Spring Issue Volume 22 Issue 1  

Orca Lodge will be holding its Spring Ordeal April 24-26 at Camp Royaneh. Through the Redwood Empire Council cooperation with San Francisco Bay Area Council on our camping programs, Orca Lodge will host our first Ordeal of 2015 at Camp Royaneh out of Cazadero.  This will be a wonderful site for our Ordeals and ceremonies.

Why not plan on getting away for the fellowship and service that only an Ordeal can give you. Some of us enjoy working on the Ceremonies side of things (there is always room for new faces and more help). Others enjoy working directly with new members in the Elangomat program. Of course there is always room in the kitchen. There are plenty of work projects to dig into.

Over the last few years, Orca Lodge has been growing, and we are expecting to continue that growth in new members and we look forward to welcoming many new Brotherhood members into the lodge during the weekend. Whether you completed your Ordeal last year and are now a Brotherhood Eligible member, or if you completed your Ordeal thirty years ago, the Ordeal is an event for everyone to participate in. There is work to be done, fellowship around every corner, and lasting memories to be made. Make sure that you do not miss out on making the Ordeal a memorable experience for all our new brothers! All in all, the Ordeal offers something for everyone.

The price includes food and lodging for the weekend. Remember, your Dues ($15) must be current for 2015 to attend OA events. Register now and we will let you know if you are not current with our dues. So fill out the Registration form below and get out to Camp Royaneh.

The 2015 National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC) takes place from August 3rd through 8th in East Lansing, MI, on the campus of Michigan State University. Orca Lodge has a contingent of 28 Scouts and Scouters participating. This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Scouting's honor society, as envisioned by Dr. E. Urner Goodman. Our contingent will be leaving the San Francisco bay area a couple of days early to visit Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford museum. Then it's off to NOAC to meet 17,000 other OA members!

Each Orca Lodge member partaking in NOAC has provided significant monies to go to this once-in-a-lifetime event. And, in the near future, we will be coordinating a Lodge Patch fundraiser to benefit the contingent. Several patch designs have been contributed. Come to April's Lodge Meeting to find out more!

Additional information about packing lists, medical forms, ceremonies and regalia and other conference events and itinerary are coming, stay tuned!

ORCA Lodge is excited to announce it will celebrate the Order of the Arrow's centennial as an ArrowTour host. ArrowTour is an interactive event for Scouts, volunteers, and Scouting alumni that will travel throughout the country during the summer of 2015. The tour will make a stop on July 7th. The purpose of the tour is to commemorate the Order of the Arrow's 100th anniversary. During the event, participants will have the opportunity to learn about the Order of the Arrow, its story, and its future. Some of the program highlights include interactive exhibits, activities such as silk-screening and branding, and challenge games. Participants will have a chance to meet some of the Order's national leaders, and alumni can learn about the Scouting Alumni Association and local alumni efforts to supporting Scouting in our area. An exclusive ArrowTour Trading Post will carry ArrowTour and OA centennial merchandise. The program will conclude with a special show that recognizes the Order's rich history and empowers participants to help shape the organization's future. The Order of the Arrow is creating a truly unique and interactive experience for all Scouts, volunteers, and Scouting alumni. You can find more information about the ArrowTour routes and program on the web at arrowtour.oa-bsa.org. You can also keep up with the tour as it makes its way around the country by following @ArrowTour on Twitter.

As the OA is focused on Brotherhood, Cheerfulness and Service, the Vigil honor is meant to recognize the Arrowmen who have, over several years, been loyal to our cause and constant in their devotion.  It is an honor given to those who, not only have done much for their fellows, but will continue in the service of others.  At our last Lodge Dinner Several people were brought forward as candidates to go through the Vigil Ceremony.  The names of these honorable souls are Austin Leonard, Gloria Bradford, Alex Pagels and Leif Farr.  They joined with the current Vigil members for a weekend of fellowship and testing as part of the Vigil Weekend.  Up at Camp Navarro all present were able to grow closer in friendship and one in purpose.  So now it is my privilege to proclaim them, again, Vigil Members of the Order of the Arrow.  My deepest congratulations and respect to them all.

Wonkatonk

What a fantastic year to be a part of the Order of the Arrow. It is the 100^th anniversary, NOAC is later this year, Orca Lodge will be hosting the Conclave (at Sonoma Raceway during the Indy car races!) and we have the Camporee coming soon when we will be bringing new candidates into the OA! All this and the "normal" things we do every year!

I can only saw that this all works thanks to the great participation of everyone one of us. Besides giving service to fellow Arrowmen and Scouts, we tend to have a lot of fun and fellowship. A good combination.

If you are new to the Wonkatonk Chapter or have been too busy to join in, I would like to personally invite you to join in the fun. Come to the next chapter meeting on March 12^th at 7:00 at the Redwood Empire Council office.

Allohak

Allohak Chapter has held regular monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of each month and the Veterans Hall in Ukiah.

Unit elections were held for troop 75, one candidate elected and for troop 316, two candidates elected. Troop 49 in Ukiah was contacted but declined elections, saying that they had no eligible candidates.

Allohak Chapter OA members carried out an Arrow of Light ceremony for pack 64 in Ukiah, at their blue and gold dinner in February.

Chief:

Hi everyone! My name is Brendan Sweeney.  I am a Life Scout from Troop 55 in Santa Rosa and a youth advisor to the Pomo District Committee. I became a member of the Order of the Arrow at the 2012 spring ordeal. I received my brotherhood the following year, also during the Spring Ordeal. I became an active member of the Lodge in late 2013 when I became involved with Mr. Nay's Outdoor Ethics program. I am happy to say that it has expanded to the point where Orca Lodge is the highest contributor of Leave No Trace awareness in the North State. But now going into 2015, I am both excited and humbled to serve as your Lodge Chief.

Vice Chief:

Hello all, my name is Tommy Abel, your new Orca lodge vice Chief. I have been in scouting for almost five years, and in the OA almost three. I am going to the world scout jamboree this summer in Japan.  In my home troop and Jamboree troop, I am a Patrol leader, which I feel gives me valuable leadership experience.

Treasurer:

My name is Julian Damkroger. I am the ORCA Lodge Treasurer. I am a member of Troop 55 and have been in the Wonk-A-Tonk Chapter for 2 years. I served as the senior patrol leader for my troop and have experience in leadership. I will be attending NOAC in 2015. I currently attend El Molino high.

Secretary:

My name is Jacob Slater. I'm currently the secretary for ORCA Lodge (and Section W3N). I am an incredibly active member in Troop 32 and Wonk-A-Tonk Chapter. I am a Brotherhood Member and I currently hold the Webmaster position in my troop. I'm a system admin for several systems across four continents.  I attended NOAC in 2012 and I will be attending in 2015. I currently attend Technology High School, and I am an expert in networking. You can find me online at igloo.to.

Arrowman Service Award

The purpose of the Arrowman Service Award (ASA) is to encourage Arrowmen to recommit themselves to the ideals of the Order, increase their level of service to their local Unit and Council, and participate in the 100th anniversary celebration of the OA. The award will have three categories of criteria with various requirements that Arrowmen can complete. These include components on personal growth, service to Scouting, and participation in the centennial celebration.

Breakdown of the Three Categories

The category on Personal Growth will challenge both youth (OA members through age 20) and adult (OA members ages 21 and older) Arrowmen to advance their own leadership skills by participating in or staffing a BSA training course. In tandem with "recommitting themselves to the ideals of the Order," this category also encourages each member to seal the bond of Brotherhood membership (if eligible), among other BSA advancement opportunities.

The category on Scout Service advocates for Arrowmen to go above and beyond the traditional call to service and serve in a variety of leadership positions at the Unit, Council, Lodge and National levels. This includes service benefiting the local community, the local BSA council or camp, or public lands such as a National Forest or Park.

The category on Centennial Events correlates with the national Order of the Arrow committee's objective to redouble service and programmatic offerings for the 100th anniversary. The youth and adult Arrowmen requirements for this category are the same, and include attendance at your section's 100th anniversary conclave, your lodge's sponsored 100th anniversary event, an ArrowTour event, and the 2015 National Order of the Arrow Conference.

Logistics and Process for Fulfilling the Award

Arrowmen can commence working on requirements on July 16th, 2014 and continue working towards its completion through December 31st, 2015.  All Arrowmen are encouraged to work towards the fulfillment of the ASA.

Arrowman Service Award Youth and Adult Requirement Cards

Ethan R.

OATC at Philmont is an amazing experience for any Arrowmen; it teaches you a lot about what you are doing and perseverance. It is a challenge, but it is worth it in the end. You get to meet people from all around the country, and I even met two of the region chiefs on my trek. As with many experiences in the OA I am not allowed to tell you the best parts. People you go with are just as driven to do this as you are, and it is probably one of the best experiences I've had in had in scouting.

For more information about the OA High Adventure program, visit adventure.oa-bsa.org, and learn about the five different programs that are offered for Youth Arrowmen.

2015 is a busy year for the Order of the Arrow, and for Orca Lodge as well.  With it being the Centennial year of the Order, there are many unique opportunities for you to participate.

Our chief is very excited and has set high goals for the Lodge this year.

I know that there is a lot of excitement on some great programs that we are going to be working on in 2015. This summer will have 3 major events, plus a Lodge fellowship weekend.  We will need everybody's help to make these events successful:

• We are a host site for the Western Region ArrowTour.  This event will bring the National centennial experience to our backyard.
• Next, will be NOAC, which we currently have 28 members of the Lodge attending plus another 11 on staff.
• Finally, we will be the Host Lodge of the 2015 Section W3-N Conclave, being held at Sonoma Raceway.  This should be an even more spectacular Conclave than the one we attended last year.

Jason Kracht
Lodge Adviser

Official Publication of the Orca Lodge #194, Order of the Arrow,
Redwood Empire Council, Boy Scouts of America
Publications Adviser ~ Bruce Mayfield
Orca Spouts is a quarterly publication.
We will email all four issues.
We welcome all submissions, both articles as well as photographs.
Sending articles and digital photos via email is highly encouraged.
All photos welcomed.