SWScouter

I was inducted into the Order of the Arrow in your lodge, T'Kope Kwiskwis, back in 1974 or 1975. I have vivid memories of the ceremonies in the long house. I was very happy to hear it has been rebuilt and opened again. There should be ways to serve the order without being involved in the Native American aspects of it. I'm a chapter adviser. The chapter has a Chief and several Vice Chiefs. There's a Vice Chief of Inductions, a Vice Chief of Events, a Vice Chief of Service and Camping, a Vice Chief of Communications, and a Vice Chief of Indian Affairs. I advise the Chief and there is an adviser for each of the Vice Chiefs. I'm sure the chapter you're a part of probably has a similar structure. As such, you could certainly check to see if the chapter needs an adviser for a Vice Chief that isn't involved in the Native American aspects. Also, perhaps the emphasis is on the Native American aspects of things because there hasn't been anyone able to concentrate on the other aspects of the OA traditions so those aspects have suffered. An adviser dedicated to say, service, might help give the proper balance back to the chapter. I suggest talking to the Chapter Adviser. Let him or her know that you are interested in getting involved and about how you would like to help.

Was it really necessary to include the man's personal information? We should try to be more careful about that. Perhaps someone can edit it out of the post.

Yes, I suggest taking LeCastor's and Torchwood's advice to heart.

First, I think it is rather unprofessional to post a letter you wrote for the National Committee here. Second, as ChaiAdventure states, the letter is unorganized and not cohesive at all. I do hope whoever receives it has some background on the situation because it really doesn't stand on its own. Frankly, I doubt that that letter will help your cause at all as you have very poorly presented your case. I'm sorry about the problems you have with your lodge and hope that things can be worked out. Good luck.

Sorry, but it is not a campout, it's an ordeal. For example, the candidates should not be bringing food, snacks, or cooking gear. They shouldn't be bringing a tent. They should be bringing work clothes, their uniform, and so on.

Are you sure this is Conclave or is it an Ordeal or some other work weekend? Conclave's are for a Section which is made up of several lodges, and has training and competitions.

In addition to advising the Chapter Chief, the Chapter Adviser needs to recruit and assign Associate Chapter Advisers so that the Chapter Vice Chiefs will each have an adviser. The Chapter Adviser needs to work closely with the Chapter Chief and the rest of the Chapter Executive Council (CEC) - The Chief, Vice Chiefs, and their advisers to ensure the chapter is functional and meets its purpose.

There is no rule prohibiting you from wearing one of your lodge's lodge flaps on your uniform. My lodge is also issuing several NOAC 2015 lodge flaps. There will be a lodge flap for the contingent members, there will be a "trader" patch, there will be a fund-raiser patch, etc. If I wasn't going, I wouldn't wear a contingent member flap on my uniform, but I might just wear the trader or fund-raiser patch. It really depends on you.

Do you mean holding LEC meetings? Perhaps rotating the meetings around the whole lodge region. This would give the various chapters an opportunity to host the LEC meetings. Also, using some sort of conference calling might be beneficial. You could even use some sort of virtual meeting type software to share documents such as MS Lync or even Skype.

First, I wrote that in response to Yes, pledge to observe and preserve the traditions of the Order of the Arrow, WWW. That is not the same as pledging to go to chapter meetings, lodge fellowships, etc.

That won't really work correctly as the length needs to be removed from the two ends, not the middle. Also, I think that would look bad.

That's a bit jerky of a reason

I read it as: hey guys, you can do things with each other outside of scouts including outdoor stuff.

I was in scouts from 71 to 77 or so near Seattle. We did a lot of camping and, backpacking. The troop didn't have a lot of gear. I remember those military half tents, cook kits, svea stoves and snow shoes. Nothing more. The tents were only used if we didn't hike far into camp. Most of the backpacking trips, each scout brought a 10'x10' sheet of 4 mil plastic. We needed to know how to tie taut lines and two-half hitches to set up camp. A rope between two trees, a pinecone on the corners of the tarp to make leantos. Curl the uphill side of the ground tarp around sticks to keep the water underneath. We were wet a lot. Most outings we cooked over a fire and coated the outside of the pots with soap. I remember eating a lot of ash covered pancakes from the coals shifting. We carried cups on our belts and dipped them in creeks for a drink as we hiked by. I think the stoves were only used when it was so darn wet that setting up a cooking fire would take half the day. I sort of remember an adult or two being on the outings but I don't remember them ever doing anything more than just being there. I remember working on skill awards at troop meetings but the troop didn't push advancement other than first class skills. I don't believe any scouts earned Eagle while I was a member. The only reason I earned Star was that I just happened to notice I had completed most all the requirements and let the Scoutmaster know. My scouting experience was completely different than my sons. We both went to summer camp and went on camp outs. My son's troop never went backpacking. I tried to get them out, but none of the adults were physically up to it and one adult no longer flies. On their outings, they have all kinds of gear. A trailer, and patrol boxes, chairs and cots. I don't think the self reliance and team work that developed with the camping I did as a scout is even possible with the type of camping of my son's troop. There were plenty of well meaning adults, but perhaps that was the problem. Like resqman wrote, we were just a bunch of goofy kids who wanted to go out and have fun and we did.

I was in scouts from 71 to 77 or so near Seattle. We did a lot of camping and, backpacking. The troop didn't have a lot of gear. I remember those military half tents, cook kits, svea stoves and snow shoes. Nothing more. The tents were only used if we didn't hike far into camp. Most of the backpacking trips, each scout brought a 10'x10' sheet of 4 mil plastic. We needed to know how to tie taut lines and two-half hitches to set up camp. A rope between two trees, a pinecone on the corners of the tarp to make leantos. Curl the uphill side of the ground tarp around sticks to keep the water underneath. We were wet a lot. Most outings we cooked over a fire and coated the outside of the pots with soap. I remember eating a lot of ash covered pancakes from the coals shifting. We carried cups on our belts and dipped them in creeks for a drink as we hiked by. I think the stoves were only used when it was so darn wet that setting up a cooking fire would take half the day. I sort of remember an adult or two being on the outings but I don't remember them ever doing anything more than just being there. I remember working on skill awards at troop meetings but the troop didn't push advancement other than first class skills. I don't believe any scouts earned Eagle while I was a member. The only reason I earned Star was that I just happened to notice I had completed most all the requirements and let the Scoutmaster know. My scouting experience was completely different than my sons. We both went to summer camp and went on camp outs. My son's troop never went backpacking. I tried to get them out, but none of the adults were physically up to it and one adult no longer flies. On their outings, they have all kinds of gear. A trailer, and patrol boxes, chairs and cots. I don't think the self reliance and team work that developed with the camping I did as a scout is even possible with the type of camping of my son's troop. There were plenty of well meaning adults, but perhaps that was the problem. Like resqman wrote, we were just a bunch of goofy kids who wanted to go out and have fun and we did. Here we are taking a break from the day's hike on a 50 miler in the Olympics. I think this was August 76.

All good comments. I was specifically addressing

Only a handful of merit badges? Oh come on. For example, I have a masters in computer science so I'm well qualified to counsel Digital Technology and Programming. I'm sure I could manage Robotics too. I've been geocaching several years and counsel Geocaching MB. I hike and backpack and camp so there's three more merit badges I counsel. I raced bicycles and coached, so I'm qualified to counsel for Cycling MB and Personal Fitness MB. When younger, I was on swim team and have been a life guard so another two merit badges I could counsel for. I was involved in archery, made my own arrows and strings, that's another MB. So far, that's over ten and I could keep on going. In general merit badges are an introduction to a subject and only a reasonable general level of knowledge (solid understanding) is needed to counsel for one. I would suggest most people are qualified to counsel at least a handful of merit badges. Whether that person would want to is a different question.

I've never seen it since the switch to vBulletin either.

I've heard it and I don't care for that term at all and wish it was never coined. A scout has no obligation, absolutely none, to do anything in the OA. Who's to say that the scout isn't active and supporting his unit just because he never does anything with the lodge or chapter? He certainly didn't pledge to do so at the ordeal. From an OA Handbook, Purpose of the Order:

I don't follow what the location of NOAC has to do with the program loosing its focus. At any rate, I'm signed up and am very much looking forward to NOAC 2015!

I saw the preview at my section's conclave last October. It was well received. I think most who saw it thought it would be a good update. One nice thing is the ceremony is now much more evenly distributed across the four principles.