The stories shared, friendships formed and the adventures experienced have endlessly bound OA members and alumni tightly as its circle has widened.
Preston Marquis is an Eagle Scout from Tidewater Council and Blue Heron Lodge. He has completed undergraduate and graduate degrees in international relations from Georgetown University and has since embarked on a career of public service. He has served as lodge chief, section chief and national vice chief in the OA.
John Donat is from Tidewater Council and Blue Heron Lodge. He holds a Ph.D in chemistry from the University of California, Santa Cruz and serves as an associate professor of chemistry and oceanography at Old Dominion University. He has served as lodge adviser and associate section adviser, and now serves as section adviser in the OA.
In 2004, newly crossed-over Scout Preston met Scoutmaster John during his first-ever week at summer camp. Recently, they sat down to heartily reflect on their seventeen-year friendship, share memories and discuss both the future of Scouting and how the OA and their relationship has impacted their personal and professional lives.
The OA Alliance welcomes its members to Preston and John’s chat with the hope that it rekindles the spark of timeless OA memories, too.