Your Chance
January Chiefly Speaking
Posted 01/25/08
Every once in a while (usually when there is a choice between a hotel and a tent) I hear an Arrowman say, “it takes 15 nights of camping to get in, not stay in.” This is true; there’s nothing that says an Arrowman has to love camping. But some of us do. Some of us prefer to spend a week backpacking rather than living on a college campus.
Each of us who loves the outdoors loves it for a different reason. Some of us love the adventures and challenges that nature presents. Some love the beauty of the wilderness. Others have a spiritual connection with nature. And for some, the wilderness is where they belong (these are the mountain-man-like guys who seem out of place in society, and I count at least two of my OA high adventure foremen among them).
The OA has spectacular opportunities for those of us who love the outdoors. My two OA Trail Crew trips at Philmont and my Wilderness Voyage at Northern Tier were some of my best experiences with Scouting as well as some of my best trips into the wilderness. And the wilderness wasn’t even the highlight of these trips; it was just the setting. Instead, the friendships that I forged matter most to me.
This year we have the opportunity to participate in a national OA event set in the wilderness. If you love the outdoors or if you want to make new friends, find a way to attend ArrowCorps5. ArrowCorps5 isn’t going to be a trail crew or a voyage or a backpacking trip with your troop, but if you loved any of those experiences, you’ll have reason to love ArrowCorps5.
The deadline to submit your $100 deposit for ArrowCorps5 is the end of January, so act fast; talk to your lodge leadership and get your name on the list. (Unfortunately, because sites need to start putting in reservations for food, transportation, facilities, and recreation, they may start limiting participation after the deadline, even if the site is not full, so get your application in as soon as possible.) Only a week away from home and $250 affords you a once-in-a-lifetime experience – a week in a beautiful wilderness, a week at a national OA event, and a week making new friends.
If you don’t know much about ArrowCorps5, spend some time exploring http://event.oa-bsa.org/ or talk with your lodge or section leadership. Even if you don’t attend many lodge events or have not attended a national OA event before, this is your chance. This is your chance to experience the adventures and challenges of the wilderness, witness the beauty and majesty of nature – maybe, for some of you, it’s your chance to spend a week in your true home.
Yours in the Spirit of the Wimachtendienk,
-Mark
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