We Own Adventure

Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

Seneca

Troop 1094 Scouters Clean Vietnam Wall

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Early Saturday, September 22 at 6:30 am, long before the tourists arrive, Troop 1094 (chartered out of Darnestown, MD) Scouts undertook the solemn duty of cleaning the Vietnam Memorial Wall to show reverence to the more than 58.000 names of people who gave their lives for freedom. The Vietnam Wall, a US national memorial, honors service member of the US Armed Forces who fought in the Vietnam War, including service members who died, and those service members who were unaccounted for (MIA) during the war.

Although cleaning the wall is a time of respect, the Scouts also demonstrated great camaraderie, sharing hoses, buckets, and scrub brushes with the NAM KNIGHTS MC IMMORTAL 400 Chapter, MD, who shared in the event with the Scouts.

The work took less than an hour. Afterwards US Park Ranger Mark Morse spoke to the Scouts about the history of the wall and the significance of keeping the black granite polished. Park Ranger Morse explained that making the wall have a mirror effect symbolically brings the past and present together. “The wall is part of the healing process for so many families, whose loved ones never came home”, Park Ranger Morse explained to the Scouts.

US Park Service makes the cleaning schedule available early in spring. Contact Park Ranger Mark Morse at mark_morse@nps.gov for information.

 

Post 1010 Competes in Engineering Challenge

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Explorer Post 1010 annually competes in four engineering challenges – FIRST Tech Robotics (FTC), Team America Rocketry (TARC), Botball Robotics, and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). This year, all four teams did well in local and regional events, making it to the highest level tournaments in their respective competition. In April, the FTC team travelled to the world championship in Detroit, Michigan. The TARC teams competed in the national championship in May in The Plains, Virginia. In July the Botball team travelled to Indian Wells, California to compete in the global Botball tournament. And finally in August, the drone team competed in the national UAS competition in Muncie, Indiana. It was a great year for growth, opportunity, and fun. Many of the leaders went off to college in September, so it looks like 2019 will be a rebuilding year. See more at their website: http://post1010.org.

EMT Crew Expands Scouting in Damascus

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Crew 713, sponsored by the Damascus Volunteer Fire Department, was chartered in January 2018 and is set to make a difference for the lives of others and Scouts! This Crew is focused on learning the skills of Emergency Medical Technicians and hopes to soon staff all sorts of events within Seneca District as First-Aiders. Led by Advisor Tricia Taylor and Committee Chair Jonathan Bjorson, both EMTs with DVFD, this crew has already had CPR training and is working on First Aid skills, providing a unique opportunity to explore careers in Fire/EMS in the Upper Montgomery County area. The Crew invites you to come out to their next event: a visit to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, MD followed by a hike on July 15, 2018. Contact matt_beyers@yahoo.com for further information.

2018 District Court of Honor Dinner

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emcee, Jeff Baker started us out with a special Wood Badge beading ceremony (his own) and kept the evening lively and moving well. It was a great opportunity to introduce Wood Badge to many novices in the audience. (Congratulations, Jeff!)

With the best turnout ever, 114 people signed up for the Awards Dinner. Kudos go to the hard work of Seneca’s Advancement and Adult Recognition Chair Thomas Kennedy who was able to acquire 68 nominations from the district units for the SOUSA awards (Seneca Outstanding Unit Scouter Award). This award is a unit level award that gives recognition to registered adult Scouters for their significant contributions to their respective units during the 2017 calendar year. It is a district award presented on behalf of units in the same way that the District Award of Merit is a council award presented by the district, and the Silver Beaver Award is a national award presented by the council.

This year’s Awards Dinner was held at the Washington-Rockville Elks Lodge #15 in Rockville. Their venue worked very well with our growing size and did an exceptional job with their buffet menu.

The Key 3 (District Chair, Matt Beyers; District Commissioner Gordon Henley; and District Executive, Carlos Salazar) each got their ‘minute’ and then announced their Key 3 Awardee, Philip Dennis for his outstanding work with Friends of Scouting and various other tasks within the district.

Also honored was a special guest, 2018 Silver Beaver recipient Catherine Phan. (Congratulations, Cathy!)

Along with the 68 SOUSA awards representing 19 Packs, 15 Troops, 1 Crew, and 1 Explorer Post, the district also awarded 4 District Award of Merits. Congratulations to All!!

Seneca Webelos Scout Awarded Medal of Merit

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Back row: Camille Finley(mother), Lois Finley (grandmother), Fritz Finley (father), Matthew Beyers (District Chair)
Front row: Graeme Finley, Vivien Finley (sister)

by Matthew Beyers, Chair, Seneca District

In June, Seneca District proudly awarded one of it’s youngest Scouts one of Scouting’s highest honors – the Medal of Merit. In July 2017, while working on his boat with his 82 year old grandfather John, 10-year-old Graeme of Pack 694 heard a splash and realized the John had fallen between the boat and dock. With his grandfather in a post-surgery weakened state, Graeme immediately threw a line to his grandfather and then yelled for help. Nearby adults pulled his grandfather from the harbor and the paramedics were summoned to check him out – all was good and Graeme, now at Troop 496, was awarded the Medal of Merit for doing the right thing at the right time under extreme pressure. Congratulations Graeme!