Small crew from Troop 226 on the trail at Lenhok’sin High Adventure
Hike On
High Adventure
Canoeing and Camping on the Shenandoah River
Last month twenty-six scouts from Troop 58 in Ashburn, VA, went on an outdoor adventure – a canoeing campout! The troop went camping at the Low-Water Bridge Campground in Front Royal for two nights. On Saturday, the troop departed on a 12-mile canoe trip on the Shenandoah River outfitted by the Front Royal Canoe Company.
The troop recently welcomed twenty-one new Scouts who crossed over from the Webelos program. For this outing, more experienced Scouts were paired in canoes with younger Scouts to leverage their knowledge and let them spend time getting to know each other better. Along the way the troop stopped for brown bag lunches on the bank of the river, had water fights, and capsized two of the canoes!
The canoeing campout also helped Scouts meet requirements for the Canoeing Merit Badge and one of the requirements for the Camping Merit Badge by taking a non-motorized trip on the water of at least 5 miles. Troop 58 is also preparing for a Northern Tier High Adventure in July 2020. During the high adventure trip next summer, Troop 58 Scouts will use the canoeing skills they have developed to explore millions of acres of lakes, rivers, forests, and wetlands in Northern Minnesota, Northwest Ontario and Northeast Monitoba.
Ensure Your Wilderness First Aid Course Meets BSA High-Adventure Standards
All four of the BSA High-Adventure bases (HAB) require at least one person per trek (two per trek at Philmont Scout Ranch) to be current in Wilderness First Aid (WFA) through an approved provider. We want your trip to be safe and successful, and making certain that you have proper training certifications prior to launch is a big step towards that. Read on for tips on how to ensure that you’re prepared for that next high adventure trip, and how to verify that your current certifications meet BSA requirements.
Last fall we informed NCAC leaders about a third-party vendor providing WFA training without proper certifications. We continue to receive reports from Scouters that certifications for WFA that they received from a third-party vendor do not satisfy the requirements for High-Adventure as defined by BSA.
Your safety is of paramount importance to us, which is why we recently introduced our own WFA course to provide certifications suitable for both our High-Adventure Camp at Lenhok’sin and BSA’s 4 High-Adventure Bases. Information on NCAC WFA courses can be found at: www.ncacbsa.org/opi-wfa.
If you’ve already received a certification via a third-party vendor, please take the time to make certain it is current and valid. You can verify an ARC WFA certification by visiting redcross.org/take-a-class/digital-certificate. Simply search by your Email Address; by First Name, Last Name, Year and Month (when class was held); or by Certificate ID. If you also received a CPR certification with your WFA course, you can check it there too.
If you find that the ARC WFA certification you hold is NOT showing as valid within the ARC database but should be, we ask that you contact us directly. Please complete this form to report the situation and select “Certification Issue” for the topic.
If you do decide to use a third-party provider, we encourage you to verify their credentials via The American Red Cross or other governing agency prior to beginning any course. Directions for checking an instructor’s credentials prior to taking a class, can be found here. Be wary of providers who claim to “know” or “keep lists” of BSA requirements, but who are unable to provide BSA approved certifications for WFA per BSA WFA and High-Adventure requirements.To learn more about BSA approved providers and requirements, please visit BSA’s page on WFA and High-Adventure requirements at: https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/training/wilderness-fa/
As always, if you have questions or concerns about a provider, please contact a Council professional for assistance. Your safety is our priority. Help keep Scouting safe for all. Get trained by a certified professional and make sure your certifications are up to date and valid.