We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Orienteering

Ryan Krauss, Top MD Scout Orienteer

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Ryan Krauss from Arlington Troop 111 (Chain Bridge District), was the top Maryland Scout Orienteer on Sept. 12 at Broad Creek Scout Reservation. On a tough, rocky course, 2019 champion Nate Beardmore from 347, Prince Frederick, Western Shore, had the lead most of the way, a bit ahead of 111’s Thomas Sullivan, 347’s Duncan Santerre, one Baltimore Area Scout, and Joey Hastings from 1321 in La Plata.
Amidst rigorous COVID precautions, 320 attendees did training and orienteered on color maps as in the attached picture. In that picture, can you see two problems with whomever hopes to find north!? If not, or even if so, mark you calendar for the 45th Annual MD Scout Orienteering Day on Oct. 23, 2021 at Patuxent River Park, Upper Marlboro,  Also contact Jim Chaplin at JHChaplin@comcast.net about the big 15th annual spring 2021 DC area NCAC Scout Orienteering event!

Try Your Orienteering Skills!

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Troops & Venturing units are challenged to test (and learn!) map skills at the 44th Annual Maryland Scout Orienteering Day Oct. 24, 2020 at Patuxent River Park near Upper Marlboro. Event cost is $4.00 per participant including patches, plus, if camping, an extra $2 per person per night.

Last year’s event had 69 units, 507 youth (60 girls), plus 160 adult orienteering participants. #myNCAC Scouts had their usual great results, with nine of the top twelve troop awards. Troop 111 from Chain Bridge District, Arlington, was the top NCAC troop. Scouts from 20 different troops nabbed spots in the top 23 individual awards. Nate Beardmore of Troop 347, Western Shores (Prince Frederick) was the overall winner.

Register online at www.BaltimoreBSA.org/orienteering by October 18, 2020. No Cubs, no Webelos. Come for the day, or camp one or two nights. Self-guided map instruction starts off the day, designed for beginners to this forest navigation map sport; intermediate and advanced levels are also included.

Troops 111, 439, 647 Tops at Orienteering!

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NCAC tied their own record of nine of the top twelve troops at the 43rd Annual Maryland Scout Orienteering Championships on Nov. 2, led by Chain Bridge District’s Troop 111 from Arlington, Potomac District’s Troop 439 in Kensington (teamed with a Howard County unit), and Arlington’s Troop 647.

The super-competitive Advanced competition was won with a time of 42:12 by Nate Beardmore of Western Shores Troop 347 in Prince Frederick, the fifth overall unit (teamed with Chesapeake Beach Troop 429.) Not far behind were Rockville Troop 944 teamed with Patriot District Venture Crew 1345 from Burke, and La Plata Troop 1321. Nate edged out Jeremy Bloom from Rockville Troop 1450 by two minutes, 111’s Thomas Sullivan, and 1321’s Christian Decker.

Over 775 attended this map training and competition event at Broad Creek Scout Res. north of Baltimore, including over 60 girls. Amongst 110 teams in the Older category, 111’s Houston Burnside and Jon Hales plus Owen Caputo and Kaden Carpenter were the top NCAC teams, with Milo Engel and Keni McBee from Venture Crew 1130, McLean. Topping the Younger competition’s100 teams from NCAC were 111’s Andrew Hales and Michael Corso, 647’s Connor Jones and Aiden Madden, and Charlie Conroy and Felix Shareno from DC’s Troop 1946.

For Troop 111, it was a record tenth time finishing in the top two troops at this event. Everyone completed several beginner to intermediate map training courses, then competed on two orienteering courses. As with the past few years, the top 14 places in the Older category were captured by twelve different troops, and eight different troops nabbed the top nine in the Younger competition! Troops from NJ, DE, PA, MD, DC, and VA took part.

On March 21, 2020, Jim Chaplin’s 15th Annual NCAC Scout Orienteering Day will be at Pohick Bay; reach Jim at jhchaplin@comcast.net. In 2020 the 44th Annual MD Scout Orienteering Day will be at Patuxent River Park near Upper Marlboro October 24; you’ll find more details (and full results from 2019) at BaltimoreBSA.org/orienteering, plus information via qocweb.org for good orienteering events suitable for scouts on most winter and spring weekends.

Photos by: Stan Turk

Test Your Orienteering Skills!

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All troops & Ventuing crews are challenged to test (and hone) their map skills at the 43rd Annual Maryland Scout Orienteering Day!

Last year’s event had 480 Scouts and Venturers, plus 160 adult orienteering participants. #myNCAC Scouts had their best year ever, receiving 15 of the top 22 individual awards and ten of the top 13 troop awards! Troop 1946 from Washington, D.C., was the 2018 champion.

This year’s event will be November 2 at Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation. Register online at www.BaltimoreBSA.org/orienteering by October 28. Come for the day, or camp one or two nights. Our self-guided map courses are designed for beginners to this forest navigation map sport, with intermediate and advanced levels available as well.