Chiefs,
It is hard to believe that only a few short weeks stand between this moment and the beginning of a new year. When we descend on Dallas for the National Planning Meeting (NPM), we will lay the groundwork for the 2018 National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC). Each of you will play a key role in planning and delivering the 2018 national program of emphasis, and we are excited for the unique skills and ideas that you will bring to NOAC 2018! A large majority of you have not attended a NPM before, and we would like to give you a brief overview of the meeting and a few key reminders.
Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect when you touchdown at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (remember, don’t go to Love Field!):
When you land, grab your bags and head to Terminal C, baggage claim C-31, and check-in with the uniformed BSA representative who will assist with transportation to the hotel. Once you arrive at the Marriott, you may check into your room and participate in afternoon recreation. Find some time to get to know the other section chiefs, national committee members, and key NOAC staff as they arrive! We will also be holding the traditional national officers vs. national committee basketball game. Feel free to come on out and watch; you know which team you should be rooting for…
On the night of December 27th, there will be a reception, dinner, and a presentation on the basics of NOAC and the unveiling of the conference theme. Following this general session, you will go straight into the national chief and national vice chief elections. The elections are notoriously known to end late at night, so make sure you are well rested when you get to the hotel. After the elections, you’ll want to head to bed because you will have to wake up in the morning on the 28th for breakfast and region chief elections. Each region will meet in a separate room and elect their region chief.
Following the region chief elections, professional photos of each planning meeting guest will be taken, as well as a group photo of all the meeting’s attendees. In the afternoon, the new officers will be installed, your conference committee assignments issued and NOAC planning will commence! After going through some initial, big picture discussions on your committee’s vision and involvement at conference, you will elect a conference vice chief (CVC). The rest of the meeting will be spent compiling your plan to deliver on your respective committee’s responsibilities at NOAC next summer. Of course, the planning meeting is not strictly business. You will have the chance to enjoy fellowship with other planning meeting attendees, as well as see first-hand the exciting things happening in the Order of the Arrow.
On December 30th, continental breakfast will be served and we will depart, ready to put on an event of a lifetime. Please be sure all of your paperwork has been taken care of, and you have reviewed all of the event information that was sent to you a few weeks ago. We are also pioneering a mobile application for the NPM, which will contain the schedule and other resources. Please be on the lookout for an announcement regarding the release of this app.
We look forward to joining you soon, and if we may be of service, please do not hesitate to ask.
Yours in Service,
Forrest Gertin & Talon Parker
2017 National Chief & Vice Chief