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A Guide for a Successful Lodge Banquet

  Spencer Lanning             OA Today

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Are you in charge of planning your lodge banquet or looking for new ideas for your lodge? Well we have everything you’d need to know when it comes to putting on a lodge banquet! Think of a banquet as the birthday party for the lodge. The banquet is a chance for all Arrowmen, new and experienced, to join together in a celebration of the previous year’s accomplishments. A banquet should be a relaxing occasion in which everyone can gather and join for a celebration with their brothers! 

The great thing about a lodge banquet from a promotional aspect is that the entire target audience is in one place at one time. While it is a celebration of the past year, it is the perfect time to look towards the future through having guests speak about the wide variety of new and upcoming events within the Order of the Arrow. Whether that’s talking about NOAC, Conclave or a spring fellowship. The opportunity to spread a wealth of information is present, so make sure to take advantage of it! 

Don’t forget we are all Arrowmen and we are proud to show it! The banquet is the perfect opportunity to allow everyone in your lodge to get their lodge apparel. Therefore, by having a small selection or the entirety of your trading post at a banquet is a great way to increase sales and promote your lodge to Arrowmen. 

Finally, if you are looking to make your banquet one to remember, one way to do so is by adding a keynote speaker! While initially this may seem like a daunting task, there is a plethora of great speakers to choose from. The best way to pick a speaker is finding someone who can connect to everyone in the room such as a past lodge chief who did something exceptional, a former national officer from your section, a distinguished military or government official and even your local Scout Executive or District Executive are all great examples of possible keynote speakers. With a simple introduction, everyone in the audience can see the clear connection between themselves and the speaker.

Overall, the banquet should be a chance for people to understand why they participate in the Order of the Arrow and the Scouting program as a whole! It is the culminating event of the past year and is a great chance to meet new people and catch up with old friends. Make it relevant and exciting so people will enjoy the banquet.

If you have a story that you would like to share regarding your local lodge, go here to find out how!