AQUIA DISTRICT – Scouts of Troop 1717, sponsored by Hartwood Presbyterian Church, decided to do something special this year in recognition of Veterans’ Day. They scheduled a campout at Prince William Forest Park in Triangle, VA so that they could spend the day touring the nearby National Museum of the Marine Corps. While there, Scouts were given a personal perspective on a veteran’s service with a guided tour of the Vietnam War gallery and other galleries by Vietnam War Veteran and Museum Docent, Major William (“Bill”) Peters, USMC (ret.). Scouts also received a special sneak peak of the new museum wing, still under construction, which is slated to open sometime in 2020 and will depict Marines in action from 1976 through the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Before leaving, the Scouts participated in a remembrance and honor ceremony in the Semper Fidelis Memorial Park behind the museum where they presented a wreath in recognition of all veterans, past and present, “who risked or gave their lives for our country and the cause of freedom.”
Aquia
Local Scout Hero – Cesar Casiano Awarded BSA National Award of Merit
Cesar Casiano Awarded BSA’s National Award of Merit at Troop 317 Court of
Honor
On Tuesday, December 18, 2018, Boy Scout Cesar Casiano of Troop 317 was presented with the Boy Scout National Award of Merit by Norm Carter, Unit Commissioner and Mr. Lance Deffenbaugh, former Cubmaster and mentor. It took place at Troop 317’s Court of Honor held at Stafford County Christian Church.
The following information is from Fire and Rescue crews that responded to the incident:
At 2034 hours on July 14, 2018 Engine 12 from the Berea station responded to a fire reported out at 201 Spring Park Ln in the Rappahannock Landing Subdivision. Upon arrival, Engine 12 discovered fire damage to the main structural member of a deck with no extension to the home.
Three neighborhood boys had been riding their bicycles in the subdivision when they noticed smoke coming from the back of the residence. They immediately sprang into action. The boys discovered the base of the deck on fire and saw a garden hose attached to the back of the house. Without hesitation, the boys grabbed the hose and extinguished the fire. They then alerted the homeowner of the incident who called 911.
Their quick action prevented the home from catching fire. The house in question was a townhouse connected to six other homes, so the boy’s actions contributed to saving several hundreds of thousands of dollars in property and possibly saving lives as well.
The homeowner had been cooking on his grill and believes that embers fell down to the base of his deck starting it on fire. The homeowner was unaware of the fire until he was alerted by the boys.
When asked about their decision to act, one of the boys, Cesar Casiano, replied: “I’m a Boy Scout, so we’re trained what to do.” The boys were commended for their actions and will each be put in for a civilian lifesaving award.
Good thing those Boy Scouts were there, well-trained and lived the motto to “Be Prepared!” Great examples for all other Scouts everywhere.
Troop 1717 Scouts Pay Respects to Pres George H.W. Bush in Zero Dark-Thirty Ceremony: Scout Patriotism Never Sleeps
The 41st President, George H.W. Bush, was still lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda when Troop 1717 of Hartwood, VA held its weekly evening meeting on December 4th at historic Hartwood Presbyterian Church in Aquia District. It was there that Eagle Scout and Senior Patrol Leader Ben Motta asked youth and adult leaders if it was possible to pull together a delegation from the Troop to travel that very night to the U.S. Capitol to honor his service to our Nation.
It was very short notice and a school night, but SPL Motta challenged his fellow Scouts to step up saying that, if they could stay up all night playing video games, they could surely muster enough energy to stay up to honor a President of the United States. In his words, “Patriotism should never sleep.” Five Scouts in addition to Motta volunteered: Eagle Scouts Teddy Durrant and Ethan Crawford and fellow senior Scouts Zach Dankanich, Norman Carter, Jr. and Owen Knight. Leaving with four volunteer Assistant Scoutmasters around midnight, they arrived at the Capital about an hour later in full uniform and stood in line in the cold with other mourners for about an hour. Then, around 2:00 AM, they silently slipped into the Rotunda in single file to stand within mere yards of the body of the 41st President, his flag-draped casket held high upon a catafalque which once held the casket of President Abraham Lincoln.
Little did they know that their visit was captured by a WUSA9 TV reporter and C-Span cameras. After a few moments in silent prayer and reflection, they issued, on command, one last sharp Scout Salute to a President who, like all U.S. Presidents, served as the honorary President of the Boy Scouts of America. Later, they would describe the experience as “sad” and “heavy” but also “powerful” and ‘inspiring.”
They said they felt it important to make the extra effort to honor President Bush, a war hero and member of what’s come to be known as the “Greatest Generation,” who had dedicated his life to service to his Country.
“It was impressive to stand next to the President’s casket and think of all that he had accomplished throughout his life in the service of others,” Ben says. “I think that his example is one that all Scouts aim to follow.”
The Scouts and their leaders returned back home around 4:00 AM to take a short nap before rising again to go to school and work. Said SPL Ben, speaking for all the Scouts: “I was proud to be there, not just as an American, but as a representative of a movement and an ideology that stresses character, service, and loyalty to God, country and family.”
For more on this story, check out the WUSA9 story and video Boy Scouts pay respects to late President George H.W. Bush at https://www.wusa9.com/video/news/boy-scouts-pay-respects-to-late-president-george-hw-bush/65-8362333 or visit the Bryan on Scouting Blog to read Duty to country: Webelos Scout, Boy Scouts salute President George H.W. Bush at https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2018/12/06/duty-to-country-webelos-scout-boy-scouts-salute-president-george-h-w-bush/
Scouting Is for Life – “The Ancient One” (aka, TAO) Continues to Serve as a Scouting Mentor for His 59-year-old Eldest Son
Dick Haas (affectionately known as “The Ancient One” or “TAO” to many throughout NCAC) and his son Mike have over 132 years of continuous BSA Scouting experience between them. They are also the only father/son team actively Staffing an NCAC Wood Badge training Course: a reflection of their unified and lifelong commitment to teaching other Scouters leadership skills to benefit all Scouts and Scouting Families.
TAO was a Scoutmaster for 15 years in New York State, and served as an Assistant Scoutmaster and in numerous BSA training and service positions that impacted hundreds of young men’s lives over multiple decades from the 1960s into the early 2000s. He remains an active Scouter in Stafford, VA, continuing to train and mentor adults in Scouting leadership skills. A World War II Navy veteran, TAO earned lifesaving awards for actions in 1964, rescuing 2 fellow passengers from a bus that crashed into the East River (they were the only 3 survivors). A 1966 Silver Beaver recipient and Scoutmaster of the Year in 1970 in Greater New York Council, in 1976 TAO created a Scouting junior leader training course in New York that trained hundreds of Scouts across almost three decades. Upon moving to Virginia, he energized a similar youth-led leadership training conference which has been running in Aquia District since 2007 thanks to his vision and initiative. Friends and loved ones chipped-in to honor TAO with a brick which was placed on the Camp Snyder dining facility flag patio in 2013 to commemorate his 76th anniversary of BSA service.
The elder 92-year old Haas, who lives with his wife of over 62 years, Rita, in Falls Run in southern Stafford, is a Life Scout who has been in Scouting for 82 years. TAO shook the hand of Scouting’s Founder, Lord Baden-Powell, while a member of BSA’s Scout contingent at the 1939 World’s Fair in Queens, NY. He earned his Wood Badge Beads in 1964, attending Wood Badge training at Schiff Scout Reservation in New Jersey, and was his sons’ (Mike and Alan) first Scoutmaster in Troop 712 in Manhattan, NY. His son Mike, also a Life Scout, retired from the Marine Corps in 2004, and lives with his wife of over 36 years, Lisa, in northern Stafford. Mike earned his Wood Badge Beads in 2006 and has had the privilege of Staffing multiple Wood Badge Courses.
So, when Mike was honored with selection as one of two Wood Badge Course Directors for 2019, a year which celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the original Wood Badge Course organized and led by Lord Baden-Powell at Gilwell Park in England, it’s no mystery that Mike chose his Dad to be one of his Course Mentors. Mike’s other Mentor is John Peloquin, a former NCAC Wood Badge Course Director. Mike and John both started their Scouting Trails together in Troop 26 (“26 Kicks!”) in Stafford with first John and then Mike taking the hand-off from John as Scoutmaster through the mid-2000s.
Any Scouter who will be fully trained in their BSA registered position by the first day of a Wood Badge training Course is eligible to register for the course. NCAC will be offering two 100th Anniversary Wood Badge Courses in 2019. To become the best trained adult Leader you can be for your Scouts and their Scouting Families, please visit: https://www.ncacbsa.org/training/wood-badge/ Register today. Your Scouts deserve it!
Troop 26’s Excellent Summer
This summer 16 Scouts and 3 Scouters of Troop 26 (“26 KICKS!!”) experienced the North Carolina mountains in BSA’s Southern Region, Area 5, Daniel Boone Council. We were way back in the holler, about 15 miles from Asheville as the crow flies. The 8-hour drive from Stafford was well worth it for the variety of activities and the opportunity to visit Boonesboro Village for our older Scouts, not to mention the cooler, drier air of the mountains – getting out of the heat and humidity was, well, pretty cool! Not only did Scouts and Scouters alike learn to appreciate the refreshing frigid temperature of spring fed mountains streams, but several older Scouts also participated in the Boonesboro Village living history camp. There they honed skills essential to living in the 1770s such as hatchet throwing, black powder rifle shooting, blacksmithing and making their own clothes. Average temperatures were 20 degrees cooler than those of their lowland Scout brethren which made for very restful evenings – good sleepin’ weather. As an added bonus the Troop camped at the New River Trail State Park and toured the Jackson Ferry Shot Tower that manufactured lead shot (musket bullets) hundreds of years ago. Our Scouts found both locations so outstanding that they are in the rotation to be visited again.
Troop 845’s Deep Sea Adventure
Troop 845 attended the Scuba Adventure at Florida Sea Base August 5-12, 2018. To prepare for this experience, all six boys and two adult leaders earned their Open Water SCUBA certification last summer as well as additional dive trips between June 2017 and August 2018. Justin Mallory, Life Scout and Crew Leader, helped the Crew organize for the trip, including fundraising during the year. The Crew included Alex Dudley (First Class), Anthony Nieves (Life), Nolan Ragon (Life), Robert Nieves (Life), Sean Sullivan (Star) and two Troop Committee members Jim Mallory and Mike Ragon. The adventure began with snorkeling and earning the BSA snorkeling badge.
During their first boat dive, they saw a barracuda, a reef shark and a million fish! During the following days, they experienced many close encounters with nurse sharks, saw sea turtles, a moray eel and a small octopus. The Dive Master commented that it was rare to see an octopus during the day and the Crew felt extremely lucky! From the boat docks, they also saw manatee playing in the water and from the boat, a school of playful porpoises. One of the dives allowed them to dive around a Norwegian freighter that sank during World War II. The conditions were good that day with 60 feet visibility and a coral formation “swim through”. The adventure also included a night dive and the conditions were perfect to see the sea turtles, eels and barracuda. By the last day, the Crew was exhausted and ready to come home to share their incredible stories! Crew Leader Justin Mallory said, “We plan to create a presentation to share with the Troop and encourage younger Scouts to follow in our footsteps and embark on this incredible journey for themselves.”