Late Breaking Calander Changes
|
|
| District Chairman | Larry Proctor | (410)
721-3544 Lproctor@fdic.gov |
District Websites: |
| District Commissioner | Elsie Metz | (301)
249-7305 elsiemetz@aol.com |
http://www.bsa.net/md/patuxent |
| Scout Executive (Acting) | Dave Roberts | Droberts@boyscouts-ncac.org | http://www.boyscouts-ncac.org//district/patuxent/ |
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. Pax Post is posted at https://www.angelfire.com/md2/bsapax/paxpost
Elsie Metz- District Commissioner elsiemetz@aol.com
April Roundtable will be held at Glendale Firehouse on April 4. Elsie Metz 301-249-7305 or email: elsiemetz@aol.com
We are beginning to receive reservations for this year's V3LOT course, March 29, April 5, 19, 21-22. Don't miss out on this training is you are looking to put more adventure into your unit's program or if you are looking to brush up on your own backcountry skills in preparation for a high adventure trek this summer. For more information contact course director GK Cunningham, (703) 764-3021 (home) or e-mail at 100746.1727@compuserve.com .
Don't forget about Program Launch at Camp Snyder on Saturday May 12. This is an event open to all leaders in your unit. You receive all of the materials to get you started on planning your unit program for the next school year. Not having a Unit Representative attend will delay receipt of all of this valuable information. In addition, there are other advantage to attending, such as meeting with District Leadership to ask questions and make suggestions, Commissioner Corps members will be there to answer questions about unit planning and how to use what is in your packet, Council program displays will be there with representatives to answer questions, other Displays will be set up related to activities your unit can partake of in the area, National Representatives will be on hand, and best of all, you have an opportunity to see what our NCAC's newest facility has to offer without driving all of the way down to Goshen. So come join us for an exciting event. I look forward to seeing each unit in our District out there. If you have any questions about this event, contact your Unit Commissioner, or any other member of the Commissioner Corps, and make sure you are represented.
Bowie Elks Club, Rt. 450, Crofton
at 6:30 PM. Highlight this date on your calendar. We will be
honoring three scouters with the District Award of Merit and many
others for their inspired work and leadership over the past year.
Our own Elsie Metz will be the speaker. Since she soon will be
moving to Pennsylvania, this banquet promises to be a very
special event. The cost is the usual $10 per person. Invitations
and flyers will be out soon.
Contact: Nick Dunten scouternick@telocity.com
Training in the morning. Learn how to do your job. District meeting in the afternoon.
Presented by the Patuxent District
Training Team, at Cresthill Baptist Church, Bowie on March 31.
and then at Cedarville State Forest April 6 to 8. Cost $30.00
Requirements: >13 yrs old, 2nd Class or better, recommended by
Scoutmaster
Call Bob Killen, 301-336-7027 Home or 703-614-9518
Did you know that plastic bottles, coffee cups, tires, toys, lawn fertilizers, and anything else that can be carried by water could end up in the Potomac River? This year, 16 counties and 2 cities in MD, VA, WV, PA and DC are working together to remove tons of trash from the Potomac River Watershed.
You can be a part of the cleanup here in your own backyard! This year, a Cleanup Project will be taking place at Greenbelt Park on Saturday, April 7, 2001 from 9:00 to 12:00.
Participants will be cleaning up a stream along the park’s perimeter. Wear old shoes that can get wet/muddy or boots. Bring gloves if you have them. Meet at "Park Headquarters" at the entrance to the Park, which is located right off Greenbelt Road. (just east of the intersection of Kenilworth Ave. and Greenbelt Rd, across from TGI Fridays) For more information contact Ranger Alex Culver (301) 344-3944 or www.potomaccleanup.org.
Remember, hours worked on this project can be counted toward the 12 hours you need to earn your "Service To National Parks Award." The patch and information about this award can be found at www.servicetoamerica.org.
|
Date: Monday, April 16, 2001 |  |
| Time: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm | ||
| Location: Sports and Learning Complex | ||
| 8001 Sheriff Road, Landover, MD 20785 | ||
| Uniforms: | Scouts should wear their Class A uniform | |
| Bluecards : | All Scouts should provide a blue card signed by their Scoutmaster. | |
| Cost: | Free |
Scouts exhibiting poor behavior will be asked to contact their parents and go home.
Here is a helpful workbook. (adobe acrobat format) https://www.angelfire.com/md2/bsapax/mbreq/pubhealth.pdf
Flyer and Preregistration form at https://www.angelfire.com/md2/bsapax/paxpost/mar/publichealth.jpg
 |
Spring is in the air!--at
least it soon will be. And what is spring, without a
district camporee? But there is no camporee, without you
and me. April 20-21 District Camporee. Contact: Bob Killen, 301-336-7027 Email: rfkille@hotmail.com |
April 22 REI Paddlesports Demo
On Sunday, April 22 at Pohick Regional Bay Park, Lorton, VA from 12:00 Noon - 4:00 PM, REI will hold its annual Paddlesports Day. Here is an opportunity to test drive the canoe or kayak you have had your eye on! Canoes, touring and recreational kayaks from Mad River, Perception and Dagger will be available for test paddling.
Apr. 27-29 Scout Religious Retreat
Again this year there will be separate retreat programs for Catholic and Protestant Scouts on the same weekend, at the same site. In addition, there will be many joint activities for all Scouts to share. The Religious Retreat traditionally has been a highlight of many Troop's program year.
Put it on your troop calendar, now. Bring all your Scouts. Let them camp and have fun together, and participate in either the Catholic or the Protestant Religious Program. The theme for the 2001 retreat will be "Walk with the Spirit".
The Religious Retreat will again be held on the grounds of Our Lady of Mattaponi Youth Retreat Center in Croom Maryland.
For information or advanced registration, call Don Sparlin at 301-262-5639 or Dottie Tamai at 301-773-1995
Venturing Crews and Explorer Posts, be looking for your package inviting you to attend this year's CAP EVent at the US Naval Academy on Saturday, April 28. This year's program includes leadership exercises led by Eagle Scout midshipmen, GPS skills course, Marine range operations at the Naval Station, unit challenge course, flag ceremony including a color guard of midshipmen and participants, and closing vespers. Cost is anticipated to be $20 which includes a patch, two meals and all program materials. Space will be limited so get your registration in early.
U.S. Geological Survey Open House,
Reston VA from 10 AM to 6 PM, 1000 visitors expected
There are a limited number of slots for merit badge counseling:
120 for Geology and 70 for Soil & Water Conservation, make
reservations
Either merit badge can be completed in one day. The Geology merit
badge is suitable for older boys.
In additon to the merit badges (no cost), other activities
include gold panning, exhibits, tours and videos
For further informatio contact Odette James (office) 703-648-6753
ojames@usgs.gov or (home) 703-476-9738, o.b.james@worldnet.att.net
 |
Baysox Scout Night April
28. 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 Contact: Donald Gakenheimer, Theme Night Coordinator, Bowie Baysox, 4101 NE Crain Hwy, Bowie, MD 20716, 301-805-6000 x300 |
Bring your BSA registration card
to Eastern Mountain Sports on Saturday April 28 and take 20% off
your entire purchase! This is a great opportunity to get the high
dollar piece of gear that you just cannot live without.
 |
This year the theme is EXPLORING YOUR WORLD. and the plan is to make this an exciting Camp.The dates have
been set: |
National Venturing Division has announced a Nature of Leadership program for this summer. Three courses will be offered; two are Philmont treks and the third is a Yukon Rive float trip through the Yukon Charley National River Preserve. The programs are high adventure based, but are concentrated on teaching advanced leadership skills to Venturers. The Philmont treks are June 11-23 and July 27-August 8 and cost $395 not counting transportation. The Yukon River trip is July 6-15 and costs $500 not including air fare. There are 10 youth slots open for each trek. For more information, contact NCAC.
Have the high Adventure Fever, but your Unit is not planning anything to scratch your itch next Summer? Why not explore the 215 squares 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
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.
 |
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. |
 |
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.-, incl. 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) |
 |
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 |
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.
| Patuxent Camping Chair — Nick Dunten | scouternick@telocity.com |
| Goshen | www.boyscouts-ncac.org/goshen |
| Lenhok'sin High Adventure | www.boyscouts-ncac.org/goshen/lenhock |
| Goshen Order of the Arrow Trail (GOAT) Crew | http://mars.umd.edu/oa/2001GoshenTrail/2001GoshenTrail.html |
| Council High Adventure Committee | www.highadventurecommittee.org |
| Philmont Scout Ranch | www.philmont.com |
| Maine High Adventure | www.mainehighadventure.org |
| Northern Tier | www.ntier.org |
| Florida Sea Base | www.bsaseabase.org |
Scout Camps Not In Our Council
| Broad Creek — Baltimore Council | www.baltimore-bsa.org |
| Tuckahoe — York-Adams Council (PA) | (800) 569-5197 |
| Rodney — DelMarVa Council | |
| Henson — DelMarVa Council (Eastern Shore) | home.dmv.com/~dmvcncl |
| Hidden Valley — Keystone Area Council (PA) | (717) 766-1591 |
| Mack — Lancaster-Lebanon Council (PA) | (717) 626-8711 |
| Bayshore — Lancaster-Lebanon Council (PA) | (717) 865-4583 |
| Hawk Mountain (PA) | home.epix.net~hawkmnt/hsmr |
If you have information you wish to add to this list, contact scouternick@telocity.com
There are still a few units that don't have presentations scheduled. So far we have $9,000 pledged or collected out of a $21, 000 goal. We collected over $20,000 last year. Dick Clark dickclark2@aol.com
At a March 28th Court of Honor, several Venturers from Crew 1519 received awards recognizing their leadership development and knowledge of outdoor skills. Suheyla Ayhan and Daniel Rauscher received Venturing's highest award, the Silver Award. Suheyla is a junior at Lake Braddock High School where she is a member of the Future Business Leaders of America. Daniel is a junior at Thomas Jefferson and a member of several of their clubs. The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Venturing Ranger Award to both Martin and Daniel Rauscher. The Ranger Award was recently re-introduced by Boy Scouts of America after over fifty years of dormancy. During the 1940s, the Ranger Award was given to less than 1,800 scouts who were recognized as elite outdoorsman. Martin is a freshman at the University of Virginia. Both he and Daniel have an extensive outdoor background including Len Hok'sin Trail, a canoe trek in the Adirondacks, and an 80 mile trek through the rugged mountains of Philmont Scout Ranch.
Somehow I can’t believe there are many
heights that can’t be scaled by a man who knows the secret
that can be summarized in four C’s. They are curiosity,
confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of these is confidence. When you
believe a thing, believe it all the way. Have confidence in your
ability to do it right. And work hard to do the best possible
job.
Cooper Wright home (703) 971-0044
Colonial District V3 Coordinator work (703) 604-0706
Nick Dunten scouternick@telocity.com
The new COPE Course should be ready this summer and Council is looking for staff. The course will be located close to the Health Lodge and is to be one of the best in the country. Shower houses are being power cleaned, painted and refitted with all new fixtures. All new canvas is coming and plans are being make to build internal frames for the tents. Bids are being let for all new cots. If your unit hasn't been to Goshen in a few years, it's time to go back. The program is great as are the facilities. Emphasis is being placed on staff training this year at all staff age levels so merit badge instruction should be stronger than ever. Contact Nick Dunten (district camping chair) at 301 927-0501 or scouternick@telocity.com for answers to your questions or a short presentation at your unit meeting. Also, visit the Goshen web site at http://www.boyscouts-ncac.org/goshen/index.html
Over the last several months,
there has been an ongoing dialogue concerning what makes up a
"boy led" unit on the Scouts-L list on the internet.
Barry Runnels, an experienced Scoutmaster from Oklahoma posted a
response that I felt was worth repeating. This is the final part
of his column:
"OK, those are the rules. Now here is a few exercises to
teach better role modeling in a boy led troop.
1. Walk in to the activity and ask yourself, "‘If there
were no adults here, would these guys behave the same way?’
If you think no, then change what you are doing. Get the adults
out of the area. If you want to develop habits that lead to good
character, you have to learn what your boys’ bad habits are.
You want them to act based on what they think is appropriate, not
from your intimidation or from what you want. Once you understand
their behavior, work with the PLC to change them. It took us
about two years to teach the PLC how to get troop meetings
started on time. Now, the boys not only start on time, but they
make sure the Scoutmaster’s Minute stops on time. Boy, that
sure put a wet blanket on my ego.
2. When you want the boys to take action, give them your ideas
and walk away. I have learned that boys are waiting for you to
make the decisions for them. Even if you say nothing, your body
language can still give your intentions away. Sometime you simply
have to leave so that the boys will plan what they think is
appropriate and not what they think you want. We started weekly
PLC meetings, but the Senior Patrol Leader struggled and would
always wait for me to keep the discussion going. And me being a
self serving adult, I always took his lead away. Then I started
leaving the meetings, first for five minutes, then ten, then
fifteen. The first year or two, the meetings lost control. The
SPL would seek help and I talk with him about things that he
could do and walk away again. Don’t stand there until you
get your way. Hand you youth leaders your ideas and the wisdom
behind those ideas and then walk away.
3. In all things, ask yourself, how would the boys do this? Seven
years ago, we adults decided that the boys wanted patrol boxes.
We didn’t ask the scouts, we just did it. We spent about
$1000 to build these big heavy boxes that would cripple a scout
if dropped. It got to the point that we needed a diesel truck to
pull our trailer. With the help of another adult, I decided to
have the troop begin to pack in all their gear. When I suggested
that we use patrols boxes for half of our campouts and pack in
the rest, many adults resisted. However, the boys said "we
never wanted the boxes anyway". Sure enough, the change was
welcomed by the boys. They said they would even like to burn the
boxes. Every time some adult comes up with a complicated method
for advancement, merit badges, accounting, or anything, I ask
myself, how would the boys do it and I try to give them. Boys
think in very direct terms and can simplify your program.
4. Don’t be afraid of bad behavior. Take no responsibility
for the boys’ actions, good or bad. We keep talking about
building character by letting our boys learn from their mistakes
and then we adults get angry when they so something we don’t
like. We have one troop in our district where there seems to be
this game for the older scouts to get the adults angry at them.
They leave camp in the middle of the night, the adults react.
They tease younger scouts and the adults react. Teach your PLC to
handle youth behavior. The adults are advisors, so advise.
Don’t preach boy run and then take over just because you are
embarrassed or angry by a boy’s behavior. If you are worried
that your scouts will run amuck, you will be surprised once the
PLC get used to handling inappropriate behavior. Boys are usually
harder on themselves than you are. And if something comes up that
the PLC can’t handle, they will bring it to your advice. We
have few behavior problems because the PLC pretty much nips them
in the bud. They don’t like to deal with problems, so they
stop them. I find first year scouts are the worst problems
because they don’t believe that scouts are really their
leaders and when adults are out of camp, they misbehave. Last
summer at camp, I caught two new scouts running races through
camp. they didn’t get in trouble from me. I pointed out my
disappointment to the SPL and there were no problems for the rest
of the week. I refuse to yell or get mad. However, I still get
disappointed and I hate it because it terrible role
modeling."
