We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Scouting At Home

Introducing the NCAC Scouting at Home 2020 Award!

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In response to the Coronavirus Pandemic, the National Capital Area Council (NCAC) is encouraging Scouts of all ages to stay home and be safe, while continuing to be a Scout! Scouts are always prepared to explore, discover, learn, and grow, and serve our families and communities, no matter the situation, time, or place. The NCAC Scouting at Home 2020 Award recognizes Scouts for meeting the challenge of living by the Scout Oath and Law while the pandemic requires social distancing to be in place.

Cub Scouts who meet specific requirements for home conservation and preparedness, learn about STEM, pursue a Cub adventure, learn Scouting skills, participate in a den virtual meeting, and participate in community service earn the Scouting at Home 2020 Award patch.

Youth in Scouts BSA, Venturing, or Sea Scouts who meet specific requirements for home conservation and preparedness, assist with a family virus prevention plan, make progress toward advancement, learn Scouting skills, take part in a Patrol virtual meeting, and participate in community service earn the Scouting at Home 2020 Award patch.

For specific details, to obtain the requirement sheets, or to pre-order patches, see https://www.scoutingevent.com/082-scoutingathomeaward.

NCAC Continues to Grow Welcoming Nine New Units During Pandemic

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Starting a new unit in Scouting takes a lot of legwork, but starting a new unit during a pandemic presents special challenges. Through the tenacity of incredible volunteers and leaders, the National Capital Area Council, Boy Scouts of America will be welcoming four new Scouts BSA Troops for girls, one new Scouts BSA Troop for boys, three new STEM Labs, and a new Sea Scout Ship this month.

In March the Council offices were closed due to COVID-19. While adjusting to the new normal, many Council staff members and volunteers began working to ensure Scouting continued. There efforts included starting a virtual Merit Badge Program, creating Scouting at Home resources for parents and youth, and holding virtual meetings. Now new units formation is added to the list of Scouting at Home activities.

There are multiple steps involved in starting a new unit, from finding a chartered organization to recruiting Scouts. The leaders of these new units jumped in to the process with both feet, glad to help create new Scouting opportunities. Even a once in a lifetime event like a pandemic won’t stop them from shaping the next generation of youth.

Burt Wagner, Junior Lab 9941’s Lab Manager says, “STEM Labs fill a gap in Scouting.  Just as traditional Scout units focus on “hands on” with outdoor skills, the “hands on” component was missing for many STEM topics. Having a STEM Lab allows Scouts to go from “look at this cool STEM thing” to “come here and do this cool STEM thing.”

Leaders in NCAC believe that creating new units during the pandemic teaches Scouts that although the road may be rough, it is not impossible. Scoutmaster Tony from Troop 350 adds that even as they were completing the paperwork for Scouts BSA Troop 350 for girls, the Troop is, “Zooming through Merit Badges and advancement requirements as they prepare for their trip to Summit.”

Lorrie Hartwell, NCAC’s Sea Scout Commodore, states, “Someday soon we all hope our boats and Scouts will be OUT on the waters leading, learning, feeling those breezes and just having FUN. The Scouts’ enthusiasm turns the administrative challenges of starting a new unit into small obstacles that are easy to overcome. Just ask and help will come!”

The Scouting program provides so much for our youth in the D.C. metro area, especially during this difficult time. It continues to inspire youth to advance, get outdoors, serve their community, and make friends all while using the proper precautions to stay safe. This time in their lives will never be forgotten and the history made by deciding to join Scouting during a pandemic will forever be etched in their memory.

To learn more about how to start a new Troop, Ship, STEM Lab, or other Scouting unit, please contact us and a member of our local Scouting team will be in touch.

 

U.S. Representative Jennifer Wexton Joins Troop 1547 for Virtual Troop Meeting

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Troop 1547 was honored to have U.S. Rep Jennifer Wexton, who represents Virginia’s 10th District, join its most recent virtual troop meeting on May 4. The congresswoman talked to the troop about her job and answered questions such as her favorite part of her job, how often she is called to the House floor to vote and what motivated her to run for Congress.

“Rep. Wexton joining our meeting gave our Scouts an inside look at the legislative branch of our government on a national and state level as she’s served in both,” said Troop 1547 Senior Patrol Leader Kyle Hogan. “She answered many questions from Scouts, allowing them to learn about our national representatives in an interactive manner.”

Rep. Wexton encouraged the Scouts and all young people to be involved in their community, particularly when it comes to causes and issues important to them. She spoke about how her job allows her to interact with constituents as well as with leaders from across the country, and that members of Congress often work together on important issues.

The May 4th meeting was Troop 1547’s most recent weekly meeting held via Zoom. Attendance at virtual meetings has been the same and sometimes exceeds that of the troop’s in-person meetings prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The troop’s youth leadership changed right at the beginning of the pandemic in March.

“Taking on the responsibility of Senior Patrol Leader in the midst of a global pandemic is certainly a new challenge,” Kyle said. “Our virtual meetings don’t exactly follow the schedule of a typical meeting, which allows for more flexibility in our activities, but also more planning. Ensuring our scouts are learning and leading during this time has been challenging to coordinate and organize, but the results have been magnificent so far.”

Virtual meetings have included videos and presentations on knots, food safety and outdoor ethics. Kahoot games have been very popular. And a group of scouts led by the troop guide has been having weekly Zoom sessions with the scouts who crossed over recently to work on rank requirements.

Kyle also started a weekly photo contest for virtual meetings, with a theme each week such as nature for Earth week or cooking and a special topic for the May 4th meeting: Star Wars.

“Giving our Scouts a weekly photo contest has been a great way to keep them active and thinking, as they have to come up with new ways to innovate on the given prompt,” Kyle said. “The submissions are voted on by the other Scouts in real time, so they need to impress each other to win the week. The reward is a special role in our Troop Discord server, showing them their permanent bragging rights. It’s all done in good fun and an attempt to keep our Scouts active.”

For the Star Wars photo contest, Scouts sent in photos featuring light sabers and lots of LEGO. Kyle’s brother Connor was voted as the winner for his photo titled, “Encounter on the Moon of Endor.”

Pack 1156 Participates in Siren Salute to Health Care Professionals

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Picture by: Byron Andrews, III Pack 1156, chartered by the Sterling United Methodist Church participated in the Siren Salute to the Health Care professionals at INOVA Loudoun Hospital Friday, May 1st. Not only was it one to complete Day 15 or the Build My Own Hero adventure in the Webelos Challenge it was a true honor to thank and support all the hard working Health Care Workers (Doctors, Nurses, Administrative and Support Staff) along with our communities First Responders.

 

“Cans for COVID” Food Drive

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Throughout history, Scouting has assisted in helping in times of crisis. With the current virus concerns, our local food bank has been under significant strain. As Scouts, we put out a call for help from our community to assist people right here in northern Frederick who are in need. We are grateful and pleased that our “Cans for COVID” food drive for the Thurmont Food Bank was a huge success!

Many, many thanks to those who came by to drop off their very generous donations during these tough times. By acting locally, you have truly shown how a global community and society must function to step into a new era. Exercising special care to wear masks and keep our social distance, we collected a trailer full of food and several sizable monetary donations! Our Pack, Troops, and Crew would like to thank everyone who donated!

Special thanks to the Town of Thurmont and our Mayor John Kinnaird for helping spread the word about a project we threw together in just 1 week; to the Thurmont Police department for stopping by and helping set up a good “traffic flow”; To several local and state representatives for their generous donations; and to the woman who traveled all the way from Middletown to donate because she saw our post and was inspired! Northern Frederick county is truly a fantastic place to live because of the kindness of our communities, and we are proud to be your BSA units!