Ten Commandments scout hike set for Feb. 7 in Manassas

Scouts and their families will be participating in a circuit hike (about 4 miles) through the City of Manassas Feb. 7, weather permitting with stops at five churches. Participants will donate food and will pick up trash along the way. At each stop a church representative will conduct an interactive discussion with the youth about two of the Ten Commandments along with a brief introduction to their particular religious denomination.

The time frame for the hike will be 9:00 AM until 1:30 PM, with registration starting at 8:30 AM. The starting and ending location for the hike will be CrossWay Fellowship Church, 8601 Plantation Lane, Manassas, VA 20110.

The theme for the Fourth Annual Ten Commandments Hike in the City of Manassas is DO NOT FORGET based on Psalms 119: 174-176.  Each pastor, religious leader, or designated speaker will be encouraged to use this theme as part of his or her discussion of the commandments. The design of the 2015 patch will also reflect this year’s theme.

There will be no cost for this event. Anyone who completes the hike will receive a patch if he or she donates a nonperishable food item from the following list: box of cereal, can of tuna/chicken, jar of peanut butter or box of dry pasta with a plastic jar of pasta sauce. The donations will be collected prior to the hike and the patches will be given out upon completion of the hike. The refreshment area will be at Nativity of Our Lord Orthodox Church. A free will donation jar will be located at this church for those wishing to help defray the cost of the refreshments.

Each hiking group will operate autonomously, with a limit of 10 participants and 2 adults per group. Leaders are responsible for making sure their group remains on schedule and on course. At the starting point each group will be given a map and detailed directions for the hike.

The discussion at each house of worship will last approximately 15 minutes (5 minutes for discussion of commandments, 5 minutes for introduction to the particular faith of the house of worship, 5 minutes for questions).

Participation is open to all supervised youth and families of the community. In particular, participation is open to all BSA units in Bull Run District. Units from other districts within NCAC are also invited. Members of the Girl Scouts of America are invited to participate, as well as American Heritage girls, Camp Fire youth, 4-H youth, Columbian Squires and Squire Roses. Siblings and family members are encouraged to participate as well.

The hike is sponsored by Knights of Columbus George Brent Council #5332, and is being run by Boy Scout Crew and Troop 1188 and members of George Brent Council. This event is fully covered by insurance on file with the City of Manassas. Existing unit insurance from BSA will cover registered BSA participants. All BSA leadership requirements for Safe Scouting must be in place for BSA units to participate in this event. All other organized youth groups must have their particular leadership requirements in effect in order to participate. All youth are welcome provided they have proper adult supervision.

Registration page on web site: http://nealbscott.wix.com/ten-commandment-hike ).

Each group participating in the hike will be asked to pick up litter along the hike route. Trash bags and vinyl gloves will be provided. The City of Manassas should be a cleaner place after the hike than it was before the hike. In addition, one of the churches participating in our hike this year,  St. Thomas United Methodist, is currently conducting a Used Shoe Drive. If you would like to get a head start on your spring cleaning, we will be collecting old shoes (any type, size or condition) at the registration site prior to the hike.

Churches participating in the 2015 hike are CrossWay Fellowship, New Hope Christian, Nativity of Our Lord Orthodox, St. Thomas United Methodist and Bethel Lutheran. 

The City of Manassas Police Department has reviewed and approved the hike route. Support from the City of Manassas Police Department is essential to making this hike a safe and fun experience for everyone involved.

Knights of Columbus George Brent Council volunteers along with Crew and Troop 1188 members will staff the church sites, the registration tables, and other points along the hike. Their role is to keep the flow of youth running smoothly at the sites, to keep the presenters on schedule, and to ensure the sites are returned to their pre-hike condition. A first-aider will be available for the duration of the hike.

The Ten Commandments Hike will be conducted “rain or shine”.  BE PREPARED! WEAR APPROPRIATE CLOTHING! However, should snow or ice present hazardous conditions, the hike will be cancelled for that day.