The National Capital Area Council Scout Executive Selection Committee has announced that it has chosen Les Baron as the new National Capital Area Council (NCAC) Scout Executive. Mr. Baron is currently the Orange County Council Scout Executive. He will begin his assignment with NCAC on April 16, 2010.

Prior to serving in Orange County, Les was the Scout Executive in Tampa, Florida and Griffin, Georgia. He began his career in the Smoky Mountain Council in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1981.

According to a Council news release, “We are looking forward to having Les guide our Council to fulfill the vision of the strategic plan, serving more youth with an unsurpassed quality program and continuing our traditions as the ‘flagship council of America.’”

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U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri told about 500 people from Boy Scouts’ National Capital Area Council that the values of Boy Scouts and the military are constant and that both organizations seek to serve something greater than themselves.

This was the first Scout dinner saluting the military. Retired Navy Capt. Scott Gray, who now works with event sponsor General Dynamics, said he hopes to make the event an annual affair. The Crystal Gateway Marriott – a stone’s throw from the Pentagon – hosted the event.

The council honored a service member from each service. Each honoree demonstrated the commitment to service that Scouting exemplifies and promotes, said former Veterans Affairs Secretary Togo West, an Eagle Scout and the event host. The Eagle Scout award is the highest in the organization.

The honorees are role models for youth and exemplify the values of both Scouting and the military, West said. “The Boy Scouts of America and the armed forces of the United States share … a common bond of service and honor,” he said.

Skelton, also an Eagle Scout, spoke of his experiences in Scouting since December 1943, when he first became a Tenderfoot Scout. It was World War II, and Skelton, now the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, talked about how his Scout troop would send off older Scouts as they went to war.

He praised the council for hosting an event that ties Scouting with the military. “One builds character, and the military defends our freedoms,” he said. “Scouting is not just an organization, it is a way of life.”

The honorees are:

– Army Staff Sgt. David R. Gibbons, based at Fort Bragg. N.C.;

– Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Valerie Herrod, a bostswain’s mate with the Navy Ceremonial Unit in Anacostia Naval Station, D.C.;

– Air Force Tech. Sgt. John A. Marshall, an aerospace medical expert at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.;

– Marine Corps Sgt. Henry J. Reinewald, a recruiter in Detroit; and

– Coast Guard Petty Officer Lavelas D. Luckey, based at the Coast Guard Station in Baltimore.

Gibbons enlisted in 2003 as one of the first Soldiers to go directly into Special Forces. He is an Eagle Scout and served in Afghanistan. He now is an instructor at the Special Warfare Center and School, and is the Bear Den leader for his son Ethan’s Cub Scout pack.

Herrod has served as the Ceremonial Guard’s community service coordinator since she arrived in December 2007. She has organized her sailors to help with local Special Olympics and National Lands Day, and for working with wounded warriors and at the Armed Forces Retirement Home.

While an Air Force medic, Marshall deployed with NATO troops in Afghanistan, where he saved the life of a Canadian Soldier. Here, he works closely to aid the homeless. He volunteers at a local soup kitchen and has initiated a blanket drive to aid the homeless.

Reinewald is another Eagle Scout. He joined the Marine Corps in 2001 and has deployed overseas as an artilleryman. Reinewald is a recruiter in Detroit and he hopes to work closely with recruits wishing to join the service.

Luckey received the Coast Guard Medal – the highest award in the service – for rescuing a 5-year old girl who was trapped in a burning car following an accident. He joined the Coast Guard in 1999 and has served aboard two ships.

“Those of you in uniform tonight, you are examples to our Scouts,” Skelton said. “That’s what the young Scouts of today must learn. They need to follow your example, because they are going to be in your shoes and they need to be challenged to give the best that is in them.”

This story was written by Jim Garamone, Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs.

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According to a post on the National Capital Area Council Website, the National Council has decided not to pursue a permanent National Scout Jamboree site at Goshen Scout Reservation.

We regret to inform you that the Boy Scouts of America has decided to withdraw its interest in Goshen Scout Reservation as the permanent site for the National Scout Jamboree. The BSA identified too many potential obstacles in developing the Goshen site to its fullest and is pursuing other venues.

The National Capital Area Council will continue to support the outstanding outdoor programs offered at Goshen Scout Reservation. This process has identified many areas that offer great potential in strengthening our service to youth. Goshen Scout Reservation will continue to serve as our council’s classroom for character far into the future.

We appreciate your support during this long and interesting process.

Statement of Governor Kaine On Rockbridge County Site Being Withdrawn as Possible National Scouting Center

Virginia Governor, Timothy M. Kaine, released the following statement yesterday:

RICHMOND – Governor Timothy M. Kaine released the following statement today on the Boy Scouts of America withdrawing the proposed Goshen site in Rockbridge County from consideration for the National Scouting Center and 2013 National Scout Jamboree:

“The Commonwealth has a longstanding history of hosting the Jamboree – Fort A.P. Hill has been home to this important event for the past 28 years. We are pleased Virginia had the opportunity to work with the Boy Scouts to try and keep the Jamboree in Virginia.

“After much discussion it became clear that the Goshen site in Rockbridge County was just not an appropriate location for an operation of this magnitude. However, I applaud the cooperative spirit that existed between the Boy Scouts, Rockbridge County and the Commonwealth.

“We’re proud of the many Boy Scout troops in Virginia, and we’re grateful for the good works they do in our communities. We look forward to working with the Boy Scouts of America in the future.”

Where will we look next? According to the National Council Press Release, Boy Scouts of America Accounces Virginia Site No Longer Being Considered for National Scouting Center:

The organization recently signed an agreement to purchase 10,600 acres, some of it reclaimed mining property, near Beckley, West Virginia, and announced that it would develop a new high- adventure base to complement its existing three bases in Minnesota, New Mexico, and Florida. The BSA expects to close on the property later this fall.

“In light of our recent decision concerning the Goshen site, we’ll be looking to see if the West Virginia property can support a jamboree, but we have a lot of work to do there before we can make that determination,” Furst explained.

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