June 2001
Patuxent Happenings
Four months ahead

To Subscribe to The Patuxent Post e-mail edition simply send an e-mail to chris.schwartz@ieee.org with the words SUBSCRIBE PAX POST in the Subject Line. Please send articles or items of interest at least 2 weeks in advance of the next round table. Pax Post is posted at https://www.angelfire.com/md2/bsapax/paxpost or http://www.geocities.com/paxmeritbadge/paxpost

After three years as District Commissioner I will be passing the job on to Pete Saderholm. I have enjoyed working with the Commissioners, as well as meeting many of the Scouters in the Packs, Troops, Teams and Crews.

This job has many rewards, made possible by the hard work of you volunteers. I want to thank the members of the Commissioner staff for all the hours of work you have contributed to Scouting, and the Unit Scouters for the dedicated work you do for the youth of our District.
Yours in Scouting,

Elsie Metz, Elsie Metz- District Commissioner elsiemetz@aol.com

Having completed over three years as Patuxent District Chairman, I have stepped down effective with the election of Stu Stern as our new District Chairman at the May District Annual Meeting. First, I congratulate Stu and look forward to working with and supporting him in the coming year as our new chairman. I would also like to thank all those with whom I have worked in the District over the past three years for your dedication, support, and love of scouting. I have thoroughly enjoyed this time and the things we have been able to accomplish. I will now move on to other scouting endeavors, including unit and district positions. I will be seeing many of you at roundtables, commissioner meetings, and at district meetings.
Yours in Scouting,

Larry Proctor, - District Chairman, LProctor@FDIC.gov

Adult Training

June 16, Trainer Development Conference, Marriott Scout Service Center, 8 AM to 5 PM

Trainer Development Conference. The conference features trainers for all disciplines: Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Varsity, Venturing, Exploring. If you are interested in becoming a Scout leader trainer, sign up now. Conference is June 16.

Marriott Scout Service Center
Saturday, June 16, 2001
Registration Fee: $7.00(includes lunch)
Registration Begins at 8AM
Session Begins at 8:30AM - Ends 5PM
Registration form:  http://www.boyscouts-ncac.org/training/pdfs/trainer.pdf 

July 19 Council Special Guest Bus Trip to Goshen Scout Reservation

A complimentary visit to see Goshen in Action. 7:00 A.M. - 8:00 P.M. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner provided. Various departure sites - expect one to be in Greenbelt. Cubmasters, Webelos Leaders, Crew Advisors, Scoutmasters, Committee Chairs, SPLs, Goshen Staff Alumni, and all others interested in Goshen. Mission of the Trip: To "show off" the reservation and staff to units and individuals interested in attending or supporting the reservation in the future. For more information or to RSVP, contact Brooke Summerville, 301-214-9104

August 13 to 18 Powder Horn 2001 for Venturing Advisors at Goshen

The NCAC is offering a Powder Horn course at Camp Goshen, August 13-18, 2001.
Powder Horn is an exciting new training opportunity designed to expose Venturing advisors to the activities and skills necessary to operate a successful crew. The course does not seek to make Venturing advisors an expert or even self-sufficient in any aspect of the Ranger award skills. Venturing advisors will still need to call on trained and certified individuals (consultants) to help provide instruction. The course will provide a listing of local resources for Venturing activies. Cost of the course is $185. Participants should be registered adult member of BSA, meet the physical requirements of a BSA Class III exam and should have completed either Scoutmastership Fundamentals or Adult Venturing Leader Basic Training. For more information and a registration form, call John Wolfgang, (301) 286-6610 or NCAC at (301) 214-9151 or john.wolfgang@gsfc.nasa.gov

August 28 Commissioners Meeting and Join Scouting Night Orientation

August 28 is an orientation night for Join Scouting Night. Commissioners, Scoutmasters, Cubmasters or those leading the Unit recruiting effort should come.

The School Night For Scouting Program designates one night in all elementary schools and selected middle schools where prospective new Tigers, Cubs, Webelos, and Scouts are invited along with their parents to learn about the Scouting Program.

It is a Council sponsored and District led concentrated effort to recruit new members and leaders as well as organize Packs and Troops both existing and new as early in the school year as possible allowing new youth to benefit from the Scouting Program for the full school year; new leaders to benefit from training earlier in the year; to recruit the majority of needed new members earlier in the year allowing for stronger program and better planning.

September 28 to 30 Goshen Bears Workend

Goshen Bear Workend by Bob Leek

Do you want to be a Bear? Many of your Patuxent District Scouter friends are already Bears; Goshen Bears that is. Join us on the weekend (Workend in Bear talk) Sept 28 to 30. We work a full day on Saturday and half day on Sunday doing everything you can imagine for maintenance at Goshen. The facilities, which are well maintained by the Goshen Bears are becoming known around the country. Usually we have 30-40 Patuxent Scouters, men and women, of the 150-200 Workend attendees. All you need is a working body, work clothes, $14.00 for five meals (and how those cooks from FSK do feed us!). Pre-registration and $7.00 of your meal fee is requested to be in two weeks before the Workend of Friday-Sunday September 28-30 Friday-Sunday. For more information ask a Bear or call Ed Allison (301) 927-6949 or Bob Leek (301) 725-6443.

Events
June 19 REI's Seminars on Hiking, etc.

REI's Seminars REI, a great friend of Scouting, will be offering some excellent seminars in June. On June 14 (Baileys Crossroads), come hear about summer hiking on secluded beaches or mountain ridges within 3 hours of Washington, DC by Mark Nelson. On June 20 (Baileys Crossroads) and June 19 (College Park), take part in Jack Mills' discussion of photographing wildlife in the winter at Yellowstone National Park. All talks start at 7:30 PM. Why make it a night and go out to dinner with your Venture patrol, Varsity team or Venturing crew and attend one of these sessions? For more information, call REI at (703) 379-9400 or (301) 982-9681.

June 24 to 29 Impeesa at Camp Snyder

For those who are unfamiliar with the term, "Impeesa" is a week-long Junior Leader Training Course for Senior Scouts who currently or will soon hold SPL or ASPL positions in their respective Troops. If you like, you can consider this as "Woodbadge for Scouts." It can be an extraordinarily valuable experience, and for most Scouts will likely be the only formal, long-term Leadership training they will get prior to entering a military service or a supervisory/management position in corporate America. See NCAC website for more information http://www.boyscouts-ncac.org/training/impeesa.html
 
 

June 25 to July 8 AO GOAT Program at Goshen

Amangamek-Wipit Lodge approved the Goshen Order of the Arrow Trail Crew Program for 2001. This program is based out of the Goshen Scout Reservation, (June 24 through July 8) for only $100 per participant. A new adventure starts this summer at Goshen for older OA members which includes a week of service and learning serious outdoor skills (such as fire fighting techniques, trail building, and a Leave No Trace instructors program, plus a good dose of Order of the Arrow and Native American history; followed by a week of on the trail Lenhok'sin fun.

For details, see http://mars.umd.edu/oa/2001GoshenTrail/2001GoshenTrail.html or contact Nick Dunten at 301 927-0501 scouternick@telecity.com .
 
 

June 25 to 29 Cub Scout Day Camp in Bowie

This year the theme is EXPLORING YOUR WORLD. and the plan is to make this an exciting Camp.

The dates are:
Allen Pond in Bowie - June 25 to 29
Greenbelt Park in Greenbelt - July 9 to 13

The fee this year is $85.00. Pete Saderholm will be the Program Director this year and he is now putting together the staff. Pam Stehmer has agreed to help with Admin details and some other positions are filled but there is a significant need for people interested in helping at both or either camp.

Please call Pete at 410-45104713 or e-mail petegene@erols.com or Pam at 301-262-4575 or kstehmer@erols.com if you interested in helping make this a successful Day Camp for our Cubs. There is no Webelos Camp with its usual overnight planned for this year. It appears that is against NCAC policy and so we have not programmed this activity. Webelos are welcome to join the Cubs in the Day Camp if they choose.

June 29 Baysox Scout Sleepover at PG Stadium

June 29th is the Baysox Scout Sleepover. Scouts and scout leaders can get reduced ticket prices and they can camp on the field overnight. All scouts get to march on the field before the game in a pregame parade. There will also be demostrations on the concourse area those evening by some scout troops. Contact: Donald Gakenheimer, Theme Night Coordinator, Bowie Baysox, 4101 NE Crain Hwy, Bowie, MD 20716, 301-805-6000 x300Baysox Scout Night June 29. 7:05 PM Pre-game parade for scouts in uniform, bring banners. Discouted tickets: $3.50 for Souts and Leaders, $5.50 for Family Members, $8.50 for reserved Box Seats. Fireworks following the game. Call 301-805-6000 or http://www.baysox.com

July 1 to 15 Provisional Philmont Expeditions

Have the high Adventure Fever, but your Unit is not planning anything to scratch your itch next Summer? Why not explore the 215 square miles of rugged New Mexico backcountry that is Philmont Scout Ranch!!1 Ascend 12,000 foot peaks, try your hand at a wealth of outdoor programs, experience the true test of your scouting skills, and gather memorites that will live with you a lifetime.

Expedition #P-703 July 01 to July 15, 2001.Expedition size is 38 Youth and 8 adults
Expedition Cost: $1,150.00
Contact Robert Kirk, 301-595-9759, gcmozart@erols.com

July 3 to 18 Summer High Adventure Opportunities

Larry Thimm, Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 1519 in Alexandria, VA is looking for another adult leader and scouts who would like to team up and take on Lenhok'sin Trail this summer. You can contact Larry at (703) 922-5010 (h) or (202) 231-4047 or e-mail at lthimm@aol.com. Powhatan District Troop 1018 has three openings for Scouts wanting to join them on their Philmont Expedition July 3 - 18, 2001. Anyone wanting more info may call Jack Robertson at: (home) 703-437-8418 or email at jrobert@starpower.net

July 6 to 14 10th Scouts Canada Jambore

Venturing Crew 1519 recently lost two Venturer so now we have 8 of the 12 crew slots (2 adults and6 youth) to go with us to the 10th Scouts Canada Jamboree at Prince Edward Island, July 6-14, 2001. We still need four more people. Join us as we camp with 10,000 scouts from all over the world. Activities will include an opening xtravaganza and closing celebration, Voyageur canoeing, overnight rafting, kayaking, dory sailing, hi-tech orienteering, climbing wall, pioneering, and search and rescue. Total cost of the jamboree is about $800.00 depending on transportation costs. For more information, please call Cooper Wright at (703) 971-0044 or e-mail at coopwright@aol.com.

July 8 to 15 Summer High Adventure Opportunities Seabase

Troop 157 in Herndon has two vacancies on a Seabase Scuba Adventure Crew trip scheduled for July 8-15 2001. The troop has locked in on some great group airfare rate to Florida as well as ground transport to and from Seabase. Full details about the trip are available on the troop website at www.bsatroop157.org . Interested adults and youth should contact Mike Troiano at (703) 850-4896 (cell) or mjtroi@aol.com .

July 21 to 28 Scout Jam International Camp

Houens Odde Scout Centre, Denmark / Danemark Featuring: Rafting, sailing, climbing, giant pioneering, non-traditional hike, nature activities, archery For: 200, 14-18 years old
Fee: DKK 890.-, inc. food
Information: Houens Odde Spejdercenter, Scout Jam, Houens Odde 14-20, DK - 6000 Kolding, Denmark E-mail: houensodde@kfumscout.dk Want to find out more about this event? Visit their web site at www.houensodde.dk Host: KFUM - Spejderne i Danmark (YMCA Scouts in Denmark)
 

July 21     Wilderness Survival

Earth Connection School of Wilderness Survival and Ancient Skills in Marshall, VA is offering a series of courses including a Wilderness Survival Youth Workshop on July 21, 2001.  The workshop that runs all day, teaches many life saving outdoor skills in a fun and positive way.  Youth will learn how to stay warm with shelter and fire, signal for help, do outdoor cooking, get safe drinking water and more.  Cost of the course is $40.  For more information, visit their website at www.earth-connection.com or call Tim MacWelch at
(540) 270-2531.
 

July 27 to 8 Venturing's Nature of Leadership Program (12 nights)

Philmont Trek. Concentrated on teaching advanced leadership skills to Venturers.

July 28 to 4 Jamboree Cymru 2001

Welsh Themes & Legends Glanusk Park, Wales United Kingdom / Royaume-Uni
The Scouts of Wales welcomes all Scouts and Guides to join Jamboree Cymru 2001.
This 14th Welsh Jamboree will be held at Glanusk Park, a beautiful greenfield site which is on the approach to the magnificent Brecon Beacons National Park.
Featured activities include abseiling, archery, canoeing, caving, climbing, dragon boat racing, gliding, grass skiing, hiking, mountain biking, cyber cafŽ, pony trekking This event is expected to draw a total of 2,500 participants. The camp fee for members will be £80.00 and £40.00 for Leaders. This fee will include a camp badge, handbook, activities and all camp facilities but excludes the cost of food, travel and camping equipment.
Contact: Mr. Denis Hunt, RER Scout House, Plasnewydd Road, Roath, Cardiff, Wales CF24 3EN E-mail: robert.angus@ntlworld.com Visit their web site at www.jamboree-cymru.org.uk To book Troops and Units, the completed Booking Form must be returned by March 16, 2001 with a non-returnable deposit of £15.00 per person. All checks must be payable to "Jamboree Cymru". Booking forms and deposits will be acknowledged. The balance of the camp fee must be paid by 4 May 2001. Booking forms together with the deposit and a large addressed envelope (C5) with stamps to the value of 50p (or an International reply coupon) should be sent to: Mr. Denis Hunt, Deputy Administrator/Troop Bookings, RER Scout House, Plasnewydd Road, Roath, Cardiff, CF24 3GP. Home hospitality will be available to International participants.
 
 

August 4 to 5    Maryland Parent-Son Weekend

The Parent/Son Camping program is designed to give a Cub Scout or Webelos Scout and his adult partner an opportunity to spend a fun-filled 24-hour period together in the outdoors. During this 24-hour period, they will learn more about each other by working and playing together within a planned program of activities.  Space is limited: 96 pairs per weekend. Cost is $56.00 per buddy pair and is NON REFUNDABLE.

The dates and locations are:
August 4-5, 2001,Virginia Site (To be Determined)
September 15-16, 2001, Izaak Walton League, Poolesville,
Maryland October 13-14, 2001 Camp William B Snyder, Haymarket, Virginia
Details and signup forms are on the NCAC Homepage: http://www.boyscouts-ncac.org/camps/weekend.html

Friends of Scouting

FOS has not yet met its District goal. ($13,000). Thanks to all who have helped. But ...there are some units that have not had a presentation, yet. If you did not do an FOS presentation, it is not too late. Contact Dick Clark at 301-352-8606 or dickclark2@aol.co m to set one up We are not at our goal for 2001 and need all the help we can get.
 
 

Merit Badge Counselors

Merit Badge Counselors must renew their registratration once per year. In May - June, Troop Merit Badge Coordinators will be contacting you to request your renewed committment to this program. I recently went through our district listing and discovered more than 80 conselors that we have been listed for the Patuxent District who are not on the NCAC Counsel's listing. These generally represent individuals who are not in other ways associated with BSA and who failed to completely fill in the adult scouter application. During this renewal period, those who are not on the Counsel's list, who do not reapply with a valid adult application, will be dropped from the District Merit Badge Counselor list and will not be valid Merit Badge Counselors. In light of recent changes in Swimming and Lifesaving requirements, we will be reverifying qualifications of counselors for these badges. More information will follow - chris.schwartz@ieee.org

Venturing Electronic Lists and Web Sites

Here are some excellent lists that are available for those of you working the V3 programs. If you visit www.bowline.org , you can subscribe to a number of lists. Venture-L is particularly good for issues related to the Venturing program, the Philmont list that provides a forum to keep abreast of the latest happenings at God’s Country, and the Canoe-L list for those of us who enjoy the wonder of water travel by paddle and portage. Tom Keuhn of the Goose Creek District has started a NCAC Venturing Workgroup. This site provides a calendar of upcoming Venturing events as well as providing a forum to discuss Venturing issues. Go to http://communities.msn.com/NCACVenturing Workgroup to check it out. While Venturing does not yet have an official magazine, Jim Winters of Crew 441 in Pace, FL has started an unofficial "Venturing Electronic Magazine". This monthly newsletter provides some excellent program ideas for older youth from around the United States. For more information, go to www.venturing-mag.org . Roger Kapes, another crew advisor has started another Venturing community that provides program information and a chance to share ideas among crews throughout the United States. For more information, go to www.communityzero.com/venturingbsa . National BSA has finally started an official webpage for Philmont. It is a little thin right now, but hopefully it will be fleshed out in the future. Stop by and visit as www.scouting.org/philmont/main.html. Finally, have you checked out the best Scouting resource there is? If you can’t find it a www.usscouts.org, it isn’t worth looking for? This incredible site has more forms, links, and support for the entire Scouting program than you will find anywhere else. Check it out!!! Don’t blame me if you mail box soon begins to fill us as you become a part of electronic scouting.

Leave No Trace

The National BSA website has recently established a Leave No Trace page with links to the National Outdoor Leadership School’s syllabus for teaching LNT to scout units. This is an excellent site with material that can be printed and used right in your very own unit. For those of you going on high adventure treks or canoe trips this summer, why not visit www.scouting.org/boyscouts/resources/21-117/index.html and brush up on your LNT skills?

Real Courage by Tom Robbins

You risked your life, but what else have you ever risked? Have you ever risked disapproval? Have you ever risked a belief? I see nothing particularly courageous in risking one’s life. So you lose it, you go to your hero’s heaven and everything is milk and honey until the end of time, right? You get your reward and suffer no earthly consequences. That’s not real courage. Real courage is risking something that you have to keep on living with; real courage is risking something that might force you to rethink your thoughts and suffer change and stretch consciousness. Real courage is risking one’s clichÈs.