In this email you will find:
Founders Day kicks off Wednesday morning with breakfast at the start of the Scout-Powered Parade route, where over 5,000 cans of food for the Hoosier Hills Food Bank will be collected. Then the Scout Parade will lead us towards the site of our world record attempt for the largest kazoo band and the start of the Goodman Games. Following lunch will be the Founders Fair, an opportunity for each lodge to showcase its community and hometown sights, sounds, and flavors.
Food Drive:We are partnering with the Hoosier Hill Food Bank to collect over 5,000 cans of meat, vegetables, and fruit to help feed the local Monroe County community. This is a great way to show that the power of one Arrowmen can make a major difference in the lives of thousands of people. We are asking each participant to please bring one can of meat, vegetable, or fruit to breakfast on Wednesday to show the people of Bloomington that we are the Brotherhood of Cheerful Service.
Parade:
The 2009 Scout-Powered Parade will start immediately following breakfast and will head south towards the site of our world-record attempt and the Goodman Games. Through your float and mascot’s participation, you will be able to highlight your lodge spirit. All floats are to be Scout-powered; pulled by one or more Scouts. Floats should feature your lodge’s hometown or service commitment, or to honor an Arrowman who has made a significant impact on Scouting or your community. A limited number of red wagons will be available for use during the parade. These will be donated to families in need following the parade. Reservation information will be available at a later date. Donations of your red wagons to this service project are encouraged. If your Lodge would like to participate, please plan to build your float around a child-size wagon, so it can be included in our donation.
Awards will be given for:
- Best In Parade
- Originality / Creativity
- Showcasing the "Power of One"
Brotherhood Kazoo Band: Since the very first NOAC there has been a Brotherhood Band; a group of dedicated musicians who gather to perform for everyone’s enjoyment. Out Brotherhood Kazoo Band will be the exact opposite. Over 5,000 people will gather to play in concert for the benefit of one person, the official from Guinness Book of World Records! With the participation of nearly every Arrowman at NOAC we have a great chance of breaking the record and having NOAC 2009 recorded for history as the site of the world’s largest kazoo band. Everyone in attendance will receive a special commemorative kazoo as a keepsake for being part of this record-breaking effort.
Goodman Games:
While not everyone can be an Olympian, this is your chance to bring home the gold medal! The Goodman Games will be broken down into six zones, each testing various skills. From Baden-Powell Scouting games in the 100th Anniversary zone, to low impact camping in the "Leave No Trace" zone, there is something for everyone. Make sure to bring the "power of one," to ensure that your lodge is victorious in this series of challenging competitions.
Medals will be awarded for:
- Best Overall, combined all zones
- Best In Zone, best in each zone
NOAC Ambassadors Program:
Want to do more than just watch all the fun? Want to be a staff member for a day? Want a free hat and special recognition patch? Then the Ambassadors program is just for you. Each Ambassador is a staff member for Founders Day, coordinating the parade, officiating at the Goodman Games, helping with screen-printing and Founders Fair booths, giving directions, or just lending a helping hand. Sign up will be in the registration area on Saturday, August 1st, and we would like all four regions to be represented within the corps of Ambassadors.
This semester, as many Arrowmen are taking their seats in the schoolhouse, Jeff St. Cyr will be taking his seat in the state house. That’s right, at just twenty years old, Jeff—an Eagle Scout, Vigil Honor section chief from Troop 53 in Alton, New Hampshire—is a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. In addition, he’s a student at the University of New Hampshire and, on top of that, chairs his local school board in Alton, New Hampshire.
For Jeff, leadership is something that he’s used to. "It’s always been a part of my life," he says. In fact, Jeff credits Scouting with giving him the fundamental skills that it takes to be a leader. He was involved in his troop leadership from an early age, starting first as an assistant patrol leader and then working his way up. Today, Jeff serves as Section Chief for NE-1A and will serve as the Conference Vice Chief for Communications at NOAC this summer.
But when he’s not visiting lodges or planning for the conference, Jeff is also representing New Hampshire’s fifth district in the House of Representatives and chairing his local school board. His service on the school board is Jeff’s way of giving back. "I attended the school system when I was younger," says Jeff. "It’s good to be able to bring a youth perspective to the board."
The New Hampshire House of Representatives is made up of 400 members. Of that body, just three are Jeff’s age. The part-time nature of the legislature attracts either young folks who do not yet have careers or retired citizens who have the time and resources to devote to spending time in the capital. But for Jeff, time management is his key to getting things done. "I do a lot of traveling back and forth," he says. His priorities still lie with getting an education—something Jeff knows is important for his future.
And how does he manage to represent his 3,000 or so constituents in the state house, chair the school board, and run a section? "There’s a balance of working with Scouting and serving constituents," that Jeff seems to have perfected. At the end of the day, Jeff just enjoys being involved in his community and wants others to know they can be involved, too. "Arrowmen in their communities can certainly get involved," he encourages. All it takes is the "Power of One".
This item has a $15.00 value, but is being offered to online customers for only $12.00. This lightweight, brushed cotton twill baseball cap will be embroidered with a sleek version of the 2009 NOAC logo. The logo will not be released until the event, so the cap from 2007 NCLS is pictured here.
Find it at: http://tradingpost.oa-bsa.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=2009-5
After March 1, all NOAC spots without a deposit will be opened up to any Arrowman to fill. Final payment is due May 31. Remember that as soon as you pay your conference fee, you will receive an "I’m There" – NOAC promotions patch.
"The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible" - Arthur C. Clarke