Summer Issue Volume 23 Issue 2

Written by Lodge Chief Brendan S.

This spring Camp Tamarancho hosted Orca Lodge’s, for our first ordeal in 2016. Not only did we have a fun and problem-free weekend, we were also able to donate over 500 service hours to the camp. Our Arrowmen cleared mountains of Scotch Broom, fully cleaned the kitchens, and installed so many parking bars that the camp ran out of material.

A special thank you goes out to our ceremonies teams, who have continued to grow and have continued to impress. The weekend's ceremonies went seamlessly, thanks to their time and dedication. And another special thank you to our Wonk-A-Tonk chief Tyler, for taking on the role of Ordeal Master for the weekend, and putting on one of the best yet.

Thanks to all who attended including our 22 new members who worked tirelessly, and who exemplified everything scouting and our Order stand for. Make sure to keep your calendars open on October 14-16, for our Fall Ordeal at Camp Royaneh, so that you can join your new brothers on the other side of the induction process.

Written by Brendan S.

On Saturday, July 9, come join us for Orca Lodge’s Summer Fellowship. This year we will be holding a round-robin style event at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church. All attendees will get a chance to build their own ceremonial choker for use at ceremonies, learn how to build feather headdresses, and how to assemble a Lakota tipi.

• Saturday July, 9
• Bethlehem Lutheran Church: 1300 St Francis Rd, Santa Rosa
• 10:30am - 5:00pm
  • We will be holding our summer Lodge Executive Committee meeting at 9:00 am
• $15.00 Fee (lunch and materials provided)

Here

Conclave registration is open! That's right, Conclave is coming up fast and registration is now live so you can reserve your spot at this spectacular scouting event! Section W-3N's 2016 Conclave is coming up this September from the 9th to the 11th at Solano County fairgrounds in Vallejo, CA. This event gathers all five lodges from our Section and over four hundred Arrowmen to a weekend of fun, fellowship, and so much more! To learn more, or to register, visit www.conclave.sectionw3n.org.

But why should you sign up and attend Conclave this year? Here are just a few of the many reasons why you should sign up(now):

Activities!

There will be numerous scouting activities to participate in, ranging from dutch oven cooking to lashings! There will also be activities unique to Conclave, including midway booths and many lodge competitions. That's just the surface of what will be provided at Conclave.

Shows!

We have an outstanding shows committee that are planning some of the best shows this Section has ever seen! They will be loud, interactive, and fun!

Most of all FUN!

www.conclave.sectionw3n.org

Happy summer everyone, I want to congratulate you all on another fantastic Ordeal, and a special congratulations to our new members. I look forward to working with you all in the coming year, especially all of our new members from the Miwok district. Perhaps it is an ambitious goal, but by the end of the year I hope to see an independent Miwok chapter.

Thank you all for a successful spring, and I hope everyone takes time to enjoy themselves over the course of the summer.

Here we are in the middle of the year following the Centennial Celebration of the Order.  Our new year has been going well, with our lodge being recognized with two National level recognition's.  First we were awarded a National Service Grant to support the council in developing a MakerLab to support STEM education in Scouting and the community. A few months later we were recognized with an OA Innovation Award for our excellent work with our Outdoor Ethics program within the Redwood Empire Council.

Despite being a relatively small Lodge, we are able to work on initiatives that impress the members of the National and Regional organization.  I hope that we will continue this great tradition of excellence in our program.

I would like to welcome our new members and encourage all of you to take advantage of the opportunities that will be available to you in the Lodge.  Many new doors will be available to you with your membership in the Order.

OA Service Grant Fundraiser

One of the four fold purposes of the Order of the Arrow is "to crystallize the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others." It is with this spirit of cheerful service to others that the Order proudly offers the matching service grant program.

For several years, the National Order of the Arrow Committee has provided matching service award grants for a limited number of projects submitted by application to the national office. Orca Lodge has been selected to receive a service grant in 2016 to help the Redwood Empire Council develop a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) MakerLab program.

Specifically we are working to help fund the purchase of a 3D printer for use in the MakerLab that the Council is in the process of setting up.  This will be used to enhance STEM education both in Scouting, and in the general youth community in Sonoma County.

We are launching a fundraiser patch to help support the matching funds required for this grant.  In addition to incorporating the themes of STEM into the patch, this patch will also honor Matt Dukeman, former Lodge Chief of Orca Lodge who recently succeeded Clyde Mayer as National Director of the Order of the Arrow.  These patches will run $10 and are now availablefor pre-order on the Council website.

To order one (or more) of these, please visit http://www.redwoodbsa.org/OA/Store/Product?p=135 and place your order by mid-July.  These will tentatively ship in September.

Leave No Trace Master Educator Course

Written by Father Nayture, Mr. Nay

Orca Lodge will host the LNT Master Educator course at Camp Noyo from July 30th to August 5th.  The Leave No Trace (LNT) Master Educator Course is designed for individuals (18 and over) who will be teaching LNT Trainer Courses and LNT Awareness Workshops. The Master Educator course covers the full Master Educator curriculum and supplements scouting unique experiences to prepare the individual for a variety of outdoor environments. The Course includes planning, logistics, equipment, managing groups in the field, meals, risk management, and teaching tips for each LNT principle. Through classroom discussions, lectures, and a field experience, this course covers the seven LNT Principles and Outdoor Ethics, as well as giving the participants tools and techniques for engaging scouts of all ages. This experience will prepare you to be a top-level LNT resource for your Unit, District, and Council.

You may register for the course online here.

Leadership Training Opportunities

This November there will be an opportunity for Arrowmen in our area to attend some of the best training offered in the Boy Scouts of America.

National Leadership Seminar

The National Leadership Seminar (NLS) is a weekend training program focusing on leadership development. Run by the Region Chief and his Advisers, it provides an in-depth look at leadership skills and techniques. An NLS discusses how these skills can be applied in your role in the OA and in other aspects of your life. The National Leadership Seminar is a weekend conference on the skills and attributes of leadership. It is intended primarily to enhance the leadership skills of the Order of the Arrow’s key youth and adult members as they seek to improve their services to the Boy Scouts of America and the greater community. The weekend format is designed to complement the longer, more detailed Wood Badge and Junior Leadership Training Programs. Near the end of the seminar, participants make a contract with themselves to apply the skills studied in the seminar on projects in their lodge, council, and community.

Developing Youth Leaders Conference

The 2016 Developing Youth Leaders Conference (DYLC) will be like nothing before it. This conference focuses on the tools every adult needs to mentor and develop our outstanding youth leaders. It is built on the concepts our members learn at the National Leadership Seminar, and it uses the NLS terminology as participants learn new tools and techniques of how to mentor and develop our outstanding youth leaders. Prior attendance at a NLS is encouraged, but it is not required for the DYLC. Adults who are unsure whether NLS or DYLC might be best for them should talk to their lodge adviser for guidance or e-mail training@western.oa-bsa.org.

Both of these trainings will be offered the weekend of November 18-20, 2016.  These courses are only offereed in our area once every 2 years.  This year they will be held at Granlibakken Lodge in Tahoe City.  If you are interested in either of these courses, please check in with the Lodge Chief, or with our Lodge Adviser.

For the latest Orca Lodge calendar, please visit:

www.redwoodbsa.org/oa/calendar

www.orca194.org/calendar.html

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.