By Gabriel Martinez
Lowaneu Allanque Lodge of Three Fires Council (St. Charles, Illinois) recently revived a program known as the "Friendship Pow-Wow" that had been dormant for over a decade. Now, it has taken root as a key program in the lodge's planning.
This pow-wow is a weekend program designed to bring together a lodge's membership through American Indian Affairs (AIA) events, namely through song and dance. The hope is that the events will rekindle a personal flame in the spirit of each Arrowman.
Leaders in Lowaneu Allanque re-started the program two years ago and have seen fantastic results ever since. The most recent pow-wow had a record number of dancers and attendees show up for the lodge's premiere event.
The Friendship Pow-wow has also shown an additional benefit by improving retention rates, which is attributed to the renewed interest in the finer aspects of our Order. Lodge leaders found that when youth become involved as dancers or drummers, they became more likely to remain active in the Order. Indirectly, one of the effects is that the pow-wow sets the stage for Lowaneu Allanque to participate in future national event AIA activities, such as the ones at NOAC 2015. By immersing the youth in a weekend filled with fellowship and American Indian activities, anticipation builds for future showcases of the lodge's talented drummers and dancers.
Does your lodge struggle with getting its footing into the AIA atmosphere? If so, consider a weekend pow-wow/fellowship mix like this lodge, and let us know how it goes at content@oa- bsa.org to be possibly featured in a future newsletter.