The Visionary - August 2009

Volume XIV, Edition 2, NOAC

Del Loder: A Lifetime of ServiceChris Gardner, Visionary Staff Writer

At NOAC, Del Loder will be awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. To date, he is only the fourth person to ever receive this impressive award. The National Committee describes the award as that which “is intended to recognize only those extraordinary Arrowmen who have deeply influenced and significantlycontributed to the vision, direction, and growth of theOrder of the Arrow, faithfully demonstrated a lifetime ofservant leadership, and, through their daily example, illuminated and reinforced the significance of the values found in the Scout Oath and Scout Law.” The requirements for the award are few, but arduous. A nominee must be a Vigil Honor member who has been recognized with theDistinguished Service Award (DSA) and has continuedservice to the organization on the national, regional orsectional level since receiving the DSA. In addition, the nominee must have been a member of the Order for no less than 25 years.

From the time Loder met E. Urner Goodman in 1948, he knew that his future was in the Order of the Arrow. After a few years, his council began its OA program. The first member of the OA from his council was a Scout in his troop. Afterserving as an adviser to multiple committees of his lodge, Loder became the lodge adviser in 1965. Taking back knowledge from NOAC, he continued to improve his lodge.

He then moved on to the section and served as section adviser. In 1973, Del was appointed to serve the National Council on the OA Committee. With his love of the OA Ceremonies, he was thrilled to accept the position as Chairman of Ceremonies for the OA. Two years later, he was presented with the DSA. In 1981, he became the Western Region Chairman. He “loved the position and the people with whom he worked,” said Loder. “I traveled

everywhere, and loved every minute.” Del was a major proponent of thereformation of NLS and the creation of NLATS, as OA training was always apassion of his. In 1989, he was appointed to the Founder’s Council and served there for two years, after which he was appointed National Vice Chairman of Lodge Operations in 1993. Del returned to the Founder’s Council as Chair of the Goodman Society one year later, and serves there currently. Loder has attended almost every National Conference since 1959, making a total of more than 28 National Events. The Northeast Region is proud to congratulate Del Loder as a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

What’s Inside?

Page 2:Chiefly Speaking

Page 3:NOAC 2009

Page 4:Increasing Your Conversion

Page 5:Lodge Assistance Program

National Leadership Seminar

Page 6:National Service Award

Improving Chapter Participation

Page 7:NER’s DSA Recipients

Red Arrow Award PresentationSilver Buffalo Award

Page 8:The Region’s Silver Antelope

NOAC 101Region Calendar

www.oa-bsa.orgnortheast.oa-bsa.org_______________

Northeast RegionP.O. Box 26810 Centre Dr.

Jamesburg, NJ 08831-0268

Volume XIV, Issue II August 2009

Visionary StaffRyan Hay

Region [email protected]

Josh PeloquinEditor

[email protected]

Mike GeorgeLead Adviser

[email protected]

Adam HeapsAssociate Adviser

[email protected]

Thomas BainRegion Chairman

[email protected]

Douglas FullmanRegion Staff Adviser

[email protected]

ContributorsJeffrey St. CyrAllen MartelloMike MahanesJustin Myers

Chris GardnerNate Wadsworth Yours in our Brotherhood of Cheerful Service,

RYAN M. HAY

2009 Northeast Region Chief

Chiefly SpeakingBrothers,

Welcome to NOAC 2009! I hope you all had a safe travels to beautiful Indiana University! The theme for NOAC this year, as many of you know, is “The Power of One.” As you look around the campus, and begin attending events, you will begin to notice that this theme is involved in just about every aspect of NOAC, and hopefully be inspired to help lead our Order and our Nation into the next decade.

History is filled with the actions that individuals made that forever changed society and the world. The actions of George Washington forever changed the political landscape of the United States when he remained strong to the democratic ideals of his newly created State in the face of domestic and foreign threats. Abraham Lincoln remained steadfast in his belief in a single nation, unified, with all men made equal. Pope John Paul II stood by his people of his native home, Poland, by strongly supporting the solidarity movement and constantly opposing communist oppression. The many works of Albert Einstein and his theory of relativity would forever change the world of science.

All of these men embraced the power within themselves and changed history for the better. As you further your career; whether it be in school, your profession, or within the Order; always be mindful of the power that you can have to make your life, and the lives of others, extraordinary. Throughout this conference, I encourage you to seize the moment (Carpe Diem!), network with brothers from across the country, and strive to take away information to help you in your lodge, and in your life!

Remember the words of Harry Truman, “Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.” Be that catalyst for change, and be that leader that moves society forward and changes history!

Order of the Arrow, Boy Scouts of America

The Visionary: The Official Publication of the Northeast Region, Order of the Arrow

Planning a National ConferenceJeffrey St. Cyr, CVC of Communications

The Order of the Arrow hosts a national event almost every year. In the past, events have included the national confer-ences, leadership summits, Indian Summer, and the 2008 ArrowCorps5 projects.

The National Order of the Arrow Committee began planning for the 2009 NOAC by appointing lead advisers anddeveloping the leadership structure in advance of the National OA Planning Meeting. This past December, Section Chiefs gathered in West Lake, Texas. On the first night of the meeting, the Section Chiefs elected the 2009 National Chief and National Vice Chief. These two youth have overseen the planning of this year’s conference. On the second day, the Region Chiefs are elected. The first full day of the annual planning meeting is devoted to committee planning and developing the program for the national conference.

Each section chief is appointed to a program committee by the newly elected National Chief. There are 11 committees each run by a Conference Vice Chief, the youth in charge of the committee. Other Section Chiefs serve on the committees and have specific program planning responsibilities. Each committee spends the day developing programs for thecommittee and planning out timelines for their committeeuntil the conference begins. The second full day of theplanning meeting continues with planning and finalizing their committee tasks. The tasks need to be finalized because committees do not meet in person until the staff arrives at the conference. Committees work by conference calls and email to plan for the national conference.

In March, the Conference Vice Chiefs and the LeadAdvisers gathered at Indiana University for an on-site meeting. The purpose of this meeting was to give the conference committee the ability to see the campus and to learn about what it has to offer to their committee. The committee toured the major facilities that will be utilized at NOAC.

Committees continued to communicate by conference call and email until arrival at the national conference. Staffmembers arrived and got ready to host the 7,000participants who arrive on August 1, 2009.

Left to Right: Ryan Hay, Northeast Region Chief, Michael Beckman, Central Region Chief, and David Harrel, Western Region Chief, on the 2009 NOAC On Site Tour.

Arrowmen gather outside the Indiana University Auditorium while on the 2009 NOAC On Site Tour.



At many Scouting events, Scoutmasters discourage the use of cell phones. Well, NOAC is not your normal Scouting event. We actually want you to use your cell phone! Beginning with the first show, on Saturday evening, the NOAC Shows Committee will be sending text messages to keep you charged. Also, if you Twitter, OAHA will be sending tweets throughout the week. Hope you brought your charger!



When a lodge misses out on Quality Lodge for a particular year, many times it comes down to one missed item…Brotherhood Conversions. National requires each lodge convert 30% of the eligible Ordeal members to Brotherhood each year to earn the Quality Lodge distinction. There have even been talks that, someday, lodges may have to convert 40% to Brotherhood to attain Quality Lodge.

When it comes down to it, 30% is not really too many. Some lodges consistently get 60%, 70%, or even 80% Brotherhood Conversion rates each year, and there have even been cases where a lodge has converted 100% to Brotherhood in a single year! So why do many lodges have so much difficulty converting just 30%? There are many different reasons for this. However, some of the most common problems are sash and dashing, unwillingness to pay for Brotherhood, or thinking that Brotherhood is just like another Ordeal.

There are just as many ways to combat low conversion rates as there are reasons for it. One way to deal with the members hesitating to pay for conversion is to include the fee for Brotherhood in the Ordeal cost. This means FREE Brotherhood. If members know that they already paid for their Brotherhood, they may be more apt to return because they will feel like they need to “get their money’s worth”. This also eliminates the hassle of trying to collect money from the Brotherhood candidates, especially if your lodge holdsBrotherhood ceremonies during summer camp.

Increasing Your ConversionBy Justin Myers, Section NE-6B Chief

Continued communication is a great way to avert the sash and dash phenomenon. Try sending letters to Ordeal members during the 10 month period they must wait before being eligible to convert toBrotherhood. Some lodges have the letters come from theprincipals. Each principal reminds the Ordeal member who he is, what he represents, and challenges the member to continue his or her service. Nutiket should send the first letter one month after the Ordeal. Meteu should send a letter at three months, and AllowatSakima at four. Kichkinet, their guide and friend, should send the final letter at nine months following the Ordeal. These letters will be

Utilizing the summer camp program as an opportunity to promote the OA throughout the camp, andpromoting Brotherhood Conversions at camp is another effective tool. Many of our members attend camp each year, so why not reach out to them? If your lodge does not hold Brotherhood ceremonies during camp, consider doing so.

The most important thing to remember when striving to reach the 30% goal for Brotherhood Conversions is that converting someone to Brotherhood is more than just a percentage increase for the lodge. What we all must realize is that the individual converting is sealing their ties to the lodge. He is making a commitment to the lodge that he will be an active part of the community in some way, just as all of us have at some point in time. You want them to fully realize the true meaning of the Brotherhood, and in turn, your lodge will be more successful in the future.

a constant reminder to the new Ordeal member about the upcoming opportunity to convert to Brotherhood, and it will show them that the lodge really wants them to stay active and seal the bonds of Brotherhood when they can. The lodge should also promote Brotherhood regularly through lodge emails and newsletters.



LAP’s: Assisting Lodge ProgrammingBy Mike Mahanes, Section NE-4A Chief

The Lodge Assistance Program (LAP) is a resource each section uses to further help the lodges that it serves. Section Vice Chiefs are given the task of executing Lodge Assistance Visitations with two or three lodges in their section each year. At these visits, the Vice Chief brings experienced Arrowmen from around the section to a meeting with select leaders of the lodge. The lodge and the visitation team discuss the lodge’s program and any issues with which it may be struggling. The Lodge Assistance Program enables each lodge to receive help in working through a problem, and share its experience for other lodges to utilize.

LAP Visits are a perfect time for the leaders of a lodge to ask questions to experienced youth in their section. The lodge Key Three and the executive committee should consider the current status of the lodge, and areas in whichimprovement could be made. They should prepare questions to ask the visitation team. How can we increase ourmembership retention rate? What do other lodges do when encountering a problem? What does my lodge need to do for Quality Lodge? How can we strengthen our Lodge executive board? Through a system of evaluation and review, lodge leaders are able to learn from, interact with, and share ideas with the section.

The lodge visits help identify the resources, training, and guidance that lodges require to ultimately increase the service they provide to their councils. Sections will be able to gain knowledge of lodge strengths and weaknesses through the LAP. This will help the section to prepare programs to meet the needs of the lodges, and ensure that no lodge is left alone to figure out their problems. LAP’s use the resources of the section to improve and strengthen the lodges. With the section’s help, lodges will be able to provide better service to their councils and fulfill the requirements of theQuality Lodge Recognition program. If you have more questions on the Lodge Assistance Program please visit the Northeast Region website http://northeast.oa-bsa.org/, or talk to one of your section’s officers.

At almost every lodge and section event I have attended, I hear these three questions: What is NLS? Who will be there? Why should I go? Let me first start out by saying that NLS stands for the National Leadership Seminar. It is a weekend long training course that challenges Arrowmen to develop new leadership skills. It also provides an opportunity to meet fellow Arrowmen from across the region, meet region and national officers, and enjoy some great food. The Northeast Region holds three seminars a year, two at Alpine Scout Camp, in New Jersey, and one that moves to a different camp around the region each year. The next seminar will be held on September 25th to the 27th at Alpine Scout Camp.

National Leadership SeminarBy Nate Wadsworth, Section NE-3A Chief

Some of my best memories in the Order come from my experiences at NLS. When I attended the program, I met many Arrowmen from across the different sections as well as past national officers that were on staff for the weekend. The friendships that I established on that weekend have lasted well after the seminar ended.

The main focus of the seminar is leadership training. NLS training helps to establish a strong foundation of leadership tools that you will be able to use to lead your lodge on the path to many accomplishments, one of them being Quality Lodge. The training is the best I have ever experienced. If you are interested ingoing, and I strongly recommend it: talk to your Lodge Chief about signing up. The registration is capped at 84 attendees, and it often fills up quickly. When you do end up going, I promise that you will have a great time and experience the three F’s of the OA: great food, fun, and fellowship.

The National Service Award was developed in 1999 by past National Vice Chief Ryan Miske. It seeks to recognize those lodges that perform outstanding service for their council. In order to be eligible for this award, thepetitioning lodge must be a Quality Lodge. Two lodges from each Region are presented with the award per year. The NortheastRegion congratulates this year’s recipients.

National Service Award

Octoraro LodgeChester County Council

West Chester, PA`

Madockawanda Lodge Pine Tree Council

Portland, ME



Many lodges across the Northeast Region split their membership into areas known as chapters. If your lodge uses a chapter system, then you already know what I am talking about. For those of you who do not, let me explain.

Using the chapter system, a lodge divides its membership into smaller geographic areas, each functioning like a mini-lodge within a lodge. Often the chapters align with the council’s districts. Chapters elect their own officers who run the chapter and represent it at the lodge level. Chapters also have their own meetings, and, sometimes, functions. They can even have their own ceremonies teams or other committees. Chapters help the lodge function more effectively, and offer the opportunity to get more members involved.

The question, and the frustration of many lodges that utilize the chapter system, is “how can we encourage our members to participate in chapter functions?” The answer is found is a few simple strategies. Keeping chapter functions fun, exciting, and enthusiastic is what brings people in. All you have to do is ask yourself, “Why would I want to be there?” If your answer is, “because I have to,” then you should rethink yourstrategy.

Participation in any lodge function starts with enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is brewed by lodge and chapter leadership. When the youth leaders in the chapter are excited and “pumped up” for an event, it spreads. Yes, enthusiasm is contagious. Once chapter members get used to being excited about meetings, and functions, they become the “norm.”

While everything starts with enthusiasm, don’t forget to follow through. If your meetings are not worth the members’ time, it will not matter how enthusiastic or passionate you are about them. Do not be afraid to have fun at your chapter meetings. In fact, fun should be a primary goal. Adding a theme, or having different foods at each meeting, is a great way to make certain your meetings are fun and exciting.

The chapter system is not a rarity amongst lodges. Do not be afraid to talk to other lodges about how they make their chapter meetings well attended and fun. Inter-lodge communication and cooperation are some of the benefits of a section. You never know, your neighboring lodge may have an idea that will help spark enthusiasm and excitement within your chapters.

Improving Chapter ParticiptionBy Allen Martello, Section NE-4B Chief

The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is a national award that was created in 1940. Its purpose is to recognize those Arrowmen who provide outstandingservice to our Order on a sectional, regional, or national basis. The award is open to both youth and adults and is presented to the recipients at the National Order of the Arrow Conference. The National OA Committee made itsselections during its meeting on May 20th. Of the 49 recipients for this year, 10 represent the Northeast Region. The Visionary congratulates all those presented with the DSA at NOAC 2009. The following Arrowmen from the NER will be recognized with the award during the Sunday evening show:

Darrell W. Donahue Pamola Lodge 216Jonathan E. Fuller TKaen Dod Lodge 30Kenneth J. Hager Wagion Lodge 6Adam D. Heaps Wunita Gokhos Lodge 39Sean M. Murray Otahnagon Lodge 172

David Nguyen Lowwapaneu Lodge 191James W. Palmer Japeechen Lodge 341Patrick W. Rooney Amangamek-Wipit Lodge 470David E. Schaub Unami Lodge 1Kaylene D. Trick Woapeu Sisilija Lodge 343



NER Arrowmen Recognized with DSA

The Silver Buffalo award was first presented in 1926 by Chief Scout Executive James E. West. It is presented annually for extraordinary service to youth on the national level, either independent of, or directly through, the Boy Scouts. This year, two of the recipients from the Northeast Region are Randall Cline and James Turley. The NER proudly recognizes these distinguished Scouters.

Two Northeast Region Scouters Receive Silver Buffalo

Randall Cline, currently serving as Northeast Region Program Impact CommitteeChairman, is from Mechanicsburg, PA. Randy is the immediate past NER OA Chairman and has been a member of the OA National Committee for the past 22 years. He led aredesign of the National Leadership Seminar and the development of the first OAstrategic plan. In addition, Randy helped design the Wood Badge for the 21st Century Course, and has chaired the Northeast Region’s Boy Scout Committee.

James Turley, chairman and CEO of Ernst & Young, has been active in the Scoutingprogram for over twenty years. James served on the executive board of the VikingCouncil from 1994 to 1998, and continues to remain an active supporter of Scouting in New York City. In national service to the Boy Scouts, James served on the Audit, Budget, Properties, Boy Scout, National Finance Support, and Chief Scout Executive Selection Committees. He has been on the National Executive Board since 2002, and currently chairs the Human Resources Group.

Red Arrow Recipient from the NERThe Red Arrow Award is an award presented for outstanding service to our Order, yet members are not eligible to receive it. The award, which was introduced in 1967 is for non-members who provide a significant service for an extended period of time. It is presented at each NOAC. This year, Sandra Reti, of Parlin, NJ, will be awarded with the Red Arrow. Sandra serves as the Northeast Region’s Program Secretary.



2009 National/Regional Event DatesDate: Event: Location (Comments):August 1-6 Ntl. Order of the Arrow Conference Indiana University, Bloomington, INSeptember 25-27 National Leadership Seminar Alpine Scout Camp, Alpine, NJSeptember 25-27 National Lodge Adviser Seminar Alpine Scout Camp, Alpine, NJ - (Lodge

Advisers & Staff Advisers)November 6-8 Section Officers Seminar Alpine Scout Camp, NJ - (Section Officers)December 27-30 National Planning Conference West Lake, TX - (Section Chiefs)

Silver Antelope Recipients From the NER

The Silver Antelope was created in 1942 and is presented by the Region to up to one Scouter per 30,000 registered adults in its territory. The award is to recognize distinguished service to youth on a regional level. The awards were presented at the annual regional luncheon, held during the National Meeting this May. The Northeast Regioncongratulates the Silver Antelope recipients.

NOAC 101Never been to a NOAC? Have no fear! Here is your guide to the Region’s activities at this awesome event.

Charles M. ClarkDonald I. Dussing, Jr.Alvin A. EichornVito J. Gautieri, Sr.David H. KleinJonathan G. Sloane

This year’s Silver Antelope recipients are:

Section GatheringsMany sections hold gatherings during thenational conference. Ask your contingent leader if your section will be holding one. Be sure to go and enjoy fellowship with your friends from other lodges (plus, you might get some pizza!).

NER 2009 NOAC Patch

Don’t forget to stop by the OA Trading Post in IMU Alumni Hall to pick up all of your OA gear, as well as the Region’s NOAC patch, all featuring the Power of One.

On Tuesday evening, in Armstrong Staduim, Ryan Hay, our Region Chief, will lead a Region Gathering. Come and see how many people the Northeast brought to NOAC, as well as get an update of all the incredible things going on in the Northeast. You’ll also get to meet Ryan, along with the other leaders of our Region.

Region Gathering

Power TagsAt the beginning of the week, each NOAC guest will receive 15 Power Tags. All those in the NER will get red tags. The goal is to meet people from other regions, share your thoughts on the Power of One, and trade tags. After the conference, you will be able to use the traded tags to reconnect with your friends and earn a prize.

The Visionary - August 2009

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