News, ideas, and information for lodge leadership.
Sending Delegates to Another Lodge's Function
<p>Visiting events of other lodges can be very advantageous. In the workplace and elsewhere, collaboration is widely seen as the quickest way to innovation. Owen Clapp of Occoneechee Lodge led a delegation to an event of neighboring Nawakwa Lodge. “We’re all unified under one arrow,” Clapp said. He is a huge proponent of inter-lodge visitation outside of conclaves as a way to share and learn with fellow brothers.</p> <p>“It starts with research. Stay small and look around in your section first,” Clapp said. Look for lodges that have upcoming events that appeal to you or whose way of doing things would be interesting to learn about. This keeps your attention during the event and ensures that you learn something new. The next step is to reach out to both the leadership of your lodge and the one you want to visit to have them agree and figure out the details of the trip. After that, arrange travel, pack your bag, and enjoy fellowship with some new brothers!</p> <p>Clapp says, “It’s a way to not only have fun, but to share best practices and new ideas.” This allows the entire OA to grow and benefit from each lodge’s successes. He also points out that for officers, it makes for a great opportunity to meet their counterparts. Another benefit is the ability to make lasting and important connections with other brothers. A great visitation by an enthusiastic delegation can ensure meaningful cooperation between lodges, as well as personal or professional connections that could prove useful for the future.</p> <p>Clapp points out that he, like other Arrowmen, loves his home lodge, but diversity is fun and important too. As a ceremonialist, he spent time with others that weekend, allowing him to “re-experience ceremonies.” He believes that everyone can “re-experience” parts of the OA they enjoy most, and even ignite a new passion they never had before. He believes that the most important takeaway is that it is not only possible, but fairly easy to visit another lodge. He also emphasizes that it is not just for officers, as his delegation was composed of several general members who had an amazing time as well.</p>
Ideas for Your Next Fall Event
<p>Whether your lodge has a spring or fall fellowship, new activities are always a great way to get Arrowmen out to the event and can trigger new traditions that the lodge will do for years to come. In addition lodges are always on the lookout for ways to give service to the local council with Cub Scout Packs.</p> <p>Three lodges share their fall activities, including fellowships as well as a Spook-O-Ree for Cub Scouts. In addition the Lodge History series is continue with Langundowi Lodge. These ideas are sure to spark Lodge Executive Committee discussion as you plan for this fall!</p> <ul> <li><a href="/article/fellowship-provides-latin-flare-arrowmen">Fellowship provides Latin flare for Arrowmen</a></li> <li><a href="/article/pachachaug-launches-its-app-tastic-adventure">Pachachaug launches its “App-Tastic Adventure”</a></li> <li><a href="/article/malibu-lodges-spook-o-ree-spooks-cub-scouts">Malibu Lodge’s Spook-O-Ree spooks Cub Scouts</a></li> <li><a href="/article/spirit-through-ages-langundowi-lodge-history">Spirit Through the Ages: Langundowi Lodge History</a></li> </ul>
Going For Gold: Tips For Winning ‘Quest’-Style Competitions
<p>As conclave season starts to wind down, many Arrowmen look back with fondness to the various events and activities, most likely still trying to decide what their favorite was. Many land on the quest competitions and the gold trophy that their lodge may have brought home. Games like lodgeball, ultimate frisbee and tug-of-war are familiar sights, with opposing teams both trying to earn those much-needed points and stay afloat in the brackets. What does it take to be one of those players, and what does it take to win?</p> <p>“It takes the heart” says Alex Jernigan, the SR-5 Program Coordinator. “It takes participation, spirit and focus”, says Anthony Peluso, the SR-7A Quest Conclave Vice Chief. Both should know, as they are responsible for the planning and execution of quest events at their conclaves. Both also stress teamwork as a major factor, not only between teammates, but also between the team and the Arrowmen cheering them on. Players need to have fun and do their best, and work together to be an effective and cohesive team by stressing positivity instead of negativity. This extends to the spectators, where the amount of spirit they can show becomes a competition of its own.</p> <p>Alex and Anthony both agree that while skill can help in winning, there is no skill required to win an event or even do well in it. Anthony believes that lodges can often get caught up with winning, finding the event that they can do best in and other such obsessions, instead of having fun and participating in conclave. “Conclave is all about interactions between lodges,” says Alex.</p> <p>Both Alex and Anthony hope that Arrowmen recognize that we are all brothers and that conclave is all about fellowship and having fun. They believe that keeping this in mind will help lodges win at quest events and enjoy the weekend.</p>
Lodge Ledger: Journey to Excellence program to change in 2015
<p>Since 2012, <a href="/resources/ucl-support/journey-to-excellence">Journey to Excellence</a> (JTE) has been used to help lodges evaluate their performance, plan for the future and develop better, more effective programs.<br /> <br /> JTE has been phased into lodge programs over its first three years: the 2012 program was optional and the 2013 and 2014 programs were left unchanged to get lodges adjusted to using JTE and understanding the information it can provide.<br /> <br /> This year’s program will see three major changes to the Journey to Excellence program that all lodge leaders should be aware of:</p> <h3>NEW REQUIREMENTS</h3> <p>This is the first year the lodge JTE requirements have been wholly revamped. Major changes include:<br /> <br /> <em>No more required items</em>: lodges no longer need to achieve specific requirements to get JTE recognition. Instead, an overall point value will be used to determine which JTE level a lodge receives, and the point values by requirement have been adjusted to reflect a weighting of what the national committee believes is most important for lodge success.<br /> <br /> <em>Emphasis on unit outreach</em>: the unit elections requirement has been changed from doing a percentage of requested elections to doing elections in the total number of units in the council. Additionally, new requirements for the OA Unit of Excellence Award and doing in-person unit visits have been added to help make the lodge more visible.<br /> <br /> <em>Streamlining requirements</em>: requirements on communications, planning and reporting have been consolidated to make tracking and reporting easier.<br /> <br /> Achievement levels: the benchmarks for each requirement have been adjusted to reflect the performance of lodges over the past three years, and the total point values have been redone to better achieve the ideal distribution of awards per the national BSA JTE guidelines.</p> <h3>REVISED CHAPTER JTE</h3> <p>One piece of feedback that the national committee heard over the first few years of JTE’s existence was that the chapter program’s “one size fits all” approach was not in line with how chapters operate. Each lodge uses their chapters for different purposes.<br /> <br /> In 2015, the chapter JTE program has been completely reworked. The program now consists of three core requirements related to membership, elections and communications: areas of responsibility that seem consistent across almost all lodges. The remaining requirements are flexible to each lodge so that lodge leadership may determine what areas are important for their chapters to execute and design requirements specifically for them.</p> <h3>OA LODGEMASTER INTEGRATION</h3> <p>For the past two years, <a href="http://lodgemaster.oa-bsa.org/" target="_blank">OA LodgeMaster</a> (OALM) has been an optional way to submit the annual JTE and recharter petition. Beginning in 2015, all lodges will need to use OALM in order to submit their JTE and recharter. This move is being made both to improve the accuracy of data collected through JTE, which will help provide more valuable recommendations to lodges, and to begin offering real-time tracking tools, similar to the council JTE program.</p>
Lodge Ledger: Redefining excellence in Section NE-1
<p>Anyone who has spent time in the Order of the Arrow knows that it is designed to be a youth-led organization. In order for the Scouting program to be successful, it needs to have quality youth who serve as trained leaders given the proper tools to succeed. Section NE-1 has taken a direct approach to providing these tools through its second annual Lodge Excellence Summit (LES).<br /> <br /> The LES is designed to provide leaders from the twelve lodges of Section NE-1 with the tools to make their individual lodges, as well as the section, succeed. According to Section NE-1 Co-Chief Zac Gunther, the Lodge Excellence Summit shifts focus from general lodge improvement to the improvement of leaders within each lodge. Such a shift reveals a change in strategy to a more grassroots system of improvement, where better leaders make better lodges and not vice versa.<br /> <br /> LES contains four different training tracks, each focusing on a specific aspect vital to a lodge's success. The four tracks (ceremonies, communications, program, and advanced leadership) are taught by seasoned Order of the Arrow trainers who have staffed at the regional level through the Northeast Region's National Leadership Seminars. Among the trainers for this year's Summit are former section chiefs, three current NER section chiefs, and 2014 Northeast Region Chief Kyle Piper.<br /> <br /> Scouting prides itself on creating leaders out of its youth members, but the processes are different throughout the nation. The one common denominator is the belief that effective youth leaders make the Scouting movement better, not only for its members but for the communities affected as well. Section NE-1 takes on the task of training leaders through its Lodge Excellence Summit, a program designed to train lodge leaders in fields vital to the success of lodges, thus improving the Scouting program. The LES should be viewed as an example to other sections that effectively trained youth can and will make a difference in Scouting.</p>
Lodge Ledger: Unali’yi Lodge sets the standard for camping promotions
<p>In 1969, the <a href="/program/awards/e-urner-goodman-camping-award">E. Urner Goodman Camping Award</a> was established in honor of the Order of the Arrow's co-founder. This award was developed with the vision of inspiring lodges to increase their efforts in camp promotions. With only two awards presented annually in each region, competition is highly intense, and proves that being bestowed with this award is truly an honor.<br /> <br /> Unali'yi Lodge has been awarded with the E. Urner Goodman Camping Award for the last two years. A milestone that is not often met, being chosen for the award two subsequent years has left Unali'yi a lot to be proud of. Furthermore, its efforts over many years of service have secured a strong future for Camp No Hon Wa, its local council's camp.<br /> <br /> Unali'yi's foremost camping promotions initiative is its "ambassador" program, focused on expanding and strengthening support for Camp Ho Non Wah. Starting with the lodge chief, a letter is sent thanking each unit that visits its camp, asking them not only to consider Ho Non Wah again, but also help promote the camp if they decide to attend somewhere else.<br /> <br /> Continuing on the theme of spreading support, lodge members are expected to promote Ho Non Wah wherever they go. Whether it be NOAC, a section conclave or even to the national jamboree, Arrowmen are expected to wear camp T-shirts and pass out promotional wooden nickels.<br /> <br /> The wooden nickels, along with rulers and other trinkets, were created by the lodge. Each item is garnished with Camp Ho Non Wah information, and are given to each unit that attends during the summer.<br /> <br /> In addition to its financial and publicizing efforts, Unali'yi Lodge works to provide useful supplements to Ho Non Wah's program throughout the summer, such as an American Indian powwow on Thursday nights. Aligning with the previously scheduled family night, the powwow serves to not only improve the camper experience, but also promote the lodge. Additionally, the lodge hosts a call-out ceremony at the Friday night campfire for all in and out of council troops.<br /> <br /> The lodge also seeks to serve their camp on a day-to-day basis. Even though the majority of staff are active lodge members, Unali'yi takes the next step and produces morning newsletters for each unit at no cost to the camp.<br /> <br /> Unali'yi Lodge also plays a heavy role in Ho Non Wah's annual winter camp program. While continuing many of the same aspects of summer camp, such as the newsletter, Unali'yi is able to boast that a massive 80% of the volunteer staff are also OA members. This program would be the focus of its 2014 petition, displaying how its efforts do not stop at the end of summer camp.<br /> <br /> Unali'yi Camping Promotions Chairman Zachary Kontenakos cannot wait to see how this example will leave an impact.<br /> <br /> "We encourage other lodges to go above and beyond in promoting and caring for their camp as well." Zachary said. "We want Scouting and camping programs to continue to grow, and that can only occur if lodges help out in any way possible, for the betterment of their camp. It gives us such great satisfaction to see a great camp and camping program influence the lives of Scouts. We hope that other lodges can do the same."<br /> <br /> There's still time left to apply for the E. Urner Goodman Camping Award and share your lodge's innovative camping promotions. The <a href="/resources/forms#goodmancamping">E. Urner Goodman Camping Award Application</a> is in the Forms section.</p>
Lodge Ledger: Join the Arrowmen Press Corps
<p>Calling all Arrowmen! Are you interested in journalism, photography or video production? If so, the Arrowmen Press Corps (APC) will enable you to combine your passion with the Order of the Arrow. Arrowmen Press Corps representatives will sign up as members of their local lodge. These representatives can select their interest in writing, photography or video making and pursue those passions through the program. APC will allow for national publications, mailings and media to have more local content, and for local writers and photographers to have their work seen by a national audience.</p> <p>The purpose of the Arrowmen Press Corps program is to identify local Arrowmen producing content and bring them on to the national OA communications team to highlight happenings at the chapter and lodge level. The Arrowmen Press Corps is much more than just a content generator.</p> <p>APC representatives will be able to learn skills and gain information they might not receive elsewhere. This is a great chance to become more active in the OA while also gaining an early learning experience in the fields of writing, photography and videography. We have a team of editors and advisers that are willing to help you develop your skills along the way.</p> <p>Each one of the three roles on APC have specific requirements that you can fulfill in order to earn the Arrowmen Press Corps representative patch. The requirements for each of the roles and a frequently asked questions page can be found <a href="/article/arrowmen-press-corps-faq">here</a>. </p> <p>If you are interested in joining the Arrowmen Press Corps, please email us at <a href="mailto:apc@oa-bsa.org">apc@oa-bsa.org</a>. APC members must be under the age of 21 and be actively registered in the Order of the Arrow.</p>
SR-7A Ceremonies Weekend
<p>On the weekend of April 15 - 17th, over 60 participants arrived at Camp T. Brady Saunders in the beautiful Heart of Virginia Council. Of that, over two-thirds were youth ceremony team members who enthusiastically arrived to deepen their understanding of ceremonies and to share their experience in brotherhood with others. </p> <p>Over the past couple of years, it began to appear that instead of working alongside one another, the lodges had a sense that each year at conclave, they would send their best team to ‘compete’ against the other lodges and discover which team is the best. This is a common trend found across the nation, and while this was great as far as a friendly competition to push each other to improve, it didn’t really appear to be the most beneficial approach.</p> <p>Recently, the leadership has been pushing to transition from the idea of having competitions, to instead showcasing evaluations. These evaluations focus on valuable feedback for the participating Arrowmen on their performance and ability in portraying the important principals of our Order. This was the intent behind the SR-7A ceremonies weekend.</p> <p>Participants started their adventure on Friday evening, when youth were organized in bunkhouses based on the ceremonial principal they identified. In those groups they were able to form the strongest bonds of brotherhood, and spend hours in conversation talking earnestly about how to portray the principal. After a night of OA jeopardy, Arrowmen rested up and prepared themselves for the day of learning ahead of them. Since nearly every participant was at a different skill level, all program activities were set up as learning opportunities. This made the time the Arrowmen had together worthwhile.</p> <p>A major highlight was the “Or-Deal” tournament on Saturday afternoon. “Or-Deal” is a card game created by Jay Dunbar, one of the authors of the 1979 Pre-Ordeal ceremony and the 2015 Brotherhood ceremony, who was a special guest at the weekend. The game consists of players working to create the best “hand” of factors that go into planning an Ordeal weekend, including cards like “Elangomats” and “Ceremonialists,” with the goal of having the best Ordeal weekend setup as possible. Not only is it a fun game but also a fantastic learning opportunity on how to plan an Ordeal. As a prize for the first officially sanctioned “Or-Deal” tournament ever held, Jay Dunbar awarded the winner with the lodge flap he wore during the time he was a lodge chief.</p> <p>After breakfast on Sunday morning, each participating team took part in ceremony evaluations. These were based on the NOAC honor lodge standard. Paul Lackie, head national evaluations trainer, was present during the evaluations, as he has been before for the previous six Section SR-7A Conclaves. The evaluations, although in depth, were not expecting an honor level standard from each team. Instead, the purpose was to use the guide to best help teams improve. This was accomplished by discovering parts of the ceremony that needed improvement, no matter what level the team is at as a whole. More great resources and coaches for the success of the weekend included Alex Deloach, Michael Todd, Johnny Cirillo and Ryan Showman, all of whom are experienced ceremonialists from Tipisa Lodge in Florida who served on ICE staff at NOAC 2015. They were present through the whole weekend and were a huge inspiration to the youth attendees. The evaluations were so widely enjoyed that SR-7A is even considering moving the official section ceremony evaluations from conclave to this ceremonies weekend in the future, to allow ceremonialists more time to participate in the conclave program. </p> <p>Like many memorable events, the ceremonies weekend started off as just an idea. It originated from an informal conversation between two advisers after a long day of section ceremony evaluations. Gary Harvey and Paul Teasley discussed the present problem of Arrowmen having difficulty getting kick-started in ceremonies. They realized it often takes a good amount of time that could be better spent taking skills to the next level, instead of fumbling through the motions of a ceremony text for the first or fourth time. That’s where the idea of the ceremonies weekend was born. Quite simply, it is a time dedicated to this entry level experience and knowledge passed down by the veterans that came before them. It was a phenomenal way for new enthusiastic Arrowmen to get involved and learn more about ceremonies.</p> <p>From the informal idea, a healthy mix of team members from each lodge of Section SR-7A came together to make the event happen. The idea was presented and officially approved by the Council of Chiefs (COC), a gathering of leaders from each lodge. Nawakwa Lodge volunteered to host the event at Camp T. Brady Saunders, since the location is central and has great outdoor and indoor venues. Sheridan Parkison, who is the youth that served as the main organizer of the event and holds the position of conclave vice chief of ceremonies in SR-7A, deserves much of the credit for this weekend’s success.</p> <p>According to Dave Pratt, SR-7A Ceremonies Adviser, there are two major reasons for the success of this event: the youth, and the time set aside to make it all happen. Dave succeeded Gary Harvey from Tutelo Lodge as the section ceremonies adviser, a role that he believes had the bar set high. “Gary was a tough act to follow” recalled Dave, and they worked closely together overseeing this vision that was laid out by the youth in front of them.</p> <p>First, Dave is proud of the qualified youth that stepped up to organize the event. Experienced ceremonialists led engaging sessions that were informative and rewarding. The participants found the trainers credible and looked up to them with respect. Without the youth, the ceremonies weekend would have turned out entirely different. </p> <p>Secondly, because of how in-depth ceremonies are, Dave believes that the ceremonies weekend was a huge hit due to the fact they basically had a whole weekend to dive through them, instead of for most of us who may have gotten a five minute 'heads up' to learn a part for the first time and fill in a role for a ceremony on Friday night. If you have ever been in that situation, then you can imagine how beneficial committing time to walking through the motions, symbolism, meaning, emotion and message of the ceremonial texts will help you better understand them. That is the key to providing ceremonies that are pivotal in the Scouting careers of our members. It’s also what contributes to the success of some of the top nationally recognized honor lodges across the country. </p> <p>For more information about this event, or to stay updated and see when you can register for 2017, keep an eye on the <a href="http://sr7a.org/ceremoniesweekend">Section SR-7A website</a>!</p>
Help needed to complete NEXT service project
<p>Order of the Arrow membership is not a recognition. It is a call to serve. People embrace the Order not to join a group, but to make a difference. </p> <p>To put into practice the theory and delivery of service, NEXT delegates will have the opportunity to participate in a food drive benefitting the student-run Crimson Cupboard at the program festival during the last full day of the conference. As an on-campus food pantry, the Crimson Cupboard provides free-of-charge food items to in-need students, faculty and immediate family members. Operated by the Student Advocacy Office, the Crimson Cupboard is excited to partner with us as we give our time and donations in service towards others. </p> <p>The NEXT-wide service project, while easy in planning and execution, will have large and profound positive impacts for those in need. We are asking that each lodge attending NEXT bring <u>at least one non-perishable food item <strong>per delegate</strong> to donate to the Crimson Cupboard</u>. For those lodges not wishing to travel with food items, monetary donations can be made during the program festival in support of purchasing food items. Lodges wishing to make larger cash donations to help the food pantry will also be given the opportunity to do so. For just a few dollars, the price you would pay for a soda and candy bar, you can help feed a hungry community member.</p>
Operation Arrow at NEXT
<p>As we get closer to July 2017, planning for the Order of the Arrow’s presence at the 2017 National Jamboree is in full swing! Operation Arrow staff is already over 45% full, and we are eagerly accepting applications from youth Arrowmen ages 16-20 to fill the remaining spots. At NEXT: A New Century, there will be several ways in which Operation Arrow will complement and enhance this hands-on, high energy event. </p> <p>This includes <strong>exclusive insight</strong> from Operation Arrow key leadership and Project 2013 alumni. They will be available to share their jamboree experiences and answer any questions delegates may have about staffing in 2017. Project 2013 alumni can be easily identified by the powder blue Operation Arrow shirts they are wearing at various occasions throughout the conference. Have a question about the OA’s role at jamboree or what new programs will be at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in 2017? Don’t hesitate to ask! </p> <p>Additionally, Operation Arrow will serve as a <strong>promotional and recruitment model</strong> for delegates. They will learn about some of the Operation Arrow Marketing & Promotion Team’s successful grassroots initiatives, which can be emulated locally to recruit staff for a chapter, lodge or section weekend, promote an upcoming event and increase overall membership retention.</p> <p>The opportunities are unlimited; be on the lookout for special opportunities to engage and interact with our leadership team at NEXT. In the meantime, for more information on Operation Arrow, visit <a href="https://oa-bsa.org/jamboree">oa-bsa.org/jamboree</a> and follow us on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/OperationArrow">@OperationArrow</a>. </p> <p>We look forward to fueling Scouting’s second century with you! </p>
Lodge Ledger: North Carolina Arrowmen present report to the state
<p>Arrowmen from 11 councils and lodges in North Carolina came together to present an update on Scouting across the state.<br /> <br /> The event was based on a previous resolution passed by the North Carolina House of Representatives, to honor the Boy Scouts of America and Arrowmen of North Carolina. The event was first held in 2010--the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America--and has continued annually since then.<br /> <br /> Stephen Frien, who was SR-7B Section Chief at the time of the event, said the presentation was a great way to show off what Scouting and the OA is doing across the Tarheel state.<br /> <br /> “The 70 plus other Arrowmen from across the state gave me confidence and reaffirmed through their display of character and maturity just how valuable the Scouting program is,” Frien said. “The report showed everyone there that Scouting is not just a youth led organization that provides cheerful service but also a model for what youth can do and how the community can be positively changed through their actions.”<br /> <br /> Brothers from across the state started their day at the state’s Supreme Court Building in Raleigh, where NC Supreme Court Justice Paul Newby--a Distinguished Eagle Scout and member of Occoneechee Lodge--welcomed them. They were then led to the Governor’s Mansion, where they were greeted by Governor Pat McCrory. Governor McCrory was presented an official copy of their report. From there, each Arrowman went on self-guided tours of the campus, where they had all-access passes to the grounds.<br /> <br /> “McCrory instructed his staff to take down all of the rope-off stands and allow us to go anywhere we would like,” Frein explained.<br /> <br /> The day continued on, with a visit to the state capitol building, where to top the day off, the Arrowmen convened at the chambers of the House of Representatives. As honorary pages at the rear of the room, with adult leaders and family members in the balconies above, the formal process of the report to the state began. Speaker Tim Moore, an Eagle Scout, called the meeting into session. Frein officially presented the report to representatives.<br /> <br /> The purpose of the report was not only to keep the state informed about the Boy Scouts of America and the Order of the Arrow but was also intended to honor the accomplishments of Scouting within the state.<br /> <br /> “In the end, service hours, membership numbers and local projects were presented in addition to a pledge to complete all of the service projects over the course of the next year,” Frein said.<br /> <br /> Among the facts and stats included in the report were the more than 71,000 youth members, 27,000 adult volunteers and approximately 6,000 Arrowmen in the State of North Carolina. In 2014, 1,800 Scouts achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Over 565,000 hours of service were completed across the state which is valued at more than $12 million.<br /> <br /> In honor of the centennial anniversary of the Order of the Arrow, the OA chapters in North Carolina have pledged to complete a service project in every North Carolina county, 100 in all, to benefit their local communities. This is one of the largest service initiatives that Arrowmen of the state have undertaken. They are looking forward to its completion by the end of the year. Efforts will be done by each of sections of North Carolina, SR-7A, SR-7B and SR-5.<br /> <br /> To conclude the day, North Carolina State Senator David L. Curtis welcomed the brothers to the state senate chamber and Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest thanked them for the continued service that the Order of the Arrow and Boy Scouts provide.<br /> <br /> This group, a part of a cheerful brotherhood of service, ended their day with a new charge to keep true to the theme of the centennial anniversary: Centuries of Service.</p>
Spirit Through the Ages: Langundowi Lodge History
<p>Located in Northwestern Pennsylvania, Langundowi Lodge was founded in 1972 with the merger of Eriez Lodge 46, Hoh-Squa-Sa-Gah-Da Lodge 251, and Skanondo Inyan Lodge 256. Over its forty-two year history, Langundowi has used its rich history to foster lodge traditions that continue to inspire camaraderie among lodge members.</p> <p>In late October of 1972, Arrowman Tim Baum won the competition to name the new lodge with his submission "Langundowi," meaning "Peaceful One." As his reward, Tim received a free trip to the 1973 NOAC, while the lodge obtained a name and mascot that holds strong today. The new lodge chose the Iroquois Great Tree of Peace as their mascot, and Pine Tree Pete was born soon after. The lodge totem is based upon the legend of the formation of the Iroquois Confederacy. It describes how a tall pine tree was taken out of the ground in the Onondaga village while the chiefs of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca tribes threw their weapons into the hole. The tree was then replaced and became known as the Peace Tree, which was said to have the Five Nations as its roots and an eagle perched in its upper branches watching for anyone who would disturb the peace. </p> <p>Pine Tree Pete was originally a concept to bolster sales of the Langundowi-run trading post at the 1983 Section NE-5C Conclave. However, he quickly grew into a lodge icon that has made appearances at all sorts of events, from lodge banquets to NOACs. Pine Tree Pete has been featured on lodge patches, pins, t-shirts, neckties, temporary tattoos, and even as an action figure! Of course, Langundowi also has a costume for occasions when Pine Tree Pete wants to be seen in person. His cartoon appearance has evolved over time, but he is still a steadfast representative of Langundowi’s spirit. </p> <p>However, Pine Tree Pete is not the only sign of Langundowi’s spirit of brotherhood. The lodge also has a virtual album of lodge songs. Set to popular tunes ranging from “Yankee Doodle” to Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” songs are all variations on the theme of lodge pride and accomplishment. But these cheers might not be there if it were not for the example set by one of Langundowi’s predecessors, Eriez Lodge. Eriez had a total of 16 cheers and songs that were used by Arrowmen at lodge, section, and area events. These ranged from simple three-line cheers to full songs, one of which was even written in French! Eriez’s tradition of articulated pride has helped Langundowi to build upon a legacy of cheerfulness and lodge spirit.</p> <p>Over Langundowi’s rich history, many Arrowmen have contributed bits and pieces to a store of lodge spirit that today binds Langundowi brothers together. Their traditions have adapted as times have changed, but, as one of their songs affirms, Langundowi members believe: “We can’t be beat, ‘cause we’re led by Pine Tree Pete. We are Langundowi!” </p>