Arrowmen Celebrate their Pride at the Gathering of Nations

Music blared as Arrowmen hurried their way to the Mountain Top Recreation Field for the Gathering of Nations festival. Waiting for them was inflatable carnival games, obstacle courses, ice cream, and music—all of the ingredients for a mountain-top experience of fellowship and fun.

Throughout the week, guests got to know each other in their clans, tribes and nations. Led by their respective region chiefs at the Gathering of Nations, Arrowmen were rallied in support of their nations (Plateau, Northern Wood-lands, Southern Wood-lands, and Plains) shouting their nation names to show pride.

At the event Arrowmen were given nation cards with information about their assigned American Indian nation to trade with members of other nations. In the end, each guest was intended to have a complete set of cards from all four nations. "The idea behind the nation 'trading' cards is to encourage the Arrowmen to talk to one another and express their nation’s pride." explained Alan Camarillo, Activities and Recreation Committee Program Vice Chief.

The biggest attraction at the gathering was the bungee grab and go. Arrowmen would strap themselves into a harness with a bungee behind them and see how far they could run. "Every time I tried to run up, I would fall back half way," said Andrew O.,17, Witauchsoman Lodge of Minsi Trails Council, East Stroudsburg, PA.

"There is a lot of freedom here; it's like a carnival," said Joshua G., Colonneh Lodge of the Sam Houston Area Council.

After the event, clans met and reflected on the week. "Arrowmen again focused on the idea of servant leadership," Camarillo said. Clans were to continue working on servant leadership quotes relating to their experience at Indian Summer. Fifteen quotes from the clans will be used in the closing show.

Revised 8/04/2011