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merit badge

Local Scout Earns All 137 Merit Badges

May 1, 2020 by Daniel Free

Seventeen-year-old Eagle Scout Daniel Free of Troop 489 in Germantown Maryland achieved the rare status of earning all 137 merit badges currently offered by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). There are about 450 scouts who have earned all the merit badges in the 110-year history of the Boy Scouts.

BSA is among the largest youth organizations in the United States, numbering about 2.3 million youth participants and supported by just over one million adult volunteers. Founded in 1910, scouting’s mission is to “prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.” Youth are trained in responsible citizenship, character development, and self-reliance. The Merit Badges are central to the program, offering a variety of training in life skills, exposure to careers, and other topics of interest. At least 21 Merit Badges must be earned in order to attain the rank of Eagle Scout, 13 of which must be from a list of eagle-required merit badges.

Daniel joined Scouting when he was six years old as a cub scout, earning the Arrow of Light, cub scouting’s highest award. He bridged into Boy Scouts near the end of 5th grade and became an Eagle Scout on October 27, 2017 at the age of 15. He had earned 54 merit badges at that time. His eagle project involved planning and leading other youth in building outdoor stations of the cross at Mother Seton Catholic Church in Germantown Maryland, where he also serves on the alter during the mass. The night he was awarded his Eagle, Daniel said that he “was not satisfied stopping there” and wanted to do more while as he continued his involvement in Scouting. That evening, he made it a personal goal to earn the rest of the merit badges before his 18th birthday.

His favorite merit badge subjects were welding and metal working. He says that cycling was the hardest for him personally as it involved multiple bicycling treks covering over 150 miles. His Eagle-required badges covered subjects such as citizenship, personal management, first aid, cooking, and physical fitness. Others included a variety of fun subjects such as scuba diving, golf, water sports, and athleticism. Through the merit badges, Daniel learned may life skills, grew personally, and was exposed to many opportunities to learn and do things he knew nothing about. His Scoutmaster Karl Moline says “It has been a great pleasure having Daniel as part of Troop 489 starting during his Cub Scout days when he would visit with his older brother Ryan, also an Eagle Scout. Daniel continued to be active in the Troop while pursuing his goal of earning all the merit badges, helping younger scouts start off on their trails to Eagle. The entire Troop has been watching Daniel’s countdown to earning all the merit badges, and we could not be prouder of him. His dedication and hard work are an inspiration to all of our Scouts.”

Daniel is a senior at Clarksburg High School in Clarksburg Maryland, where he played on the golf and volleyball teams. He is also a percussionist in the Symphonic Band and the Jazz Band. Daniel plans to attend college at the University of Maryland to major in Secondary Education and History.

Filed Under: Leaders Tagged With: Eagle Scout, merit badge

The Show Must Go On!

March 20, 2020 by Bobby Humphreys

In response to the COVID -19 pandemic, the George Mason District had to cancel its Merit Badge day. Saturday was a glorious day out and most Scouts probably went out and enjoyed the early spring day.

Most Dads too, but not mine. He had plans to do “distance learning.” He wanted to hold a virtual Public Speaking merit badge class. He quickly sent out an email that Friday to the Scouts and parents registered and organized a class for the next morning at 8:30 am! He looked at me and said, “I’ll fix you breakfast and you can handle all my technology needs right!” I said,” its not complicated Dad, but why so early? You know I’m done with my requirements.” He said, “it will be a good learning experience!”

He got 8 Scouts to join him and we completed our requirements. We heard speeches on the Civil War, Sailing, Joseph Stalin and the Gulag, The M-16 in Vietnam, Homer, Socialization and its impact on Capitalism in America, and many other great topics. We learned about how to prepare a speech, over come nerves, and had alot of impromptu speeches about the novel coronus virus. We talked about our favorite foods and favorite classes At school.

Finally we discussed the importance of Parliamentary procedures and reviewed a quiz my dad sent out to all of us Scouts.

My dads a great nerd, but I’m glad he did the online session. We learned alot and had fun. It was a different kind of audience but I think it will help me in the future. My PLC and I will try to use the same tech to organize our next troop meeting so we can stay engaged, active and safe in Scouting.

Filed Under: Scouting At Home Tagged With: George Mason, merit badge, scouting, Scouts BSA

Troop 1547 Visits Northern Virginia Resource Center to Learn About the Deaf Community

March 5, 2020 by Cyndy Hogan

Troop 1547 in the Sully District recently visited the Northern Virginia Resource Center (NVRC) for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons to work on the Disabilities Awareness merit badge and learn more about the deaf community.

The NVRC offered up its Fairfax, VA, office for a weekly Troop meeting, where NVRC employees gave a presentation to 36 Scouts on the deaf community. The presentation was given verbally, visually, and with sign language. The Scouts learned about how humans hear, types of hearing loss, and technology deaf and hard of hearing individuals can use for communication. After the presentation, the Troop worked on requirements and played a game.

NVRC serves eight counties with its mission to empower deaf and hard of hearing individuals and their families through education, advocacy and community involvement. Troop 1547 is very appreciative to NVRC for helping with the merit badge and opening up their offices to the Troop.

 

Filed Under: Scouting Programs Tagged With: merit badge, ScoutMeIn, Scouts, Scouts BSA

Fall Cavalcade at the Buffalo Trail Scout Ranch in the Davis Moutains

December 10, 2019 by Keenan Pallone

NCAC Scouts and a few leaders have successfully completed the Fall Cavalcade 2019 at the Buffalo Trail Scout Ranch (BTSR) in the Davis Mountains of West Texas!This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is WeOwnAdventure-1.jpg

It was an incredible adventure. Our crew consisted of seven Scouts and two adults from three different troops across the National Capital Area Council. We completed a shakedown campout and trail ride at Red Gate Farm in Bluemont, Virginia from September 28-29, 2019 to build familiarity amongst our team, to test all of our gear, and to assess the riding and horse handling ability of each crew member.

Following a successful shakedown, we embarked on our cavalcade adventure on Friday October 11. We flew from Washington to Midland, Texas where we were met by members of the BTSR staff. This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is WeOwnAdventure-2.jpgThe staff then drove us an additional 2.5 hours to the ranch where we had dinner and bedded down for the night. Early the next morning, we arose to feed the horses and review tacking procedures. Once each of the crew prepared his horse, we set out for two days of backcountry horse camping along with our two wranglers from the BTSR staff.

The terrain through which we rode in the Davis Mountains was both spectacular and challenging. We rode across epic ridgelines and down lush valleys. We rode our horses across narrow rocky ledges, through rushing mountain streams and into dense valley forests.This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is WeOwnAdventure-3-1.jpgThis image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is WeOwnAdventure-4.jpg

Along the way, we dismounted to see some amazing local sites, like ancient Native American rock paintings and glorious picturesque waterfalls. All in all, we rode about 25 miles over two days (with about six hours in the saddle each day) including almost 2,000 feet of change in elevation. This riding experience was not for the faint of heart. During the course of the ride, three of our crew were thrown from their horses (including the Scout with the most riding experience, one of the adult wranglers and one of the adult crew advisors). None sustained serious injuries, and all were able to continue on with the cavalcade.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is WeOwnAdventure-5.jpgThe Scouts worked together magnificently. They bonded well during the shakedown campout and that sense of teamwork carried through the cavalcade itself. Whether helping each other with tacking their horses or making their meals together on the trail, the Scouts functioned as a strong team. More significantly, each of them demonstrated exceptional fortitude for young people as well as good horsemanship skills. Many of the challenges on the trail presented by the terrain were significant, yet the Scouts did not shrink from them. They learned how to partner with their horses as well as how to direct them to negotiate obstacles in field. Finally, all of them grew as people and deepened their reservoir of courage and character from which to draw when facing future challenges. The boys completed a true “high adventure” in fine fashion.
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is WeOwnAdventure-6-1.jpg

This experience would not have been possible without the assistance of our partners from the Middleburg Hunt, Red Gate Farm, and the BTSR.

The Middleburg Hunt, one of the oldest foxhunting clubs in Virginia, graciously donated $1,000 to provide camperships for needy families and to subsidize the overall cost of the trip. With advanced planning and frugal budgeting, we were able to keep the cost of this four-day horseback riding adventure to $765 per participant (including air fare and all horse fees). Nevertheless, this was still an expensive trip and the donation from Middleburg Hunt was greatly appreciated.

Red Gate Farm provided us with amazing facilities and staff to perform our shakedown campout and trail ride. They let us camp right on their property and gave us incredibly reasonable rates for the use of their grounds for camping and for a practice trail ride. Without their generous support, we would not have been ready for the cavalcade.This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is WeOwnAdventure-7-1-1024x768.jpg

Everything about the experience at the BTSR was exceptional. The staff were incredibly welcoming and accommodating, from picking us up at the airport, feeding us upon arrival, and making us feel very much at home. All of the horses that we rode were physically sound and without behavioral vices. The tack was serviceable and the terrain was fantastic. Most importantly, the BTSR Cavalcade Program Director Bob Hansler and his wife Shauna were nothing short of superb. They taught our Scouts with deep knowledge of the horses and the terrain.They had a great sense of the experiences that the environment and our timeline could offer the Scouts even as they kept foremost in their minds the safety and well-being of our crew. The program that Bob and Shauna are responsible for building and maintaining at BTSR rivals any equine experience available to Scouts anywhere in the country, including at Philmont Scout Ranch. Further, the fact that the BTSR offers its cavalcade program all year around in addition to in the summers (as is only the case at Philmont) makes going on a horseback high adventure over a long four-day weekend during the academic year a unique opportunity. The BTSR Cavalcade should definitely be considered as an exciting high adventure opportunity for other Scouting units both during the summer and throughout the academic year.This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is WeOwnAdventure-8.jpg

The Chain Bridge District now has a bona fide horsemanship program for Scouts in the entire NCAC. Since 2017, we have helped over 50 Scouts (both boys and girls) to earn the Horsemanship Merit Badge. We have successfully completed a high adventure horseback riding activity. We have identified partners both within our council and across the country to support this program. Most importantly, we have helped youth to see how they can learn and live the values of Scouting through the equestrian arts.

For information contact:

Reuben Brigety

Chain Bridge District Horsemanship Program Director

Filed Under: Adventure Tagged With: High Adventure, merit badge, On The Trail With..., Scouts BSA

Troops 1910 and 2119 Ride 50 Miles for Cycling Merit Badge

October 20, 2019 by Don Goff

Scouts from Troops 1916 and 2119 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in McLean, VA ready to head out on the C&O Canal Tow Path for a 50 mile bike ride from Cumberland, MD to Great Cacapon, MD on October 12th.This is their seventh ride for the Cycling merit badge after completing two tens, two fifteens, and two twenty-five milers. The Scouts finished their ride in under 6 hours!

Filed Under: Adventure Tagged With: merit badge, Scouts BSA

2019 Nuclear Science Merit Badge Program at University of Maryland

October 17, 2019 by Matthew Mille

On Saturday, October 12, 2019 the Baltimore-Washington Chapter of the Health Physics Society, a professional society of radiation protection professionals, hosted a nuclear science merit badge program at the University of Maryland Radiation Facilities. Approximately 60 Scouts, 15 parents, and 30 technical volunteers attended this unique event.

Activities included, tours of a nuclear reactor and a cyclotron, building of cloud chambers to see radiation tracks, detecting radiation sources with survey meters. Also a virtual reality tour of the Chernobyl exclusion zone using Oculus Go glasses, radiation fundamentals lecture, M&M candy half-life and mouse trap reactor labs, donut breakfast, pizza lunch and more.

At the end of the day Scouts received a variety of giveaways donated by several federal agencies and non-profit groups including periodic tables, SI unit charts, rulers, NS Savannah DVDs, radiological emergency preparedness fact sheets, health physics career brochures, atomic fireball and nuclear fusion candy, and science themed pencils.

Please enjoy this video slideshow of photos from the day: https://youtu.be/ztdcLDLzDpY .

Filed Under: Scouting Programs Tagged With: merit badge, scouting

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