Scouts from Troop 7227 on St. Croix, USVI organized a bike outing to assist members who are working on rank and merit badge requirements. They started at the Howard Wall camp and stopped for refreshments at the Southgate Coastal Reserve. Beautiful views of the Caribbean Sea and cooling breezes welcomed the Scouts.
An adventurous crew of nine scouts and three adults from Troop 58 in Ashburn, VA spent a year eagerly anticipating a spring break Sea Base sailing adventure in the Bahamas. Due to the uncertainties surrounding international travel because of the ongoing pandemic, the crew changed course in January and chose a St. Thomas sailing adventure in the U.S. Virgin Islands. In April, the crew donned their matching Hawaiian shirts, met Captain Matias at Sapphire Beach Marina and boarded the deck of the 50 ft. yacht, Antillean, and set sail.
The first night sleeping on deck was quite an adventure with gusting high winds, torrential downpours, flapping side panels, squealing pulleys, squawking seagulls, and even crowing roosters! The weather improved and the crew enjoyed navigating from the shaded cockpit and at times relaxing in the on-deck hammock. Some of the highlights of the week included snorkeling, night fishing at Honeymoon Beach, hiking to Fort Segarra, and a beach BBQ. Late in the week, the crew swam ashore in their bathing suits to Water Island for a well-deserved hamburger dinner at a local waterfront restaurant.
During the course of the five-day adventure the crew completed the requirements to earn the Snorkeling BSA patch and the Duty to God award. Several scouts also earned their Fishing, Citizenship in Society, and Communications merit badges. Captain Matias kept a close eye on the crew throughout the week to evaluate their success on the water in the areas of snorkeling, sailing & crewing, fishing, cooking, cleaning, personal care, and behavior and awarded them with the Captains Club patch.
Troop 58’s next high adventure will be dog-sledding, snowshoeing, ice-fishing and more at Okpik Cold Weather Camping at Northern Tier in January 2023!
My name is Laura Kuras and I am the NCAC District Executive for our US Virgin Islands and Director of the local Boy Scout Camp here in St. Croix, Camp Howard M. Wall. I am extremely excited to be here in the USVI because it is such a beautiful location filled with amazing people who are ready and willing to bring Scouting back in to the community.
Looking back, I am happy to say, I have been lucky enough to make Scouting a part of my life for over twenty-seven years and from that I have gained so much. My parents introduced me to Scouting at the age of five so, as a little kid I was able to learn and appreciate the outdoors in a way that not all young people get to and for that I am so thankful. Throughout grade school and well into my college years I was able to use my Scouting experiences to open so many new doors that I believe wouldn’t have been possible without my background in the outdoors. Before graduating from college, I was fortunate enough to work for two of the BSA high adventure bases, Sea Base and Philmont, which gave me the opportunity to really figure out what I was passionate about in life. Now as an adult, I get to share my experiences with others which could allow them to see the world from a whole new view. Throughout my life I hope to inspire others to enjoy the journey of life and take in every opportunity to try new things always, and I hope to do the same for as long as possible.
Evan Dykstra, 12, is a Scout with Troop 7227 on St. Croix, USVI. In July Evan joined an elite group of divers by earning his Junior Master Scuba Diver certification. Only 3% of scuba divers attain this level, the highest a recreational diver can earn.
At the age of 8 Evan started diving through PADI’s Bubblemaker course at Sweet Bottom Dive Center, then earned his Open Water certification at age 10. This was followed by his Adventure certification by completing specialty courses in peak performance buoyancy, navigation, boat diver, fish ID and photography. Evan then completed First Aid/CPR/AED training for his Rescue Diver certification. Once Evan turned 12 he was then eligible to complete his Advanced certification and with it his Master Diver accomplishment. The day after this achievement Evan completed his 200th dive and plans on many more adventures.
A contingent of Scouts and leaders from Troop 5 in Lima, Peru attended Camp Olmsted this past summer. Scouts and leaders traveled from 4 different countries to enjoy a week at summer camp during their winter break in the US before going back to school. Highlights of the week were rifle and shot gun shooting, sailing on Lake Merriweather and the Olmsted Olympics. The contingent enjoyed meet-ing Scouts from the US, Scouts with ties to Peru living in the US, and Zack our Staff Guide from Bogota Columbia. The three Scouts earned 16 merit badges and one attended the Trailhead Program. Plans are being made for a larger contingent next summer and a return to Camp Olmsted.
We are pleased to announce that Camp Howard M. Wall has achieved full accreditation for 2018. The purpose of the Boy Scouts of America’s National Camp Accreditation Program (NCAP) is to help councils elevate camps to new levels of excellence in delivering Scouting’s promise to youth. Councils will engage in a rigorous review of camps and properties, continuous improvement, and correction or elimination of substandard practices.Only camps that successfully complete all five aspects of the NCAP are BSA accredited camps.
Congratulations, team. Well done.
