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!
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.
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 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.
Lab 1576, the first STEM Scouts unit in NCAC, held an electronics showcase this past Saturday. 
Phillip Fantozzi and his son Jack, a 2nd Class Scout, recently attended the 26th Camporee Centroamericano in Honduras. What follows are their thoughts and recollections on the experience. Thank you to Phillip and Jack for sharing.
We had a great time at the event. Jack slept in a troop tent with members of Troop 23 from Tegucigalpa who were very friendly and welcoming. The event was split into 4 “trails,” focusing on service, sports, cultural activities, and scoutcraft. We ate our meals at the mess hall and were transported to different events in Honduran Army trucks.