BSA Arrowhead LHC District: [troop_545] Order of the Arrow [1 Attachment]

[Attachment(s) from talahiadviseroa@earthlink.net included below]

Arrowmen:

Our summer vacation is nearly over and it's just about time to return to school - please hold your applause - I know you're as excited as I am! I hope you've all enjoyed a great summer.

For this month's activity, let's celebrate the end of summer with a swim party at the Elks Lodge! We'll also cook up some hot dogs and enjoy any other refreshments we can come up with. You don't need to bring anything except your trunks and a towel, but if you'd like to, feel free to bring a bag of chips, a few cookies, a soft drink, or any other goodies you'd care to share.

Also, we've got two upcoming Ordeals: the next Ordeal dates are August 23-25 at Worth Ranch and September 20-22 at Sid Richardson. Please remind candidates that they need to attend an Ordeal weekend to complete their journey into the OA, and current Ordeal members are encouraged to seal their OA membership by doing their Brotherhood There will be other Brotherhood opportunities, but Ordeal candidates need to attend one of these weekends. If we don't make a real effort to get Ordeal and Brotherhood candidates to the WR Ordeal we may not earn our Chapter Active Award for this year - we've earned it the past 3 years in a row! The awards will be presented at the Lodge Banquet in September. Please go to the Longhorn Council website for additional details and to register. Brotherhood Q&A is attached.

And don't forget the Lodge Banquet on September 7, 2013. It will be at Texas Wesleyan University this year. This will be the event when we elect the Lodge Chief who will lead us into 2014. Please plan to attend. Details will be on the Longhorn Council website.

And it's never too late to pay your 2013 Lodge dues! Still a bargain at only $10! If Scoutmasters want to send a list of OA members and a check, we can get all your cards to you at one time. Remember to support the Lodge. The dues we collect are invested back into funding camp improvements to make your camping experiences more enjoyable. Member Retention is also part of our effort to reach our 2013 OA Chapter Journey to Excellence goal. Active membership, or a member in good standing, is defined by the Order of the Arrow as an Arrowman who attends lodge, chapter, and/or unit events regularly, completes assigned tasks as requested, and abides by the Scout Oath, the Scout Law, and Order of the Arrow Obligation. Active membership requires dues-paid registration in both the Boy Scouts of America and the Order of the Arrow lodge.

As always, the Talahi Chapter meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m., at the Elks Lodge, located at 601 W. Pioneer Pkwy, Arlington, TX 76010. Our next scheduled meeting is at 7:30 PM on Tuesday, August 20, 2013. The chapter officers and I would like to invite all Arrowmen to attend our meeting. If you're a regular attendee, it will be great to see you again. If you haven't been to a meeting in a while, please come and reconnect with the Order of the Arrow - we've missed you!

Yours in Brotherhood,