By Reese Wamsley
When Charlie Todd became Nguttitehen Lodge Chief in 2014, he planned to increase the number of active brothers and make the lodge stronger. To continue improving the new lodge, Charlie Todd along with his adviser, Don Ault, came up with an idea for the leadership of the lodge to get together, learn about each other, have some fun and plan goals for the new year. Their plans culminated in a two day retreat for the lodge officers.
All chapter chiefs and lodge officers gathered at the Nguttitehen Lodge at Camp Crooked Creek in Kentucky. The new 2015 officers got to know one another through fun and games, group bonding activities and a movie. Charlie planned this part of the weekend to find out the answer to his question: “Will we work well together?” Charlie said, “This gave us a chance to get together, learn about each other’s personalities and see how we could work together.” The fellowship allowed officers to feel more like a part of a team that could work well together to make the lodge better than ever.
On Saturday, the real work began. To reduce last minute planning and unnecessary time during normal lodge executive committee meetings, the weekend was also spent as an annual planning meeting. First, the brothers who were new to their positions were able to learn more about their roles and responsibilities. Then, the officers discussed their goals for the year including a crucial part of successful leadership, communication. “Without communicating, we would not get anything done, so that is definitely something we needed to focus on,” said Todd. The leaders brainstormed ideas and schedules for upcoming events as well as made plans for the 2015 NOAC. During the busy day, they also engaged in team-building exercises to learn more about each other and to discover everyone’s leadership style.
At the end of the day, the lodge came out stronger and ready to tackle the new year. With everyone aware and ready to tackle the game plan for the year, the lodge officers were refreshed and proud of the new leadership that had taken foot in Nguttitehen Lodge. Looking forward to the year ahead, Charlie hopes that the lodge continues to grow stronger and become a premier lodge in the Order of the Arrow.