2012 National Order of the Arrow Conference

Brotherhood Band Rehearsal (Gilchrist Pub, 8:30-10:00 am)

Come check out this unique musical group as they prepare for performances later in the week.

American Indian Trading Posts (MSU Union, Lake Huron and Lake Ontario rooms, 9:00 am-5:00 pm)

Both the Buffalo Chips and Written Heritage areas will offer a unique look back at an important part of our Order’s legacy.

Open Shoot / Shooting Training (Demmer Shooting Center, 1:00-4:00 pm)

Ready, Aim, Fire! Grab the bus at the R-2/B-2 stop and come try your hand at some shooting sports!

Adventure Central (Munn Field, 1:00-5:00 pm)

After a busy morning of training, take advantage of the great opportunity to enjoy some unique recreational facilities you’re not likely to find at home!

Cast Iron Chef Competition (Munn Field, 1:00-5:00 pm)

Come see what’s cooking as Arrowmen across the country compete to produce the top eats!

 “The NESA @ NOAC 100^th Anniversary Celebration” (Breslin Student Events Center, 8:00-9:30 pm)

This show is brand new this year! Eagles and non-Eagles alike are sure to enjoy what NESA has planned for tonight!

All across the sprawling East Lansing campus, Arrowmen excitedly buzz about their morning training sessions.  From the National Council of Chiefs, where lodge chiefs from all across the country lined up to take part in a wide exchange of ideas, to a truly transformational session, “Developing the Leader Around You” by Judge J. Corpening, participants had the chance to learn great ideas to take back to their lodge.

When you attend trainings, Conference Vice Chief of Training Sam Bellomy wants you to remember a few things. “Prepare for your classes by eating well, bringing pen and paper, and having a good attitude,” Bellomy suggests. ”We have the nation’s best trainers here, and this is the best opportunity for Arrowmen to learn and take advantage of those opportunities.”

The training committee has been hard at work preparing a variety of sessions, including Wednesday’s “Communicating Across Generations” from 2005 National Chief Patrick Murphy. If you are not registered for this rare event with the former national officer, you will be able to access it by visiting live.oa-bsa.org/stream at 10:30 am. This will be truly be a once in a lifetime training opportunity.

Training sessions continue on Wednesday and Thursday in locations across the campus.  Ask your contingent adviser for information about the training cells in which you are registered. For more assistance dial (855) MSU-NOAC, x34.  For scheduling questions, you may also visit the training committee at the Kellogg Conference Center Red Cedar Room.

“The training staff is eagerly awaiting your arrival to their sessions,” said Bellomy, “and all are ready to help make your lodges, chapters, and communities more united.”

The National Council of Chiefs (NCOC) is where the lodge Key Three from each lodge around the country gathers for a one-of-a-kind leadership meeting.  At this meeting, all of the most recent news from the national committee were revealed to the lodge leaders in attendance. These included the new strategic plan for the Order of the Arrow, Unit/Chapter/Lodge support, new awards for Arrowmen, the national endowment, goal setting for the lodges, and even updates on what the various task forces are working on.

One phrase that was emphasized was “tools, not rules.” Each lodge was given a multitude of materials to distribute, including the new Chapter Operations Guide, new videos, the new strategic plan, new Order of the Arrow High Adventure promotions materials, and many more items to share among their brothers.

A new feature of this NCOC was a lodge leadership survey concerning membership requirement changes. The feedback from this survey will be considered when a proposal goes before the national committee. Towards the end of the meeting, a panel comprised of national committee members answered questions from lodge leaders.  The NCOC concluded with the lodge leaders discussing their best practices for their lodge with the other leaders and see where they could improve upon what they are already doing.

When asked about the NCOC, Sam Levondoski, Lowwapnneu Lodge Chief from the Northeastern Pennsylvania Council, said “It was a fun time and I learned great leadership techniques.” With all these new programs being implemented it is a great time to be in the Order of the Arrow.