Things To DO & Places to GO!

Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive! – May 28 

Youth ages 12-20 are invited to take part in a Day of Service honoring the memory of the men and women of the World War II generations! We will assemble for a special youth-led ceremony at the National Archives steps to honor the more than 400,000 soldiers who gave their lives in WWII and who are represented by the wall of Gold Stars.

Following this youth-led ceremony of speaking, dance and singing, 400 youth will carry enlarged portrait photos of these American Heroes as they march in America's largest Memorial Day Parade alongside the Spirit of '45 float carrying veterans of World War II. After the parade, join the 400 youth and World War II veterans social hour of chat and ice cream. Parents and friends are invited.

The Parade is approximately 1 mile long. Family and friends are encouraged to watch the Parade, which will be televised live. Participating Scouts are eligible for 6 hours of community service

For more information click here. 

Operation Dragoon – July 19-22 

Please join us in honoring the veterans of Operation Dragoon – the “Forgotten D-Day”. There will be a series of historical seminars and memorial events July 19-22 at the Sheraton National Hotel in Arlington, VA. For more information click here.

National River Cleanup Offers Great Projects

The rivers and streams of the DC metropolitan area are renowned for their natural beauty and abundance of life. Our communities’ waters are a natural resource we must care for so that future generations may enjoy the outstanding recreational opportunities rivers provide.

National River Cleanup energizes and engages tens of thousands of volunteers to participate in locally organized river cleanups around the country throughout the year. River cleanups are sponsored by local organizers and range from casual backyard creek cleanups to fully orchestrated state-wide cleanups that remove tons of trash from miles long stretches of river. One and all stand together and are counted as part of the national effort to clean up America’s precious water resources. Getting your Scout troop involved in a planned local river cleanup, or organizing your own cleanup for your troop, is a wonderful way to teach our Scouts a greater appreciation for our communities’ rivers, raise their awareness about where litter ends up while also getting our Scouts out to enjoy some time outdoors on the river.

Each year, Scout troops across the country participate in community river cleanups donating their time and energy to the great cause of cleaning up their local streams and rivers. In light of the years of support and participation the scouts have given to this effort, NCAC is embarking on a partnership with American Rivers, the sponsor of National River Cleanup, to ensure that our scouts play an integral part of the success of this program in the DC metropolitan area.

To learn more about how to go about organizing a river cleanup for your Scout troop consult the River Cleanup Organizers Handbook produced by American Rivers. Organizing a river cleanup is fun and easy and is a great community service activity your troop is sure to get a kick out of participating in.

When you register your cleanup as part of the National River Cleanup you gain access to a variety of communications tools to help you organize your cleanup as well as free trash bags. Go to http://AmericanRivers.org/cleanup  to get started.

Millions of tons of trash end up in our nation’s rivers and streams every year. Where we live, in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, tens of thousands of tons of garbage threaten the world’s largest and most productive estuary. National River Cleanup events in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia address this problem head on and have removed several tons of trash and debris from our waters. Have your troop be a part of this important effort because: “When you Pitch in, Rivers Win.”

For more information or if you have any questions about National River Cleanup please contact Josh Klein at American Rivers at 202-347-7550 or jklein@americanrivers.org.