We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Camp Snyder

Camp Outside at Camp Snyder this Fall!

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Hey there Scouts and Scout Families! The Fall is a great time to camp and spend time in the outdoors. There are lots of places to do this, including our very own Camp Snyder!

The camp is open for overnight camping on the weekends for small groups, which include Families, Dens, Patrols and Crews (but no unit camping). You can follow the COVID-19 virus precautions we’ve put in place and still have FUN!

Patrols can work on advancement and Families and Patrols can bike (bring your bike and helmet), fish (bring your gear), use the Geocaching course, hike the Nature Trail, try a Natural Scavenger Hunt, roast marsh mellows on your own campfire and just relax!

For more information and to sign up, go to the Camp Snyder website.

Family Fun in Michael’s Woodshop

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The Summer Family Camping Program at Camp Snyder was a great success! This weekend program gave families an opportunity to visit Michael’s Woodshop. Four projects of varying skill levels were offered, providing opportunities for youth of all ages to enjoy a hands-on experience in the shop. The projects included a Golf Tee Tic-Tac-Toe Board (all ages), a Small Tool Box (Cub Scouts), a Wren House (Webelos & older youth) and a Standard Tool Box (older youth). The projects were designed to allow for both independent youth work as well as parent assisted work. All youth participants had the chance to learn some new skills and use a wide variety of tools. With some focus and a little effort, everyone walked away with a completed project!

Michael’s Woodshop has reopened and is currently available for unit use. The projects offered during the Family Camping event can be adapted for unit activities. Normal monthly offerings of Woodwork Merit Badge and Woodworking 101 sessions will resume in the coming weeks. As a part of the new safety protocols, attendance will be limited, face coverings are required and tools and other surfaces will be sanitized regularly. Volunteer Shop Stewards are available to help plan and carry out your event. For more information about upcoming events or reserving the shop, please visit the Michael’s Woodshop page on the Camp Snyder website or contact us via email at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com.

Putting Adventure in STEM!

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Who said STEM NOVA projects can’t be fun? Not Life Scout Austin from Troop 447 in Rockville Maryland. Austin combined doing his “Up & Away” NOVA project requirements with a COPE rock wall climbing adventure, check out the video here. I asked Austin to explain what he had to do and why he decided to do it the way he did:

“For the NOVA award requirement 3C I had to design a way to deliver rescue supplies to an area hit by a natural disaster, so with some scrap wood I had I built a box to hold a small bottle of water, a granola bar and a (empty) medicine bottle. Then I had to design a parachute to hang the supplies from. I asked my dad to cut and sew a ripped hammock we had into the parachute I designed and them I attached lines to it. There were 16 lines, so I grouped them into 4 groups so they would get tangled so much. On each group I put a leader line that I attached to each corner of the wooden box.

So then I had to test it, but I didn’t know any high buildings or bridges that I could use. So then Ms. Trisha told me perhaps I could do it from the COPE wall at Camp Snyder and I said YES PLEASE! On Saturday we drove to Camp Snyder in Haymarket, Virginia and Ms. Trisha asked Mr. Waisanen, the NCAC COPE & Climbing Chair, if I could do my project and he said yes. We had to figure out how to drop it and how to collect the data I needed for the requirements. There was another adult, Mr. Lesko, who talked to me about how to throw or drop the parachute from the 24’ high tower. I chose static drop, because that was easier and more reliable for deploying and collecting data. I also had to figure out how to pull the parachute back up after each drop and how to stay at the top of the climbing tower and still be able to use my hands. The COPE teachers showed me how I could put my feet against the wall so I could use my hands. That was really cool! I had a looped cord all the way down that they tied the parachute on, so I could pull it up every time and I dropped the parachute 3 times. My mom took the hang time with a stopwatch and my friend Keefer checked the box to make sure it wasn’t damaged and to check the supplies inside. The box was still good after 3 drops, so my experiment was successful. After that I climbed down and we had to clean all the equipment we used with soap and water to make it safe for the next person to use.”

Austin made a fun STEM project into an exciting adventure and put his own spin to a requirement. He is one step closer to earning one of the many BSA Nova Awards.

To learn more about BSA Nova Awards, visit https://www.scouting.org/stem-nova-awards/ or http://www.ncacbsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/stem-nova_program_overview.pdf .

To learn more about all the cool adventures at Camp William B. Snyder click here.

A big THANK YOU to Camp William B. Snyder, National Capital Area Council, Director of STEM & Exploring Ms. Trisha, PM COPE Mr. Tony Waisanen and NOVA advice from Mr. John Lesko.

Going, Going, Gone — To Camp Snyder!

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Hey Scout Families, the temperature is warm at Camp Snyder but the program activities are HOT! However, there is plenty of shade and cool showers any time of the day!

The second weekend of family camping just finished at maximum capacity under the COVID-19 precautions we’ve put in place. The additional benefit of limiting the number of families for any particular weekend is that the camp doesn’t seem full. But it is busy, because there is plenty to do, whether it is program activities or adventures you do on your own, like biking, fishing, geocaching, walking the nature trail or building your own campfire.

Families are rating their overall experience a 9 out of 10, so sign up to join us for one of the two last weekends of family camping. You are sure to have FUN!

Climb—Shoot—Build—Fly—Create at Camp Snyder!

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Claim your campsite for Camp Snyder Family Camping and enjoy the program activities! You can still sign up for Family Camping weekends in July and early August.

Settle into your campsite and begin your adventure! Climb the Scouterhorn like a
mountaineer; see who is the best shot at the BB gun range; build a bird house or tool box or game at the Wood Shop; fly a drone or drive a robot car and create heat, color and odd shapes with STEM Foam Fun! You can also fish, walk the nature trail, try your hand at Geocaching and roast marsh mellows over your campfire before ending a very full day.

Register at https://scoutingevent.com/082-38193 and count down to your family’s weekend adventure at Camp Snyder. See you at camp!

Climbing the Walls?

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If you’re climbing the walls at home, come out to Camp Snyder and climb ours. The 20′ tall Scouterhorn will be operating for family camping on 11, 18, 25 July and 1 Aug.

We have new sanitation protocols for reducing the possibility of climbers becoming infected by the virus. This training is mandatory and is held concurrent with family camping. If you want to operate it, please ask for details and sign up for a training session. To learn more please visit https://scoutingevent.com/082-38193 or contact Camp.Snyder@Scouting.org.