Bayport Scout Reservation will hold its summer camp and high adventure leader's meeting on Saturday, April 5th at Bayport Scout Reservation.  The schedule is as follows:

10:00 am - Arrival

10:15 am - Welcome and Introduction

10:30 a.m. - Merit Badge Registration (Amanda Wroten)

12:00 pm - Lunch

12:30 pm - Rivah Base and Rappahannock Programs with Webelos Break Out

1:15 pm - Tours

2:15 pm - Questions

For more information contact Amanda Wroten at 757-595-3356, ext. 217 or email amanda.wroten@scouting.org.  Please RSVP by March 28th.

The Heritage District Cub-O-Ree, Cub Survivor 2014, will be held April 12-13 at Gosnold's Hope Park in Hampton. 

Click here to view the registration packet. 

Newport News Park Campground cleanup was held this past Saturday, March 1, 2014. Scout Leaders, Adults and Scouts From Pack 11, 306, 113 and 155 and Troops 11, 28, 200 contributed 108 hours of community service to pick up trash Throughout the campground area and along the water front. I also want to thank the Virginia Master Naturalist Tony Penza for helping out and the one America Heritage Scout. Scouts D. Wallis and D. Davies from Troop 200 held a Leave No Trace Awareness Session during the clean-up. As the Colonial Virginia Council Outdoor Ethics Advocate, I Want to thank everyone who participated in the event for making it a success and look forward to conducting this Event in 2015.

Early January [2014] I had the remarkable opportunity to attend Cold Weather Leader Training at the Northern Tier High Adventure Base located in Ely, Minnesota. The training included in-depth instruction in how the human body reacts to cold, how to dress, what to eat, winter transportation, winter shelters, cold weather health hazards and how to treat them, snow shoeing, dog sledding and more.

My personal experience was one of the most memorable I've had for training and adventure at any BSA camp. Due to a severe winter storm which centered over New York metro area, all flights were canceled and airports closed on precisely the day I was scheduled to leave. The jet stream that was forcing arctic weather and temperatures south from Canada and over the northeastern US meant that Ely was predicted to experience unusually cold temperatures as well. It was an air travel mess, and this caused me to arrive a day late for my training at Ely, Minnesota.

One of the most disturbing things to happen was that I arrived to the training and my baggage didn't. In hind sight this was a blessing. This meant that all I had was what was in my day pack. With out my personal gear, sleeping bags, clothing layers, extreme cold weather boots, toiletries and other items, I was preparing to venture out overnight into some of the most extreme temperatures recorded in Ely at that time of year. This circumstance was entirely unexpected and unplanned. The Northern Tier staff was suddenly and without warning, burdened with the task of satisfying all my cold weather needs for the outdoor segment of the training. Together with their supreme knowledge and ability to outfit me for the frigid environment of Northern Tier, I successfully accomplished temperatures that dropped to a bone chilling -34.4 ºF. The following day the wind chill made it feel like -67 ºF. By staying active and observing what I was taught my personal experience fluctuated from feeling cool, warm, to sometimes over heating and having to "vent." I experienced personally how the science of staying warm in the cold really works.

I am completely impressed with Northern Tier and the staff there. It is rare that I have encountered such friendly and accommodating staff at training. Their knowledge and experience is easily among the best the BSA has. Without exception they are easily some of the most friendly, accessible, wise, experienced and fun teams that I have had. I have never experienced temperatures like these before, and I was completely unprepared. Northern Tier knew what was necessary and without hesitation came through and enabled me to experience these extremes safely and without incident.

Thank you Northern Tier!

I am looking forward to returning soon. (Hopefully with my luggage)

Douglas Best

ASM Troop 240

Council High Adventure Training Chair

Theodore Roosevelt Council, Long Island NY

Over the years, the site of VDOF's New Kent Forestry Center has been used as a dairy farm, a game farm to raise quail and turkey; and as a seedling nursery. Miles of rusty, barbed wire fence supported these earlier uses. The remaining fences, eight-feet high with 20 strands of barbed wire, had deteriorated and were heavily covered in greenbrier, honeysuckle and poison ivy.

Removal of the fencing has been an ongoing service project led by Dave Lauthers. As the Colonial Virginia Council (CVC) Outdoor Ethics Advocate for the Boy Scouts of America, Lauthers led Eagle Projects with two scouts from Boy Scout Troop 28 in Poquoson.  The CVC Order of the Arrow held multiple work days. Three U.S. Navy personnel from the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln removed fence as part of a Navy Community Relations Project and a Virginia Master Naturalist also participated.

These efforts yielded 4,380 pounds of old metal fence. All of the metal has been recycled, and the proceeds will be used to fund future Eagle Scout projects at the center.

Acting State Forester Rob Farrell said, "We extend a huge thank you to Dave Lauthers, the scouts and all of the volunteers who have labored hard to improve the property at New Kent.  Your efforts have greatly enhanced the New Kent Forestry Center!"      

The COPE Instructor Training course will be held at Rivah Base located at Bayport Scout Reservation on May 9-11, 2014 from 7pm Friday until 4pm Sunday. The course will provide the opportunity for you to challenge yourself on Rivah Base's unique high ropes course and low cope course. Come learn about the many aspects of COPE, such as:

                        Team Work                            Program Support

                        Team Building                        Safety Aspects

Lodging will be provided in the Staff Dormitories. The cost will be $40.00 per person and include food, a t-shirt and lodging. A copy of your medical history is required as well as hold harmless release forms. If you are under 18 the release form must be signed by your parents. Once trained, instructors will be asked to spend 2-3 weekends at Bayport Scout Reservation helping groups of older Scouts or other groups who want to use the COPE courses during the year when camp is not in use.

Youth that are 16 and 17 years old can be trained as "Instructor in Training." Venturers that are 16 years or older can complete the course as an elective for the Ranger Award.  The Instructor Training Card is good for two years.

If you would like to take advantage of this challenging but awesome opportunity, fill out the registration blank below and send it to the Council Service Center along with the fee before May 7th.

If you have any questions, please contact Bill Spence, Council COPE/Climbing Chairman, (W) 757-865-7781 (H) 757-225-0846 or email: spencewt@aol.com.

Click here to view the registration form.

 Click here to view the flyer