The Wulamoc
he who speaks truly
Summer 1998
The Wulamoc
he who speaks truly
Summer 1998
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With the passing of another April Service weekend also comes the passing of the chief's bonnet. Some faces are new while some have stayed the same… but all will commit their time and energy to making the 1998-1999 year a sucessful one. Below are the names of the upcoming year's officers:
July ??: Exec. Committee Training Day
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Dear Brothers, The Executive Committee and myself WELCOME YOU TO THE
JUNE WEEKEND. It is sure to be a exciting time of Food, Fun and Fellowship
through service! Leadership is the keynote to success - But leadership
is difficult to define, and leaders are difficult to find. But here in
Octoraro Concerning the OA committee meetings; ALL ARE INVITED TO ATTEND, yes both youth and adults, the meetings are designed so that every youth has a say in the happenings of the lodge; therefore the more youth the more we can accomplish. I also encourage adults too from the fact that the advisory comments are needed and appreciated. I know that this weekend will be a smooth continuation of the outstanding service that has been brought to this camp through Octoraro Lodge 22. I again cannot thank you enough for your service and dedication to the lodge and to Camp Horseshoe. Yours in Brotherhood,
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5
& 22 Together Again: The 1998 NE-4A Conclave
 Friday
NightWe were spread throughout the forest at the back end of the camp and rain had begun to fall… not a terribly great start to the weekend. But things improved immensely once fuel for the generator was procured; the opening ceremony in the dining hall also lifted our spirits as Eastern Lenape Nation Chief Bill Whipporwill Thompson delivered a superb Native-American ceremony and food was served immediately thereafter.
As Lodge Adviser Bruce Goodman put it, "This is some of the best training I've seen." From Fundamentals of the Ordeal to Scouting on the Internet with Andy Smith, the topics were diverse and interesting. They also included sessions on Brotherhood Conversion, Back to the Woods cooking, the Service to America plan, Ceremonies, and Endowments. At each session, the delegates had a sheet stamped by the trainer in hopes of receiving a pin at the end of the weekend. Some were a little, shall we say "liberal", with the stamps- some received the 11 stamps by Saturday morning.
Volleyball, the Ironman Competition, and horseshoes were the athletic contests at the conclave and Octoraro #22 fared well in the events. After a grueling match with Kittatinny #5, our lodge's team (below) came out on top of the Volleyball tournament. Justin Quay, the real Ironman competitor for the lodge, finished third in the event. Bruce and Gumps did not compete to our dismay.
If there is one aspect of the Order of the Arrow that this conclave represented well, it was the Native-American events. There were individual and team dance competitions, and both the opening ceremony and the Saturday Theme show were devoted to showing a little bit of Native-American culture. In the team dancing competition there was a flaming torch dance by Wyona #18, a grass dance by Wunita Gokhos #39, and Kittatinny #5 performed a Lenape Stomp Dance.
Another integral part of the conclaves is the patch tradings and the patch auctions. There was even an informal session on "How to Trade Patches" by some of the staff. And since there was an auction, delegates could donate their patches in return for a stamp. Some of our delegates tried to donate their goodie bags… they were unsuccessful to say the least.
On Sunday morning Section NE-4A gathered one last time for the year to choose who would lead the way for the 1999 conclave. The lodges caucused individually and chose three new arrowmen for section positions: Section Chief: David Sargent #39
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 Buffalo
Hunt!If there was one other lodge who was almost as obnoxious as Octoraro #22, it was Wopeau Sisilija #343. Though not as numerous or as cheeful as Octoraro, they had the White Buffalo… most of the time. What kicked off the animosity between us and them was when we found Saturday morning that the stuffed animal buffalo had our stolen banner for a vest. From there on, the white buffalo was the subject of our cheers and was the target of various kidnappings. Don't get the wrong idea. It was all in jest and no one got hurt… except for Matt "Mellon" Griffin.
The food at the meals got mixed reviews but most thought that it was up to conclave standards. Some brave creations included chipped beef and kilbasa… but, was that leftover jello in the odd creation at dinner? Well, when we weren't using our mouths for eating we screamed cheers at the buffalo and other lodges. Hey, did anyone use the red tray?
As the conclave ended, many wondered where the next few conclaves would be held. Others speculated whether Octoraro would be given the opportunity to host in 2001 for our 75th anniversary. Some were gloomy when they realized that we couldn't host that year, but the task would be enormous for us to host the conclave and plan for other birthday bashes at the banquet and other events. The rotation for the next few years is: Wyona #18 1999
One would have to search far and between to find a delegate who did not have a good time. Perhaps it was the near perfect weather, the smooth program, or the excellent facilities that made the 1998 NE-4A Conclave a success. The Section experienced something dramatic also… they got to see the Octoraro spirit and enthusiasm once more. By the end of the weekend, Octoraro had coerced almost every lodge to do cheers in the dining hall. "Cousins", Kittatinny's term for Host Guides, said that we were a great bunch and that they look forward to the next conclave so they can see us again.
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Service
to America
Perhaps you read the small article about the Service to America plan in the Winter edition of The Wulamoc, or maybe you have heard about it in your troop or in the news. Nevertheless, we have been charged to carry through with this plan that calls for 200 million hours of community service from the Boy Scouts by the end of the year 2000. Some have shrieked in panic when they heard how many hours are needed to be committed to service. But the number is roughly around 12 hours of service by each Boy Scout each year. It was figured that over 200 million hours were done the last two years alone by the Boy Scouts so doing that in three years should be no problem. The Order of the Arrow, however, must promote this program which requires that a record of these hours be kept- something that is usually only done for Eagle Projects. Most feel that we can accomplish this task with ease, and they are probably right. But hoping and guessing it will be accomplished are about the most dangerous things we can do. With that in mind, and considering we are for the most part the leaders of Chester County Council and its troops, let's not only promote the plan but take an active part in bringing the total way above expectations. 200 million is what we are doing now… but I know the Boy Scouts are capable of still more. Look around and poke around for opportunities to provide service to community. Search for large projects with which the troop can involve themselves in. The recent storms may have provided an opportunity for some hours, but they may have given a genuine opportunity to help someone else. Keep in mind that since we are already doing 200 million hours, this Service to America plan is really just selling the Boy Scouts to America. But if that is our attitude, we won't really be doing the community a favor. The promotion will start to take shape in the next few months, but don't wait that long to find where the service is really needed.
If you have any articles, comments, suggestions, or ideas
for The Wulamoc, please contact Andrew Coe at coe@octoraro.org.
Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.
Lodge 22 we
have found those leaders in our brothers. Brothers who give up their time
and come down and dedicate there skills in cheerful service to the camp
and the Lodge. Without brothers, that truly show leadership through their
many services to the Order, we would never be able to meet the high standard
of dedication the lodge has set for Camp Horseshoe. Every kind of service
is beneficial to the Order and therefore I would like to thank you for
attending this weekend. Your service, however minute you may think it is,
is deeply needed and appreciated. I encourage you to continue your devotion
to the Order and especially attempt to encourage other brothers to come
to the weekends, banquet, and OA Committee Meetings.
Training Sessions
Native-American
Events
Patch Trading
Section Election
Pass the Ketchup
Sounds of the
Conclave
NE-4A's
Future
The Experience
