On the evening of October 10th, the sky lit up with the Northern Lights! The aurora borealis was visible in Virginia due to a strong solar storm, which caused charged particles from the sun to interact with Earth's magnetic field, pushing the stunning light display further south than usual. Pictured above is Lake Dillon on our gorgeous Camp T. Brady Saunders property, courtesy of our very own Melissa Bartholomew. | |
Hello, Heart of Virginia! | |
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Friends of Scouting Dinner with Keynote Speaker, Mike Massimino
Save the Date: April 8th, 2025
The Friends of Scouting Dinner, presented by Pike Electric and Burford's Construction, is the Council’s primary means to raise the funds needed to support and grow Scout programs for nearly 9,100 Scouts and adult volunteers across 24 counties and 4 cities in Central Virginia. This year, we are thrilled to be joined by our keynote speaker, Mike Massimino. Mike is a New York Times bestselling author who served as a NASA Astronaut from 1996 to 2014. You might recognize him from the Big Bang Theory!
[Read More About It]
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Chain Saw Training & Firewood Splitting
Saturday, November 2nd
Come out to Camp T. Brady Saunders for a day of in-person instruction to complete the BSA Chain Saw training (certification required for operating a chain saw during Scout adventures). We will be creating a lot of firewood and need helpers to split it. If you have a wood splitter that we could borrow for the day, we would love to have it. Swampers are also needed to help clear debris.
[Sign-Up Today!]
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Charlotte Pemberton to be Honored with the Distinguished Commissioner Service Award
Wednesday, December 4th
The Heart of Virginia Council is proud to announce that Charlotte Pemberton has been selected to receive the prestigious Distinguished Commissioner Service Award in recognition of her outstanding service to Scouting. For more than 16 years, Charlotte has been a steadfast leader and advocate for Scouting, serving in various Commissioner roles across the Council. Learn more about her exceptional service by following the link below.
[Learn More About Charlotte]
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Tiger & Lion Rally Registration is Open
November 2nd
The Tiger & Lion Rally is a special event we run each fall with Tiger & Lion Scouts (and their families). You're invited to Cub Adventure Camp for the day to have fun and become familiar with our exciting facilities. Adventures include archery, wrist rockets, a scavenger hunt, fishing, BMX biking, crafts, and other fun activities.
[Big Cats Register Here]
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Scouts BSA, Exploring, Venturing, & Sea Scouts | |
Glenn A. & Melinda W. Adams Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award (ESSPY)
The ESSPY Award recognizes a service project of an exceptional nature by a Scout to a religious institution, a school, community, or other entity. Each year, local councils select a council-level winner, and from that pool, each service territory selects a territory-level winner. A national winner is then selected from the 16 territory finalists. Nominations are due by January 31st, 2025.
[Learn More and Make an ESSPY Nomination]
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Did You See This Month's Courier? | |
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Get these five stories and so much more by reading the Courier, our monthly newsletter! Scheduled for the last Friday of the month at noon, the Courier features all the news, special events, and useful information you need to get the most of your Scouting experience.
[Read This Month's Courier]
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"As for me, I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote.
I love to sail forbidden seas, and land on barbarous coasts."

- Herman Melville, the American novelist, short story writer, and poet, published his masterpiece
Moby-Dick in London on this day in 1851 under the title The Whale.
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