We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Scouts BSA

Canoeing and Camping on the Shenandoah River

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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.

A New York City Trip with Troop 996

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by Campmaster Chris G. and Senior Patrol Leader Teddy G.

Troop 996 from Aldersgate United Methodist Church took an educational, exciting and fun-filled trip to New York City over Memorial Day Weekend. This trip was planned by Life Scout Chris G. and adult mentor Mr. Gayton. The educational aspect of this trip involved each Scout giving a short overview of each of the planned historical or iconic stops that they were assigned, this enabled each scout to improve their writing and public speaking skills.

The trip started with a drive to Liberty State Park on the morning of May 25th, in the afternoon the troop visited the beautiful Ellis Island (the cradle of immigration for the United States) and the Statue of Liberty (a gift from France). That night the troop had a dinner with two games of bowling at the Fort Hamilton bowling alley. The Scouts slept at the Fort Hamilton fitness center (courtesy of the Fort Hamilton Command team support).

The next morning, the troop had a wonderful breakfast provided by First Class Scout Thomas M. which included bagels, meat, cheese, apples, and homemade muffins provided by Mrs. Mulhern. The troop boarded the 8:00am Staten Island ferry and were fortunate to receive an impromptu magic show by an amazing magician, “Brucelee”, who baffled us with his sleight of hand for the 20-minute ferry ride. In Downtown Manhattan, the troop’s stops included the bull on Wall Street, the 9/11 World Trade Center Memorial, the Federal Reserve, and ended with a photo overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge. Lunch was at the Little Italy pizza joint on the outskirts of Chinatown.

After lunch, the troop visited the Titanic Memorial, walked through Chinatown, and took the subway (we talked our way on for free) to the Empire State building. The Scouts loved the view from 1,250 feet up. After returning to ground level, the troop walked up 5th Avenue and got to visit the New York Public Library, the main hall of Grand Central Station, Trump Tower, and Central Park. On the way down 6th Avenue the troop saw Radio City music hall and cut over to the iconic Times Square as the rain started coming down on us in buckets. The boys enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the heart of Times Square at Bubba Gump’s. After dinner, the Scouts took the subway back to Battery Park and boarded the 8:30 ferry headed for Staten Island. The troop slept at the same fitness center Sunday night and then departed by 0700 the next morning for home with breakfast en route.

Overall this trip was educational and had a lasting effect on the Scouts because it showed them that any trip is possible if a Scout puts in the work and time to plan and execute it. For many of the Scouts, this weekend trip to New York city was a once-in-a-lifetime event that Troop 996 was able to provide. Additionally, with some detailed planning and good negotiating skills, the cost per attendee for transportation, entrance tickets, entertainment, lodging, and food was an extraordinarily low $145. This trip is a testament to the success a Scout-led troop can have when youth are willing to put in the work and time to prepare with quality adult mentorship.

OA Scouts Lead Interfaith Service

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OA Scouts led an interfaith service at the Order of the Arrow Conclave Northeast Regional Leadership Camp at Camp William B. Snyder. Scouts BSA members and adult leaders were there representing the Protestant, Latter-Day Saints, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, and Sikh faiths. Thank you, Scouts, for showing that Duty to God touches all cultures!

Vienna’s Girls Troop 987 Starts a “New Scout Quest”

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New Tenderfoot Scouts Annalise S., Abby E., and Katie H.

When the five girls of troop 987 first met, they each decided that they needed to be the Senior Patrol Leader. (We put that decision off for a bit.) One thing they did agree on was that they all wanted to be the nation’s first female Eagle Scout. I carefully discussed the difficulties with such a task, but they were undaunted. I explained this was something that would require pure dedication and a lot of luck, but our boy troop’s philosophy has always been, “Scout led… no matter what”, so I did what any Scout leader would have done, and turned to the experts.

Five years ago, Jeffrey H., one of our Eagle Scouts, commented that it was impractical to make scouts wait for summer camp to take part in a program that could easily be completed at home. I told him if he saw a problem in the world, he should work to fix it. His answer was to create our New Scout Quest (NSQ) program, which he then led until his election to Senior Patrol Leader. The basis for his program was that if Scouts were busy at meetings and ranked up faster, then they would stay active in the program. He began creating and scheduling lessons based on a belief that if the Scouts knew what was planned, they would be more likely to attend the meetings and continue Scouting. The following year we had a 95% retention rate. He trained the instructors in this method, and when he turned 18 in October, we had a fully functional program for new Scouts.

So when the girls talked about their objectives, three of my Scouts came to mind immediately. We would need Jeffrey, of course, but we would also need the instructors, Alex G. and Bill G. who had spent the last 4 years leading and refining the course. All three were more than excited to help, although one had to join as an adult leader. They began preparations for this new program. The girls this year are an exciting and unique chance to show just how dynamic this program is. Three of the five have older brothers who are Eagle Scouts. One has an older brother who is a 13 year old Life Scout, and one will be the first Eagle Scout in her family! They have been watching their brothers have a great time at scouting and have waited for their chance to shine.

As they joined, they each received a Scout handbook. They worked for a couple of weeks to learn the requirements for Scout, and then met on February 1st to kick off Family Scouting and become the first girls to attend a Scoutmaster conference and receive the Scout rank. They attended their first camp out in February (these girls are tough!) and three of them (Annalise S., Abby E., and Katie H.) attained the rank of Tenderfoot a few days ago. The other two – Victoria S. and Sarah J. – will receive it next week at our next meeting.

As a Scoutmaster I have seen more than a hundred scouts attend our NSQ program. Almost all of them are 11. I have noticed that the girls are less distracted and learn the book skills a great deal faster than the boys. The boys are more adept at the physical skills such as fire building and orienteering. This is an observation that may help your program adapt to the different needs of a girls program. It is amazing to watch history be made with a group of girls who are so driven to be great Scouts.

Troop 248G Explores Scouting History

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Earlier this month Troop 248G took the Hornaday hike, one of the HOST trails through Washington, DC. Six Scouts and three adult leaders joined the hike that commenced at the Smithsonian Zoo at 8 am and wrapped up at the Smithsonian Castle around 1:30 pm. The hike was about 6.2 miles in total.

Four of the Scouts completed the entire hike and the associated eight Hornaday-specific trivia questions, and got their hike card stamped at the WWII memorial. Another of the Scouts got her hike card stamped at the WWII memorial and answered 6 of 8 trivia questions, which is the minimum threshold for earning the hike pin.

The Scouts met many people along the way, including a Canadian Scout from Quebec as well as several WWII and Korean War vets who were there for an honor flight visit.

The Hornaday Hike overlaps much of the hike trail with the Colin Livingstone HOST hike. However, the trivia questions to earn the pin are unique. The hike was a lot of fun but be aware that many of the hike notes or directions are cryptic and it took us some time to orient properly. Now that I know where certain items are or what hint a hike item refers to, I think the hike could be winnowed down to a solid 4.5 hours.

The Adventure Begins for Troop 199G

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Scouts BSA Girl Troop 199

It’s one thing to hear about change, it’s another thing to be a Change Leader!! And we have such a group of Leaders – both Adult and Youth – in Aquia District.

With the recent change to Scouting BSA, Aquia District started its first Troop for girls on February 4, 2019 – officially, Troop 199G in Stafford County, VA. The Scouters who helped organize this pioneering effort include Scoutmaster – Sharon Patrick, Committee Chair – Amanda Tyler, and COR – Brian Freeman.

The Troop started with only five Scouts – these pioneers are: Rose Armstrong, Brenna Futrell, Sylvia Robles, Emily Surette, and Kaitlyn Tyler – and in just a few short months Troop 199G has grown over 100% to 13 Scouts (and counting) – Abby Deputy, Bella Hammond, Kate Marcinkevicius, Katie Ramos, Becca Reynolds, Marley Schneider, Micaela Walker, and Paige Walser. The Troop is led by Senior Patrol Leader, Rose Armstrong.

Getting off to a fast start, the Scouts enjoyed their first outdoor experience during a New Scout Campout on March 29-31, 2019 at Ferry Farms, Scouts worked on earning their Totin’ Chip and Fireman Chit and practiced basic knot-tying skills. A fun time and adventure was had by all, especially those Scouts who had never been camping before this event.

The Patrol Leader Council (PLC) planned the Troop’s next campout which was held April 26-28, 2019 in Devil’s Marbleyard in Natural Bridge, VA. Scouts rose to the challenge of their first 5-mile hike – socks, boots, backpacks, food and water all organized so the Scouts would Be Prepared – it’s not just a motto, it’s a way of life! Along the way, the Scouts worked on map and compass skills to meet BSA advancement and merit badge requirements.

Along with other normal Troop activities, the Scouts will be working with a Merit Badge Counselor on the Weather Merit Badge in May and participating in the 2019 Fredericksburg National Cemetery Luminaria on May 25th, an annual service project that local Stafford and Fredericksburg Scouts participate in to honor Civil War soldiers who died so that our Nation could live. A lot of work by many Scouts’ hands and a very impressive sight, if you get a chance to visit at dusk when thousands of candles, each in its individually prepared paper sack, are all aglow among the headstones marking the graves of these heroes of yesteryear.

In June the Troop will continue with outdoor activities, including going to Lake Arrowhead in Luray, VA to have fun camping, hiking, working on Merit Badge requirements and just sitting around a campfire enjoying an early summer evening and each other’s company.

And it’s going to continue being a terrific summer with six Scouts from Troop 199G attending summer camp at Camp Enon in July. Summer camp adventures, fun and creating life-long memories are always extra special at Summer Camp.

Everything these Scouts do as a Troop is a first and especially in this very first year of existence! What a great adventure and what a great group of pioneers making Scouting even bigger and better than it ever was – reaching more Youth and more families than ever before in BSA history. The Scouts are excited to be part of the Scouting program and are looking forward to even more outings and activities as the year progresses.