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.
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.
Two weekends of work in January by scouts, scouters, and neighbors made quick work of the cutting, building, painting, and finishing of the buildings. Installation of the libraries will take place in the coming weeks and months.