We will be holding our Spring Induction weekend May 5-7 at Camp Wente. The Lodge has been growing the last couple of years, and our Ordeal numbers have been growing as well. Your help with these events is critical if we are to make this a meaningful experience for these candidates. We will have a great opportunity to help finalize the new Rifle Range at Camp Wente. This is an amazing facility & you will have a part in making a lasting impact to the camp.

The cost for this event for members will be $25.00, which includes your meals. Departure time on Sunday will be around 9 AM.

Every youth and adult will need to bring their Annual BSA Health and Medical Record External Link with at least Part A and B completed. These forms should be picked up when you check out. Forms may be found on the Redwood Council Web site.

Please return your registration form no later than the Monday before the Induction weekend so that we can make proper plans.

I challenge each of you to attend the Fall Induction weekend. It is a great occasion to welcome our new members.

If you have any questions please contact Lodge Adviser Jason Kracht via email adviser@orca194.org External Link .

Directions to Camp Wente can be found at: http://www.wentescoutreservation.org/forms/MapToWente.pdf
Please register online, please go to: http://www.redwoodbsa.org/Event.aspx?id=926

Remember: You must register by Monday May 1 for the Induction Weekend!

ps. If your dues for 2017 are due, please pay your dues online External Link

pps. Those that are eligible to complete their Brotherhood, should have received a mailing about this.

Please note, you do not have to pay back dues if you haven't paid in several years. It also entitles you to participate in all lodge activities this year. If you have not paid your dues, fill out the form (or pay online External Link

), with your check, and mail it to the council office (if you attended the lodge dinner, you have already paid dues for 2017). Arrowmen who have not paid their dues by March 1, 2017 will be dropped from the list of active members. Because of the costs involved with creating the newsletter, coupled with the costs that the lodge pays to recharter inactive members, Orca Lodge can no longer afford to keep inactive members on the mailing list. If you wish to continue receiving the newsletter, and retain your membership, it is imperative that your dues be current ASAP.

You have two options to pay your dues. Please pay online External Link

if you can. Otherwise, mail the dues form and check payable to "BSA-Orca Lodge #194" to:

Orca Lodge
c/o Redwood Empire Council, Inc.
Boy Scouts of America
1000 Apollo Way - Ste 106
Santa Rosa, CA 95407

ps: If you haven't been a dues paying member of the Lodge in recent years, please pay using the dues form so that we can get your records updated

Up in Santa Rosa, on the grounds of the Schultz Center, we and 50 other Scouts held a day of recreation and outreach. Besides the OA there we're half a dozen other troops and 3 packs. While the others set up activities such as rain gutter regatta racing and cooking demonstrations, we set up with Father Nature the central display of the event. The OA setup a 14 foot teepee at the gate so that it could be seen by passers-by and throughout the event. The plan for setup was to have it go up after the event had started that way not only would we have a good teepee show, but people could also see how it went up and that's what really fascinated them. It took us about 45 minutes to put it

up with minimal guidance from Father Nature and after it was up we had visitors all day walking in and out and asking good questions about its construction and what OA was. After we took it down we assisted with the rest of the break down and then happily went away at the end of the day. Many arrowmen were there to help, including Erik C., Bryce P., Owen P., Tom H., Bill Nay, Brett Carver, and Donna Lake. It was a good outreach to the community and it was smart to engage the scouts with something they hadn't seen before. It was a great event and should be continued in the future.

Hello Arrowmen, the Pomo District Camporee is almost here (April 21st-23rd) and the Wonk-A-Tonk chapter of Orca Lodge will be performing our Call Out at Saturday night’s Campfire. The Order of the Arrow Ceremonies Team invites you to take part and hone your “acting chops” as a character in the ceremony. We have need for the following characters:

It’s easy to perform. You are NOT expected to memorize your lines. Scripts are provided and a half days instruction, Saturday afternoon, and you’ll be ready for the your time in the spotlight!

ps: We will also need help with the Ceremonies at the Induction Weekend (May 5-7)

In 2016 Conclave saw itself at Solano County Fairgrounds, in 2017 we are taking it back to its roots, Scout Camp. This September the beautiful Camp Lassen, located north of Chico, will host our Section W-3N Conclave, and 500 arrowmen from across Northern California and Nevada. Take this opportunity to not only meet some of those arrowmen, but also to enjoy all of the fantastic program opportunities. Sign up today to reserve your spot at the rifle range, mountain biking track, shotgun range, breastplate construction class, aluminum casting course, Camp Lassen's very own ATV course, and so much more.

There is something for every arrowman, even those brand new to our order. Conclave 2017 is your conclave, your way. During registration you get to select classes that you are most interested in; then on Saturday afternoon, go back and check out anything you might have missed or just want more time to do. Field sports, carnival games, maybe even a live concert, come see all this and more from Friday, September 15 to Sunday, September 17. Make sure to sign up before the price goes up on April 30 for a reduced registration fee.

Arrowmen ages 14-20, Do you need an escape from that 9-5 job, summer classes or the monotony of staring out of your bedroom window longing for something new? If your answer is yes, the Order of the Arrow has the answer for you.

Each summer, the Order of the Arrow offers a myriad of different High Adventure opportunities to meet your summer needs whether its wetting your appetite by going for a plunge in the Atlantic Ocean with the Ocean Adventure External Link

at the Florida Sea Base; maybe hiking is your passion, what better place to go than the Philmont Scout Ranch where you can hike the same trails as your Scoutmaster or Scouting ancestors as a part of your Trail Crew External Link

experience.

Perhaps your Summit Experience External Link

will revolve around white water kayaking and rafting, along with mountain biking, climbing, and participation in other Summit activities. Participants will not only build trail, but also bonds of brotherhood as they start their High Adventure journey.

Have you ever given thought about what the Native Americans and early explorers did to be avid traders, maybe the OA Wilderness Voyage External Link

or Canadian Odyssey External Link

is your calling. Whatever your summer aspirations may be, these National High Adventure bases have put together a multitude of options for you.

Along with your one week trek completely designed by you, each Arrowmen will be afforded the opportunity to leave their mark in history by helping to sure up portage trails, backpacking trails or coral reefs. Aside from providing a good deed to each of these high adventure bases, every participant will have the opportunity to work closely with Arrowmen from across the country, who have a similar interest in the future of both the program and the adventure base.

You may be thinking that this is a daunting task but it is an experience unlike any other afforded to you in scouting in that it takes you out of your world and places with people, who want to do something different. It's not everyday that you can tell your friends that you climbed into Cypher's Mine, watched the Northern Lights from a canoe or went scuba diving in the Florida Keys.

These programs help to insure that the future of scouting has a place to live, work and interact. This summer, try something new or do something you thoroughly enjoy, but do something with the Order of the Arrow High adventure opportunities. For more information about these High Adventure programs, please visit adventure.oa-bsa.org External Link

or talk to your lodge chief. Your destiny awaits you...

Where to go Camping Guide

Come check out the latest addition to redwoodbsa.org!

The newly released Where to Go Camping Guide External Link

is a great resource for units preparing their 2017 calendars. Almost one hundred local camps and parks have been compiled into one convenient web page by Orca Lodge External Link

. It is our goal to ensure that all of the units of the Redwood Empire Council have the tools to develop and improve their outdoor adventure programs.

Camping Sites

Take a peek at some of our numerous and local Regional, State External Link , and National parks. Not only does each entry provide general information about campgrounds, it also provides program ideas, and facility specifics. Water availability, fire permissions, and wood sources are all listed for your ease of access. Be sure to check out our comments about each location, for information about tours, fee waivers, and special suggestions to enhance your experience.

Awards Programs

Also in the guide is a list of local council programs, like the Redwood Regional Challenge and San Francisco Bay Area??s Rim Rovers. Take a peek and see what your unit might qualify for, and encourage your youth to investigate the numerous other outdoor adventure awards offered by Boy Scouting.

National High Adventure Bases

Interested in trekking through the New Mexico wilderness External Link , or sailing in the Florida Keys? Boy Scouting??s High Adventure programs are life changing experiences that open up incredible opportunities for youth. Any unit interested in attending a National camp will not only receive testimonials from our guide, but from any Scout and Scouter who has had the opportunity to go.

Upcoming Features

Looking for a new summer camp? Look no farther, our Camping guide will soon include a complete database of summer camps for your units to explore. Have a summer camp you want to recommend to other units? Head to the guide and submit information about your experiences External Link . Your feedback will help to continue to make this guide a relevant resource for all units in the Council.

Tell the world why you #ChooseOA

As a member of the Order of the Arrow, you chose to be a part of an organization greater than yourself; an organization whose mission is to instill the values of selfless service and devotion to others in the minds of every boy who joins the Scouting program. Sensing your dedication to these values, your fellow Scouts called you to take part in something beyond yourself. That call, in part, requires you to spread the message of the Order of the Arrow to those Scouts and Scouters who have not yet had the opportunity to join the OA, and to choose to be a part of the movement beyond simply completing your Ordeal.

The Order of the Arrow has always valued the preservation of tradition. In many ways, it is that tradition which makes the Order of the Arrow such a valuable program. The traditions which we hold so close tell us to be cheerful, even in arduous labor. They tell us to be mindful of the needs of others, and to place those needs before our own. These traditions help to build the tightest bonds of brotherhood that the Boy Scouts of America has ever seen.

When immersed in the experiences of our brotherhood, it becomes easy to forget that those who chose you need you. Even so, while many lodges across the nation enjoy a healthy brotherhood conversion rate, many more struggle to meet Journey to Excellence standards. This is not because the state of our brotherhood is weak. On the contrary, membership retention levels for the OA are higher than those of the BSA at large. However, simply remaining part of our brotherhood isn?t enough.

Now, more than ever, it is time that we as Arrowmen show the world why we chose to participate in this brotherhood. It is time to show Scouting what it means to live a life of servant leadership, of unselfish service and of devotion to one?s brothers. This is why, over the last several months, the National Order of the Arrow Committee has worked to compile a bank of resources to aid in accomplishing this goal. Some of the resources that have been developed include:

OA unit election materials: In the annual JTE report for 2015, many units reported that the OA unit election is the least desirable OA experience. To help ensure that OA unit elections are a great experience, the #ChooseOA team has put together a new presentation complete with a cheat sheet on how to more successfully conduct the OA unit election. This is the first interaction that many new Scouts and Scouters will ever have with the Order of the Arrow; let??s make it a great one!

#ChooseOA brochure: Many parents, unit leaders and professional Scouters who are not OA members report having very little knowledge on what the OA is; we??ve developed something to help them understand. The #ChooseOA tri-fold brochure will serve as a tool for lodges to take to unit elections, new member orientations, and other OA events to spread the message. We??ve also included a blank page that lodges can customize to talk specifically about their program.

#ChooseOA information booth: Resources for an OA information booth at non-OA events have been developed, and are ready to go to your next council camporee or district roundtable.

These resources, among others, were debuted at NEXT: A New Century External Link this August in Bloomington, IN. To find out more information on these resources visit the #ChooseOA. Remember, those who chose you need you! It??s time to tell the world why you decided to #ChooseOA, and encourage those around you to do the same!

Orca 2017 Leadership

Lodge Leadership		Chapter Leadership
Lodge Chief chief [at] orca194.org	Tyler W.	Allohak Chief allohakchief [at] orca194.org	Colin F.
Lodge Vice Chief vicechief [at] orca194.org	Erik C.	Allohak Vice-Chief allohakvicechief [at] orca194.org
Lodge Secretary secretary [at] orca194.org	Daniel A.	Allohak Secretary allohaksecretary [at] orca194.org
Lodge Treasurer treasurer [at] orca194.org	Stephen S.	Allohak Adviser allohakadviser [at] orca194.org	Leif Farr
Lodge Adviser adviser [at] orca194.org	Jason Kracht	Miwok Chief miwokchief [at] orca194.org	Thomas H.
Lodge Associate Adviser associateadviser [at] orca194.org	Mike Bell	Miwok Vice Chief miwokvicechief [at] orca194.org	Erik C.
Lodge Associate Adviser associateadviser [at] orca194.org	Mark Abel	Miwok Secretary miwoksecretary [at] orca194.org
Lodge Associate Adviser ceremonies [at] orca194.org	Kevin Bleibaum	Miwok Adviser miwokadviser [at] orca194.org	Donna Lake
Lodge Staff Adviser staffadviser [at] orca194.org	Daniel Hemphill	Wonkatonk Chief wonkatonkchief [at] orca194.org	Bryce P.
orca194.org www.redwoodbsa.org/oa		Wonkatonk Vice Chief wonkatonkvicechief [at] orca194.org	Marcus G.
		Wonkatonk Secretary wonkatonksecretary [at] orca194.org	Ian D.
		Wonkatonk Adviser wonkatonkadviser [at] orca194.org	Brian Wills

For the latest Orca Lodge calendar, please visit:

www.redwoodbsa.org/oa/calendar External Link

www.orca194.org/calendar.html External Link

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.