an environment where they get to have fun and compete without having to worry about cooking meals or doing KP. Plus, Klondike bars …

To compete in the Klondike, a patrol must manage their time wisely. They have seven program hours and a choice of stations of varying difficulty and pointes. The planning and leadership challenge is to earn as many points as possible, quickly, and move through as many stations as possible.

Patrols were tested on their leadership and teamwork most of all, but also had to demonstrate Scout skills, Merit Badge proficiencies, backcountry abilities, and being physically strong and mentally awake. The patrols that won also demonstrated the best Scout Spirit at each and every station.

Everyone wins at the Klondike – the event gets patrols out in an environment where they get to have fun and compete without having to worry about cooking meals or doing KP. Plus, Klondike bars.

The 2019 Old Dominion District Klondike Derby welcomed troops, crews, and volunteers from the following districts: Aquia, Baltimore Area Council’s Capitol District, Colonial, Occoquan, Patriot, Patuxent, Piedmont, Po-tomac, Powhatan, Seneca, Washington DC, and Western Shore. Don’t see your district listed? Join us next year: Friday, January 31 to Sunday, February 2, 2020. Once again, we will offer discounts for units that leave Saturday night for religious observances!

Filed Under: Adventure, Scouting Programs Tagged With: Klondike Derby, Old Dominion

Potomac District 2019 Klondike Derby

January 31, 2019 by Robert Snip

In 1897 a gold discovery near Klondike, a region of the Yukon territory in northwest Canada, triggered the Klondike Gold Rush, which lasted from 1897 until 1899. Around 100,000 people decided to travel there, but only about 30,000 have been reported to have made it there.

In 1949 Boy Scout Troops from the Northern United States and from Canada started their reenactment of the Klondike Gold Rush to test their winter Scout skills and called it the Klondike Derby. It has since been adapted by Troops all over the United States, especially those with snow in their winters.

On Saturday, January 26, Units from the NCAC Potomac District met at Little Bennett Campgrounds in Germantown Maryland, to compete in the annual Potomac Klondike Derby. Despite most of the snow from the previous week washed away by Thursday’s rain, the freezing temperatures ensured the genuine Klondike winter feel, and most of the Scouts earned their Potomac District Polar Bear Patch for overnight camping below freezing point.

During the day on Saturday, temperatures reached well into the upper 30’s, and the Order of the Arrow made sure Scouts and Scouters could warm up at their Hot Chocolate Stations and campfires on each of the 2 playing fields. The Scout Spirit was very high among the 68 Klondike Crews who competed.

Troop 3’s “Bear” Patrol was able to complete the Sled Relay Race the fastest and took first prize. Overall standings of this year’s Potomac District Klondike Derby saw the all-female Patrol the “Cryptids” of Crew 461 walked away with top honors and this year’s Klondike flag. The “Duelmusters” Patrol of Troop 1450 came in second, and the “Penguins” Patrol of Troop 249 came in 3rd.

The closing ceremony began with honoring Scout Master Bruce Crock of Troop 440 who has “Gone Home” on January 15th of this year.

The evening ended with the Calling Out ceremony of an impressive number of 38 newly elected Order of the Arrow candidates.

Filed Under: Adventure, Scouting Programs Tagged With: Klondike Derby, Potomac

AKELA Chess Classic Expands to Include Entire Council

January 29, 2019 by The Scouter Digest Staff

Powhatan District has hosted a Chess Classic for a decade under the direction of Roger Claff and Peter Snow. This year, they are expanding the Chess Classic to be Council-wide. This is a tournament with 5 rounds. Scouts need to register for their age appropriate bracket. Please see the links below for tournament rules and additional details.

The Scouts BSA Tournament will be held on February 2nd at Trinity Presbytarian Church in Herndon, VA. The Cub Scout Tournament will be held on February 9th at St. Raphael School in Rockville, MD.

Those interested in participating in the Cubs Tournament can register at https://scoutingevent.com/082-akelaChess_CUBS. For those who wish to participate in the Scouts BSA Tournament, please visit https://scoutingevent.com/082-akelaChess_SCOUTS for registration and more information.

Filed Under: Scouting Programs Tagged With: STEM Scouts

Pack 2019 Lions Say “I’ll Do It Myself”

January 24, 2019 by Priscilla Martínez

The girls’ and boys’ Lions Dens from Pack 2019 at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society in Sterling, VA, completed their “I’ll Do It Myself” adventure. They made and decorated bags to keep their Scout swag organized and on hand. Each Scout chose how they wanted to decorate and with their parent partners’ help used glue guns, foam letters, glitter glue, and a slew of other craft supplies to make their bags shine.

These two dens have already earned their Lion’s Honor, Animal Kingdom, and King of the Jungle adventure loops and are well on their way to earning their full Lion ranks! Pack 2019 has girls’ dens for Lions, Wolves, and Bears, and are welcoming more Scouts every day.

 

Filed Under: Scouting Programs Tagged With: Cub Scouts, Goose Creek, Lions, Program

Lab 1576 Holds Electronics Showcase

January 17, 2019 by The Scouter Digest Staff

Lab 1576, the first STEM Scouts unit in NCAC, held an electronics showcase this past Saturday.

The ADAMS Center sponsored the first Junior STEM Scouts Lab in NCAC, Lab 1576. Over the past few months, these STEM Scouts learned about electronics and innovated “Community Buzzers”, “Burglar Alarms”, and “Electronic Basketball” using littleBits electronics. Their next module is Squishy, Gooey Chemistry. Stay tuned for more fun projects!

STEM Scouts is a national pilot program focused on fun ways for girls and boys to learn more about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The National Capital Area Council adopted the program this past fall, thus making STEM Scouts open to boys and girls in three divisions: grades 3-5, grades 6-8, and grades 9-12.

In the STEM Scouts program, educational content, developed and vetted by STEM educators, is designed to be immersive and to inspire teamwork, problem solving and independent thinking. Through hands-on activities delivered directly to the unit, this 26-week program is ultimately designed to be challenging, thought-provoking and, especially, fun.

For more information on STEM Scouting, please visit www.stemscouts.org.

Filed Under: Scouting Programs Tagged With: ADAMS Center, STEM, STEM Scouts

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