As we look forward to the coming year, our first event will be Lodge Leadership Development at the Old North State Council Service Center on January 11th from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm. 

LLD is an annual training held by the Lodge to develop leadership skills that will benefit them not only in the Lodge, but in scouting and beyond. Training sessions during LLD range from topics on creating a quality program to communication and servant leadership. Lunch is provided and following the training sessions, participants have the opportunity to stay for a Lodge Executive Committee meeting and contribute to the decision making process of the Lodge. 

LLD open to everyone in the Lodge and is an excellent opportunity to learn valuable leadership skills, especially if you are interested in a Lodge or Chapter position. Register today for this amazing opportunity by following the button below. 

The Vigil Honor is the highest honor that the Order of the Arrow can bestow upon its members. This special recognition is reserved for those Arrowmen who, by reason of exceptional service, personal effort, and unselfish interest, have made distinguished contributions beyond their immediate responsibilities to the lodge, Order of the Arrow, the scouting community, or council camping program.

It is time for you to submit nominations for the Vigil Honor. Each year, the lodge strives to recognize its most worthy members with the Vigil Honor. These selections are made with great care, and only after thorough consideration.

Nominations can be made by returning a complete nominations form by January 8th. Nominations can also be made in person  before the selection committee in the council office starting at 3:30p on January 11th. A complete form is still required with all person nominations.

More information can be found by following the link below or by emailing lodge70@lodge70.org. The nomination form can also be found by following the link below or at the Council Office.

The National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC) is the premier event of the Order of the Arrow. It is the Order of the Arrow’s equivalent to a jamboree. Over 7,000 Arrowmen from across the country are expected to participate in this 2020 event.

The event will be held on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. The dates of the event are August 3 to August 8, 2020. Our lodge is planning on taking at least 50 members to this event. We will go by bus, leaving on August 1 or 2 and returning on August 9. National is asking that each Lodge have one youth for each adult that attends. This 1:1 ratio should allow everyone who wants to attend to be able to attend.

The total cost of this trip still needs to be determined. We anticipate that National will charge about $575 and that the total cost for transportation will bring the cost to about $875 per person. Participates will be staying in dorm rooms on campus and eating in the dorm dining rooms.  

We are taking paper and online applications to reserve you place for this great event. A deposit of $100 is requested at registration. This can be refunded until the final cost and information is provided. Registration for this amazing opportunity closes February 10th.

Every April, the six lodges that make up section SR-7B gather together at a scout camp for a weekend of fun and fellowship called Conclave. Throughout the weekend, arrowmen have the opportunity to participate in a number of fun and interesting activities, including:

• The OA Experience (OAX), where groups from across the state exhibit their skills and talents.

• Quest Events, where the Lodges battle it out in a series of athletic competitions.

• Section Elections, when the youth of the section elect our section officers for the next year.

• Friday and Saturday Night shows

Our conclave is the largest in the country and is routinely one of the largest scouting events in the United States. This year, Conclave will be held at Camp Bowers in White Oak, NC on April 17-19. Registration is now open. Come and be a part of this amazing experience. 

Spring Fellowship is a chance for us to gather together, celebrate the past year and look forward to a new one. It is also the final lodge event before conclave the following month. As such, on Saturday, we have fun activities that help us prepare for conclave, including Quest events and preparing props that will guarantee us winning the Conclave Spirit Award. This is also when we hold elections for the next year of Lodge Leadership. In order to run for office or vote you must be present at Spring Fellowship.

Following the activities Saturday, we hold a banquet and recognize those who have made this past year successful. We also award the Founder’s Award, the James E. West Fellowship Award, and the Red Feather Award. We then look forward to the coming year by installing our new lodge officers. Finally, we retire to the Council Ring for the Vigil call-out ceremony.

Join us as we celebrate this past year and prepare for the next by attending Spring Fellowship on March 13-15 at Cherokee Scout Reservation.

REGISTRATION COMING SOON

I am Tanner Maerz and I have the opportunity to serve as your Vice-Chief of Communications for this year. The communications team is responsible for making sure you know what is going on in the lodge and beyond. We work behind the scenes before and after events to keep you informed of upcoming events through email, social media and our lodge website. In addition to handling the lodge’s communications, we also work to keep our lodge’s history up to date and accessible, which includes taking pictures at events. Whether you have experience or a desire to help, we are always looking for creative, hard-working arrowmen to help make our lodge communications better.

If you are interested in joining the communications team, contact us at lodge70@lodge70.org.