A Good Year for the Allogagan
Lodge At this time of year, it seems
particularly appropriate that we look back on the year and reflect on what
we have accomplished and what we had hoped to accomplish.
2007 was a very good year for the Lodge. We started with an election season
in which nearly 70 members were elected (and ultimately inducted) into the
Lodge. Next it was on to a successful Lodge Banquet where we raised
a good amount of money for the lodge.
All the while we were in the midst of planning for the Section Conclave which
we held last June at Moses. Nearly 300 Arrowmen from throughout the Section
attended the Conclave, and by all reports it was a widely successful event
thanks to the Arrowmen who planned the event, and also to all of those Lodge
members who stepped up to the plate to help out during the Conclave as well
as during the week of preparation before the Conclave.
Also during the year, the Lodge planned and built a new Fire Ring at Camp
Moses. While the Fire Ring project was driven largely by the need to
accommodate those who attended the Conclave, it was a critical project for
our Camp. The new Fire Ring, which is off the road to the Aquatics
Lodge on the lake, offers a beautiful view and seating for approximately
200 people. In the coming months, the Lodge will add more seats to
the Fire Ring in order to accommodate 250 people.
We held the annual business meeting and elected our current slate of officers
– Lucas Graffum, chief, Nick Maslon, treasurer, and Mike Everett, secretary
-- who are doing a great job recruiting new faces for the board and in bringing
some well-needed excitement to the OA program.
The Lodge recently voted to provide about $2,600 in funding for repairs and
upgrades to the COPE course and climbing wall at Camp to keep these programs
going strong. We are happy to be in a position to provide this support to
the camp.
Looking ahead, Order of the Arrow elections will be starting up in very shortly.
Boys who are First Class and have 15 days and nights of camping (including
only one long-term camp activity), may be eligible to become OA members.
Unit leaders should hear from an election team leader to schedule a time
for the election. It is important that at the meeting, a majority of your
unit’s active scouts are present. Without this majority, an election
cannot take place.
The election team will present information to the troop about the Order of
the Arrow as well as about our Lodge. This will include a video presentation,
so it is important that units have access to a television with a VCR or a
DVD (both formats are available). You can expect that elections will
take about 30- to 45- minutes, depending on the size of the troop and the
number of eligible scouts.
Watch for information and let us know if you have any questions about scheduling
an election for your Troop.
Last, we’re hoping that the Lodge will be sending a delegation to participate
in ArrowCorp5 next spring. This is a major effort to provide service to five
national forests across the country next summer. It is the largest service
project ever undertaken by the Boy Scouts and is sure to be an excellent
time for those members who want to participate.
If you are interested, please contact Lucas Graffum, Lodge Chief, or visit
the lodge website at www.oalodge83.org
for information.
Please feel free to contact me directly at 596-6497 or via email at severett@consigli.com
if you have any questions, if you want to schedule a meeting with the Lodge,
or just to share your thoughts.
Allogagan Lodge