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2021 Spring Induction Weekend Recap
Dear Arrowmen,
Over two hundred members and candidates converged on Camp Orr this past weekend for the 2021 Spring Induction Weekend! The first highlight of the weekend was the outstanding Pre-Ordeal ceremony performed by the first all-girl ceremony team in Lodge history! The team was made up of Razorback chapter members, all of whom were new Ordeal members from 2020! The weekend got off to a soggy start when a storm blew in at bedtime, but the weather soon cleared, leaving a perfect Saturday for service work.
The Lodge performed over 2,500 hours of service at the weekend. Notable service projects included improving the Twin Falls trail, installing signage for the Twin Falls trail, completing the Twin Falls kiosk, improving the Pat Bolin trail, painting the repaired eaves of the Administration Building, installing gutters on the Administration Building, and general clearing and cleaning. This work could not have been done without the leadership of our Service team and the support and encouragement of our awesome group of Elangomats! At the end of Saturday, the Lodge celebrated the induction of our new Ordeal members by gathering at the ceremony ring for the biggest circle most had seen in many years! Back at the Dining Hall, Kevin Overholt and his amazing kitchen crew served up a delicious and memorable feast. After the feast, the evening ended with fellowship, games, and a wonderful singalong led by Razorback Chapter adviser Rob Button.
The Lodge inducted seventy-four new Ordeal members, and our induction rate currently stands at an amazing 86%!! Twenty-seven Ordeal members sealed their membership in the OA with the Brotherhood, and the Lodge called out and inducted six new Vigil Honor members. The new Vigil Honor members are:
Jace Bardin
Riley Button
Jake Heasley
Brenden Philippe
Malinda Pitts
Russell Rathbun
With the new Ordeal inductions, our Lodge membership stands at 314 members, just eight shy of matching our 2020 total of 322 members, so be sure to encourage your fellow Arrowmen to pay their dues and encourage the remaining candidates to attend Ordeal! It was a wonderful weekend full of fellowship, service, good food, and celebration. We hope you all will be able to join us at our next event!
Be sure to follow the Lodge on Instagram at: @oalodge559
**COMING SOON on the Lodge Instagram account: Throwback Thursday! We’re looking for old Lodge 559 and Westark Area Council photos to post on Instagram; the only requirement is that the photo must contain a current or past Lodge member! Email your photos to paulprothero559@gmail.com, or you can text cell phone photos to 479-799-5009 and be sure to identify the Arrowman or Arrowmen in the photo. If you are under age 18, please copy another adult on your email or text message to comply with BSA Youth Protection policies.
Spring Ordeal is One Month Away!
Dear Arrowmen,
Registration is open for the 2021 Spring Induction Weekend, which will be held at Camp Orr April 9-11. This is Wachtschu Mawachpo’s premier induction event, and will include Ordeal, Brotherhood conversion, and the call-out and induction of our 2021 Vigil Honor class! April is a great time to be at Camp Orr, and you won’t want to miss this event! Click on the following link to register:
https://mycouncil.westarkbsa.org/Event/4574
Oak Leaf Pass Holders and Kitchen Crew: be sure to register at the link above (no charge) so we know who is coming!!
If you have not yet paid your 2021 Lodge dues, we hope you will pay them now and support the vital service and leadership work that your Lodge performs in our Council and communities. You can pay your dues on the lodge website homepage.
LEC 21-1, February 6th
Members of the LEC,
We will be holding our first LEC of 2021 on Saturday, February 6th at 9:30 a.m. This will be conducted both virtually and in person at the Springdale Scout Shop. If you choose to be there in person you will be required to wear a mask at all times and observe social distancing protocols. If you choose to attend in person, send an email to Lodge Chief Matthew Maruri and Mr. Prothero by Thursday, February 4th so we can be sure to set a spot for you; please be aware that there can be no more that 10 persons at an indoor event by order of the Arkansas Department of Health without obtaining prior written approval of the meeting plan, so in-person spaces will be limited to 10. If you choose to attend virtually, the Zoom meeting link was sent out on Sunday afternoon. Attached to that email are the minutes from LEC 20-4 to be approved and the Agenda for this LEC. Take a look at both of them and have the revisions you see ready to be discussed. If you will be unable to attend the meeting, please let Matthew know who will be presenting your report in your place. I look forward to hearing from you.
WWW,
Matthew Maruri
Lodge Chief
New Vigil Honor Member Inducted!!
Dear Arrowmen,
Congratulations to our newest Vigil Honor member, Alfredo Luis Maruri, who was inducted into the Vigil Honor on December 22, 2020, at Rogers Scout Reservation! Early in the fall, Alfredo accepted a new job in North Carolina, so he was unable to attend the Fall Induction Weekend with the rest of his class. However, Vigil Chief Riley Heasley and Lodge Chief Matthew Maruri worked hard to ensure that Alfredo could complete his Vigil induction at RSR. Thanks to all the Vigil Honor brothers who came out to RSR to honor Alfredo for his service to our Lodge. Special thanks also go to Kevin Overholt and Sharon Essary, who cooked up the usual tasty meals for those in attendance.
It was a cold, clear night with the sky full of stars and a beautiful first quarter moon hanging low in the sky; it will not soon be forgotten by those who were there! The 2020 Vigil Honor class of inductees for our Lodge now is complete as Alfredo takes his place alongside his brothers. If you see him, be sure to congratulate him on this great honor, and wish him well in his new job in North Carolina. I know I speak for all when I say that Alfredo’s talents in the kitchen will be greatly missed!
2021 Oak Leaf All Event Pass: Sale Ends December 31!
Dear Arrowmen,
You have less than two weeks left to buy your 2021 Oak Leaf All Event Pass! By purchasing your pass, you can pre-pay for all 2021 Lodge events and pay your dues; you also will receive a FREE one-of-a-kind patch that is available ONLY to holders of the 2021 Oak Leaf All Event Pass!! Don’t wait until the last minute; go ahead and order your Oak Leaf Pass today!
Parents: the Oak Leaf All Event Pass makes a great holiday gift for the Arrowman in your house!
Order your 2021 Oak Leaf All Event Pass by clicking on “Get your Oak Leaf All Event Pass w/dues” on the website homepage.
Brotherhood Day and Service Weekend at RSR
November 14, 2020
Dear Arrowmen,
Announcing the 2020 Brotherhood Day at Rogers Scout Reservation on December 5, which will be held in conjunction with the RSR Service Weekend scheduled for December 4-6. Ordeal members who have been inducted for at least six months will be able to complete their conversion to Brotherhood membership for ONLY $25, which includes a FREE lunch! Please encourage all eligible Ordeal members in your units to attend this Brotherhood opportunity, which will be the last chance to complete Brotherhood membership in 2020. Participation in the Service Weekend is not required to attend the Brotherhood Day, though it is encouraged. Registration for both the RSR Service Weekend and the Brotherhood Day are at the following link:
https://mycouncil.westarkbsa.org/Event/5002
Minecraft Builders Wanted
November 4, 2020
Hello all!
As I announced this past weekend at Fall Ordeal, myself and a few others have come up with the wonderful idea that we should recreate Camp Orr in the popular video game Minecraft! We think that this would really promote and get people interested in Scouting, and provide a method for Scouts and youth all across the country to experience Camp Orr without actually having to come to it. However, we’re going to need some help making it! We’re looking for many experienced (or not so experienced) Minecraft builders! If you’re interested, contact me, Heath Daughtrey by email at skygames26@yahoo.com or by text at 405-394-4070 with your name, email, and phone number, by November 10th. As always, if you’re 18 or over, please copy another adult on your message to me to comply with youth protection. I’m open to answer any questions you may have. Happy Scouting!
I hope this message can help me get the contact info for the people I missed on Sunday. Thanks!
Heath Daughtrey
2021 Oak Leaf All Event Pass now available
November 3, 2020
Dear Arrowmen,
The 2021 Oak Leaf All Event Pass is available now! The Pass will pre-pay your registration fee for the 2021 Trail & Brotherhood Weekend, 2021 Spring Induction Weekend, 2021 Lodge Recognition and Family Banquet, and 2021 Fall Fellowship at a discount of $10 off the regular price of the individual events, and your 2021 Lodge Dues will be paid! The Oak Leaf Pass may be purchased now for the low price of $100, and it includes a free collectible patch that is available ONLY to Oak Leaf All Event Pass holders. Why not go ahead and register now and avoid the hassle of registering for individual events?
PARENTS: the Oak Leaf All Event Pass makes a great gift for your Arrowman! It’s a fantastic way to celebrate his/her induction into the Order, completion of the Eagle Scout rank, or anything else that needs celebrating!
The 2021 Oak Leaf All Event Pass will be available for purchase only until December 31, 2020, so don’t wait until it’s too late: click on the following link to purchase your Pass today:
https://mycouncil.westarkbsa.org/Event/4999
Fall Induction Weekend a big success
November 2, 2020
Dear Arrowmen and Friends,
Lodge 559 held its first Induction Weekend in over a year at Camp Orr this past weekend, welcoming twenty-eight new Ordeal members into the Lodge, while ten Ordeal members converted their membership to Brotherhood. During the weekend, your Lodge completed over 1,500 hours of service to our Mountain Treasure! Thanks to all the Ordeal candidates, Elangomats, Brotherhood candidates, and members who contributed to the improvement of Camp Orr. Despite masks and social distancing, your Lodge continued its tradition of cheerful service amidst blue skies, crisp temperatures, and eye-popping autumn foliage, then experienced ceremonies and peaceful nights of sleep under the soft glow of a full moon. Everyone agreed that it was great to be back at Orr!
After a long delay from the cancelled Spring Induction Weekend, your Lodge also called out and inducted six worthy Vigil Honor members under the able guidance of 2020 Vigil Chief Riley Heasley and an enthusiastic team of guides and Vigil brothers. The 2020 Vigil Honor inductees are:
Connor Button-Razorback
Eli Caplan-Cornerstone
Cooper Heasley-Cornerstone
Matthew Pyle-Magazine Mountain
Nat Westphal-Cornerstone
Gregg Vickers-Magazine Mountain
There is a seventh Vigil Honor candidate who was unable to attend and who will be called out and inducted at a later date.
In other Lodge news, we extend a hearty thank you and best wishes to Grant DuCote, who completed his service as Associate Lodge Adviser (Activities). Grant is an Eagle Scout and a home-grown Arrowman, completing his Ordeal in 1981 and his Brotherhood in 1982, both at Camp Orr, and he was elevated to the Vigil Honor in 2016, also at Camp Orr. He served our Lodge in many capacities as Associate Lodge Adviser (Indian Affairs) and Associate Lodge Adviser (Activities), and he also served as Conclave Vice-Chief Adviser. Grant is a 2020 recipient of the Founder’s Award, the highest award that can be bestowed upon an Arrowman on the lodge level. He has been a constant fixture in our Lodge for many years, so please thank Grant for his service and wish him well in his future endeavors the next time you see him.
The OA is encouraging lodges to seek out younger adult Arrowmen to fill adviser roles, and with that in mind, we are pleased to announce that our new Associate Lodge Adviser (Activities) is Mark Prothero. Mark also is an Eagle Scout and a home-grown Arrowman, completing his Ordeal in 2014 and his Brotherhood in 2015, both at Rogers Scout Reservation; he was elevated to the Vigil Honor in 2018 at Camp Orr. Mark served as Razorback Chapter Chief, chapter vice-chief, and chapter secretary, and he served the Lodge as Lodge Treasurer and Lodge Vice-Chief (Indian Affairs). He was a member of the Razorback ceremonies team, performing the Ordeal and Brotherhood ceremonies as well as call-out and the old Arrow of Light and Crossover ceremonies. Mark served on the Camp Orr staff for two years, and in 2017, he was a member of the National Jamboree OA Trek staff. Mark accepted the challenge to step into an adult adviser role, and we look forward to other young adult Arrowmen moving into adviser positions in the future. Please welcome Mark as he makes the transition from OA youth to adviser.
Our new Lodge website is now a reality thanks to Communications Chair Connor Button and Associate Adviser for Communications Everette Long. It’s still a work in progress, but take a look at the site (and pay your 2021 Lodge dues!) at the following link:
Home
This has been a difficult year for Scouting and the OA as we continue to endure the COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement, cancellation, or modification of several major Lodge events. However, your Lodge finished this unprecedented year strongly under the able leadership of Lodge Chief Matthew Maruri, inducting 63 new Arrowmen through our virtual and in-person Induction events (including our first girl Arrowmen!) and capturing the coveted Section 8 Golden Arrow as the top Lodge in Arkansas and Oklahoma. We are proud of how our Arrowmen pulled together, and we look forward continuing our strong tradition of cheerful service as we head to 2021!
Wachtschu Mawachpo Lodge 559 