Thematics is one of the most important aspects of a national event. The National Order of the Arrow Conference in 2015 is going to be the largest OA event ever, and as such, the process to select the theme has been deliberate and thoughtful.
The conference theme has two parts. The first is the thematic learning objective. This learning objective is the lesson the conference wants to communicate to each of its guests. For example, at the 2009 conference, the learning objective was one person can make a difference. The second part of the theme is the slogan: "United we Leave a Legacy" (NOAC 2012), "The Power of One" (NOAC 2009). The slogan and learning objective work closely together. The slogan is a tagline used to remind guests of the learning objective, while the learning objective is the specific messaged instilled in each Arrowman in attendance. The tag-team of slogan and learning objective together promote and cement the message of each NOAC.
The theme for the 2015 NOAC is going to be extraordinary. Earlier this year, the national committee, section chiefs and other key leaders took a survey which asked them to provide feedback on their experiences in the Order. After receiving the results to the survey, the members of the theme team generated a list of possible themes. These themes were posted on an online messaging board for the 2014-2015 section chiefs to discuss.
After each theme was discussed, the section chiefs voted to select the final 2015 conference theme. The results of the vote are secret, and will be publicly revealed to the entire Order of the Arrow on the first night of 2014 planning meeting, December 27th, 2014.
The conference theme connects all the different elements of the conference, and defines the messaging each guest receives. Pay attention to the OA's social media accounts on December 27th for the reveal of the 2015 conference theme!
Zach Sager Centennial Update