An Open Letter From Our Lodge Chief                            Camp Cutter                                        Camp Oljato

Welcome Arrowmen, I exceedingly hope that your summer is going well. In between your summer homework, summer jobs, and the task of “hanging out” I encourage all of you to go to camp. In my opinion one week of camp is as important as the rest of the year of regular Boy Scouting activities. In one week you will deeply explore topics such as nature, cooking, horsemanship, communications, cope, and much more. Beyond that, “a bond will be made between each and every one of you that will never be broken” as Allowat Sakima says in the Ordeal ceremony. But really, your troop, the staff and all of the other troops will be able to come together in a positive atmosphere that I have never seen in the outside world. The Order of the Arrow was formed by a camp director nearly a hundred years ago to bring together his camp staff and the dedicated campers in a society that is reminiscent of camp all year long. We do not hold meetings during the summer not because we need a break but because the morals of the Order are held strong amongst Arrowmen and non Arrowmen alike. So I encourage all of you to go to at least one camp this summer, maybe more. If you are fourteen or older I encourage you even stronger to come join me and become part of a camp staff. They say that you do not really understand a subject until you teach it, this is very true. You will feel the power of camp even more as a staff member. And when you are singing Vespers at the end of the week, you will realize that you are a part of something very good.   Yours in Brotherhood, Bradley Bottoms   Bradley Bottoms Lodge Chief Ohlone Lodge Order of the Arrow

06 July 2008 by Otto